SDF Shadow Cabinet Ministry of Foreign Affairs Calls on Nigeria & Cameroon to Seek for Speedy Release of 7 French Nationals Abducted in Cameroon

Hon. Awudu Mbaya: Shadow Cabinet Minister for Foreign Affairs

SDF Shadow Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Awudu Mbaya Cyprian has issued a Press statement condemning the kidnapping of seven French Nationals in the Northern part of Cameroon.  In the Press Release, the Shadow Cabinet of the Foreign Affairs of the Social Democratic Front-SDF noted that the “SDF learnt with consternation the unfortunate incident of the kidnapping of seven French Nationals in the Northern part of our country last Tuesday, February 19”. The statement further imply that the SDF party during the national convention and last meeting of the National Executive Council earlier put to question the CPDM regime’s security not only for Cameroonians but as well as foreigners living or visiting the country. The Shadow Cabinet Minister however lamented that up to the time of issuing the Press Release, the Ministry of External Relations has so far made no clear statement on the unfortunate incident of February 19, 2013. “This is a phenomenal characteristic of the CPDM regime which has always remained mute in the face of serious crisis” SDF Shadow Cabinet Ministry emphasized.  The Shadow Cabinet Ministry of Foreign Affairs also observed that “the CPDM government has no defined and strategic module for tourists in Cameroon” and judging from the statement made by France that “Northern Cameroon” is a danger zone an eloquent testimony that the CPDM regime has failed.  However, SDF Shadow Cabinet Ministry of Foreign Affairs also commended that in Cameroon there is the freedom of religion and different religious groups have been coexisting amicable.

The Shadow Cabinet hereby holds that:
a)    The SDF calls on the Cameroonian and Nigerian governments as well as all other concerned bodies to see to the speedy release of these seven French citizens who were abducted by an unknown group in the
Northern part of our country and reportedly taken to Nigeria.
b)    The SDF will never allow any part of the Cameroon territory to be used for the settling of political, social or religious differences. Thus, we condemn anyone depriving Cameroonians or friends of Cameroon within its territory of their freedom of movement, worship, etc;
c)    The SDF government will put in place a security system that will guarantee the sovereignty of its territory as well as all inhabitants therein;

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

A Rubber Stamp Senate for Cameroon?

By Fai Cassian

The Cameroon National Assembly after April 14, 2013 will henceforth be regarded as a lower house. But before it happens, that Cameroon Parliament (National Assembly) has established a regrettable reputation as a rubber stamp Parliament which is governed by party discipline. For years now Cameroonians are aware that party discipline at the National Assembly takes precedence over the supreme interest of the people and the state. This is so because like in the argument in Gulliver’s Travels, any “Johnny just come” who enjoys popularity or has money can buy his/her way to Parliament. The implications are that many of those who enter the National Assembly through the struck of luck spend their five years mandate sleeping and clapping to declarations they never participated in voting thus sacrificing the entire nation. Bills are tabled and rubber stamped into law without reasonable intellectual debates. While others pass time staging “walk outs” in protest of this or that due to party discipline, others would adopt bills to later regret in snacks, bars and restaurants where they spend micro project grants.

The putting in place of the senate implies that there is going to be an upper house in Cameroon. Yet commentators say this Upper House of the National Assembly known as the Senate may turn to be another rubber stamp. Whereas, senators are supposed to be more refined personalities in society, role models or people who have proven their capabilities. The question whether Cameroonians will commit the same errors by electing into the senate people based on party allegiance and tribal tendencies is bound and unavoidable. Even though the electoral college is only made up of councilors, I remember how a mayor once told me that majority of his councilors had not gone above Primary 7. Equally, President Biya who has the prerogatives to appoint 30 out of the 100 senators should appoint people based on their abilities and not on compensating old guards of the CPDM. Some of these old guards of the CPDM are already scrambling to Yaounde, visiting witch-doctors to be appointed. In fact as someone puts it “ a Senator should be someone who should be able to die for the truth and his/her fatherland”. The question is whether we could find such a rare specie of people with character and conscience in Cameroon. If they are not to be found, then the Senate will surely be a rubber stamp.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

