Mayor of Bamenda II, Balick Awah Fidelis Visits Italian Council, Emits Hopes of Twining

Mayor of Bda II and Mayor of Certaldo

The Mayor of Bamenda II Sub Divisional Council is on an exchange visit in Italy. Balick Awah Fidelis, the development luminary visited the Certaldo council on April 8, 2016 where he had several working session with the mayor of that municipality as well as some of his specialized staff. Expectations are high at that he will engage the process to twin his council with the Certaldo council in Italy. Balick Awah who was once described by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization as a true council manager has been crowned by several media organs as the Best Mayor of the Year due to his trappings at the helm of the Bamenda II Council. To Ndeh Samuel, their mayor is the people's hunter and has proven his worth severally reasons that he is capable of taking the municipality to a more prosperous level why when news filtered that he was out of the country, the euphoria was total in the municipality. The Bamenda II council which covers Mankon, Mbatu, Nsongwa and Chomba is one of the largest municipalities in Mezam. Councilors of the Bamenda II Council, adopted the sum of FCFA 1 002 000 000 (one billion and 2 million) as budget for 2016. The councilors during the session prioritize the acquisition of a (caterpillar) road grader as one of the top projects for 2016. The ambitious budget of the Bamenda II council was described by many as a trump card given the the municipality harbors the largest portion of Bamenda city in terms of land and population. During that the session, Balick Awah Fidelis, said the budget is just a plan of how the council will spend the money that is available. In a retrospective of the year 2015, Balick Awah Fidelis, the Bamenda II Council listed the number of projects that were carried out. 

The "Small Money Big Change", a programme initiated by the Bamenda II council in 2014 was applauded for registering the highest gains in communities. The Eye is aware that "Small Money, Big Change" has been prescribed by the National Community Driven Programme PNDP to several councils in the region. The second phase which kickstarted in January 2016 was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm by the councilors and population. Councilors. 

The Man: Balick Awah Fidelis

One of the major challenges nationwide has been the capability of some elected officials to tackle development process in their sphere of influence. In 2014, the Bamenda II Council entered into record when the Minister of Territorial Administration personally inaugurated a magnificent edifice constructed by the mayor. To grease this landmark achievement, the mayor of Bamenda II Council, Balick Awah Fidelis was honoured by The Guardian Post Newspaper, The Eye, World Echoes, Lifetime as Best Mayor of The Year. This is so because Balick Awah has been able to delineate that politics is development and that alleviating poverty and miseries in rural areas is precedence of priority that makes politics and development bedmates. 

Life, they say is a combination of trials and tribulations but great people look beyond trials and tribulations. They look beyond the horizon that appears to be the end of the world and see other opportunities that nobody imagines can exist. And their interested act of dreaming, acting and realizing the dreams have positive multiplier effect on society. This is because they are born with talent and to make things happen, they combine talent with hard work and determination. The very essence of rural development is that you need to have vision since you can’t blow an uncertain trumpet. Nevertheless, innovation distinguishes between a great politician and a charlatan. 

Balick Awah Fidelis has proven beyond reasonable doubts to be a great developer. While at the helm of the Bamenda II Council he has taken development to the doorsteps of his people with the “Small Money Big Project Initiative” with councilors. But unlike ordinary visionaries who see far and remain on their original position, Mayor Balick does not wait on the spot for things to happen for his municipality. As a great lobbyist, he lobbied and obtained financial support from FEICOM, PNDP, GP DERUDEP and other partners in development to achieve his vision. The most interesting thing about this innovative mayor voted by readers of The Guardian Post as Best Mayor of the year is found in the knack that he has rumbles of serious innovative ideas that have kept afloat all development initiatives. For these reasons, Mayor Balick is succeeding where others have fumbled, stumbled and tumbled over. 

Rudyard Kipling, one of the finest English writers once said that “if you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat the two the same, yours is earth and everything that is in it”. This is a straightforward reality and in fact there is no doubt that Rudyard Kipling had this inspiration from the obstacles and barriers we often crush to get to prominence. In our contemporary society this statement could only be referred to one person, Mayor Balick. 

What is important about this award winning mayor is that he is innovative, down to earth and fertile in expedients. He falls within the ranks of the new breed of politicians born with extra abilities to surmount all sorts of barrier to emerge successful. If we go by Albert Einstein who declared that genius is 1/10 inspiration and 9/10 perspiration, Balick is a genius. This means that for somebody to be termed a genius that person must be a workaholic. In this light, Balick Awah merits to be mentioned first among development luminaries if not the story of North West politicians will remain unfinished. What is so interesting about this pragmatic mayor is that he has done extraordinary things in a very common way. 

If has become a celebrity it is because he is doing extraordinary things and he is entering history books in great names: Meet him for a discussion then you will discover you have met an honest intellectual. The courage and the frankness he expresses tell you that he was naturally born a workaholic. It is this frankness, hard work and determination that have made him the most admired man of all men in action.

The Great Politician

John Quincy Adams says that if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. Balick is a politician with exceptional leadership qualities. He has served the Social Democratic Front in various capacities. He is being remembered as one of the most vibrant District Chairman the SDF ever produced in Bamenda II. He planted the SDF in almost all the homes. Being a great support of Ni John Fru Ndi and the SDF, Balick has distinguished self as a developer and career politician. In Mankon, they say he is the litmus test of what a politician ought to be. And since the final test of a politician is that he/she leads the young as their role model, Balick is actually youth emancipator who doesn’t talk about development politics in speeches but puts them into practice. In getting to where he is today and especially excelling in local politics, he toiled laboriously to transform vision into concrete reality. That is why today he is building common frontiers for all segments of society. In doing this, he followed the principle outlined by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that ‘heights by great “men” reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companies slept, they were toiling upward in the night’.

The Result-oriented Mayor

Those who have had the pains to visit the Bamenda II Council chamber would agree, Balick Awah is an exemplary man. The newly constructed edifice which was commissioned by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization is the best in the region. Even FEICOM Director was flattered the day of the inauguration to the point that he described Mayor Balick as a true manager in council activities. Minister Rene Sadi even advised other mayors to learn from Balick’s dynamism and workaholic nature. A major challenge in Cameroon is accountability and transparency. But Balick Awah on the contrary is hailed for being accountable, transparent and result oriented at the helm of Bamenda II Council. From Mankon to Mbatu down to Nsongwa, and Chomba, every community in the municipal has something to be proud of. For being a mark of difference in the fight against poverty, Balick’s legacies are many ranging from the provision of potable water to construction of classrooms, market sheds, slaughter houses, community halls, health centers, farms to market roads, etc.
In fact The Guardian Post was absolutely right to have given him that distinction given that he has proven exceptionally that his being there at the helm of the Bamenda II Council was by merit and not a favour. He established a program aimed at supporting local initiatives and projects that are geared towards sustainable development. From all practical demonstrations, he is going into history books in big names: the development luminary, promoter of sustainable development, Best Mayor etc…Ever since he became mayor, the administrative account of the council has registered sanity and has also risen.

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

Nigerian Actor Mercy Johnson Returns to Movie, Flaunts Hot Boobs on Set #PhotoNews

Rumours have it that Mercy Johnson is currently in Nigeria where she is shooting an epic movie.

