Dr. Fru Extends Hand of Fellowship to the Needy at New Year

By Baweson Edward
Dr. Richard Fru, Executive Director of the Garden of Eden Naturopathic Institute of West Africa (GENIWA) has again extended a hand of fellowship to needy Cameroonians.

Dr. Fru Richard preparing to hand the New Year Gifts

The groundbreaking twin event took palace on December 31, 2013 at the GENIWA head office in Buea and was described by observers the greatest act of philantropism of the year.

It was a ceremony that brought back smile on the faces of many people. The twin event was not only for Dr. Fru and GENIWA staff to dine and wine with the underprivileged, but most interesting thing was that Dr. Fru also prepared take home packages which were made up of food stuffs, bags of rice, soap etc and even transport fare to enable them move back home freely.

Before sharing food and drinks with Dr. Fru, each person present was equally handed at least a back of rice, oil etc to take back home. In appreciation of the donation, the beneficiaries who were more than a hundred also danced in admiration of the donor’s love for them.

Dr. Fru (standing) addressing beneficiaries Drawing inspiration from Biblical quotations, Dr. Fru announced that GENIWA has the burning spirit to give not because they have much but because they do it to those who are in need. “We are conscious that the Word of God (the Bible) recommends giving. It is more blessed to give than to receive, so says the Bible” he emphasized adding that it is for this reason that it has become a tradition that at the end of every year, GENIWA celebrates with the underprivileged in society.  More so Dr. Fruh also told his August quests that they should feel free to get to them in case they encounter any problem and believes that GENIWA can provide the solution to it,” feel free to approach us”.

Cross-section of beneficiaries “Many less –privileged people have before as individuals approached us for assistance on several occasions and got the requested help,” he said. Dr. Fru also told them that 2014 “will be a year full of divine health and divine mercies” to all the physically challenged in the country. Before handing them their packages Dr. reminded them that God has a way for everybody and that the word of God is the most effective instrument of change. In his concluding statement, Dr. Fru said that “old things have passed away and all things become new. God has given us a new beginning and a new life in a special year of victories. I pray that, this year, may the Holy Spirit lead us to good people, inspired and informed people that will help us to succeed in life. Let the Light of God lead us throughout out this year in Jesus' name, amen”

Elated, the beneficiaries expressed joy and thankfulness to the donor. They said for many years now, Dr. Fru and GENIWA have always been by their side. They called on God Almighty to bless Dr. Fru for his philanthropic work and what he has been dong to the needy people in society. It should be recalled that acclaimed Award winning researcher has always extended an olive branch of his support to communities to the underprivileged. Of late, he visited the orphanages nationwide to donate. GENIWA is noted for its research works in modern traditional medicine that commands alot of respect and admirations.

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

Paul Biya's 2014 New Year Speech was Little In Many Words-Prof. Asonganyi

By  Professor Asonganyi Tazoacha

  As usual, I sat by my TV screen around 7:30 p.m. on December 31, waiting for the end-of-year speech of Paul Biya. To kill time, I flipped to France-24 to follow the report on the release of Father Georges Vandenbeusch that was being presented over and over again by the Channel, until I was jolted to consciousness by the image of French president François Hollande making his own end-of-year speech to the French. So I flipped to CRTV to find Paul Biya already at the stage of congratulating ELECAM. This did not worry me because I knew I would follow the beginning of the speech from the background voice of the journalist that would read the English version of the speech at the end of his performance.

 At the end of the speech, without really knowing what I expected from it, I felt disappointed or dissatisfied, and decided to flip to other channels to avoid the 'griots' that were preparing to “dissect the speech” for us commoners. Although it was already past 9:00 p.m., I fell on RTS and found Macky Sall still addressing the Senegalese people. I found his own quite engaging, but had no time to sit through it, so I decided to go get the speeches from the internet. At around 10:00 p.m., I found the French versions of Biya’s and Sall's on the net but not the English version of Biya's.

    The two speeches were interesting in the way they differed from each other. Sall’s was about one-and-a-half times longer than Biys’s. As for figures - excluding dates and timeframes; figures that report government action in concrete terms - Biya’s had just four (3 reference hospitals, 4.8 % growth rate, 6.1 % projected growth rate, and 50% level of consumption of investment budget); for Sall’s I counted some fifty six in all domains of Senegalese society! Sall’s allows government action to be scientifically evaluated periodically; Biya’s does not because it is based on generalities and is really unfocused.

