Presidential 2018: Group of 20 Opposition Political Parties Endorse Paul Biya

Jean de Dieu Momo's PADDEC, Fritz Pierre Ngo's Ecological Movement, Joachim Tabi Owono's AMEC, Isaac Feuzeu's MERCI, Tita Fon Samuel's CPP or Benz Enow Bate's CDP who opposed President Paul Biya in previous presidential elections have decided to endorse his candidature in the upcoming October 7, 2018 Presidential election. In all, 20 leaders of the opposition met at the Hilton Hotel in Yaounde last Friday July 20, 2018 to endorse Paul Biya, candidate of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement-CPDM.

Amongst them was Isaac Feuzeu of the MERCI party who equally submitted his candidacy at Elecam to run for the elections scheduled for October 7.

Also present were Bapooh Lipot of the UPC and Samuel Fon of CPP who were all recognised by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Atanga Nji, days ago as official representatives of their political parties.

In a joint declaration which was read in French and English by Bapooh(UPC)and Benz Enow(CDP), the group of 20 gave reasons why they have decided to endorse and rally behind the candidate of the CPDM. “Since the Presidential elections of 2011, some members of our group requested the putting in place of a dynamic framework for change to take place in the political arena in Cameroon....Our proposal for a single opposition candidate met resistance from those who think that they are strong and can win the presidential election single-handedly”.

To them, majority of the leaders in the opposition prefer to showcase the kind of “One Man Show” and that they only wake up from slumber on the eve of elections. Harping of the ineffectiveness of the opposition, the group of 20 painted their colleagues as an opposition that lacks organizational skills.  To them the opposition in Cameroon can only be dreaming of change given that its handicapped by many factors such as the “lack of organization of the opposition parties, the egoism of some of its leaders, the inflated ego of pretenders to the presidential seat who are all in a logic of ME OR NOBODY, the lack of a credible manifesto, and lack of means”.

After presenting a myriad of some shortcomings of the opposition parties, the group of 20 declared that “We the leaders, of the opposition parties united under the “Group of 20” have decided to give our total and unconditional support to the candidature of H.E President Paul Biya for the 7 October, 2018 Presidential election”.

To the Group of 20, Paul Biya merits the support of all Cameroonians of goodwill reasons why they unconditionally support the re-election of President Paul Biya.

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

Presidential Election: 28 Contenders for Cameroon Top Job

Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) has made public the names of 28 candidates, who have submitted their files to contest for Cameroon’s top job, come October 7, 2018. Reports say the final list of candidates will be made public by August 8, 2018.

The Old Guards

However, statistics show that the main political parties that participated in 2011 are back in game. Incumbent President Paul Biya of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) is vying for another term, while the leading parliamentary opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), has changed its candidate to put forth its 1st vice-president, Osih Joshua.

The Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU) which will once again be led by its president, Adamou Ndam Njoya, and the Alliance for Democratic Development (ADD) of former Minister, Garga Haman Adji.

Newcomers

Maurice Kamto, national President of Cameroon’s Renaissance Movement (MRC), and Akere Muna the former president of the National Bar Association, who is running under the banner of the Democratic Popular Front (FPD) as well as Cabral Libii have also submitted their documents for the top job.
Other candidates include; Habiba Issa (UPC), Isaac Feuzeu (MERCI), Olivie Bile (UFP) and Bertin Kisob (CPSJ).  For the first time, Cameron recorded a great number of independent candidates. 
Independent candidates 
Zeh Amvene Geneviève, Gabanmidanba Rigobert, Barin Koula Edouard, Etonde Etonde Jean Patrice et Boboro Kekomo, Choupo Kangaing Herve submitted their documents as independent candidates. 
By next week, those who thought they could compete for Cameroon top job the way they get up in the morning to walk freely into the bathroom or dinning room will see their documents rejected by the Elections Cameroon for this or that reason.  

 



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Hon. Awudu Mbaya Conferred Honorary PhD in Business Sciences (Photos)

Hon. Awudu Mbaya, Executive President of Pan African Parliamentarians Network on Climate Change cum CEO of CAMITEX has been conferred an Honorary PhD in Business Sciences. Hon. Awudu Mbaya was conferred the title today July 19, 2018 by the university committee of the Commonwealth University of London. The matriculation ceremony took place in Dubai (Arab Emirates) as per the tradition which is to organize the ceremony in any of the Commonwealth member country. Worthy to note that Hon. Awudu Mbaya now Hon. Dr. Awudu Mbaya Cyprien was conferred the title after he submitted a dissertation title;

Initiation to Business: A Practical Guide based on the Life Experience of Cyprien Awudu Mbaya.  Besides that, the Commonwealth University of London also took into consideration his other Diplomas as well as his management skills of CAMITEX since creation in 1974 and above all his several publications, extracts, submissions and contributions at ACP-EU for 16 years and Climate Change summits from Kyoto to Copenhagen and Paris, and 21 years work as a Parliamentarian.

It should be noted that an Honorary degree acknowledges someone who a university committee deems worth honouring, by offering a special position, in the university community.

However, as earlier hinted above, an honorary degree is a doctorate for which a university has relinquished the usual requirements such as study and goes beyond that to recognize life achievements as a prerequisite. The Eye is aware that Commonwealth University of London looked into achievements how Hon. Awudu’s achievements will inspire many students, and the dexterity with which he worked extremely hard to achieve a great deal as a businessman and climate change campaigner, peace ambassador and politician.

