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The Editorial board of Cameroon Concord International has voted unanimously against a meeting planned for tomorrow in Muea precisely at Charriot Hotel involving our Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai and a group of Buea based lawyers claiming to be representing the Bishop of Buea His Lordship Bishop Bushu. Cameroon Concord made the decision based on the fact that the Bishop Bushu legal team fraudulently acquired the private telephone number of its Chairman and that issues of the church should not be discussed in a hotel but in either the Bishop’s House or a Parish.

It should be recalled Cameroon Concord recently reported that Bishop Bushu was heading a sinful church. This prompted the Bishop House in Buea to respond by making so many anonymous calls to our Editor-in-Chief who covered the requiem mass of the late Father Denis Ndang. Cameroon Concord will be running a series ‘Buea Diocese this time tomorrow’ beginning next week. We shall inter alia be examining the sinister reasons why Bishop Andrew Nkea, Bishop of Mamfe has till date not been allowed by Bishop Bushu to celebrate a send-off Holy Mass in the Buea Diocese ever since he was appointed by Pope Francis as Bishop of Mamfe as demanded by the customs and traditions of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Also, we shall be looking at the motives behind the book recently published by Rev. Father George Nkeze.

Details: Ngwa Bertrand; 09.May.2015; Hits: 6441

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Details: Society

The Special Criminal Court in Yaoundé delivered its verdict on Wednesday in the case between Lydian Eyoum Yen against Serge Epouhé and prosecution. The court ordered the Franco-Cameroonian lawyer to return the sum of 60 million 365,880 FCFA to Serge Epouhé. Lydian’s lawyers did not say a word on the sentence that was issued in the absence of both parties (the complainant and the accused).

Lydian Yen Eyoum was hired by Jacques Epouhé father of the accuser, to help him regain possession of his boat driver premiums -from March 1994 to March 1995-not paid by the company that was running the Douala port. The lawyer managed to recover that premium and Jacques Epouhé died before payments were made. His son and heir, living in Europe, arrived in Cameroon when the procedure against Lydian Yen Eyoum was underway, in the case between the State of Cameroon against former Minister of Economy and Finance, Polycarpe Abah Abah.

During proceedings in the Polycarpe Abah Abah case, the investigating judge had ordered the closure of accounts belonging Lydian where the Serge Epouhé money had been paid. The judge at the Special Criminal Court confirmed that position in its decision of 26 September 2014 condemning the Franco-Cameroonian. Consequently, whenever the heir son went to BICEC Bank to take possession of the money, the bank refuses to pay out on grounds that Barrister Lydian Yen was the subject of legal proceedings. The recent ruling by the Special Criminal Court has laid the Jacques Epouhe issue to rest.

Details: Ngwa Bertrand; 08.May.2015; Hits: 2330

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Details: Society

Media enterprises in Cameroon will witness an increase in the financial assistance from the government beginning this year. The announcement was made by the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, yesterday May 4, 2015, in Yaounde during a public discussion to mark World Freedom Day in Cameroon. The theme this year is “Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality and Media Safety in the Digital Age.”

Speaking at the occasion, Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary said the creation of a special account to support media enterprises in Cameroon was underway and the necessary procedures were on good footing. The Minister made it clear that only media enterprises that fulfil certain conditions will benefit from the assistance that will range from FCFA 20 million to 30 million annually. The conditions include having head office, registration of workers with the National Social Insurance Fund and staff with duly signed contracts. The new financial assistance is to enable eligible media houses to become more viable, the Minister pointed out.

Concerning the improvement of the legal framework of journalists, Issa Tchiroma Bakary said efforts are being made to rejuvenate the Commission for Issuing Press Cards. He used the occasion to call on journalists to respect the ethics of the profession by upholding its image. The audience listened to an inaugural lecture by Professor Laurent Charles Boyomo Assala, Director of the Yaounde Advanced School of Mass Communication, ASMAC. He talked on “The question of press freedom in the face of decentralization.”

Other speakers such as Etienne Owono, a Senior Civil Administrator, spoke on, “Decentralisation in Cameroon: How far have we gone?” while François Marc Modzom, Editor- in-Chief CRTV Radio handled “The organisation of a newsroom according to the management of territorial information.” Organised by the Network of Cameroonian Journalists of Decentralisation (RJCD), the event brought together cabinet members, representatives of international organisations, Centre Regional officials, journalists and guests.

Details: Ngwa Bertrand; 05.May.2015; Hits: 1848

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Chinese installed in Cameroon, no longer perform only small jobs in the informal sector. The Chinese are no longer only in the sale of ice water on the markets, mobile phones and donuts. Increasingly, the Chinese are present in the oldest profession in the world-the sex trade. Not in the back streets and in dangerous corners in the cities of Douala and Yaounde but in private clubs. In Bastos, an upscale neighborhood in the nation’s capital Yaounde and home to wealthy Cameroonians and many expatriates and where there are a high concentration of Asian restaurants and private clubs, the Chinese have indulged in private striptease sessions and offer them to the highest bidder.

