Business

 

 StrangerConsulting, a social media and web development company based in Germany with affiliates in Cameroon held a social media workshop at the Bamenda City Council on October 13 2014.The agenda of the workshop was the implementation of social media as an important mechanism for advancing government effectiveness.  The forum that was directed by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of StrangerConsulting Akwe Marcel was basically on using social media tools to communicate important information to constituents and improve delivery of services.  Cameroon Concord gathered that participants were lectured on how to use social media in communications, promoting and updating the Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Youtube pages of the Bamenda City Council and providing minute by minute content to update the city website. The expert from the Federal Republic of Germany gave the delegates tips on how to promote Bamenda city council’s initiatives and to manage a fruitful dialogue with the public through social media. The major areas covered by the workshop included engagement and Listening. In this regard, StrangerConsulting provided the Bamenda City Council delegates and officials with the savoir faire on the use of social media to pay attention to what people are saying regarding the activities of the council. The workshop also did highlight the educational aspect of keeping the Bamenda population informed on public safety, actual food prices, road maintenance policy of the council, current construction sites and deviation alternatives for drivers and above all, pharmacies on call.

Speaking of the Bamenda City Council policy of engagement, Akwe Marcel demonstrated that the city council can reach a large audience with social media and spread messages and information to many of its constituents and employees alike with relatively little or no cost. The German IT guru hinted that Bamenda City Council leadership should be encouraging people to like the pages of Bamenda City Council on social media. This he pointed out will enable them to see all updates from the city council in their news feeds likewise on their respective timelines.   StrangerConsulting experts revealed that  Facebook and Twitter are of vital importance to  all residence of Bamenda as users can communicate instantly with one another about any subject at any time. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to become more familiar with the specific challenges in using social media for public administrations and institutions. It also teleguided Bamenda City Council workers to the policy of achieving great results with little effort. Some of the participants who spoke to Cameroon Concord at the end of the atelier noted that they were now fully aware of the specific risks and pitfalls and what you have to take into account when using social media in public institutions. The workshop also made available IT insights on how to develop a social media campaign and keep the conversation relevant, the use of social media most efficiently in order to save time, personnel and money and how to improve your already existing social media presence knowing which types of social media supports your company’s objectives and how to engage people and achieve civic participation by using social media.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

24.Oct.2014

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 StrangerConsulting, a social media and web development company based in Germany with affiliates in Cameroon held a social media workshop at the Bamenda City Council on October 13 2014.The agenda of the workshop was the implementation of social media as an important mechanism for advancing government effectiveness.  The forum that was directed by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of StrangerConsulting Akwe Marcel was basically on using social media tools to communicate important information to constituents and improve delivery of services.  Cameroon Concord gathered that participants were lectured on how to use social media in communications, promoting and updating the Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Youtube pages of the Bamenda City Council and providing minute by minute content to update the city website. The expert from the Federal Republic of Germany gave the delegates tips on how to promote Bamenda city council’s initiatives and to manage a fruitful dialogue with the public through social media. The major areas covered by the workshop included engagement and Listening. In this regard, StrangerConsulting provided the Bamenda City Council delegates and officials with the savoir faire on the use of social media to pay attention to what people are saying regarding the activities of the council. The workshop also did highlight the educational aspect of keeping the Bamenda population informed on public safety, actual food prices, road maintenance policy of the council, current construction sites and deviation alternatives for drivers and above all, pharmacies on call.

Speaking of the Bamenda City Council policy of engagement, Akwe Marcel demonstrated that the city council can reach a large audience with social media and spread messages and information to many of its constituents and employees alike with relatively little or no cost. The German IT guru hinted that Bamenda City Council leadership should be encouraging people to like the pages of Bamenda City Council on social media. This he pointed out will enable them to see all updates from the city council in their news feeds likewise on their respective timelines.   StrangerConsulting experts revealed that  Facebook and Twitter are of vital importance to  all residence of Bamenda as users can communicate instantly with one another about any subject at any time. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to become more familiar with the specific challenges in using social media for public administrations and institutions. It also teleguided Bamenda City Council workers to the policy of achieving great results with little effort. Some of the participants who spoke to Cameroon Concord at the end of the atelier noted that they were now fully aware of the specific risks and pitfalls and what you have to take into account when using social media in public institutions. The workshop also made available IT insights on how to develop a social media campaign and keep the conversation relevant, the use of social media most efficiently in order to save time, personnel and money and how to improve your already existing social media presence knowing which types of social media supports your company’s objectives and how to engage people and achieve civic participation by using social media.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

24.Oct.2014

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                                            By Chi Prudence with files from Dr. Thompson Ntuba and Patrice Nouma

And so Vinegar looks to make a place for itself without salt. President Paul Biya left Washington DC bearing in mind that he and US President Barrack Obama are no longer an item. The Cameroonian Head of State had waited for a symbolic reception at the White House promised him by officials of the State Department during the first ever US-Africa Heads of Government Summit that never happened. Lots of regrets, respect and best wishes.