    Paul Biya says correctly that it is time for Cameroonians to engage in serious and objective debate of issues dear to them. To him these include purchasing power, employment and living standards. Important as these may be, Cameroonians need a pre-requisite, a constitutional framework acceptable to all. Like framers of the American Constitution that stated that “we are not giving our people the best constitution, but the best one they can accept,” we have not yet given the people of Cameroon the best constitution they can all accept. The present constitution is basically just rules and procedures to regulate the affairs of those who have power, and to help them to keep power in perpetuity. It is a constitution that serves the interests of a faction; it puts all the powers of decision in the country in the hands of one man!

     Another urgent issue that deserves “serious and objective” debate for urgent resolution is related to double citizenship, which Biya did not address. When Mongo Beti returned to Cameroon in the early 1990s, he wanted to run as the parliamentary candidate of the SDF in Mbalmayo in 1997. His candidature was rejected on the pretext that he was a French national. More recently, there is a polemic on the “American nationality” of Ndedi Eyango who recently won election as the “PCA” of the Cameroon society for music and arts. Judged by what is practiced in Cameroon generally, it seems that the issue of “double nationality” is treated with levity by the Cameroon regime; turning a blind eye here, and opening their eyes wide, depending on who you are and the interests at stake!

    Yet, the issue of double nationality is an important issue long resolved by many countries. Taking Ghana which many people consider as a “good example” of liberty and democracy in Africa, after the country reached its own “tipping point” in 1980s and actually tipped into chaos and disorder for some time, they got their axe together, so to say, and made a spectacular turnaround; they crafted a constitution in 1992 which laid down limits within which government power would be exercised. In 1996, to ensure that Ghana and Ghanaian citizens exploit all avenues opened up by globalization, article 8 of the constitution was amended to introduce dual citizenship as follows: “A citizen of Ghana may hold the citizenship of any other country in addition to his citizenship of Ghana; without prejudice to article 92(2)(a) of the constitution, no citizen of Ghana shall qualify to be appointed as a holder of any office specified in this clause if he holds the citizenship of any other country in addition to his citizenship of Ghana: Ambassador or High Commissioner; Secretary to the Cabinet; Chief of Defense Staff or any other Service Chief; Inspector General of Police, Commissioner, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service; Director of Immigration Service; Any office specified by an act of parliament…”

     Back to the speech, Paul Biya said in many words that the Vision-2035 crafted by his government is a mirage. Indeed, the poverty reduction strategy Paper (PRSP) that came before the Vision did not work, and the revised version now called the growth and employment strategy paper (GESP), which we are told, will address the first 20 years of Vision-2035 will not work too for the same reasons. In short, the manner in which we are governed today provides no hope for the famous Vision.

    In this other speech, there are still rhetorical questions Biya keeps asking himself, since he is the one at the foot of the proverbial wall. Are we different from others that are succeeding in other places? What do we lack? What is the use of some follow-up commissions? Why does government action lack coherence and transparency? Why are there so many administrative bottlenecks? And so on! Well, speeches and questions, however well framed, however good or impressive, cannot on their own change anything; only institutional politics can. As John Maxwell would tell him, the attitude of the people is a reflection of the attitude of the leader; or better still, those closest to the leader determine his level of success or failure.

    As Karl Marx would also advise him, the human world is open to human actions because it is a creation of man. What obtains in the Cameroon society today – the stagnation, the corruption, the domination of self interest, generalized laxity – is generated by human action or inaction with Paul Biya as a willing accomplice in their perpetuation during the last (over) 30 years. He is mired in a routine that seems to be impossible for him to break. Added to that, his own party people have become confused and settled on empty slogans like “grandes ambitions,” “grandes realizations,” none of which has content nor implies a politics of existence, like “socialism,” “liberalism,” Marxism, Leninism, Maoism did. He has put in place an absolutist infrastructure that sees all “new” action as a dangerous rupture with his routine of facility and “order.”

     He keeps telling us that we are advancing in “democracy” because we are organizing elections. Fareed Zakaria would tell him that for countries like ours, democracy and liberty are not the same. He always pays little attention to how much elections are undermined by crooks, thugs, party zealots, fanatics and ethnic bigots, all elements that block progress in all domains of our society. Indeed, laxity and generalized failures of our society have led to an unstable equilibrium that is constantly used as justification for the existence of the regime; as a measure of the “success” of the regime. Those who complain about the failures of the regime are always asked to look across our borders to see that there is chaos outside, and "peace" within. In this, Paul Biya and his acolytes do not seem to buy Malcolm Gladwell’s “Tipping point” – the magic moment when a “peaceful” society gets to a point and tips into chaos. We have witnessed such tips in Ghana, Kenya, the Arab world, South Sudan, Central African Republic, you name them. They are jointly testimony to the fact that societies like ours - under the cloak of  electoral fraud, longevity in power, corruption, abuse of human rights, ethnicity, nepotism, use of government institutions and powers to impose social unity and cohesion, and all other abuses - are close to the brink. 

