Back to School: Hundreds Stranded As Politics Halt Functioning of GTC Kung

By Njie Bonwali Josseph 

Fon Kum Gilbert disappointed with politicking in Fungom

Menchum Division, in the Northwest Region of Cameroon has been noted for politics of bitterness. Yet Fungom sub Division seemingly has had a fair share of it. The Member of Parliament for Menchum North, Hon. Ndong Larry Hills was almost beaten to death by his District chairman for Fungom, Ngong Rex. Allegedly, the long accumulated political grievances finally exploded during a village development meeting at Bafmen in the presence of Fon Anneng Francis, CPDM Polibureau member. Though in detention and has been sacked from the SDF, it is clear that Menchum especially Fungom is the Eldorado of politics of bitterness just like Nkambe in Donga Mantung Division. The most pathetic thing is that politics in this part of the country has been moved into school milieu with some political kingpins using it to settle political scores.  

In 2011, government saw the need to create Government Technical College Kung, in Fungom sub Division yet three years have passed without any Principal being sent to manage the functioning of the school and as well, without any sign of proof that the college will go functional.

A school of thought holds that a certain self-proclaimed political kingpin of the CPDM has vowed that the college will not function as the Fon of the Kung Second Class Fondom has continuously elected to criticize the undemocratic, mal-governance and gerontocratic political CPDM Government.

Tension is reported in Kung village especially as it is rumoured that the population has to disburse a sum of two hundred and fifty thousand francs (250 000) to obtain a land title for the college. Allegedly, a sum of 220.000 (hard earned currency) has been disbursed to this effect with the hope that the school will go functional this year, yet all hopes have been lost as school resumed this week without a Principal being appointed to head the college. Some of the villagers are pointing accusing fingers at the CPDM bigwigs for frustrating the future of their kids and the entire village. When contacted the Fon of Kung lamented that “I find it politically and democratically unacceptable that, a Government which pretends to be initiating a democratization process in the country, treats its citizens in a very relentless, inglorious and egregious manner, because, my subjects and I have elected a critical political stand against the mal-Governance practices of the CPDM regime”. Fon Kum Gilbert argued that “I seriously frowned at the electoralist creation of this politicized school, which was sanctioned by a Prime Ministerial decree no: 2011/2141/PM, dated the 5th of August 2011, as a result of its non functioning mechanisms 3 years after its creation”. Fon Kum Gilbert who is a Consultant Lobbyist accredited to the French and European Union Parliaments, argued that “I seriously frowned at the electoralist creation of this politicized school.

He said when he discovered that politicians wanted to hijack the school for different motives, in consultation with other village dignitaries, the President of Kung Development and Cultural Association—KUDECA was sacked because, he used the Development Association’s finances to transport Kung subjects right to Yaoundé to visit and thank a politician who purported to have created the GTC Kung.

 It is feared that some gate crashers must have destroyed that letter given the corrupt nature and incompetence of some of these CPDM politicians.

 “My arguements are founded with the facts that, other schools that where created at the same time and with the same Prime Ministerial Decree went operational since the academic year 2011/12” he told us on phone.

“Therefore, my questions are why has this electoralist and political discrimination mechanism been relentlessly invested in my Kung fondom? Is my Fondom having no right to get access in and to the establishment of the national resources and development attributes and resources on our fatherland as defined and established by our fundamental principles? Why should the creation of schools be used as electoral and political blackmail instruments by the CPDM regime? In Political Science, such political behaviours constitute and fulfil the characteristics of a banana state functional regime. I am not scared and afraid of any CPDM politicians and or administrators who believe they can use state resources and political attributes and mechanisms in hindering the progress and development of its citizenry. With such skeleton political behaviours, how can we attain the 2035 millenium goal as constantly propagandized by the CPDM regime? I really cast some political doubts if these politicians and administrators hindering the progress of their fatherland are real patriots, politicians or political marchandizers. If Cameroon would have been a democracy, their qualifications as politicians and administrators really need to go through a scrutiny test mechanism.