Bokom Haram Infiltration Feared over Mad Rush for Cameroon Free Identity Cards in Ako

Ron Zehnabu 

The issuance of free identity cards kick-started in Ako sub Division a week ago amidst controversies and tension. Yet politicians have decried the influx of Nigerians in some border villages to acquire Cameroon free identity cards. In the border sub Division of Ako, local politicians especially of the opposition are scared as they claim that hundreds of Nigerians spotted at Abuenshie, Abafum and Buku areas. It is feared that the laiser-faire could facilitate the infiltration of some members of Boko Haram. However, source concocted sources hinted that the strategy to issue free Cameroon identity card to some Nigerians living along the borderline was masterminded by some politicians. But CPDM section President for Ako refuted the allegations and said that his party had never made such an attempt to import foreigners to vote for them.  

Ako Sub Division in Donga Mantung Division is an Island on land giving the encalved nature of the border villages. In Ako, 18 villages speak the same mother tongue “dialect” with 16 other villages in Nigeria. This according to what we gathered at the border village of Abafum makes things very difficult for the identification team to distinguish who is a Cameroonian and who is not.  In the villages of Abafum and Buku where an alarm was raised that Nigerians were acquiring free identity cards and registering massively, the story is not only about politics. The truth is that though these two villages are in Cameroon, the economy is directly in the hands of Nigeria giving that the people use the Nigerian currency “Naira” and not the Cameroon Franc (CFA). It is a common phenomenon says Peter Ashie that they of the border villages have double nationalities. Yet politicians are crying out that since the issuances of identity cards go with voter’s registration, it is a pretext to rig elections. Allegations are rife at that over 50 Nigerians used the opportunity to acquire Cameroon identity cards yet the Fon of Abafum said the information is baseless and faulty. On the other hand the Divisional Officer for Ako says it is very difficult to know who is Cameroonian and who is not giving that the people speak the same mother tongue, have the same culture and also carryout inter-marriages.

But when SDF Parliamentary aspirant for Ako stormed Abafum, he defied the myth to pick out some Nigerians who were already holding identification forms and we cued up to be issued Cameroonian identity cards. He raised an alarm and suggested that all the forms should be collected. And when the forms were collected back, he (with the help of the team from Nkambe) proceeded by calling in every applicant and asking the name of his/her village, the name of the councilor and the fon, anyone who could not give a correct response was disqualified and requested to bring witnesses who would testify. It was at this moment some of the Nigerians who were trying to obtain the identity cards escaped. Speaking to this reporter, John Okie said that contrary to the young men who were trying to obtain Cameroonian identity cards were small business men who wanted the identity cards to escape from police and gendarmes harassments. But another authoritative voice hinted that it was a well calculated strategy by some CPDM bigwigs to import voters.

It should be recalled that during the launching of the free identification exercise in Ako town, Ho. JK Ntoi clashed with SDF Parliamentary aspirant Shiwa David. According to what we gathered, Hon. Ntoi was annoyed that young Shiwa David told the population that he (Shiwa and Hon. Awudu) lobbied for the free identification process in Ako. Hon. Ntoi Joseph who claimed he and CPDM Mayor for Ako, Emimi Emmanuel had raised over 1.5 million FCFA and handed to the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung Ngone Ndodemesape Bernard for the team to move to Ako was aghast. Hon. Ntoi we gathered almost engaged in a fight yet Shiwa David stood his ground. It needed the intervention of Ngone Ndodemesape for flaring tempers to calm down. Upon arrival in Ako, the SDO for Ako is quoted to have told Hon. Ntoi that the funds he (Hon. Ntoi) and the mayor contributed was given to the court to ease their movement to the field to issue free nationalities and that the presence of the identification team in Ako was thanks to Shiwa David. Public opinion in Ako has been why the identification post in Ako was closed yet we gathered that the Ako identification was closed due to rampant issuance of Cameroonian identity cards to Nigerians and not Residence Permit as requested by law.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