Mercy Jonhson on set

  Mercy Johnson is not yet done with the industry as the hot actress who gave birth to her third child in December 2015 has returned with a new movie.

 She was pictured on a movie location assumed to be in the eastern part of Nigeria. She rocked a native attire that showcased their banging body.

  

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

Prophet T.B Joshua Responds to Allegations that He Owns a Company in Panama #PanamaPapers

Popular Nigerian pastor, T.B Joshua has reacted to all the allegations that he is one of the Nigerians who own off shore companies.

 

TB Joshua

 

T.B Joshua has denied media reports that the recently released Panama reports indicted him as one of the few Nigerians that operate a company in Panama. 

 It will be recalled that yesterday, it was reported that Joshua and his wife, Evelyn, owned Chillon Consultancy Limited, a company incorporated on June 20, 2006 at the British Virgin Island.

 In a post on his Facebook wall, Joshua denied the claims.

 Below is his statement on the issue:

 

I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PANAMA PAPERS – TB JOSHUA

 This is an official statement from Prophet T.B. Joshua:

 “I was shocked to find a report written in Premium Times claiming that the Panama Papers revealed a shell company called Chillon Consultancy Limited in the British Virgin Islands, allegedly owned by me. Whoever is involved in this malicious write-up and propaganda with an obvious intent to defame my person and the ministry, remember what the Bible says in Luke 2:34 – “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many… and to be a sign that will be spoken against.”

 “I am not a businessman and have no business whatsoever. What God has given me is more than enough. I have nothing to do with the Panama Papers. As for me and my family, we shall remain in the vineyard of God.

 “Premium Times – do not allow your company to be used. Do not allow your company to stand against God. This is a lie! Take note – this news was written by the same journalist who alleged that I bribed him during the building incident and went to different channels – both local and international – to propagate these fabrications. Since the building incident, there have been a series of threats towards the ministry and my person by this same journalist, Nicholas Ibekwe, who represents a gang of people.

“After everything that has been done in an attempt to destroy this ministry, this is what he has resorted to. Even the picture used in the write-up is taken from the Mexico Crusade I recently held. It was a crusade I went for, nothing more.

 “Do not use the Panama Papers to attack those you have been looking for an opportunity to victimise. This is to show that not everybody alleged in the media to be involved in the Panama Papers is truly involved. My own case is a good example.

“Beware of those using the Panama Papers for fraudulent purposes! This is a very big mistake the fraudsters have made. Those who read this report – take time to do your findings. It is malicious.”

 

"Note – people are misusing the data in the Panama Papers for fraud to attack innocent people."

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

#PanamaPapers Reveal Prophet T.B Joshua's Shell Company in Offshore Tax Haven

Popular Lagos influential preacher and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, has been fingered in the ongoing investigation of offshore fraud which also involved other Nigerian personalities.

 

Temitope Joshua is arguably the most influential preacher in Africa. The founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nation (SCOAN) attracts huge numbers of people from across Africa and beyond, many of them seeking faith healing from ailments and exorcism from demonic possession.

 On September 12, 2014, a guesthouse within his church collapsed, killing 116 people, most of them South Africans, who travelled to the Lagos headquarters of the church for pilgrimage.

 The cleric has also endeared his Christian ministry to many political leaders on the African continent who throng his church, with some of them openly testifying that he correctly predicted the outcomes of the elections that brought them to power.

 One of the African leaders who believed in Mr. Joshua’s prophesy was former Ghanaian president, John Atta-Mills. After his inauguration in 2009, the first visit made by Mr. Atta-Mills, a Professor of Law, was to the Synagogue, as Mr. Joshua’s church is commonly called.

 Mr. Atta-Mills died in office on July 24, 2012. It remained unclear whether Pastor Joshua saw his death coming.

 The pastor’s television station, Emmanuel TV, is believed to be one of the most viewed in the continent.

 Apart from evangelism, Mr. Joshua is not known to be involved in any other business.

 However, files obtained by Premium Times from the massive leaked data of a Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, has now shown that Mr. Joshua and his wife, Evelyn, own Chillon Consultancy Limited, a company incorporated on June 20, 2006 at the British Virgin Island (BVI).

 Both owners own one ordinary share each, although the company, with registration number 1033675, is authorized to issue a maximum “50,000 no par value Shares of a single class.”

 It remains unclear what businesses Mr. Joshua transacted with the shell company which has no physical presence in Tortola, the largest and most inhabited island at the British Virgin Island.

 Chillon Consultancy Limited uses the office address of its registered agent, Mossack Fonseca (Akara Bldg., 24 De Castro Street, Wickhams Cay 1, Road Town, Tortola) as its contact information in the British Virgin Island.

Mr. Joshua is the second Nigerian mega preacher shown to set up offshore companies in tax havens.

 An April 2013 investigation by Premium Times had exposed Chris Oyakhilome, founder and leader of Christ Embassy, as incorporating Gmobile Nigeria Limited, an offshore firm in 2007, at the British Virgin Island.

 Although other individuals were listed as shareholders and directors, that investigation was able to determine that the pastor’s teenage daughters – Sharon and Charlyn – were the real beneficial owners of the company.

 Like many mega preachers in the country, Mr Joshua is reported to live in opulence. Last September, online news website, Sahara Reporters, claimed the televangelist bought a Gulfstream G550 aircraft in April 2015.

 According to Sahara Reporters, the jet, registered as “Synagogue Of Nations,” was purchased using the Bank Of Utah trustee as front.

A Gulfstream G550 is sold for as much a $45 million and could take up to $3 million dollars in yearly maintenance cost.

 Mr. Joshua did not respond to this newspaper’s multiple request for comments. A person who picked his phone when he was called last week said the he was not available to take calls. He requested our reporter to send an email.

 But an email sent to his church’s official email address was also not responded to.

 

Source: Premium Times

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

Nigeria: Communication Minister Debunks Allegations that Boko Haram is Demanding $50m Ransom to Release Chibok Girls

Minister of information and Culture has denied reports that the deadly Boko Haram terrorist group is demanding $50 million from the President Buhari-led federal government as ransom before releasing abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed

 Speaking during an interview with the Voice of America (VoA), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, has denied reports making rounds online that Boko Haram is demanding $50 million from the federal government as ransom before releasing the over 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls. 

 "It appears we have several versions of this report. The one that we heard was from a source that (Boko Haram) wants to release 10 of these girls for 1 million euros. But the most important thing is that we’ve gone through this route before, and until and when we establish the credibility of this source and the truth behind it, the government will not be in a hurry to make a statement. However, government is using its own channels to authenticate the credibility of this source," he said.

 The minister described as 'unfair' the accusations that the Buhari administration is not doing enough to secure the release of the abducted girls.

"No day passes without the issue of the kidnapped girls not being at the front burner. But these are highly security and intelligence issues, which cannot always be discussed openly. But I can assure you that for this government, the return of these girls is what is going to bring the final closure on the Boko Haram terrorism and we are working very hard, daily on it.

"Those who say that are being very unfair to us. We inherited a very bad situation where the trail had gone cold, despite that every day we send out reports, we receive [information] some of them are phony some of them are just there to excoriate government. 