 Education being a right and not a favour should not suffer from the mal-governance practices that are being orchestrated on our fatherland by incompetent CPDM administrators and politicians. I don't give any recognition and opportunity to those naked undemocratic and what I will qualify in my own words as a primitive political mal-governance behaviour from those CPDM guys there”. I think that, the Divisional Delegate of Secondary education is incompetent and as well, a member of the CPDM regime who could be immediately sacked from office, if Cameroon was a bona fide democracy.

 When contacted, Muh Kah Mathiew confirmed that the sum of 220.000 FCFA has been disbursed to acquire a land certificate for the school. All attempts to get to the Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Menchum and Divisional Chief of State Property and Land Tenure were not fruitful.

It should be noted that the Kung Development and Cultural Association whose main objectives and "raison d'être" are principally based on development and cultural activities/projects has not been having it easy with the local administrators.

In reacting to the moves by politicians and administrators to frustrate development efforts in his village, Fon Kum Gilbert said that “democracy and good governance cannot be conjured when citizens and their communities are being deprived from their fundamental rights, which are considered to be a favour by a gerontocratic dilapidating CPDM regime. How can they be maltreating and viciously depriving my Fondom and  subjects the right to education, when education is the backbone of all developed, democratic and enlightened societies/countries in the World. Education being a democratic right as enshrined by international conventions and instruments in which, Cameroon is a signatory member cannot be subjected and used as a politically and purely electoralist instrument in the development of my Fondom and as well, against my Fondom”. Fon Kum Gilbert said he will spare no efforts to draw the attention of the permanent representative of UNESCO in Cameroon, and other democratic and human rights institution in and out of Cameroon, notably, the UN, EU, CONAC and others, to know that, in Cameroon the creation and functioning of government educational institutions are electorally politicized, which substantiates the unfounded, mal-governance and corrupt reason why, the electoralist created GTC Kung has not yet still gone operational till date, meanwhile, other schools created by the same Prime Ministerial decree had gone operational since the academic year 2011/12.

He continued that  “It is politically established now that, because I called on my subjects to vote against the CPDM during the Presidential elections of 2011, has grounded and handicapped the mechanisms that could enable this school go operational since its creation. Again in the year 2013, during the twin electioneering exercise, I personally served my subjects with an electoral and political advice titled "WHERE IS THE SCHOOL", and assigned some of my subjects to carry out a door to door campaign programme against the CPDM in my Fondom.  I am politically and Traditionally determined and ready to face any CPDM pseudo politician in the area or in Cameroon who politically thinks that, my arguments are not founded, taking into consideration the elements and facts surrounding this electoralist politically created school in my Fondom”.

 

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

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Defends Himself; Yet Critics Not Satisfy with Justification

“You don’t know who a man of God is. I don’t go in that direction. I wasn’t accused of the things you said, nor did I commit those stupid things that you said and I don’t need to go into that level in such discussions. Jesus Christ was accused by many – a lot of frivolous charges. There will always be those who would like for it to be true. But you know, in spite of the accusations against Jesus, it didn’t change who he was. It didn’t change him.