Senatorial Challenges: NW Fons Union Scrambles for Appointments

North West Fons Union (NOWEFU), a one-time enviable and lobbying force in the North West Region grouping traditional rulers is wallowing in hypocrisy. The “royal beggars” as some of them have been tag-named have stage another controversial act that almost resulted to some of them being stoned with rotten tomatoes by angry youths. On Thursday February 28, 2013, NOWEFU fons led by its President General, Fon Teche Njei stormed the Governor’s office with a motion of support urging President Biya to appoint some of them into the senate. Northwesterners were again taken aback due to the fact that some months ago, the same fons declared publicly that they were all behind Dr. Nick Ngwanyam, one of the Senatorial Aspirant. Public opinion in the Northwest region is harsh and flabbergasted at the present NOWEFU President for playing the ostrich. One fon who spoke to this reporter on phone on grounds of anonymity frowned at his colleagues for their obnoxious behaviors. “Why have they so suddenly dumped their Mbangfon. I think this union has been transformed to something else”, he argued. What is however pathetic is based on the fact NOWEFU for the past years has only been heard of during public gathering and occasions like this, Fonchi Telia remarked. To Nfor Jeremiah, North West fons grouped under the umbrella of NOWEFU are a good example of bad leaders and will never stop to spring surprises.  

By issuing a motion of support for the president and asking him to appoint one of theirs into the senate, the fons have again confirmed that they are the “royal beggars”. Impressionists have described them as “the posts- hungry idiots clamouring for posts in the Senate”.

Another school of thought holds that PM Yang Philemon should be ready to collect these motions of support in order to publish a volume of the people’s cry for senate.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

Senatorial Elections: Paul Biya-Fru Ndi Romance Goes Sour

Romance Biya-Fru Ndi at First meeting

The chairman of the Social Democratic Front-SDF has declared that "If Mr Biya does not talk to us; the SDF will make sure that this senatorial election does not hold. I will tell my boys to sharpen their machetes". Ni John Fru Ndi told journalists a forth night ago in Yaounde. Just a one day after President Biya announced that Senatorial elections shall hold on April 14 2013, the political climate in Cameroon is considerably radicalized. They show, in essence, the convening of the electorate for the Senate on April 14 and the modalities of management of the Electoral College (composed of regional councilors and municipal councilors) this election the first of it kind in Cameroon look extremely special and intriguing. Ni John Fru Ndi improvised a press conference at his residence in Yaoundé to propagate the position of the leading opposition party in Cameroon. The Chairman of the Social Democratic Front it should be recalled had declared that he will run for senatorial elections provided there is a level playing ground. He had also argued that senatorial elections should be after the forth coming municipal and legislative elections, stating that the present councilors were elected under MINAT and NEO which were not credible at all. Political analysts are of the opinion that it is because Fru Ndi wanted to go to the senate that he has been out in the field mobilizing voters to register. However expressionists say Fru Ndi's trappings are wanting, given that he is a controversial leader. The story is that when people expect the SDF to participate in elections, Fru Ndi usually calls for a boycott, and when everyone is expecting a boycott the SDF participates. When Fru Ndi tabled 14 points on the impartiality of ELECAM, it ignited hope in many but he latter swallowed it without giving any explanation to anybody. Allegations are also rife at that Fru Ndi had a secret meeting with Biya before he (Biya) left for France and during the meeting the two friends agreed that Fru Ndi will be appointed senator. Without such a possibility, Fru Ndi's chances of becoming senator could be far-fetched.

However, the terms of article 222 of Law No. 2012/001 of 19 April 2012 on the Electoral Code, "the senators are elected in each region by an electoral college consisting of regional councilors and municipal councilors." In the current context where there are no regional councils, the Electoral College will consist solely of municipal councilors.
And since the constitutional reform of 2008, the new regulations provide that "the senatorial elections may take place before the establishment of the Regional Councils." So the presidential decree of February 27, 2013 is not against the current law.

Notwithstanding, Ni John Fru Ndi vomited that the mandate of the present councilors expired in 2012, indeed, the mandate of councilors, who are the only voters and was extended by a Presidential decree. In this situation certainly legal, but difficult in a democracy, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) party of President Paul Biya controls more than 4/5 of the 360 ​​councils of Cameroon, a position that makes him (Biya) the super favorite super to easily take control of the upper house. Added to this is the prerogative that the Constitution gives the President of the Republic the powers to appoint 30 of the 100 senators. Reasons why Fru Ndi is threatening that if President Biya wants to destroy Cameroon, he (Fru Ndi) will help him do so. Yet public opinion holds that the best person so far to be appointed President of the Senate is Ni John Fru Ndi but with the present controversy, the romance Fru Ndi-Biya may likely turn into chaos.