   Paul Biya has been around for quite some time because this was his 32^nd New Year address to Cameroonians. Like the many rendezvous’ he missed with the people during 2013, he obviously missed this one of December 31, 2013. Since he still talks about “un délai raisonnable” [a reasonable time] for putting in place the constitutional council that was supposed to have been in place since 1996, time does not seem to be his problem, although it is not on his side. The speech, like past ones, left us with much uncertainty, even if we are certain that the next New Year speech of the President of the Republic to Cameroonians will be either the first or the 33^rd.

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

Wum Mayor Accused of Extravagant Spending

Dighambong Anthony Mvo, the Mayor of Wum Council has received very hard and sharp criticism from councilors for extravagantly spending about 500.000 FCFA on food and drinks during the last budgetary session of the Wum council. The Eye gathered that some of the councilors who could not talk to the mayor in his face or raise a motion at the council session spoke the loudest in beer parlours about the famous 500.000 FCFA food money which they claim they ended up eating pouf-pouf at the end of the session. As to whether the much talked about 500.000 FCFA was really disbursed for entertainment remains another miser between the council treasurer and mayor.
Dighambong Anthony who replaced the absentee Njukwe Charles at the helm of Wum council and was installed on October 16, 2013 may turn out to be another epileptic dashed hope. The budgetary session scandal has become major discussions in bar parlours and other drinking spots in Wum town. Yet majority of the people in Wum continue to see the new mayor as the man who will deliver the goods. \Born on June, 17, 1970, Dighambong Anthony attended primary school at St. Martins Wum, GHS Wum and Later Nacho Comprehensive College where he obtained the FSLC, GCE "O" Level and GCE "A" Level in flying colours. He later proceeded to ENS Bambili and in 1996, he graduated as a Physics teacher.

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

Councilors of Ndu Council Adopt FCFA 600 Million for 2014

By Fai Cassian Ndi

Bunyui Emmanuel flanked by Donga Mantung SDO

The budget which stands at FCFA 600 million in income and expenditure was adopted during a budgetary session on Friday January 3, 2013. During the session, councilors of the Ndu council unanimously adopted a budget of FCFA 600 million for 2014. Addressing councilors at the session, Bunyui Emmanuel, the mayor of Ndu called on councilors to be conscious of the fact that the time for politicking has past and this is time for work. The needs of the population he said ranges from potable water, opening of roads and street lights for the main streets in Ndu town. According to Bunyui Emmanuel Nyugap, the draft budget of FCFA 600 million is not money that has been stocked somewhere but money that will be raised locally. Harping on how the budget will be realized, the mayor called on council staff, councilors as well as the population of Ndu including those elite(s) on the other side of the political divide to close ranks so that as a united force they will work for the development of the municipality.

On whether the budget was realistic, the mayor said the council intends to set up a livestock farm which will serve as an additional source of revenue. The livestock farm he added will principally engage into animal production, fattening and marketing given that Ndu market offers a potential outlet for the animals.

On his part, the SDO for Donga Mantung Division expressed gratitude to the councilors for their maturity during deliberations. He said the budget of FCFA 600 million was quite realistic given the position of the council as the economic capital of Donga Mantung Division. Ngone Ndodemesape Bernard encouraged councilors and council executive to work hand in hand with the population for the colossal budget to be realized. He jog the memory of the councilors that they should work for the interest of the people who elected them and that as councilors they have to throw off their political jackets to work for the interest of the municipality. The SDO encouraged the mayor and his executive to work in close collaboration with the council technicians in order to achieve his set objectives. To the councilors, he prescribed that the mayor needs their frank collaboration for Ndu municipality to emerge with others by 2035. 
Accordingly, he said the greatest of which is tax evasion by motor cycle riders and other business men and women in the municipality. At this point the Mayor called on councilors to go back to the drawing boards in their respective villages and school their populations on the need to pay taxes.

In the deliberations that ensued, councilors demonstrated their mastery of council matters by asking interesting questions on some of the budget heads. The questions were however watered down by adequate responses from the Mayor or his deputies, or the secretary general and the municipal treasurer.

It should be noted that Bunyui Emmanuel Nyugap said the main priority for the municipality is to improve to access to potable water. Ndu town it should be recalled has always registerd water scarcity due to the abusive cultivation of eucalyptus trees in water catchments and around watersheds. Popular opinion in Ndu holds that the new mayor would likely take the town out from the doldrums by providing them with potable water. If water as they say is life, the decision by the mayor to prioritize water in the municipality laudable another school of thought holds. To Ndzi Emmanuel, a trader in Ndu town, the choice of projects by the council meets up with their aspirations.