"But the truth of the matter is that it’s not a matter that the government is taking lightly. Those who want a daily report on what we are doing, of course in security that does not happen. But we have channels of information in which we make available on a need to know basis,"  he said.

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

One of the Missing Chibok Schoolgirls Calls Her Father After Two Years...See Shocking Details

Reports have it that one of the abducted Chibok school girls tried contacting her father repeatedly as she is being held captive. 

When Dauda Yama retrieved his mobile phone from a neighbour's house in January this year, he noticed a missed call from his daughter Saratu who had been missing for almost two years.

The last time he spoke with Saratu was on April 14, 2014, when she rang to say men from the Islamist group Boko Haram had loaded her and her classmates from the Government Girls' Secondary School in Chibok in northeast Nigeria onto trucks.

Attempts to reach her again failed and two years on, 219 girls abducted that night remain missing, despite a global campaign #bringbackourgirls involving celebrities and U.S. first lady Michelle Obama calling for them to be found.

The students are among an estimated 2,000 girls and boys abducted by the Boko Haram since the start of 2014, with many of those abducted used as sex slaves, fighters and even suicide bombers, according to an Amnesty International report.

But when Yama returned the missed call that evening, a man answered. Yama hung up and rushed to the home of Yakubu Nkeki, chairman of the Association of Parents of the Abducted Girls from Chibok.

"He asked me what he should do," Nkeki, 58, a schoolteacher, whose 17-year-old adopted daughter Maimuna Yakubu Usman is among those missing, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Nkeki took the phone and redialled the number that was again answered by a man who said the phone belonged to his wife.

Reporting the matter to any of the armed personnel around Chibok was out of the question so instead they informed a campaigner with the Bring Back Our Girls group, which advocates the return of the missing girls "now and alive".

"We don't know who to trust," said Nkeki who has received physical threats for his efforts to keep the abduction of the Chibok girls in the headlines and the government's sights with the abduction becoming a political issue for Nigerian leaders.

TOOK THE LEAD

Providing counsel to parents of the missing Chibok girls is part of Nkeki's role as chairman of the association. He also checks up on the parents to see if they need help at all.

"I check if they have food items or if someone is seriously sick," he said. "If there is any issue, I call the committee members."

Some months ago, for example, the association received a donation of 128 bags of corn from a missionary group. The association decided to give three bags to one parent to sell and raise money for medicine for his son who was bitten by a snake.

Nkeki said he had not intended to become a leader for the parents but was catapulted into the role when he tried to rally families into action after the abduction.

Under his lead, and frustrated by a lack of official action, the parents formed a team to search the Sambisa forest for missing girls the day after the abduction, finding scarves and other items along a trail until heavy rain forced them back.

Nkeki then organised a meeting of parents in his village of Mbalala, calling for a peaceful demonstration and seeking media coverage to get the word out, with his initiatives prompting the parents to appoint him as their leader. 

It was Nkeki's efforts that ascertained exactly how many girls were missing after the school said the Boko Haram had razed all records. He cycled from village to village for two weeks with pen and paper to build a register.

"I got the names of the girls, their pictures. I asked for proof. They showed me their daughters' books so that I could get the exact name the girl used in the secondary school," he said.

His census revealed the number of girls abducted was 276 but 57 were able to escape as the trucks took off and came home.

NOT WELCOME

But the attempts to rally parents were not always welcome.

Nkeki said some parents refused to have anything to do with the parents association and he has been harassed and arrested by armed forces personnel, displeased with his media appearances and efforts to keep the missing Chibok girls in the news.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was criticised for his slow reaction to the Chibok kidnappings, which was seen by some as indicative of his response to Boko Haram, which at its strongest held large swathes of northeastern Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who defeated Jonathan in an election last year, ordered a new investigation into the abductions in January. 

"My family is afraid for me. Even my uncle's wife whose daughter was abducted, the one I adopted, said to me that she does not want to lose her daughter and then also lose me," said Nkeki.

But despite Nkeki's efforts, his daughter and the other girls are still missing, with the parents desperate for any leads that could help locate their daughters.

Hopes were raised earlier this month when a suspected female suicide bomber who claimed to be one of the missing Chibok girls was arrested in northern Cameroon.

But official investigations revealed the 12-year-old girl was not from Chibok but abducted from Bama in northeastern Nigeria by Boko Haram a year ago.

Nkeki and Yama dialled Saratu's number a few more times after the initial success but the line repeatedly went dead. However, Nkeki says it rang when Yama tried again in February.

"The man warned him never to call his wife's number again. He said if he is not careful, he will lose his life," he said.

Source: Reuters Africa

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

Monique Koumakele Sweeps Away Director of Laquintini, Public Health Minister to Go?

The Director of Laquintini Hospital has been dismissed. Dr. Jean Dissongo was sacked today after the scandal that rocked Laquintini hospital following the untimely demise of Monique Koumatele. As the Monique's family is preparing that the body of Monique Alvine Koumatéke and her twins will leave the morgue of the hospital Laquintinie in Douala on Friday, April 29, the Director was fired during the 1pm today. He was immediately replaced by Prof. Richard Njock formerly the Director of Edea hospital. Yet public opinion wants the Minister of Public Health to follow Dr. Jean Dissongo. Minister Mama Fouda popular opinion holds lied to Cameroonians on the demise of Monique and her unborn twins. 

Public Health Minister Andre MAMA FOUDA had made a public statements to the point that he even argued that the staff of the hospital behaved 'professionally' and was not to blame for the tragedy. Tongues are now waging as to why the Director of the hospital has been "scape-goated" if the staff behaved professionally. Hon. Awudu Mbaya even told Mama Fouda in his face during a question and answer session at the National Assembly that he (Mama Fouda) lied to Cameroonians. By this act, and the fact that Laquintini hospital has been found guilty, Public Health Minister another school of thought holds should be dismissed as well. (Picture above shows how Monique's sister in a desperate attempt to rescue the twins carries out surgery on the demised on the veranda of the hospital without the help of medics)...

(a suivre)


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

Beyond the CPDM Regalia: The Business Wing

By Martin-Luther Fon Yembe
When the Social Democratic Front emerged in the Cameroonian political scene, CPDM maharishis were quick to warn that it is better to deal with the devil you know than the angel you do not know. This message

was, of course, being directed at the business community and the administrators in Cameroon. It was like telling them that “yes, Biya  and the CPDM are devils, but, you are what you are today because of

the prevailing situation…”!

This message calls to mind an aspect of the Zurich axiom which states that “ if a caterpillar wants to become a butterfly, it must dare to crawl out of the shrubs and expose itself to the sunshine. The risk is

that it can be eaten up by birds, but if it remains in the dark shrubs, it will forever remain an ugly crawling creature, and never a flying butterfly with beautiful colours!”!! Thus, without risk, no business can grow. But the CPDM gurus were quick to tell businessmen in Cameroon to shy away from the SDF because “it was an angel they know nothing about”! The business community, especially in big business centres reasoned as business minds, took the risk and flooded along with the SDF. They adhered to calls for Ghost Towns and

boycotts. They voted for SDF at the 1992 Presidential elections, and the 1996 Municipal elections, reason why the SDF was in control of all the economic centres like Douala, Victoria, Bamenda, Bafoussam, Kumba, Kumbo, and even Yaounde, though the CPDM resisted handing Yaoundé

over.