Candidature

Candidates to compete in the elections must be 40 years old as of April 14, 2013 and should be people who enjoy their civic rights. Their candidatures must be endorsed by a legalized political party. And the candidate should be registered in a list in any of the ten regions of Cameroon, meaning that Senatorial elections shall be through a list system. Each list shall comprise 14 names, 07 substantives and 07 alternates.

Each political party is expected to deposit the list of their candidates 15 days after the Electoral College has been convened. In this case, latest date for candidatures is 14 March 2013.

Voting shall take place in all the Divisional Headquarters, which implies that the 2013 Senatorial Elections shall have only 58 polling stations nationwide.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa

GBHS Nkambe Going (2) Clandestine Students Arrested and Detained

The reputation of Government Bilingual High School Nkambe on Wednesday February 26, 2013 took another heavy knock. The level of indiscipline at GBHS Nkambe we gathered has reached the point that the school administration could only seek solace in police intervention. The population of Nkambe was taken aback when news spread the town that some eight students were picked up by police and were detained at the Nkambe Police Station for not paying school fees. Yet well placed sources refuted the allegations and hinted that the so-called "ghost students"  were those whose names do not feature in the school register. According to what we gathered the number of clandestine students at GBHS Nkambe are out-numbered. According to what we gathered majority of the students who were smart jumped over the fence and escaped while only eight unfortunate ones were arrested and immediately taken out of campus to the police. 
Reasons for the falling standard of education at GBHS Nkambe have attracted much public discussions recently to the point that diverse opinions have been voiced out. Yet, a school of thought holds that education is a Human right that should be accorded to all humans as a threshold for moral, mental and moral development of human personality. While another school of thought holds that the fact that the school administration could handle disciplinary issues by summoning parents and or guardian to present the sky rocket problem is indicative of administrative lapses and failure. The bad news follows other indications that teaching and learning standards at GBHS Nkambe are slipping when measured against others. Other commentators suggested that the high rate of indiscipline and the drop standing is a severe blow to Government and bad news for the future of youths of Donga Mantung Division as well as many others who have passed through the school. "How can Donga Mantung hope to compete economically if our young people are not as well-educated as those in other places?, an authoritative voice questioned.

The question many have been asking on the growing indiscipline at GBHS Nkambe is whether a parent be averse to a teacher disciplining his child? Should a teacher beat or flog and or dismiss the child from school for not paying school fee? Should a parent leave the discipline of his/her child entirely to the teacher? These are the questions at the fore now that stakeholders have noticed that indiscipline is becoming epidemic at GBHS Nkambe. Some parents, on the one hand, are calling to question the disciplinary power of the school administration, teachers, while the teachers on the other, are accusing parents of leaving their responsibilities of training the children entirely to them. The result of the cacophony at GBHS is the high level of indiscipline among students which is actually becoming a cause for concern.The reputation of the one-time citadel of education in Donga Mantung Division is being dragged into the mud. Of late, some students connived with their peers from town steal computers eventhough they were arrested. Sources say millions of FCFA have been spent to construct and repair the school gate, but the impact is out-measured as students continue to jump over it.

However, when this reporter contacted the Principal of GBHS Nkambe to find out why the students were arrested by police and not dismissed, she banged the phone without responding to our worries. Notwithstanding the fact that the students were later released from police cell, public opinion is aghast at the administrative measures. Yet it is alleged that some of the students arrested were registered but had not paid their fees while others who are not known by the school administration have become a threat even to teachers. "They are fun of disturbing in class....etc, one student told this reporter.  In fact, too many versions have been voiced out on this incident. Allegations are rife at that before the clandestine students were arrested, it aired that some students earlier expressed their disgust by pasting their views on the school board, complaining bitterly for some changes.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa