CPDM Reorganization: Outrage in Jakiri as Prof. Uphie Melo Declares Elections Results in Police Station

Militants of Bui IV Section of the CPDM, Jakiri have decried the high level rigging machinery at last Monday’s elections. Though Hon. Wirngo Buba was declared winner with (51.19%) over Gamsi, both candidates decried that the elections were massively rigged. Voters cards were gathered were being shared like bonbon while children below 15 years were also spotted casting votes.  

Matters came to a head when the Divisional Committee members headed by Prof. Uphie Melo Chinje transferred to the nearby police station to declare the election results. Some recalcitrant militants stormed the police station threatening to set it ablaze. Sensing the danger, Uphie Melo ordered her driver to take off her car. While some CPDM militants were chanting SDF slogans in disapproval and declaring the end of the CPDM in Jakiri, Madame Uphie seized the opportunity to declare election results after over 3 hours of waiting. Tongues are still waging in Jakiri to the fact that SDF militants infiltrated the CPDM party to support a weaker candidate. Yet Gamsi’s supporters had promised that CPDM a meager 2% at the 2018 local elections while Wirngo’s supporters say they will take over the Parliamentary seat and the council.From all indications, the reorganization process has put the CPDM in Jakiri in serious difficulties, It is even reported that in some localities, voters cards were seized from fraudsters who were paid. At one point, it was rumoured that poll agents were each promised 150.000 FCFA to rig elections. 

Apparently, the CPDM is suffering from the monster it has nursed over the years. 

Hon. Wirngo Buba

 



When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

U.S billionaire, Robert F. Smith Offers to pay for schooling of Chibok girls

Robert F. Smith, investment tycoon and the second richest African American has offered to sponsor the education of the girls who escaped from Boko Haram in Nigeria. Some of the girls could not go back to school because there were no funds to pay for their education.

U.S. billionaire, Robert F. Smith, businessman and the second richest African-American has pledged to pay for educational expenses of the girls who escaped from Boko Haram in Nigeria. The 21 girls have taken a risky step by going back to school and attending the American University of Nigeria (AUN).
It has been 588 days since the school girls were abducted in April last year by Boko Haram terrorists who stormed their secondary school in the town of Chibok in Borno state, kidnapping 276 girls.
The plight of the abducted girls and the fifty-seven who managed to escape appears to have been largely forgotten.
Struck by the plight of the girls the founder, chairman and chief executive of Vista Equity Partners resolved to play his part. The billionaire pledged to “cover their expenses for as long as they needed it”.Reports suggest that the girls who managed to escape have been left “traumatised and ostracised, they had then been largely left to their own devices, bar a handful sought out by aid workers”.
 According to Dr. Margee Ensign, vice chancellor of AUN, in April this year about 46 Chibok girls who escaped wanted to attend the school, but there were no funds to pay for their education, Atlanta BlackStar reported.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to Sanction MTN, Airtel, Globacom Over Auto Data Service Migration

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to sanction a couple of telecommunication companies in the country over the violation of some set rules and regulations.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday  said it would sanction MTN, Airtel and Globacom for defying its directive on automatic migration to Pay-As-You-Go data bundle.
The Commission made this known in its ‘2015 third quarter Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Report’ obtained pasted on its website. NCC said it had continued to receive complaints from subscribers on automatic migration of data bundle package to Pay-As-You-Go Billing on depletion of their data bundle.
Consequently and pursuant to section 53(1) of the NCC Act, 2003. The commission on 3rd August 2015 directed all mobile service operators to comply with the data bundle directions.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), NCC said "where a subscriber’s data bundle account is fully depleted before the due date, service providers should notify the subscriber via SMS, giving information regarding the tariff/ billing rate for automatic migration.

"That all service providers should henceforth stop auto-migration of subscriber’s data service to the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) account upon depletion of the data bundle account, except with the express consent and authorisation of the subscriber via SMS."

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Transfer Me to Prison Custody - Radio Biafra Boss, Nnamdi Kanu Begs Court

 Source: Vanguard

On resumption in court yesterday, the prosecution counsel, told the court that Nnamdi Kanu was yet to fully meet the requirement for his bail and asked the Abuja court to discontinue its case against the IPOB leader.

Nnamdi Kanu raising his hands to applaud his supporters after he left the court in Abuja

 

We reported it here yesterday that the State Security Service asked an Abuja magistrate court to discontinue its case against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

At the resumed hearing on the matter yesterday, Kanu, who the government accused of engaging in criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society, as well as indulging in criminal intimidation, contrary  to section 97 (a)&(b) and section 397 of the Penal Code, begged to be transferred to prison custody.

His lawyer, Vincent Egechukwu Obeta, insisted that transferring his client to prison would enable him to have easy access to his legal team.

He made the application shortly after the DSS urged the Magistrate Court to hands-off Kanu’s trial. The DSS, through its lawyer, Moses Idakwo, told the court that it has already secured an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja to further detain Kanu for another 90 days.

It said that the order which was granted by Justice Ademola Adeniyi, was to enable the government to conclude investigation into an allegation that Kanu was involved in terrorism financing.

Consequently, the DSS, applied to withdraw the initial First Information Report (FIR), it lodged against Kanu before the Chief Magistrate Court, maintaining that the government would file a fresh charge against Kanu before a higher court, once its ongoing investigation is concluded.

Idakwo therefore asked Magistrate Usman to step down from the trial on the ground that his court lacks the power and jurisdiction to prosecute terrorism charges.

The application was vehemently opposed by Kanu’s lawyer Obeta, who  insisted that the bail earlier granted the accused person must firstly be complied with before any application for transfer of the case to a federal high court could be entertained.

After listening to both parties, Magistrate Usman adjourned the case till December 1 for ruling.

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Biafra Agitations: Sultan of Sokoto Speaks Out

 The Sultan of Sokoto has aired his view on the increasing spate of agitation by the Biafra supporters.

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar

 

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has expressed worry over the growing agitation for an independent Biafra state championed by some Igbo people and promised that a delegation from the northern traditional council will be sent to Igbo leaders to meet on the issue.
The Nation reports that the sultan raised this concern at the second general assembly of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council which held in Kaduna on Monday, November 23.
The Sultan who is the chairman of the council noted that there were millions of Igbo people living and doing business in their states peacefully and helping the economy to grow. He said millions of Igbo people were against the agitation for an independent state and that a delegation would be sent so that peace would reign.
“We are very much concerned about this issue because we know we have millions of millions of Igbos residing with us in our homes, in our towns, in our states, very peacefully, very industrious, helping our communities and our economy to grow and so many of them as we know, keep telling us that they have nowhere else to live than where they are presently living.
“Since we have this coordination with millions and millions of them, what is happening now is a thing of concern to us and we believe we should look at this issue and most likely set up a small committee of senior traditional rulers to go to South-East and engage our brothers there (traditional rulers) so that we will know how we can come in to stop this agitation.”

He applauded Igbo leaders who were against the separation and that the agitation must be totally condemned.
He said: “We believe in dialogue, whatever the problem is with anybody, we believe we should sit down and discuss and a solution will be found.”

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

BREAKING News: Turkey Shoots Down Russian Fighter Jet in Syrian Border after Violating Air Space

Turkey has shot down a Russian fighter jet close to its border with Syria, it has emerged. The plane exploded in the air causing a huge fireball which fell on the Turkmen mountain on the Syrian side of the border.

 

A Russian war plane, Sukhoi Su-24, was reportedly shot down by Turkish army F-16 fighter jets early on Tuesday morning, near its border to Syria.

 

According to Dailymail, Turkish army officials say the Russian plane had violated the country's air space close to the Syrian border and was shot down after ignoring several warnings. 

 

Turkish officials say the plane was warned 10 times in five minutes before it was eventually shot down.

 

 

Russia's Ministry of Defence however claimed that the jet was in Syrian airspace, and was shot down from the ground. 

 

Footage of the incident has emerged on Turkish news websites and shows the plane engulfed in flames as it comes crashing down in a woodland area on the Syrian side of the border.

 

Both pilots ejected themselves from the jet and could be seen parachuting down to the ground, where at least one has been reported as captured by Syrian rebels, according to Turkish media.

 

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the warplane crashed in the Turkomen Mountains region in the coastal province of Latakia. 

 

 

The Russian Defence ministry said in a statement: 

 

'Today on the territory of Syria supposedly as a result of shooting from the ground, a plane of Russian air force group in Syria, a Sukhoi-24, crashed in the Arab republic of Syria.

The plane was at the altitude of 6km(3.73m). The fate of the pilots is being checked now. According to the first information, both managed to eject.'

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Coordination of Councilors and Mayors of Cameroon Writes to President Biya

 Press Release

Coordination of Councilors and Mayors of Cameroon on Pending Salaries for Mayors

The Coordination met in Yaoundé this 18^th Day of November with close to sixteen Mayors, 38 Deputy Mayors and thirty-eight municipal councilors assembled from all the ten Regions of the Republic.