These wonderful conquests terrified the CPDM regime and they resorted to one of the devil’s schemes, coercion, intimidation, threats and state terrorism to oblige business people succumb and submit

themselves to the agenda of the CPDM. Taxes were slammed on their businesses; planned robberies and even fire disasters were multiplied and some even closed down by force. Business gurus like the Kadjis who

had openly adhered in the SDF were cowed into capitulating and yielding to the diabolic CPDM agenda. The Fotsos, the Siyam Siwes, the Powos( Pa Guarantees), etc were obliged to start singing some

gibberish political songs in favor of the number one businessman, Paul Biya…else, they will be “taught a bitter lesson”.

Today, when the CPDM is organizing any event, the first persons, militants they address appeal letters to are these businessmen. Those who give below their targets or nothing at all are quickly reminded that they are in Biya’s country and his political cult called the CPDM dictates the tone of profit or losses. And they cave in and begin singing the chorus.

The quirk of fate here is that all these business militants end up being swallowed by the lion they were taming. Where is Yves Michel Fotso; Siywm Siwe, Pa Guarantee etc. They are either in hell here on earth or in the land beyond where their consciences will be battling with eternity . It is a very multifarious issue when one imagines what will become of these business militants when the CPDM cult collapses in 2018 as previewed by the diabolic pact of 1968.!!!

scene, CPDM maharishis were quick to warn that it is better to deal with the devil you know than the angel you do not know. This message was, of course, being directed at the business community and the administrators in Cameroon. It was like telling them that “yes, Biya and the CPDM are devils, but, you are what you are today because of the prevailing situation…”!

This message calls to mind an aspect of the Zurich axiom which states that “ if a caterpillar wants to become a butterfly, it must dare to crawl out of the shrubs and expose itself to the sunshine. The risk is that it can be eaten up by birds, but if it remains in the dark shrubs, it will forever remain an ugly crawling creature, and never a flying butterfly with beautiful colours!”!! Thus, without risk, no business can grow. But the CPDM gurus were quick to tell businessmen in Cameroon to shy away from the SDF because “it was an angel they

know nothing about”! The business community, especially in big business centres reasoned as business minds, took the risk and flooded along with the SDF. They adhered to calls for Ghost Towns and boycotts. They voted for SDF at the 1992 Presidential elections, and the 1996 Municipal elections, reason why the SDF was in control of all the economic centres like Douala, Victoria, Bamenda, Bafoussam, Kumba, Kumbo, and even Yaounde, though the CPDM resisted handing Yaoundé over.

These wonderful conquests terrified the CPDM regime and they resorted to one of the devil’s schemes, coercion, intimidation, threats and state terrorism to oblige business people succumb and submit themselves to the agenda of the CPDM. Taxes were slammed on their businesses; planned robberies and even fire disasters were multiplied and some even closed down by force. Business gurus like the Kadjis who had openly adhered in the SDF were cowed into capitulating and yielding to the diabolic CPDM agenda. The Fotsos, the Siyam Siwes, the Powos( Pa Guarantees), etc were obliged to start singing some gibberish political songs in favor of the number one businessman, Paul Biya…else, they will be “taught a bitter lesson”.

Today, when the CPDM is organizing any event, the first persons, militants they address appeal letters to are these businessmen. Those who give below their targets or nothing at all are quickly reminded that they are in Biya’s country and his political cult called the CPDM  dictates the tone of profit or losses. And they cave in and begin singing the chorus.

The quirk of fate here is that all these business militants end up being swallowed by the lion they were taming. Where is Yves Michel Fotso; Siywm Siwe, Pa Guarantee etc. They are either in hell here on earth or in the land beyond where their consciences will be battling with eternity . It is a very multifarious issue when one imagines what will become of these business militants when the CPDM cult collapses in 2018 as previewed by the diabolic pact of 1968.!!!

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

#Panama Papers: More Trouble as Interpol Plots to Go After High Profile Nigerians

This maybe the most difficult part of Saraki's political career as the INTERPOL is set to take action following his indictment in the Panama Papers leak including other prominent Nigerians.

Bukola Saraki 

 

The Federal Government has opened a file on all Nigerians whose names have been mentioned in the Panama Papers as operating offshore accounts in notorious tax havens, according to the Punch.

Some of the individuals listed in the papers so far are the current Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and his predecessor, David Mark.

Others listed include Africa’s richest man, Mr. Aliko Dangote; his cousin, Saayu Dantata, and a former Minister of Defence, Lt.Gen Theophilus Danjuma (retd.)

It was learnt that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been gathering reports from local and international media as well as the responses being given by those named.

It was also learnt that the EFCC would then carry out its independent investigation and involve INTERPOL if necessary.

German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, had last Sunday released the Panama Papers, the biggest leak in the history of data journalism, publishing online 11.5 million documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which showed how some prominent people across the world criminally hid money using anonymous shell corporations across the world.

The Panamanian law firm, regarded as one of the world’s most secretive companies, according to the documents, has helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax.

Already, the Nigerians involved have all denied complicity.

In an exclusive report by online medium, Premium Times, it was alleged that about four assets belonging to the Saraki family, which included Girol Properties Ltd., Sandon Development Limited, and Landfield International Developments Ltd., were tucked away in secret offshore territories.

For instance, the report stated that Girol Properties was registered on behalf of Toyin by Fonsecca on August 25, 2004, in the British Virgin Island, a year after her husband became the Governor of Kwara State. But the assets were allegedly not part of the ones declared by the Senate President or Toyin when Saraki became governor and after he was sworn in as the nation’s number three citizen.

Similarly, at least eight offshore companies in the British Virgin Island have been linked to Senator Mark which he allegedly operated while holding public office, a criminal offence according to Nigerian laws.

An impeccable source told a correspondent that the Federal Government was studying the body language of the international community and looking at how other countries were handling investigations.

The source, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said, “We are studying the matter closely. In fact, we have opened a file and all reports are being gathered.

“We want all the names to be released first before launching full investigations. The issue is a tricky one. After preliminary investigations, we will seek advice from the Office of the Attorney General because investigations of such nature will need foreign collaboration.”

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

WADECA Enjoins Community Spirit, Says Cameroon will Emerge from Wat Village

The National President of Wat Development and Cultural Association-WADECA has applauded sons,

Kwande Marcel Nfor (in suit)

daughters and wives of Wat village in Donga Mantung Division at home, its national branches and the Diasporas for their development consciousness. In a Press Release issued at weekend, the National President Kwande Marcel Nfor equally expressed gratitude to all those who supported the funds raising in Bafoussam and Bamenda towards the construction the of biggest bridge in WAT (the Mamnki bridge). Harping on the importance of community development spirit, Kwande Marcel Nfor in the Release also announced that construction work on Mamnki bridge was completed on April 10, 2016. He expressed special gratitude to HRH the Fon of Wat, the Douala WADECA branch, and more importantly Rogers Ngala and Nforgwei Jackson for their laudable efforts in fostering development efforts at home. 

