Society

More than ten children have been rescued by police officials in Ghana from a suspected trafficker in the Volta Region of the country close to the Togolese border. Police officials in the area say the children (all girls) were bound for Togo and the trafficker had arranged to sell them to interested parties in Togo. Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the bus alerted the police when the trafficker who was identified only as Owusu boarded the bus with the children and started showing some strange attitude towards the children. The trafficker had told the driver that the children were his relatives but failed to even provide enough details about the children leading to the bus driver reporting the matter to the police.

District Police commander in the area, Superintended Joseph Acka told Cameroon Concord that investigations are already underway, adding that he believes the children were from towns and villages around the River Volta. The River Volta area is noted for child trafficking in Ghana. “We were told that their parents actually agreed that they go with a certain young man who gave his name as Samuel and according to that young man he is taking them to Wabolabo near Asikuma and they are going to do maize farming”, Mr.Acka said. The trafficker has since been detained in police custody and will soon be prosecuted with the crime he has committed, according to the police.

Ghana is a country of origin, transit, and destination for women and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution in neighboring countries.. The Government of Ghana demonstrated improved anti human trafficking law enforcement efforts last year. It prohibited all forms of trafficking through its 2005 Human Trafficking Act which prescribes a minimum penalty of five years’ imprisonment for all forms of trafficking. In June 2009, Ghana convicted three Chinese nationals of trafficking eight Chinese women to Ghana for exploitation and prostitution. But despite all these efforts, human rights activists have criticized the Ghanaian government of not employing formal procedures for the identification of victims of human trafficking.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

11.Mar.2015

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It has become a norm for Cameroon’s Ministry for women to produce a special fabric for the International Women’s Day #IWD in Cameroon. In Bamenda like elsewhere in the country the demand for this fabric is always high before the event consequently a massive use in the fabrication of dress designs for the Day. Though many of the women who showed up for the event had the official fabric, a sizable number still preferred to used their different group uniforms. For some who used their group uniforms, they argue that the Women’s Day fabric is too expensive while others say it lacks beauty. Many have also been heard questioning the periodicity of the official fabric.

hilltopvoices was interested in the many groups that answered present in typical traditional northwest attire. Though more expensive than the Women’s Day fabric, its users say it is more beautiful durable and depicts a Northwest woman in all ramifications. According to those we spoke to, the motive behind the Women’s Day fabric is still not clear to cause them buy it. The designs and colour varied from one group to another but one could say for sure the beauty was outstanding.

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Ngwa Bertrand

10.Mar.2015

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 President Biya has provided what many now see as an acceptable solution to the academic crisis created by the controversial Minister of Higher Education Jacques Fame Ndongo. The official website of the presidency of the republic reported that informed of the controversy arising from the publication of entrance results into IRIC, the Head of State, in the quest for equity, gave instructions that all the candidates whose names appear in the two lists that were published, as well as those found on the waiting list, be admitted into the school. This makes a total of 22 admitted. The Biya solution however has made a mockery of the whole concept behind entrance examinations into professional schools. Below is a press release from Minister Fame Ndongo who earlier boasted that he was restoring the policy of regional development

The Minister of Higher Education announces: subject to the presentation of the originals of the required diplomas the following candidates, ranked by order of merit, are declared admitted into the Professional Master of International Relations, Diplomacy section, at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) of the University of Yaounde II for the 2014-2015 academic year. They are:

Regular Candidates

1. Mebe Nkoulou Lionel Thierry

2. Nti Estelle Nadia

3. Oyoua Bigfarm Belinga Ludovic Martin

4. Tambolo Sake Marie Salomé

5. Mebenga Lucien Thierry

6. Ngoa Ntonga Joseph

7. Oyono Ottou Didier Hervé

8. Hadidjatou Haman Tchiouto

9. Tsadjia Celestin-Roger

10. Beti Mfoumou Armelle Thilda

11. Ayuk Marguerite Josiane

12. Ebenye Ngalle Mispa

13. Minka Minyem Joseph Stéphane

14. Simeu Djoko Brice Cardeau

15. Nnomo Zanga Dominique Williams Arnold

16. Bouhari Alim

17. Nkwati Hans Pekwangha

18. Iddi Ahmed

19. Mofoi Samson

20. Ebongue Manga Christine Gaelle

21. Babilah Bobmia Blandine

22. Mokwe Welisane Ngoneh.

Foreign Candidates

1. Amine Loue Badarde

2. Nsalambi Kukabusu

3. Souleymane Abakar Juma

4. Aminatou Amadou.

Successful candidates are requested to report to the registration office following the publication of present press release for registration.

The commencement of classes is scheduled for Tuesday the 10th of March 2015 at 8.00 am.