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

Full Text of President Paul Biya's New Year Speech (Dec 31, 2013)

My dear compatriots,

President Paul Biya addressing the Nation

The year 2013 gave Cameroonians genuine reasons to feel satisfied, thus paving the way for excellent prospects for the future. 

Let me explain.

The senatorial elections of 14 April and the legislative and municipal elections of 30 September took place in a calm and transparent atmosphere. All observers confirmed this fact and I believe that it reflects the maturity of the Cameroonian people who have understood that achieving social progress requires stable institutions and sound policies. The few failings reported were not enough to challenge the validity of the said elections. In this regard, ELECAM deserves to be commended. The enhanced credibility of the legislative and municipal elections sufficiently justified the time it took to introduce biometrics into our electoral system.

I therefore believe that there is every reason for us to be satisfied with this new milestone in our democratic process. The marked increase in the number of women in Parliament and municipal councils is a further sign of progress.

In any case, having put in place the Senate and local and regional authorities, the establishment of the Constitutional Council within a reasonable timeline will complete the institutional structure enshrined in our Constitution.

Our political horizon is now very clear. It is time for serious and objective discussions on issues that are dear to Cameroonians which, as you know, are purchasing power, employment and living conditions. In other words, such issues constitute what our people legitimately expect from a prosperous and equitable economy and a just and interdependent society.

Of course, this is no revelation to us. In recent decades, we have spared no effort to improve the living conditions of Cameroonians. This has been achieved despite the often tense political context, the economic crisis and threats to peace. Significant progress - perhaps still unevenly shared – has been made.

Let me mention just two examples, namely health and our major projects.

With the resurgence of malaria in its most severe form which affects infants, we have approached international partners for assistance. With their help, we will be able to secure free treatment of this pandemic for under-five children. Furthermore, I am pleased to announce that our country’s health map will soon have three additional referral hospitals, namely the Yaounde National Emergency Centre, the Douala Gynaecological, Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital and the Sangmelima Referral Hospital.

Regarding our major projects, those of the first generation are, as you know, either ongoing or in the start-up phase.

Concerning second-generation projects which will be implemented as from 2015, the related studies and financing are currently under negotiation. These include notably power generation, transportation, water supply, road and highway infrastructure as well as industrial and mining facilities.

As you can see, our economy is picking up and some kind of national consensus on the goal of economic emergence is discernible. I believe that we should muster all our energy to champion this cause and summon all our strength to ensure growth. In fact, it seems that our efforts alone, no matter how laudable, will not suffice to make Cameroon an emerging country in 2035.

International financial institutions have sounded this friendly warning to us; and it is in our interest to heed it. In 2013, our growth rate stands at 4.8%, and thus below our forecast of 6.1%. Of course, there is nothing so dramatic about this, yet it clearly indicates that we need to redouble our efforts.

Our growth is currently sustained by buoyant oil revenues and public appropriations. Private investments remain inadequate. We still need to improve the business climate, but this certainly does not spare us from pursuing ongoing structural reforms and further strengthening fiscal discipline.

Definitely, there is still room for improvement in the effectiveness of our economic policies. We have a growth and employment strategy which guides us towards achieving our goals. But, how come then that in some sectors of our economy, State action often seems to lack consistency and clarity? Why is it that in many cases, decision-making delays still constitute a bottleneck in project implementation? Why can’t any region of our country achieve a public investment budget execution rate of over 50%? Lastly, one can rightfully question the usefulness of certain project monitoring committees which are unable to take any decisions.

What we need in the coming years is a real contingency plan. With the GESP, we have a trend chart. Now is the time to act.

Our short-term priorities are well known, namely:  to correct our growth curve by creating jobs and maintain a high level of performance over several years in a row. To this end, we need to set timelines on our roadmaps and strictly adhere to them.

It will be absolutely imperative that we address the causes of our weaknesses by removing sticking points,     areas of dispersion and duplication.

Would we be unable to do what some other countries comparable to ours have done or are doing? I do not think so. We have talented, resourceful, well-trained and enterprising men, women and youth, who are capable of meeting these challenges. We have abundant and diverse natural resources as well as modern and democratic institutions. Our country is peaceful and stable. What then do we lack?

I think we need to improve in two key areas: prioritizing general interest and coordinating our efforts.