Kwande Marcel also insinuated and reminded the public in the Release that his prescribed mission as the national President is to disenclave Wat Zone and that during his current mandate he coordinated several projects ranging from the medical equipment donated to the Wanti Maternity ward by the Yaounde WADECA branch, the rehabilitation and furnishing of the VIP Section of the Wat Fons palace by Buea Wadeca branch, the construction of Mbabi and Ntermbang bridges by WADECA Douala branch, the construction of the Mamnki bridge by Bamenda and Bafoussam branches etc.

On future projects, he also echoed that the construction of the bridge linking Wanti and Mbanka (mamba) bridge must be realized before the end of 2016 while prospects are high at that the mighty Douala WADECA branch is gearing up to complete the Maroh bridge on the Wanti-Mbabi- Lassin road. In his release WADECA President concluded by are calling on Wat people at home and the Diasporas as well as politicians and development luminaries to support the emergence of Wat village. The emergence of Cameroon he added will begin from Wat village.

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

The Sudden Fanatic Spirit in CPDM: What Reasons

Martin Fon Yembe in Ndu

I'm intrigued by fanatics - people who are seduced by the promise, or the illusion, of the absolute. ..Jon Krakauer...We are yet to get into electioneering campaigns, yet these last years, weeks and days, the CPDM has been very fanatic , extremist and revolutionary. There is a saying in Limbum that you cannot preserve salt (or sugar) on your tongue. I challenge all of us on social media to carry out a research via internet and see whether there is any nation in the world, outside those dictatorships like we have in some four communist and Islamist states...that are so fanatic and extremist as the CPDM! We have seen pictures of "Whites"( foreigners) putting up CPDM regalia and now a car dressed in CPDM outfit...nay Biya's effigies!!! Before I am misunderstood as usual by myopic minds...let me quickly state my point...that the CPDM is either running away from something very dangerous and is in dire need of help or it is chasing something so badly. If it is the former, then she needs help urgently; if it is the latter, then Biya was right when he referred to the group as a party close to power. I see with him because when an o;ld woman starts painting, making up and filling up gaps on her face and putting on tighties, then she must have seen a serious rival in the neighborhood or she must have seen a young energetic boy around and like Lady Wishfort in William Congeve's The Way of the World, is dying to have a young husband to renew her old bones!!! The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. In CPDM we have fanatics not militants. RDPC oye...!!! Signs of End Times!!! Check it out!!! The Oracle has spoken!!!

-- 


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

Looking Glass: Meet Divine Ade Muma, The Guardian Post Best General Manager of The Year

By Fai Cassian Ndi

Divine Ade Muma: The Award Winning GM

If there is anyone who owes his successes and reputation to transforming lives, Divine Ade Muma does. He is the General Manager of Ntarinkon Cooperative Credit Union LTD, with head office in Bamenda in the North West Region of Cameroon. Divine Ade is a strategic and nimble leader, sustainable visionary and active community partner. 

Last February, The Guardian Post, the lone English Language daily honoured Divine Ade as the Best General Manager of The Year 2015. The award jury chairman Peterkings Manyong described Ade as a pulse in the microfinance sector who successfully collaborates with all stakeholders to achieve optimum results at workplace. Divine Ade was voted due to his efforts in delivering what matters to workers, members and the management organs of NTACCUL. With Divine Ade Muma as the General Manager of NTACCUL, this microfinance has become one of the most recognized and award winning credit union in the microfinance sector. 

It is often assumed that knowing history is "knowing the facts." But historical understanding is more accurately depicted as a series of inquiries and hypotheses about the past. Asking questions and looking for answers are essential components of the historian's craft. 

History had it recorded when Ade was proclaimed the Best GM of the year in Buea during the fun-filled national achievement awards of The Guardian Post, it was a rare moment where merit was recognized. 

While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf wrote that:

“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“

A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

The General Manager of NTACCUL has proven beyond reasonable doubts that he is a servant-leader. It is on this that The Eye has decided to look into the success story of this unsung hero in the micofinance sector.

Who is Divine Ade Muma

He is 41 years old yet a self made man. A servant leader who has contributed enormously to put NTACCUL among the frontliners in the fight against poverty in Cameroon. He is a graduate of Business Administration and he is endowed with analytic skills that make him an exceptional servant leader. He is holder of B.Sc. in Banking and Finance from the University of Buea, Higher Diploma in Business Administration -LSC London, MBA in Finance from the University of Wales Institute, London. Since 2012, he is lecturer at the University of Bamenda and also teaches in the Higher Institute of Commerce and Management. 

He is creative, innovative and rich in expedients when it comes to managing finances. From the results obtained so far, one cannot be wrong to conclude that he has a passion for business and finance. He rose to the position of General Manager not only through competence, but also through humility, respect and being serviceable to all the stakeholders. 

He served as credit analyst for the Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union League-CamCCUL where he assisted Credit Union Managers and League Board members on the practical implementation of the canons of loans and credits, recoveries etc. He is on record to have developed a recovery plan that led to an improvement in the recovery rates. He also developed a two-years action plan to deal with crisis situations that yielded the best of results ever. From 2002 to 2010, he moved to NTACCUL and he was immediately appointed to head the lending department of one of the biggest credit unions in Cameroon. That was when he had the opportunity to personally implement the long established recovery strategies that he had developed and introduced when he was at CamCCUL. 

From July 2011 to February 2013, he was appointed to head the Finance Control and Supervision Department where he ensured an efficient internal control to oversee that all acts and activities are in compliance with COBAC norms. He also ensured the effective control the effective execution of the budget and followup the implementation of all the resolution of the Board and General Assembly. 

In 2013, he was appointed General Manager of NTACCUL. His trappings as GM speaks volume (See the performance of NTACCUL in separate story to understand). 

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

Ta Nformi Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh Guest Speaker at GLOFEX Global/ Africa Philanthropy Research

Ta Nformi Cameroon Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh was guest speaker at the GLOFEX Global / Africa Philanthropy Research Conference in Linz / Austria. As one of the guest speakers, he had the opportunity to meet and discuss topical issues on Cameroon with a cross section of Cameroonian based in Austria.

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

Panama Papers: Full List of African Statesmen/Women Cited

 The massive leak of confidential documents described as the Panama Papers has got a lot of politicians and world leaders hot under the collar.

The leak of more than 11.5 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca—obtained by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and shared with more than 100 other news organizations—is the biggest data leak in history. The documents show how 143 politicians, including 12 national leaders, have used offshore tax havens and other means to avoid tax and sanctions. While the use of offshore facilities is not in itself a crime, the leak could have devastating consequences for many—the Australian Tax Office is investigating more than 800 people for possible tax evasion, while world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson may also have questions to answer.

Here, Newsweek considers five of the African personalities who have been caught up in the scanda

1. South Africa: President Jacob Zuma’s nephew

The papers name the nephew of embattled South African President Jacob Zuma, Khulubuse Zuma, as a representative of Caprikat Limited—one of two offshore companies that acquired oilfields in Democratic Republic of Congo in a 100 million rand ($6.8 million) deal in 2010. Caprikat is registered in the British Virgin Islands, the main offshore tax haven involved in the Panama Papers.