 

The Minister of Higher Education
(é) Jacques FAME NDONGO

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Ngwa Bertrand

10.Mar.2015

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Roles were defined in the dispensation of justice at a confab of legal practitioners. Summed up in efforts to set records straight, the judiciary in the North West Region has defined roles in the dispensation of justice. The event was the first semester conference of the North West Legal Department in Bamenda during which experts clarified the application of administrative detentions and police custody. Opening the conference, the Attorney General of the North West Region, Chief Justice Marcel Oyono Abah, urged the judiciary to stand solidly by the Law of 1st January 2007, with the Criminal Procedure Code as the new way forward for justice in Cameroon. He stressed that presidential decrees appointing magistrates to the North West Court of Appeal did not make distinctions between French and English-speaking magistrates. The nation’s bilingual status requires magistrates to serve all over the country with litigants speaking either French or English in court halls, he pointed out.

His response was in reaction to the Association of North West Lawyers who are against the use of French in submissions in North West courts. It was a moment for the Senior State Counsel for Mezam, Justice Nchang Augustine, to explain that police custody, which is the exclusive domain of the judiciary, could be ordered by administrative authorities on the strength of Law No 90/047 and 054 of 19th December 1990 on the State of Emergency and maintenance of Order. It emerged from his presentation that police custody can only be ordered by magistrates of the Legal Department and Judicial Police officers. Justice Nchang revealed that police custody can only be ordered according to Section 118 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) or by the State Counsel on the strength of Section 118 (3) of the CPC. Provisions of Section 119 (2) define the duration of custody and while Sections 122,140 and 291 focus on the rights of people in remand and sanctions.

The Inspector General in the North West Governor’s office, Ivo Makoge, stressed exceptional circumstances that inspire administrative detention. It equally emerged from the conference that such situations warrant exceptional measures like the restriction of liberties to enable the authorities control, supervise and master prevailing circumstances. Curtains dropped on the conference with the Attorney General recognising best staff with attestations of merit. North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique was around with administrative blessings for the conference.

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Ngwa Bertrand

09.Mar.2015

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The Police administration in Ghana has interdicted the Director-General in charge of Police Human Resource, Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Patrick Timbilla over recruitment scam into the Police service. Last week, hundreds of Ghanaian youth aged between 20-30 trooped to the various Police training centers for enlistment into the police service but later found out it was a scam they have falling into. Some individuals have been arrested over the scam and the top police official is the latest to have been interdicted. DCOP Timbilla was put under house arrest on Friday night till early Sunday morning for involving in the scam. On Sunday evening, Director-General of the Police Public Affairs service, Ampah-Benin said Mr. Timbilla can now move about freely as an ordinary Ghanaian citizen but is still under formal investigations.

“He is not under house arrest anymore, he can move from his house. He can go anywhere now but when the investigative team needs him, they can call him, he is on interdiction, he cannot work as a Police Officer until the issue is finally resolved”, he said. He further added that Mr. Timbilla is cooperating with the investigative team to unravel the truth of the matter to keep the image of the service. DCOP Timbilla’s interdiction over the issue has shocked many Ghanaians due to the reputation he has built for himself over the years in the police service. The Ghana Police Service is the main law enforcement agency in Ghana. The service is under the control of the Ghanaian Ministry of the Interior and employs over 30,000 officers across its 651 stations. Lots of similar scams have been reported in the past but this is the first time a top official in the service has been officially interdicted over such issues.

An afrobarometer survey last year revealed that the Police Service is the most perceived corrupt public institution in Ghana. The result said as high as 89% of the respondents who participated in the survey said the police service is the most corrupt institution. Similar surveys have in the past fingered the Ghana police service as the most corrupt public institution but the service has constantly denied such reports.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

09.Mar.2015

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Ntemfac Ofege, a long standing Cameroonian journalist has made public the new bribe index currently instituted by the ruling CPDM crime syndicate in Cameroon. The bribe index is what citizens are expected to pay as sinecures to people in authority to gain admission into professional schools. The 2004 Bribe Index into the following schools are as follows:

- CUSS (Medical School) 1.000.000FCFA,

- ESSTIC  and ASMAC( School of Journalism)  500.000FCFA;

- Ecole Normale Sup (Higher Teachers Training School) - 500.000;

- Ecoles Normales Annexe (Teachers Training Lower Cycle) – 300.000FCFA;

- Polytech (School of Engineering) – 1.000.000FCFA;

- EMIA ( Military Academy) - 1.000.000 or some months of scholarship);

- Others – 200.000 – 500.000FCFA depending on the cycle. These amounts are paid by those who are not from the Chosen Tribe while those from the right tribe sail in like water under the river. Cameroon Concord will be updating the bribe index regularly.

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Ngwa Bertrand

09.Mar.2015

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