Press men and press freedom: Anecdote Press Group takes on Peter Esoka

Sama Ernest

After the recent decision by the National Communication Council suspending four of its journalists, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Anecdote Group of newspapers has filed a complaint at the High court in Yaounde against the Vice President of NCC Peter Esoka. Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga announced today that he was suing Peter Esoka for “abuse of authority and blackmail”.

Veteran journalist Peter Esoka last Thursday made it public that Perfect Ayissi Etoa, Ernest Obama, Ines Belinga and Romeo Mbida all reporters with the Anecdote group were banned for six months from any journalistic practice within the national territory. Cameroon Concord has been reliably informed that lawyers representing the leadership of the Anecdote group were today at the state counsel to begin legal proceedings against Vice President Peter Esoka and his Secretary General Tobie Hond.

It is vital to include in this report that Peter Esoka and his gang have constantly been dishing out suspension orders to journalists seen to be hostile to the Biya regime citing “breach of ethics and professional conduct".