Under cape Cameroonian prostitutes complain that the appeal of these Chinese on their more affluent customers is slowly but surely pushing them out of busy particularly in the Bastos vicinity where customers of prostitutes have the power of the purse. The echoes of this rivalry between Chinese prostitutes and Cameroon have gotten to daggers-drawn position with some Cameroonians openly threatening the Chinese. Recently, Cameroon Concord gathered intelligence revealing the existence of a prostitution network operated by Asian and Italian prostitutes, who landed in midweek at the Yaounde Nsimalen International airport and traded throughout the weekend and left the country. The network is powered by highly placed political figures with links to four-one-niners.

Details: Ngwa Bertrand; 03.May.2015; Hits: 4237

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Details: Society

A man suspected of theft was burned alive Thursday at district Madagascar in the nation’s capital. Yaoundé located some 10 km from the presidential palace. Horror, cruelty, barbarism, dehumanization ... words are not enough to describe the scene that was witnessed by hundreds of persons including some members of the Cameroon presidential guard force.

Mob justice is the order of the day in major cities of Cameroon including Southern Cameroons territory. The men and women who carried out the mob action reportedly pointed fingers to a failed system, a failing justice, "Every time you take them to the police, they are freed in the evening and come and taunt us, after bribing officials, who sometimes are outright accomplices and lend their arms, this should serve as a lesson, "says one on-looker.

Some security experts have expressed concern over the matter. They observed that the state is absent and the barbaric acts take place every day. “It embeds itself in our lives and tends to show that human life has no value”. Politicians, the clergy teachers, the whole Cameroonian society is guilty not to condemn such practices. This is the image that Cameroon sends to the world in 2015.

Details: Ngwa Bertrand; 02.May.2015; Hits: 2789

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Details: Society

Many who have seen the national defence forces in Cameroon as a corps that was yet to proof its mettle must have had time to rethink such a conclusion given the ongoing war against the Boko Haram extremists. Presiding at the graduation ceremony of the 33^rd or “Lieutenant Youssouf Mahamat Bahar” batch and the 34^th or “Fiftieth Anniversary of Reunification” batch of cadet officers of the Combined Services Military Academy at the Military Headquarters Brigade in Yaounde on Friday 24, April 2015, President Paul Biya, who is the Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces, underscored the respect and admiration that the entire nation has demonstrated of late for the forces. Since the open declaration of war against the sect by Cameroon in May 2014 following repeated attacks and kidnappings masterminded by militants of the group on Cameroonian soil, the various arms of the forces have swung into action, ensuring that no iota of land in the country should fall into the hands of the terrorists.

Of course, the consequences of the war have not been easy on the forces. Yet, the morale of the troops has remained in tack. Such has been a sign not just of determination, but also an indication of the quality of training and professional know-how being displayed by the soldiers on the various battle fields. Understandably, some Cameroonians initially thought the war was a far off issue that concerned only neighbouring Nigeria and border localities close to the affected north-eastern part of the country. However, when news gradually filtered out of the battle grounds, it became clear that the entire country could be embroiled in a problem that until now has been foreign to Cameroon. In effect, in spite of the mosaic religious, ethnic and cultural differences in Cameroon, no cases of extremism are known to the people since independence. Thus, it was natural that the upsurge of extremism in Nigeria should be eccentric to Cameroon. As such, the nation was in shock when the sect started making frantic attempts to extend their activities to other countries including Cameroon. No meaningful leadership and rational community could be indifferent to such barbaric acts perpetrated on its territory for whatever reasons.

Consequently, when the Commander-in-chief of the armed forces chaired the graduation ceremony of two batches of cadet officers last week, he naturally felt duty-bound to recall and appreciate the sacrifices that the defence forces have made so far, going beyond self defence to ensuring that Cameroonians continue to live in peace and harmony as before. “It should be underscored that our soldiers have done better than defending themselves and defending us.” President Biya pointed out to an enthusiastic audience at the graduation ceremony. The statement clearly underlined efforts made by the military on the ground and the admiration that the population continue to have for the work the soldiers have been doing in the Far-North Region where the war has been raging.Across Cameroon therefore, there has been a general mode of satisfaction and esteem from all segments of the population with positive reactions on the achievements by the forces. Members of the public from ordinary citizens to the most politically-minded and business operators have been stating laud and clear that they are with the forces both in words and actions. Money, food items, and other messages of support have genuinely poured out to show approval to the prowess of the army and the sense of professionalism with which they have been going about the arduous task of defending the territorial integrity of Cameroon.The support can only be likened to the sense of unison that Cameroonians have in the past shown for the Indomitable Lions in their days of glory. Political party leaders have been seen putting on the most admirable garments of unity and togetherness for a course that is obviously of major concern to the entire nation. That was what Mr Biya, on the behalf of the people observed when he addressed the cadet officers on last Friday. He stated that, “From North to South and from East to West, Cameroonians have mobilized massively, and are still mobilizing enthusiastically and spontaneously, to make their generous contribution to the war effort in a remarkable show of solidarity.”That is definitely the best sign of respect and concern that the young boys and girls at the war front would need to continuously boost their moral and enable them put in their best in the defence of the nation. No better words could have helped in echoing the message to those getting out of training, especially as one of the batches already had a fore taste of the war having lost their colleague, Lieutenant Donkeng Joseph Kevin, who died alongside other soldiers during an attack by the Boko Haram terrorist group on 25 July 2014 at Bargaram in the Far-North Region.

Details: Ngwa Bertrand; 30.Apr.2015; Hits: 1825

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