Khulubuse’s spokesperson Vuyo Mkhize said on Monday that “Khulubuse does not, and has never held any offshore bank account” and that the Panama Papers simply suggested he was associated with Caprikat, which was a matter of public record.

2. Kenya: Kalpana Rawal, the country’s second-highest judge

Rawal, the Deputy Chief Justice and Deputy President of Kenya’s Supreme Court, has been linked to as many as 11 offshore companies based in the British Virgin Islands by the leak. The judge was a director or shareholder of four companies while her husband, Hasmukhrai, held the same position in seven other companies, Kenya’s Daily Nation reported. Three of the companies were used to buy and sell property in the U.K.

The judge has denied any wrongdoing and stated that the practice of registering and running businesses in tax havens is a “perfectly legal and legitimate corporate practice in the U.K.,” where her family are involved in the real estate business.

3. Nigeria: James Ibori, the jailed ex-governor of Nigeria’s oil hub

Ibori served as the governor of Nigeria’s Delta state—a center of the West African country’s vital oil and gas industry —between 1999 and 2007. He was convicted in 2012 for fraud, totaling nearly £50 million ($77 million at the time) by a London court following a complicated extradition procedure after he evaded arrest by Nigerian authorities and fled to Dubai. Ibori is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence in the U.K.

Ibori was linked to four offshore companies by the Panama Papers link, one of which—named Stanhope Investments—was used to open a Swiss bank account, into which funds were channeled for the purchase of a $20 million private jet.

4. Democratic Republic of Congo: The president’s twin sister

The twin sibling of Congolese President Joseph Kabila, Jaynet Désirée Kabila Kyungu, has been a member of parliament in the vast Central African country since 2012. Kyungu, who is also the daughter of assassinated ex-Congolese president Laurent Kabila, also runs a media company called Digital Congo, which has TV, radio and internet wings.

She is linked to Keratsu Holding Limited, a company incorporated in the Pacific island of Niue in June 2001, months before her brother was elected as the president of Democratic Republic of Congo. Kyungu has yet to comment on the allegations.

5. Angola: The oil-rich country’s petroleum minister

José Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos has twice served as Angola’s petroleum minister, between 1999 and 2002 and again from 2008 until present. He also served as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2009. Angola is Africa’s second-biggest oil producer behind Nigeria, churning out 1.8 million barrels per day according to 2014 data from the U.S. Department of Energy.

According to the Panama Papers, Botelho de Vasconcelos was listed as one of two individuals with power of attorney for Medea Investments Limited, which was founded in 2001 in Niue. Botelho de Vasconcelos is yet to respond to the leak.

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

Black Friday Protest: Kah Walla, 12 Others Released

The President of CCP, Edith Kah Walla who was arrested on April 8, in Yaounde by elements of the police has been released. Kah Walla was arrested for wearing black were accused of "rebellion", inciting revolt and insurrection. She however posted this message on her facebook page after she was released.
Hear her: 

WE’RE FREE!!!! Thank you so much all of you who put pressure on the Cameroonian government today from within and outside Cameroon Thanks to your activism we are FREE! 

All 12 of us arrested Who Were this morning arrested – for wearing black – Were released about an hour ago. The government accuse us of rebellion, insurrection and inciting revolt. Why? Because we wanted to distribute flyers (no one HAD Actually distributed any) Asked Cameroonians to # WearBlack this Friday. Pray for the future of Cameroon! All of You Did a fantastic job in driving the Internet campaign, Contacting local and international media and a big thank you to the People Who came down to the station and made some noise.

We are in the very first steps of bringing to a close the oppressiveness that has-been keeping down Cameroon for the last 34 years. What is happening now is predictable. It gives us strength in our convictions and about our methods.

Without violence, aim with determination, action, creativity and consistency we will bring down this regime and begin building a new foundation for Cameroon.

You are free to join us. Most definitely we will all be WEARING BLACK NEXT FRIDAY! Joins Us! 

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

Looking Glass: Why Ntarinkon Cooperative Credit Union was Honoured as Fastest, Most People Oriented People's Credit Union

Fai Cassian Ndi

President and Vice flanked by Publisher of The Guardian Post

The founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus is known throughout the world as the man who innovated the micro-credit concept. He knew that by providing small loans to the poorest of poor at affordable interest rates could transform the lives of impoverished people, mostly women. The founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Yunus and Grameen were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

The credit union movement in Cameroon has succeeded in a similar task in bridging not only the gap between the rich and the poor, but above all in providing savings and loan facilities to the rural and urban poor. The right to loan and credit is a human development factor that if taken into consideration the promoters of the credit union movements in Cameroon may not be far from winning a Nobel Peace Prize for their worthwhile contribution. 

One of such credit unions that is creating an impact is the Ntarinkon Cooperative Credit Union LTD, NTACCUL. Last February, The Guardian Post Newspaper at its National Achievement Awards distinguished NTACCUL as the fastest, Most People Oriented People's Credit Union. Present in Buea to receive the prestigious award was the President, Cletus Anye Matoya. Not only was the credit Union awarded, its General Manager, Divine Ade was also honoured as the Best GM of the Year (Read separate write on the GM). 

It is widely acclaimed that he/she who lacks money lacks everything. The credit union movement is without doubts the best thing that ever happened in the fight to alleviate poverty. Access to loan and credit is very important. If you look in the North West today, I would say probably two-thirds of the population have access to financial services thanks to the credit union. But that's the first thing that we should take care of. Money begets money. If you don't have that, you wait around to be hired by somebody at the mercy of others. If you have that money in your hand, you desperately try to make the best use of it and move ahead. And especially when you know where you can keep it and take it when the need arises. Or when you know that there is a place where you seek solace and your problems are solved thanks to others. 

At the Service of the Poor

Cletus Anye Matoya: President of the Board in Buea

All human beings are very creative—full of potential, full of energy...So, money kind of allows them to express it ... And if you're successful, you can take more money. You can expand your capacity, reach next level of capacity, and so on. Members of the Ntarinkon Credit Union have experienced all these positive changes. This is because the credit has members and not costumers as they are part of the business. Being a member means you also have the right to take part in decisions, and management as well. At NTACCUL membership is not only fast to acquire, it is done at almost at no fee. It is on record for being fast in granting loans to members if the necessary requirements are fulfilled and at very low interest rate. Those who take loans and pay promptly are always encouraged. NTACCUL gives loans to individuals and groups as well. That is why its members have been able to acquire plots, build houses and even set up businesses. Even civil servant that who could never have had loans to carryout lofty projects for their families are in given special considerations by the credit union. Their salaries are paid promptly, loans and overdrafts acquired without stress and they can equally withdraw money from their savings like any other members. 

With the fast growing membership and to enable members access some services even on Sundays, NTACCUL is about to introduce automated Teller machines. Worthy to note that NTACCUL also introduced Western Union money transfer services in its branches. This is to curb down the stress parents with children, friends or family members go to cash money transferred to them. Through this services, it is easy for members who are in the diasporas to carryout savings and other transactions. The credit has not only current accounts for civil servants but also provides deposit accounts for them. The GM describes the present day Ntarinkon Credit Union as a one stop shop while the President Cletus Anye Matoya says NTACCUL manages risks for members, give advice and act as guarantee for members. 