They evaluated the state of issues surrounding the September 16 Presidential decree harping on the allowances, emoluments and salaries of municipal councilors and mayors:

            Considering that Municipal Councilors are dully elected on the same tickets like the (s)elected mayors and their deputies;

            Mindful of the fact that Government Delegates and their Deputies are appointees of the head of State and are on very huge allowances already;

            Given that the task of running the day to day affairs of the municipalities are more arduous and tasking at the local level, reflecting the decentralization spirit;

            In view of the fact that the Minister of territorial Administration and Decentralization as well as the prime minister had severally assured these Municipal officials that the budgets from 2013 had been taking care of the envisaged salaries, voted by the representatives of the people since 2010.

The Coordination notes:

            That it is unfair and dangerous in an evolving Cameroon to have councilors depend only on sitting allowances which have even been taxed up to 16.5%.

            That the huge salaries allocated to Government Delegates who are simply doubling for Sub Divisional Councils and holding down their efforts to work independently, is a big smack on the faces of the elected Mayors;

            That the arithmetic and formulae for the allocation of allowances as per classes is unfair, given that the idea encourages rural exodus, as those who are swelling our cities and towns all come from these so-called smaller councils;

            That the delay of payment even after the Presidential Text of Application of September 16, 2015 is an indicator that work is being done to calculate the arrears from 2013 till date.

The Coordination therefore resolves as follows:

            Thanks the Head of state for finally signing the September 16 2015 Presidential Decree, allocating allowances, emoluments and salaries accordingly;

            That in a subsequent circumstance, what is being allocated to appointed Government Delegates and their deputies be rather directed to mayors and their deputies;

            That the so-called smaller councils with very low Administrative Accounts, especially falling on classes three and four are there not because of any cause of theirs, but simply because the citizens are all exuding to towns and cities because of the hardship in the rural country. It will be sensible for the state to empower these poorer councils to encourage the youths to remain in the villages and get employed by their councils;

            That the Government ensures that all the arrears for mayors and their deputies be calculated as from their being installed into office in October 2013 till date. This is not only being prudent but being just and fair.

The Coordination of Councilors and Mayors of Cameroon look forward to a presidential Decree allocating full salary to the elected municipal councilors who are doing a tremendous work at the base. Anything can happen if these many Cameroonian elected representatives of the people are not taken seriously.

We count on the continuous understanding, clairvoyance and fatherly approach of the head of State, president of the Republic of Cameroon.

DONE IN YAOUNDE, THIS SEVENTEEENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2015

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Tribute: In Memory of DR. FRANCIS KEVIN NGWANG GUMNE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF SCAPO

BY THE DEPUTY NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF SCAPO MR AUGUSTINE F. NDANGAM

ON THE OCCASION OF LAYING DR. GUMNE TO REST

Tabeken, Donga Mantung Division, November 21^st, 2015.

Rev. Fathers,

Family members,

Political and Opinion Leaders,

Sympathizers,

Fellow mourners,

The Southern Cameroons People’s Organization (SCAPO) wishes first of all, to convey their condolences to the family of Dr. Francis Kevin Ngwang Gumne on this sad and unexpected event of their National Chairman’s departure home. Dr. Gumne was the National Chairman of The Southern Cameroons People’s Organization (SCAPO) and those who knew him well know that when by the Grace of God he drew his last breath on Saturday 3^rd November 2015, Dr. Gumne did so right in the trenches as a national leader and as a general commanding at the war-front. SCAPO believes that when both the battle and war which Dr. Gumne died fighting in are over, his name will have a well-deserved place on the annals of his country whose freedom and right of self-determination he worked with every ounce of his energy to bring about and did so to the last seconds of this transient life here on earth.

When we describe Dr Gumne as a “General” commanding at the war front and dying in the trenches let no cynic try to misrepresent either Dr. Gumne or SCAPO; and let us be clear: In the war we have been engaged in, we have fired not from the barrel, but from the lips and SCAPO’s battle-field has been the Law courts, both domestic and international. Apart from cynics, there are those who either do not know (or understand) what the Southern Cameroon struggle is all about. There are those who fear because they have been told that it is secession and no one has helped them to know that it is not   secession. Some, even among Southern Cameroonians themselves have characterized it as marginalization and discrimination, watering down a problem of mountain proportion to mole-hills. Dr Gumne has left us but the struggle continues and it will do so along the peaceful and along the lawful approaches which he charted. His death in the trenches with sweat and dust on his face is indeed a source of inspiration and encouragement for us to continue the struggle until the Statehood of Southern Cameroons is restored and freedom for our country is achieved.

On this somber occasion of laying Dr Gumne to rest our reflections turn naturally, not only on Dr. Gumne and his untimely departure from this world, but also on life itself:

-        What is life all about?

     -     Why is it so short?

     -      Is there another life beyond the grave?