There are preachers and there are men of God. I am not a preacher; I am a man of God and I go in the way I’m asked to go. It may cause some troubles with individuals but that’s not because I have done something wrong and when it comes to Reverend Anita, what I will say to you is ‘pray for her’…
Don’t act like those people. If you are married to a man of God, it doesn’t make you automatically mature. You can make mistakes; you can do something that is wrong. But some people expect the wife of a minister to definitely be at the level of that minister and so they may be looked upon and the expectation may be like that, but it’s a positional thing.
If a man of God is married, it doesn’t automatically mean that the wife of a man of God is therefore a woman of God. That’s not the way it is in the Bible. That’s why you don’t really find the wives of men of God mentioned in the Bible. How many of them? Who was Peter’s wife, did you ever know her name? You never find that out. Who was John’s wife? Did you ever read the name? What about all the other Apostles? How many of their names are written in the Bible. You never find their names.”
You have to understand something about a man of God. A man of God is not just someone who worships God or preaches God. A man of God is handpicked by God, set on course by God. If you study the scriptures, you will not find one man of God go against God, sinning against God.
The only things you might find will be a man of God, maybe in two different kinds of ways. Moses, for example; when he struck the rock twice, [he] was provoked by the anger of the people. [It was] not because he wanted to do something against the Lord.
No man of God does something against the Lord. Are you hearing me? A man of God is set on a course; there is a type of life that he is given. Then you have a young man, a young prophet; he wasn’t named; he was deceived by another man of God and so he went in a direction that God said ‘don’t go’.”
Critics Not Satisfy with Justification 
 However some analysts are of the opinion that for lack of a better description, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has not defended himself. He has just done what a filibuster, for lack of a better word, would do.Another school of thought holds that
Pastor Chris failed completely to make his case against his wife's charge of adultery. He rather denigrates the woman and brings us back to 2000 years ago when women had no voice in society to try to show us that women are nothing. Why does he not go backwards to Solomon, a man of God who had hundreds of wives and thousands of concubines to justify himself? The reality is that there are many who call themselves "Man of God' who do not believe in the last day judgement of Christ which will be more severe on them as the apostle James says.
Notwithstanding, critical minds have also lamented that commercial religion has taken over Africa and the so called men of God are just a bunch of crooks who use the pulpit to con they very poor and vulnerable. Their best customers are thieves who give more than they earn for special prayers as promised by the 'men of God'. Many marriages are breaking up especially when they fail to pass through peoples' wives to get what they want from their husbands. They then annoint the wives otherwise and make describe their husbands as demons. The Biblical dictum " Judge not that ye may not be judged..." is often used to get away with criminal acts. I shall continue to judge them and let the good Lord judge me on the same parameters as I do them.

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

North West Basic Education: Punitive Transfer Mar Back to School

As school began yesterday, at atmosphere of unceratinty looms large in rural areas as some teachers have not yet shown up in school. It is alleged that the situation in Donga Mantung Division is very pathetic due to the way that the transfers were handled. Some inspectors are said to have played the ostrich in the transfer of teachers. Cases of headteachers who have been moved to classroom teachers in some remote areas abound high.

Yet stakeholders of North West Basic Education wrapped up their sector conference in Bamenda with a cry over the alarming poor teacher-pupil-ratio in most rural schools and poor equipment of schools in ICT tools.

            During the sectorial conference which held at the Bamenda congress hall on August 27, 2014, the North West Regional delegate of Basic Education, Mrs. Fon Nyangha Susan, who lamented over difficulties faced in the basic Education sector, said observed that teachers are in short supply both quantitatively and qualitatively including the fact that the infrastructural situation of classrooms needs great attention. “With the June 2013 new Ministerial organizational chart, new services have been created which are in great need of equipment and infrastructure especially the resources to revamp functional literacy centres”. She added that with the on-going decentralization process and transferred cases from the ministry of Basic Education to councils, the different actors were yet to work in synergy.

            Beside, Susan Fon noted that the minimum package is too restricted both qualitative and often arrives late and the pedagogic supervisors greatly need means of locomotion for the effective supervision of actors on the field while some schools are in dire need of potable water and good toilets, latrines and electricity.

            Acknowledging government measures undertaken to render the teaching-learning-environment more conducive, the Delegate stressed that great strides are being taken in this direction. She therefore instanced the on-going contratualization process of some 302 PTA teachers by the World Bank, the annual allocation and rehabilitation of classrooms and the fact that North West Regions is the highest beneficiary of up to 18 very well construction Japanese Sponsored Schools. “The annual purchase of didactic materials in the form of the minimum package, the government efforts to reinforce free Basic Education and the allocation of running credits and other materials given for offices, schools and school health”.