Growth/Performance

A critical look at the geometric increase in membership speaks by itself. In 2013 for example membership stood at 27, 000 and barely two years after membership by December 31, 2015 stood at 37, 953. Speculations are rife at that by the end of this year, membership would have risen to 47, 000 and above. This increase in membership is reflected in the savings of members and shares. By December 31, 2015 total share savings stood at FCFA 10 billion up from FCFA 8 billion in 2014. 

NTACCUL has been a subject of research for many, many years now. Volumes have been written about it. PhDs have been made out of it strive to alleviate poverty. 

The results have been compelling because all the studies show that income level in members is rising constantly and that in three months NTACCUL will be a small paradise on earth. To say NTACCUL members are coming out of poverty is to use the weakest diction ever to describe a humanitarian act. Even the President Cletus Anye Matoya said it at the last AGM that more than 25 percent of those who borrow wisely and pay prompt are coming out of poverty every year, which means, every day, every week more and more families are getting out. NTACCUL is a simple but an awesomely powerful example of the concept of the credit union movement in Cameroon. As described here in detail, it appears to be an answer to alleviating poverty in a wide number of circumstances. 

Yunus exposed the banking myth that only loans to the rich backed by collateral are both secure and likely to return a profit. Starting with just £17 he began lending money to the poor in Bangladesh with a repayment rate of around 99%. Acknowledged now as a major contribution to the fight against poverty Yunus's thesis is that hand outs to the poor patronise, disincentivise and are as much about allowing donors to feel they are doing their little bit to help fight poverty as they are about addressing the core problem of what keeps people poor. Micro loans, he advocates, spark initiative and encourage the very type of enterprise that will lift people out of poverty for good. But NTACCUL has gone beyond that to tackle both the urban and rural poor through its branches in major cities in the country. 

And like the Grameen Bank,  success is coming to NTACCUL LTD after tremendously hard work, dogged determination and huge collaboration from members who see themselves as owners and not costumers.

NTACCUL President, Vice President and GM flanked by staff representative of some branches based in the South West

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

Looking Glass: MPs Threaten Strike Over Disappearance of Car Repair Allowance, Hon. Cavaye on Hot Seat

Fai Cassian Ndi

House Speaker: Hon. Cavaye

There is a persistent worry as to whether recent happenings at the Cameroon National Assembly need to be rewritten, especially those related to money. Yesterday April 8, 2016 Hon. Cavaye Yeguie chaired the closing session of the March session amidst threats of boycott. Classified sources at the National Assembly say that after the closing session, there was tension at the Glass House as the MPs threatened to stage a protest march over the disappearance of car repair allowances. According to what we gathered for fear of of being flushed with "Mami Wata water" the MPs held a crisis meeting to decry that . It is alleged the meeting was chaired by former Minister, (Hon. Sally) leader of the "rebellion". For these reasons, it remains much too clear for Cameroonians to stop worrying about the influence of MPs over burning issues and gives everyone the opportunity to see in a looking glass their concern for money that goes directly into their pockets. Each MP was expected to pocketed about FCFA 5 million each. But allegedly Hon. Cavaye and the other 23 Bureau Members chopped the money long ago. History tells us that money has had a curious ability to define creative new and often unseen ways to determine political outcomes of this nation. 

It is no more news that the Cameroon National Assembly is made a breed of politicians who see nothing good in anything except in the form of bread. This is the third time MPs have threaten and even held "rebellious" meetings over allowances. When President Biya extended their mandate by six months on December 7, 2012; they did applauded and when the allowances to maintain their cars during that period disappeared, they staged an in-house protest.  

What is however very interesting is that even the so-called opposition and or "foolish majority" was silent over the issue of the extension of mandate. Along the corridors, they were all seen with smiles on their faces because they have been given another opportunity to chop state money. Public opinion holds that being a Member of Parliament in Cameroon is about bread and butter. It is only when bread and butter is being seen as chopped by someone else that the famous party discipline collapses. A similar scenario happened yesterday when Hon. Cavaye sat in a meeting being chaired by a back-bencher. Sources say that Hon. Cavaye portrayed symptoms of frustration and panic when he was told that the MPs were holding a meeting to stage a protest against non-payment of car repair allowances.  

There is a common saying that when you try to deny people something, you activate a very bad part of human nature.  What was all the more curious was that Mr. Speaker went out of all civility; out of all civilized manner; and out of all parliamentary solemnity to attend such a meeting chaired by a hand-clapper. Every normal human being with the barest minimum tenet who has been in parliament for over 40 years like Hon Cavaye would be expected to practice minimum etiquette consistent with parliamentary tradition. And it should make no difference that it is Hon Cavaye whose highest diploma is having been in parliament for forty years that should gang up with a few Bureau members to chop car repair allowances estimated at about FCFA 500 million. The exception compelling accommodation, though, is that a domesticated beast does some day give in to its bestial instincts and bites a person. 

Is there any better truth than that if at forty one is still a fool, and then one is a certificated fool till doomsday? Many have also looked at the decision by Cavaye as a corrupt practice that should be taken to the Special Tribunal Court. Some MPs even quoted the case of young Northener who led to "rebellion" against the payment of car loans who even though a thorn in the side of the CPDM was given a technical knockout back at the base. But the young MP had written his name that he could champion a cause. 

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

Kumbo-Ndu-Nkambe-Misaje Stretch of the Ring Road: Biya Meets Unkept Promise, Orders UNVDA to Begin Rehabilitation

This how Donga Mantung Vomited the Biya Regime

Maintenance work on the Kumbo-Ndu-Nkambe-Misaje stretch of the ring has been emitted after decided to do the work with bare hands. Classified sources say the Presidency has ordered that all heavy duty machines at the Upper Noun Valley Development Authority-UNVDA should kick-start maintenance work immediately. According to the hint, UNVDA is expected to transfer its equipment pool to Kumbo latest by next week. 

Notwithstanding, the population of Donga Mantung is wondering whether UNVDA has the skills and manpower to tar the road. Majority believe this is just " a machine mensonge de l'etat" to frustrated plans by Donga Mantung people to raise money locality to tar the road. Last week, administrators, politicians, business men and women, religious leaders, traditional rulers, in Ndu Sub Division met in an emergency meeting to plan on the  how to carryout rehabilitation work on the stretch Ndu-Tatum. The meeting was chaired by the DO for Ndu, George Achu. It was agreed that on April 16, the entire Sub Division should move out to do the work. 

The Eye is aware Donga Mantung elite at home and the diasporas had also vowed that since government has fallen short of its civility, and that since President Biya could not fulfill his promise, they will they will mobilize funds to tar the road. It was even suggested that after the repairs, police and Gendarmes should be chased away with their money collection points and a tollgate is erected at around Njifor at Ndu. According to what were gathered within two years, the tollgate which will be managed by a committee will be able to raise money to link Nwa, Lus, Ako to the ring road by tar. 

Impressionists are of the opinion that by sending UNVDA to carryout rehabilitation work on the ring road, the Biya regime is pouring petrol on fire. 