President Paul Biya whom Obama understands has been a grave disappointment to the Cameroonian people met only with Wendy Sherman US Under Secretary of State for political affairs and Congressman Chris Smith, current chair of the Africa Committee in the House of Representatives. Mr. Biya and his numerous Beti-Ewondo ministers who made the trip to Washington also met George Jones the CEO of Sundance Resources Ltd, an American company that recently announced a five billion US dollar investment in Cameroon in the Mbalam iron ore facility.

The President of the South West Elite Association USA chapter informed Cameroon Concord that even though all the Francophone cabinet ministers had a mastery of the English language, they did not have an understanding of what the US-Africa Forum was all about. Said Rev. Dr. Thompson Ntuba,  “the US-Africa Forum was aimed at developing a strategy against Chinese penetration and dominance in Africa. I was surprised our government officials came here and were instead talking about the construction of the Limbe deep sea port, dredging of the Douala and Kribi ports and renovation of the Douala airport! Of course no one in Washington gave them a listening ear”.

 President Obama used the US-Africa Forum to announce a 33 billion US dollars package to boost trade and investment in Africa. Cameroon Concord’s Chief Economic reporter maintains that the 33 billion US dollars is to assist American businesses provide jobs for fellow American citizens. So, the first ever US-Africa Forum provided another opportunity for President Biya and his acolytes to continue wasting Cameroon tax payers money abroad.    

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

11.Aug.2014

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The Cameroonian Minister of Economy, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, and Daniel Feremans, head of the Belfius Bank and Belgium, have just signed a financing agreement for an amount totalling 14 billion FCFA to complete a project to improve water supply in eleven Cameroonian cities.

According to reliable sources at the Ministry of Economy, these include Yaoundé, Douala, Garoua, Bafoussam, Bamenda, Nkongsamba, Maroua, Buea, Limbé, Akonolinga and Ambam.The project will involve the rehabilitation of some production sites, but especially in the laying of 200,000 metres of pipes which will make it possible to connect around 15,000 subscribers to the country’s drinking water supply.

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Ngwa Bertrand

07.Aug.2014

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Cameroon Concord's Arrey Echi Agbor-Ndakaw reported from Yaounde that the President Biya gang are now approaching development with anger!! After 31 years as Head of State, our European political desk was divided over our Arrey Echi's take on the prevailing situation in Cameroon. Read Arrey Echi in this soul-searching flat write-up.

The deplorable conditions of road infrastructure in Cameroon has been the concern of citizens. The dustiness of the roads has been a prime cause of some air borne diseases such as flu aka catarrh and cough especially during the dry season. Mud and poor drainage which leaves the roads slippery and watery has been a persistent thorn in the flesh during heavy rains. Furthermore, many lament the absence of good transport network linking our main towns and cities with other neighbouring countries which would help curb economic stagnation and booster trade.

Inside sources deep within the ruling CPDM party have revealed that this cry will soon be a thing of the past. This is especially true when one takes into consideration the laudable initiative of the government to rehabilitate all old roads and create new ones. A few years back, the Bamenda- Mamfe road was rehabilitated which has greatly enhanced transportation for the people in this region and it is said that plans are in progress to construct the Mamfe-Kumba high way. This news has been greeted with a lot of euphoria in the South West region as not only will it ease trade but it will also save the people using this road especially during the rainy season the agony of spending days on the road.

In big cities like Douala and Yaoundé, old roads are being rehabilitated and new ones created all in a bid to improve urban transportation network and reduce careless accidents often caused by reckless drivers and death traps passing for roads. For the past few months, Yaoundé municipality has witnessed a beehive of activities in its main roads and those in residential areas. Roads are being expanded and flyovers are emerging. The goal is not only to provide citizens with good roads, but also to help reduce traffic jams and put Yaounde among the African cities genuinely answering the urban questions. Certainly, the plans behind the fresh impetus are being slowly implemented and it is hoped that from the big cities more feathers will be gained for the cap by reaching the rural areas and villages.  

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Ngwa Bertrand

07.Aug.2014

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The Ministry of Public Works has just made an international call for tenders, shortlisting 10 companies and corporate groups “to conduct bypass studies on the city of Douala for the construction of a third bridge over the Wouri River.” Among the companies invited to bid, there are two Tunisian groups (Scet-Tunisie-Didon Conseil and Comete-Luxan), the French engineering firm Louis Berger, and Cameroonian engineering firms such as Ecta BTP, Egis Cameroun, Sadeg, Beta Consult and Integc, all partnered with foreign companies.

According to the call for tenders, the project consists of “conducting a technical feasibility study on the bypass project for the city of Douala and the construction of a third bridge over the Wouri River taking into account the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the site; to develop consultation files on the project’s completion and assisting the project leader; and to develop the financial estimate (cost target) for the operation.”

Bidders are required to pay a 35 million FCFA deposit and 500,000 FCFA to purchase a call for tenders application. The successful bidder will have 26 months to complete the project and will receive 1.8 billion FCFA, the provisional amount of the deal, according to the government. Bids are expected at the Ministry of Public Works no later than August 27, 2014.

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Ngwa Bertrand

06.Aug.2014

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