            Re-echoing some ministerial instructions and warnings, Fon Susan said all teachers who do not report for work must be reported to hierarchy, head teachers must not meddle into the financial affairs of PTA, and syllabus coverage must be effective from the first sequence to ensure good results at the end of the year.  “All periodic documents and other information requested by hierarchy must be forwarded in time, stipulated dates for registering children for official examinations must be used”.

            In his opening and closing speech, the North West Governor, Adolf Lele L’Afrique, called on the teachers to reverse the poor result recorded in the end of course examinations in the 2013/2014 academic year by putting in more efforts in the 2014/2015 academic year. He equally enjoined the school heads to be vigilant in their respective schools especially at the moment when Boko Haram Ebola and Cholera are around and warned against absenteeism amongst teachers and the fact that some of the teachers pay people to teach for them.

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

Boko Haram: A hundred assailants killed by the Cameroonian army

Boko Haram

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Minister of Communication and government spokesman has announced the death of nearly a hundred militants of the Islamist sect Boko Haram, following a response from the Cameroonian army. The military operation of Saturday, September 6, 2014 in the locality Fotokol led to Cameroonian Army pushing back the insurgents far off into the Nigerian territory.  "During the day of Saturday, September 6, 2014 at approximately 1:00 p.m., two shells were fired by the terrorist group Boko Haram on Fotokol in Cameroonian territory in the Far North Region, immediately bordering that of Gambaru located in Nigeria. No casualties have been recorded on the Cameroonian side after the attack. Our defense forces have vigorously responded with mortar attacks against the positions held by the terrorist group Boko Haram behind the attack. The results of the Cameroonian response reported more than a hundred people in the ranks of the attackers, "says the release. However, Minister Issa Bakary Tchiroma also revealed that among the victims were, "two of Tuareg origin who have been clearly identified," said the spokesman of the Government. According to the Minister of Communication, "the power of the Cameroonian forced the terrorist Boko Haram to reverse their position about 7 kilometers from the border town of Gambaru, within the Nigerian territory" . This new response of the Cameroonian army at Fotokol comes less than a week after a recent replica which left approximately 40 deaths among members of the Nigerian sect.

He congratulated that defence and security forces for “their bravery, their commitment and their determination to meet the challenge of preserving our territorial integrity, protection of our people, their property and all those who live within our borders”

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

Political Stalemate at Tubah Council As 27 Councilors Threaten to Dump SDF

Martin Tanjong: Mayor of Tubah

At atmosphere of stale familiarity looms in Tubah Council, Mezam Division of the Northwest Region following a standoff by some 27 out of the 35 SDF councilors of the Tubah council are now threatening a collective resignation from the SDF party  as a solidarity move for the mayor of the council ,Martin Tanjong who has recently come under scathing attacks from the hierarchy of the party. Things came to  head on Monday 8 September 2014 when the 27 councilors rallied at the residence of mayor Martin Tanjong in Bambili to reinstate their unflinching support and loyalty to mayor Martin Tanjong whom they all hold they voted into office in good faith.

Of late, the SDF had slammed the mayor Martin Tanjong with the dreaded article 8:2 and seemingly during the last NEC meeting, 18:8 barring the former district chairman now mayor was ruled.

The crisis which has been rocking the SDF party in Tubah since the 30 September 2013 elections resurfaced recently when the SDF provincial chairman who doubles as member of parliament for the Boyo constituency,Honourable Njong Evaristus summoned a meeting of the SDF at the Tubah council chambers threatening the mayor and the councilors that should they  not toe party lines in the upcoming reorganization of the party come September 11, they are all going to face the wrath of the party. Honourable Njong Evaristus warned Martin Tanjong that he must step aside as the district chairman of the party even before the reorganization of the basic organs of the party is carried out in Tubah. The councilors of the Tubah council did not also take it lightly when Honourable Njong threatened to extend the wrath of the party to them.