It is probably impossible to imagine the nightmare that caused Donga Mantung people to vomit the Biya regime if you have not being on that road says Jinti Flashing Nfor. Infact, many politicians would regard this question as ranging from absurd and naïve to seriously uninformed. As a gross order of comparison, where in politics have they done to remind President Biya that he promised he was personally going to supervise the tarring of the ring road? 

Those who have had the opportunity to watch golfers play would agree that in golf, etiquette calls for recognizing the great shots of competitors. In Cameroon politics, etiquette requires giving as little positive recognition to the masses as possible. And the worst thing is that during elections they blind "fooled" villagers with banknotes, talk about arrested development in rethorics when in golf, dignity and civility trump anger and vindictiveness. The Biya regime's civility is missing in action when it came to the ring road. It is hoped that before UNVDA would start rehabilitation work, President Biya himself will visit Donga Mantung in order to personally supervise the work. 

A more frightening proposition is to reverse this proposition. Suppose golfers followed the people of the lie into politics, fair play would fall victim to foul play. Rules would count less. And the values that have made and will continue to make golf great would be twisted from doing one's best to doing whatever it takes to win like in an election when the same rogues would claim they won elections in Donga Mantung. Where is the development?????

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

Black Friday Protesters, Kah Walla, Members of Opposition Coalition Arrested

The President of CPP, Edith Kah Walla said to have been arrested in Yaounde. According to the hint, Kah Walla was napped by Law enforcement officials in the nation capital Yaounde with her supporters as well as 

some militants of MRC and UPC. Reports say those arrested were ferried to GMI Tsinga and are currently been transferred to DRPJ. Officials in Yaounde had earlier argued that due to insecurity, street excesses were not authorized. It should be the recalled that the owner of the printing press, PRINT Neutron, who won the contract to print tracts for the Operation "BLACK Friday" launched by an opposition coalition as part of the campaign "STAND UP FOR CAMEROON", was also arrested and detained at Nkolmessong Special Branch in Yaoundé. According to our sources he is accused of printing pamphlets for"Apprentice soccierers". However, promoters of Black Friday say it is their democratic right to say "No to the Modification of the Constitution, Yes, to Water, Electricity and Health Care..." It is not yet clear whether Maurice Kamto, MRC President has also been arrested. 

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

#PanamaPapers: Dangote and His Brother, Dantata Linked to Shell Companies in Tax Havens

Africa's richest man and his billionaire brother has been linked to the #PanamaPapers fraudulent investigation in a revealing and shocking report.

 With a staggering $15.4 billion wealth, Nigeria’s businessman and industrialist, Aliko Dangote, is on Forbes Rich List as the richest man in Africa. But does Mr. Dangote pay his fair share of tax in Nigeria or is he hiding assets abroad? That remains unclear.

 Yet that question has become even more relevant across the globe following discoveries of several secret shell companies linked to the businessman, his allies and relatives.

 According to internal data of the Panama-based offshore-provider, Mossack Fonseca, obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with Premium Times and over 100 other media partners in 82 countries, Mr. Dangote, his relative, Sayyu Dantata, as well as his business allies have over the years used shell companies domiciled in controversial tax havens in their business transactions.

 The unprecedented year-long investigation involving 11.5 million secret documents – which stretch from 1977 to December 2015 – expose the hidden underground of the world economy, a network of banks, law firms and other middlemen that utilize shell companies, sometimes using them to hide illegal wealth.

The 2.6 TB files, involving 214,488 entities, also reveal hundreds of details about how former gun-runners, contractors and other members of the spy world use offshore companies for personal and private gain.

 The investigation unveiled the cloak of secrecy provided by Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm that specializes in creating offshore companies, some of which have been used by con men and women to hide Ponzi schemes, predatory lending scams, and other financial frauds from their victims and from the authorities.

 Mossack Fonseca has, however, in a statement to ICIJ denied wrongdoings, saying, as a registered agent, it merely helps incorporate companies, and that before agreeing to work with a client in any way, it conducts a thorough due-diligence process, “one that in every case meets and quite often exceeds all relevant local rules, regulations and standards to which we and others are bound.”

 Mr. Dangote is one of the most prominent clients of Mossack Fonseca, and in Panama alone, based on company registration addresses provided by shareholders, 13 shell companies registered by the firm are directly linked to persons and companies who in turn are linked to the billionaire and his allies.

 

A network of companies for Aliko Dangote and Sayyu Dantata

 Mr. Dangote, alongside his half brother, Sayyu Dantata, the founder of MRS Holdings (a leading West African oil-marketing firm, which acquired Chevron-Texaco’s downstream assets in 2007) bought equal shares of 12,500 each from OVLAS S.A, a shell company registered in Seycheles, on October 6, 2003.

 Seychelles is a well-known tax haven used by businessmen and politicians and celebrities to perpetrate shady business deals. On the same date also, a company they both own as at 2003, MRS Oil and Gas Co. Limited bought 25,000 numbers of shares from OVLAS S.A.

 According to the documents, three years after they existed as shareholders of the company, the trio – Dangote, Dantata and M.R.S Oil and Gas Company Limited – ceased to be shareholder in the company. That was on April 12, 2006.

 But in an arrangement that seems curious, Mr. Dangote was issued a higher amount of shares – 250,000 – on the same day he resigned.

In the same manner, his brother, Mr. Dantata, was issued the same amount of 250,000 shares. That means the businessmen simply resold the shares back to themselves. Their company, MRS Oil and Gas, was re-issued 500,000 shares.

 After three years of holding the shares, they all ceased to be shareholders. Again, they resumed possession of the shares again as in the previous time, but this time it seems Mr. Dangote sold his shares to Mr. Dantata and M.R.S Oil and Gas Company Limited.

 Mr. Dangote ceased to be shareholder permanently on July 6, 2009, and Mr. Dantata’s amount of shares doubled to 500,000 shares while MRS Oil and Gas CO, LTD retained its 500,000 shares. Documents show Mr. Danatata never sold, transferred his shares or ceased to be a shareholder till date.

 

Petrowest S.A: Same folks, same tricks

 Before Mr. Dangote ceased to be shareholder of M.R.S Oil and Gas Limited, himself, Mr. Dantata and their co-owned company, M.R.S Oil and Gas Co. Limited, was used to buy shares in Petrowest S.A, another company registered in Seychelles on October 6, 2003.

 Messrs Dangote and Dantata bought equal shares of 12,500 each from Petrowest S.A. MRS Oil and Gas Co. Ltd also bought 25,000 numbers of shares from Petrowest, just as was done with OVLAS S.A.

Again, three years after they existed as shareholders, the trio – Dangote, Dantata and M.R.S Oil and Gas Company Limited ceased to be shareholders in the company. That was also dated April 12, 2006.

Like in the case of Ovlas S.A, Mr. Dangote suddenly ceased to be shareholder. According to documents available to Premium Times, on the same day, Mr. Dangote was re-issued a higher amount of shares – 250,000. In the same manner, his brother, Mr. Dantata, was issued the same amount of 250,000 shares. This literary means they resold the shares back to themselves. Their company MRS Oil and Gas was re-issued 500,000 shares.

 

Read more on this report - African Network of Reporting Centres / Premium Times 

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