Though attached to our communities of origin - which does not prevent us from being fervent patriots whenever national honour is at stake - we are an individualistic people, more concerned with personal success than general interest. Our administration remains susceptible to private interest, which is most often in conflict with national interest. Such trends must not be tolerated in a modern state.  

At one stage of implementation or another, most of our major projects involve the skills of various services. I am not sure that there has been effective coordination between them. Clearly, therefore, there is a need for improvement in this regard.

My dear compatriots,

I would now like to draw your attention to a problem that has reached disturbing proportions in recent months – that of insecurity in our country.

Not long ago, we were striving to overcome “ordinary” insecurity. Simply put, we fought minor and organized crime in urban areas and “highway robbers” in remote rural areas. 

For some time now, a new form of crime referred to as cross-border crime has reached a worrying scale, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

This has been brought about by the presence around our borders of armed bands, driven by extremist ideologies and lured by profit. They do not hesitate to cross over to our territory where they commit various atrocities. This phenomenon is not entirely new. However, it has witnessed a fresh upsurge as not long ago there was an attack in Kette Subdivision in the eastern part of our country. Elite units have been deployed to the area to check such incursions. 

Over the months, in the Far North, such criminals have kidnapped foreign nationals for ransom. Memories of the abduction of the French family MOULIN-FOURNIER are still fresh. Thanks to our cooperation with the Nigerian authorities and French services, we were able to secure their release. More recently, a French priest was manhandled and taken to Nigeria. I strongly condemn such unspeakable acts perpetrated in the quest for gain against defenceless persons, including children. 

Of course, we are doing our best to prevent and combat such acts, and we will not relent. 

I congratulate the élite units ensuring security in these areas and urge the local population to cooperate with them as necessary.

For some time now, terrorism has also become rife at sea. Its motivations are mainly financial, but the methods have not changed. They consist in inspecting ships to loot the contents and kidnapping crew members for ransom. Cameroon has witnessed this in its maritime space.

The phenomenon has expanded to the entire Gulf of Guinea, such that the maritime trade of countries located in this area is being compromised. There was a first response at the Summit on Maritime Security and Safety in the Gulf of Guinea, held in Yaounde last 25 and 26 June.

It is clear that, whether on land or at sea, security, which is first and foremost a national issue, also has a collective and even international dimension. It should not be underestimated. Where it is not guaranteed, anarchy settles in, abuses become rife, economic and social progress grinds to a halt. Examples of such forms of breakdown in societal values, unfortunately, abound in our continent and even in our immediate external vicinity.

While it is true that the affected areas of our territory are very limited, we remain on the alert. Our security forces on the ground can intervene at any time. This is an opportunity for me to stress that each one of us must be aware of the benefits of living in a stable country where institutions are functioning normally, where the security of people and property is guaranteed, and where every citizen can nurse hopes of a better life.

The current situation in the Central African Republic demonstrates the possible consequences of instability and disorder. Massacre, looting and displacement have become the order of the day in that brotherly and friendly country. It was the duty of, and an honour for, Cameroonian troops to participate in the operations of the multinational force aimed at restoring security and protecting people within the territory of our immediate neighbour.

My dear compatriots,

We are somewhat at a crossroads. Growth is within our reach; our budget is viable; our public debt is sustainable; in short, our economic and financial situation gives us every reason to hope for prosperity.

-It is either we take the easy road by postponing reforms, in which case in 10 or 20 years time we shall have had such a cumulative delay that we can hardly meet the needs of our people.

-Or we set high goals for ourselves, and adopt strict collective discipline, in which case we will embark resolutely on economic emergence.

I suggest that we adopt the latter option, that of sacrifice and courage.

At a time when we are beginning to see many concrete signs of our democratic, economic and social progress, I invite you to embrace a new spirit of patriotism. I believe we can do a lot better.

I am not asking for your sweat, or blood, or tears; rather, I am merely urging you to commit yourself wholeheartedly to this new phase of our Grand National plan.

At the dawn of this New Year, I would like, on behalf of you all, to address our Indomitable Lions.

Dear Indomitable Lions, 

You have qualified for the final phase of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. We want you to follow in the footsteps of your illustrious predecessors of the glorious campaigns in Spain in 1982 and Italy in 1990. Give us a thrill once again. The Cameroonian people are with you.

To conclude, I am pleased to announce the release of Father Georges Vandenbeusch. 

Thanks to the action of our services, backed by Nigerian and French authorities, this priest, so devoted to his mission, has been freed today.

My dear compatriots,

I would now like to extend to you all, my best wishes for good health and happiness in the New Year.

Happy and Prosperous New Year 2014!

Yaounde, 31 December 2013

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