 

 

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Climate Change: Sporadic Rain Destabilizes 2018 Planting Season, Famine Feared

Crop cultivation is an important activity in Donga Mantung and farmers rely mostly on maize farming to earn a living. But this activity depends highly on the rain. This year, farmers have witnessed a change in the rains that usually call for planting of crops. Normally, the first rain usually come by March 14 or 15 but for 10 days now, farmers have been waiting for the rains to come to no avail. Some farmers who could not continue to wait for the rains hurriedly buried their sees in the hot soil.
The question as to whether the seeds are drought resistant abound high.  It is feared this could lead to famine. 
Donga Mantung Divisional Delegate for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ncham George says farmers should stop planting. “We have called on farmers to stop planting and to wait for the rains. At the level of my office we have not started the distribution of seeds”. To Ncham George, the rain that few drops of rain that showered some localities in the Division was not sufficient enough to generate heat that can enable crops to germinate. 
Yet, some farmers ignored the call from the delegate of Agriculture. Mami Rebecca Yaah says she also planted maize seed because she saw that other women were planting as well. "I have already planted in one of my farms but my husband advised that I should wait for the rains before any planting can take place in our second farm" says Winifred Njingi. 
Harping on the role of the technical service Mami Margesta Cheche said that she started planting but had to stop when she was informed at the village meeting that they have been told not to plant crops. "We were told the delegate of agriculture announced over the radio that we should stop planting so I could not continue with the planting" .

Villagers have started looking at the present stalemate as the beginning of the end of the world. In just the past few days, the precarious situation has had diversified interpretations. It is widely said in some villages that the gods are angry while another school of thought describes the scarcity of the rain as witchcraft. In some areas, the population is actually looking at the traditional rulers to pour libation calling on the gods to send the rain. But scientifically, the argument has proven not to hold water as it is widely believed by almost all the villagers in Donga Mantung Division some witches and wizards have blocked the rain in the sky. 

Although atmospheric scientists increasingly believe that this is the impact of climate change, traditionalists on the other hand still think that the gods are angry and that the land has been curse by numerous sacrileges committed by man. Yet they haven't yet figured out precisely what's behind the present stalemate. Streams have reduced and some completely dried off. But it is common occurrence nowadays to see a traditional ruler pouring libation to call on the gods to bring back the rain or bring back a drying stream.
However, Fon Gwan Mbanyansiq, President of the Cameroon Traditional Rulers against Climate Change debunked the mysticism linked to the sporadic rains. "We have been trying to sensitize our villages on this quagmire of the century known as climate change. If our villages do not stop some of these beliefs, they will suffer the most from the effects of climate change. Time for action is now, because Mother Earth is not in good health", he concluded.    

Farmers in the Mbaw plain, Ndu, Tabenken and many other localities are said to have planted all their farms. In areas where the rains fell twice, the crops have shown signs of germinating while majority of the localities have fried their seed materials in the soil. Shey Julius expresses fear that the present situation could lead to serious famine given that fufu-corn is the most consumed meal in Donga Mantung Division. “By next week, if we don’t have good rain, then we will know that the gods are really angry at us” says Pa Tobias. The most serious threat however is that much is being talked about climate change but no adaptive measures are put in place to benefit the rural masses.They continue to look at climate change as a far off thing that can only happen in far off areas and not their communities

 



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Liverpool to Sign World Most Expensive Goalkeeper

Alisson

Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Alisson after agreeing a £66 million ($86m) fee with Roma for the Brazilian goalkeeper, reports say.

The Reds have been in intensive talks with the Serie A club this week, and now have permission to speak to the player about a move to Anfield.

The deal would make the 25-year-old the most expensive goalkeeper in history, and comes as Jurgen Klopp seeks to strengthen a position that was a problem long before Loris Karius' much-publicised errors in the Champions League final in May.

Alisson, it is understood, is open to the idea of a move to Merseyside, but Liverpool could face competition from Chelsea, who look set to lose their own goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, to Real Madrid.

Liverpool, though, are growing confident they can win the race, which would mean they have broken the world transfer record for both goalkeepers and defenders in the last seven months. 

The Reds have already added Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri to their squad in 2018, and the addition of Alisson, identified by the club's recruitment team as their top goalkeeping target last season, would be seen as a huge boost ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Liverpool fly to the USA for a three-game tour on Saturday, though Alisson would not be expected to return to training until after that in any case.

Klopp had pinpointed Alisson as his preferred goalkeeping target, with the Reds boss aware that none of Karius, Simon Mignolet or Danny Ward have nailed down the No.1 shirt at Anfield.

Karius's mistakes in the Champions League final against Madrid in Kiev, and doubts about the lasting effect they will have on his confidence, reintensified Liverpool’s efforts to recruit Alisson.

Ward is said to be impressing Klopp in training, but now appears unlikely to get a lasting chance to stake a claim to be first choice as the deal for Alisson edges closer

Roma had been keen to avoid a repeat of last summer when they sold Mohamed Salah to Liverpool at what now looks a ridiculously low fee and made it clear that they are not prepared for the same to happen with Alisson.

However, Liverpool’s offer has now met Roma’s valuation, leaving the Serie A club to step up their search for a replacement.

Paris Saint-Germain's Alphonse Areola is thought to be on their radar, while highly-rated AC Milan No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma is another to have been mentioned.

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