The controversial visit of honourable Njong  Evaristus was closely followed by that of Honourable Wilfred Fusi Namukong of the Bafut/Tubah constituency who fueled more confusion by announcing that the money that has been announced as his contribution for the 30^th September 2013 election campaign is not what he actually gave, adding that the electoral district chairman, Martin Tanjong must be held to account. To conclude, he offered another 500,000frs for the reorganization of the basic organs of the party come September 11 2014.

Enraged by the twist of events ahead of the reorganization of the party in Tubah in the days ahead, the 27 councilors of the Tubah council, met at the residence of mayor Martin Tanjong to take a decision on how to deal with the looming crisis.

One of the councilors, Mr Nyincho told the press at the end of the meeting that the SDF party is founded on the principle of “power to the people”. It is this fundamental principle; he noted that guided their choice of mayor after the elections. He thus advised party hierarchy to respect the basic principles of the party as the councilors in Tubah are not going to change their position.

Another councilor for his part said the SDF party which is well organized in Tubah some years back had a common understanding that the position of mayor will rotate from one village to the other. After Bambui, it was just but normal that Bambili takes over from where the throne would move to Babanki. He expressed shock as to why the investiture committee of the party violated this arrangement for reasons that are not yet clear. He was corroborated by a third female councilor who warned that Honourable Njong should be stopped from stirring the trouble that he is fomenting in Tubah. All the 27 councilors present at the meeting fumed that how on earth can Njong Evaristus who lost election woefully in Fundong be the one dishing out lessons on democracy and elections to people who master the subject matter better than him. They said he went ahead to sell councilors for a whooping amount of money in the 14 April 2014 senate elections.

It is here that the councilors reaffirmed their unflinching loyalty to Mayor Martin Tanjong noting that any attempt to disrupt the party or get Martin Tanjong out of the way through undemocratic means would mean that all of them would collectively resign from the party. They further warned the administration to be careful because Honourable Njong Evaristus may provoke a bloodbath in Tubah on 11 September in the guise of reorganizing the party. The councilors held their grounds that 11 September 2014 in Tubah could just turn out to be like 11 September 2001 in the USA when the twin towers were brought down. Another school of thought is accusing Hon. Njong of trying to put the Bambui and the Bambili people at loggerhead.

In his reaction, Mayor Martin Tanjog said he was the mayor of all the people of Tubah and not a mayor for SDF militants only.  Tanjong challenged all that he should be judged by the development that he has brought to Tubah at the end of the mandate ,so that the community can look back with appreciation even after he has left office .He said Honourable Njong Evaristus has been behaving as if he is mad  when it comes to elections in Tubah when he cannot even boast of having a following in his constituency in Boyo. The mayor went on to say that he and his councilors will not be intimidated by the SDF provincial chairman who is doing all within his reach to destabilize the SDF party in Tubah. According to the Mayor, almost all senior SDF officials had already called him to discuss the situation but, he concluded that it is the will of the people who elected him that will prevail. 

In prelude to the meeting at the mayor’s residence some school administrators in Tubah in the presence of the Inspector of Basic Education, Mr Njimetet Penn received didactic material from the council. While handing over the material mayor Martin Tanjong said it was to ensure that the more than 26 schools in the municipality take off effectively .The material he noted contained everything that the schools need such as registers, chalk, paper,  sheets amongst others. All fingers are now crossed as to what will happen in Tubah come 11 September 2014 as there are already threats that the council chambers will not be used by Honourable Njong Evaristus for the controversial reorganization.