The reason we ask these and a similar question is because the one thing which all of us are absolutely certain about life here on earth, is that we must leave it one day. Death is inevitable. A striking tomb stone in a cemetery in Indiana carries this Epitaph: 

“Pause Stranger, when you pass me by,

 As you are now, so once was I.

  As I am now, so you will be,

 So prepare for death and follow me,”

An unknown passer-by read those words and underneath scratched the following two lines:                

    “To follow you I’m not content

    Until I know which way you went.”

The words of this passer-by remind us Christians of the words of Thomas to our Lord Jesus Christ in John 14: 5: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  and the reply of Jesus to Thomas was, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  Dr. Gumne was a committed Christian and Christian faith is anchored on these words by Jesus and though Dr. Gumne has left us we know that he is right now somewhere where Jesus is.

From his deep faith and commitment to God we also know that Dr Gumne would say the same words of faith as those attributed to an ancient and aged astronomer:

         “Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;

           I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

I worked closely with Dr. Gumne here at home both in the Social Democratic Front (SDF) Party and in the de-annexation struggle of our country the Southern Cameroons. He and I worked closely in the group led by Dr Foncha that founded the Bamenda University of Science and Technology (BUST). He and I travelled together in foreign lands: in Nigeria in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America. The second thing I can say about Dr. Gumne from my closeness to him is that he was a courageous leader and a peaceful man. The peaceful approach which SCAPO has taken in the Southern Cameroons struggle draws from this natural disposition of Dr. Gumne which underscored his good leadership.

On this sad occasion, members of the Southern Cameroons People’s Organization (SCAPO) have asked that I convey to you: Mrs. Roswita Gumne, and the entire Gumne family the fact that they share in your grief and they mourn with you. Henry Longfellow says in one of his memorable poems:

“There is no flock, however watched and tended,

But one dead lamb is there!

There is no fireside, howso’er defended,

But has one vacant chair! …

We see but dimly through the mists and vapours;

Amid these earthly damps,

What seems to us but sad, funeral tappers

May be heaven’s distant lamps.”

While we separate physically with Dr. Gumne, we also recall the words of Rabindranath Tagore: “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” May God send out a band of angels to welcome home Dr. Francis Kevin Ngwang Gumne.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Drama as Catholic Priest Slumps and Dies During Church Service

Many people were shocked beyond belief when a catholic priest slumped and died on the altar while celebrating mass.

Many were thrown into mourning and confusion in Umuchu town in Aguata local government of Anambra State, southeast Nigeria after their priest slumped on the church altar and died while celebrating mass, PMnews reports.

The priest, Rev Father Emmanuel Idika, slumped at Our Lady of Fatima parish in Umuchu while he was conducting mass. After he slumped, church workers rushed to the altar and took him to a hospital but before doctors could attend to him, he was dead. 

The 82-year-old Idika who hailed from Umunze in Orumba South in Anambra, was posted to the parish after he retired from active priesthood. He volunteered to assist other priests to celebrate mass.

On the day the incident happened, Idika went to the church to conduct mass before he slumped right in front of the congregation.

According to eye witnesses, half way into the service Idika fell down on the altar and became unconscious. The incident threw the congregation into confusion and the mass ended abruptly.

His corpse was later deposited at the Visitation Hospital mortuary in Umuchu. Some of the parishioners who spoke to our correspondent said the late Idika lived a good life throughout the period he was active as a priest. They prayed that God should accept his soul.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

CPDM Reorganization in Balikumbat: Fuh Calistus Introduces Single Ballot

Balikumbat yesterday November 22, 2015 confirmed its leading position as bastion of the CPDM in the North West Region. This has been proven by the introduction of the single ballot paper at Balikumbat CPDM elections was indicative of the level of maturity of Balikumbat politics. Dr. Fuh Calistus Gentry, Divisional Coordinator of the reorganization process in Ngoketunjia has been applauded for that particular act by militants of the CPDM.

Though allegations were rife at that elections were rigged, classified sources say the single ballot paper prevented voters from taking back waste ballot to exchange for cash. Senator Dingha Ignatius crushed Wasum Augustine to retain the position of Section President for Ngoketunjia III. Madame Cecile, outgoing Section President decried that elections were defranchised to enable Dingha emerged. “Can you imagine my name did not feature on the electoral register”? She wondered aloud. Wasum Augustine’s supporters also decried that the level of intimidation was too high. “They affixed fake names to our names and this is how they succeeded in rigging the votes”, another loyalist to Wasum complained bitterly.

Though Dingha Ignatius got 2228 votes as against 1338 votes for the mayor Wasum, representing 62.5% against 37.5% the battle for the post of Section President was not that easy.

Dingha in one of his joking statements said he is Section President for life and that in the next elections; Wasum could only face one of his sons given that he (Dingha) has proven to be very tough for the later.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)