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

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome addresses divorce rumours during Church Service

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome finally addressed the divorce sage during communion service in his Church yesterday.
He said
“I heard that some media houses – especially in Nigeria – are writing some things against me. All sorts of frivolous charges, that’s crazy.You have to understand something about a man of God. A man of God is not just someone who worships God or preaches God. A man of God is handpicked by God, set on course by God. If you study the scriptures, you will not find one man of God go against God, sinning against God.
The only things you might find will be a man of God, maybe in two different kinds of ways. Moses, for example; when he struck the rock twice, [he] was provoked by the anger of the people. [It was] not because he wanted to do something against the Lord. No man of God does something against the Lord.“Are you hearing me? A man of God is set on a course; there is a type of life that he is given. Then you have a young man, a young prophet; he wasn’t named; he was deceived by another man of God and so he went in a direction that God said ‘don’t go’.
“That is the only kind of thing you find about a man of God when he misses the message of God or he acts beyond what God said. But a man of God settles himself in the fight against the world… like those writing those stupid things about me, that I did this and I did that.
You don’t know who a man of God is. I don’t go in that direction. I wasn’t accused of the things you said, nor did I commit those stupid things that you said and I don’t need to go into that level in such discussions.
He recalled that Jesus passed through similar travails and eventually overcame. He said that although so many people were making mockery of him, he would remain steadfast and not lose focus.
continue reading below...
Agencies./AT

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

Complete Results of AFCON 2015 Qualifiers, Super Eagle Suiffers Setback

Here below are the results of the AFCON 2015

Tunisia 2 - 1 Botswana
Nigeria 2 - 3 Congo
Ghana 1 - 1 Uganda
Ivory Coast 2-1 Sierra Leone
Niger 1 - 3 Cape Verde
Congo DR 0 - 2 Cameroon
Burkina Faso 2 - 0 Lesotho
Gabon 1 - 0 Angola
Senegal 2 - 0 Egypt
Sudan 0 - 3 South Africa
Guinea 2 - 1 Togo
Zambia 0 - 0 Mozambique
Ethiopia 1 - 2 Algeria. 

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

Breaking News: Ebola; New Case Confirmed in Lagos

A new case of the Ebola disease has been confirmed in Lagos, Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu said.

Ebola protection ooh

Professor Chukwu disclosed this at a press conference held today, September 8, 2014 while also saying that the sister of late Port Harcourt doctor, Iyke Enemuo had been discharged.

The new patient is said to be the fiancé of someone who made primary contact with index case, Patrick Sawyer.

The Minister also said that Enemuo's wife is responding to treatment and will soon be discharged. Enemuo contracted the disease after secretly treating an infected ECOWAS diplomat in Port harcourt.

The development was also revealed via Twitter by the minister's Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Dan Nwomeh.

Mr. Nwomeh shared some of the highlights of the press conference through a series of tweets. Read below:

Wife of late PH doctor on treatment in isolatn ward in Lag no longer has #EVD symptoms, undergoing series of tests preparatory to discharge

Of 11 #Ebola survivors in Nigeria, 9 managed sucesfuly by mgt team & discharged, 1 treated by late doctor, latest Lagos case also survived

Nigeria current EVD status Sept 8 Total confirmed cases 19 - 7 dead, 11 survivors, 1 under treatment in Lagos. No more #Ebola patient in PH

Minister of Health:  only 1 #Ebola patient now under treatment in Nigeria.  Patient, wife of late PH is recovering & will be discharged soon

Minister of Health again dispels rumours of #Ebola cases in many states including Kebbi Kaduna Lagos FCT Oyo Ebonyi Delta & Sokoto

Port Harcourt has total of 477 currently under surveillance,  5 have been discharged after completing 21 days observation

Total of 339 contacts previously on surveillance released after completing 21 days of observation

Total number of contacts of EVD currently under surveillance in Lagos has reduced to 27

Another #Ebola patient in Nigeria has been successfully managed & discharged.  She is sister of late PH doctor & was treated in PH

19th case of EVD in Nigeria is fiancé of a primary contact of Sawyer in Lagos who has made full recovery

Total number of confirmed cases now 19th, with total number of deaths still 7 while there are now 10 survivors of EVD in Nigeria so far

Minister of Health briefing d press on latest developments on #Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria

Minister of Health to brief d press this morning on status of #Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria. Venue is 6th Floor FMOH Abuja @ 10 am

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