Society

The International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) is making headline news for the wrong reason. The much respected establishment recently within 48 hours released two separate lists of admitted students in the department of International Relations and diplomacy. Cameroon Concord gathered that the list made public on Friday evening reportedly came from a panel of thirteen members including senior lecturers of the institution such as professors Alain Didier Olinga, Adolphe Minkoa She, Jean-Emmanuel Pondi and Pascal Messanga Nyamding.

The controversy was heralded by the fact that in the first list, the name of Estelle Nti appeared second and was confirmed by an official announcement of the list via CRTV radio. By some strange happenstance, Estelle Nti and other candidates whose names had appeared on the official list and read over national radio, disappeared the following day. Interestingly, the first list included 15 admitted students and a waiting list comprising 4 names. The new list that also had 15 students however did not have a waiting list attached to it. In addition, some candidates from the waiting list were surreptitiously declared admitted.

Local media reports say something CPDM in nature happened inexplicably on the list between the Ministry of Higher Education and the Presidency of the Republic. Some sources have observed that the Director of IRIC, Pierre-Emmanuel Tabi was stunned by the scandal.  This is not the first time that the entrance examination into the International Relations Institute is affected by a fraud. In 2013  nine candidates declared admitted were ordered to leave the faculty by  the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo and replaced with students from his constituency.

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Ngwa Bertrand

03.Mar.2015

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February 28, 2015 and the Crown Plaza Hall, 91 Stafford St. Worchester MA, were chosen as the date and venue by the Cameroon Social Club (CAMSOC) where every Cameroonian parent and youth assembled for our nation's National Youth Day Celebration which takes place every 11th of February. It was a memorable and grandiose celebration event with sponsorship from Norbert Financial Services Group, Alima`s African Hair Braiding, Kaba African Market and African Radio of Boston. Gerald Ayuk Tabi Chairman of CAMSOC in a statement issued to Cameroon Concord before the historic Youth Day Celebration, revealed that CAMSOC is a non profit organisation and since 2003, its mission has been to promote, encourage and sustain good fellowship, social vitality, cultural vibrancy of the Cameroon heritage and share an inclusive Cameroon Community through the development of social values by direct assistance to members and facilitate community involvement through working partnerships with other organisations.

Chairman Gerald Ayuk Tabi added that CAMSOC has four Regions with each Regional President considered a member of the Executive Bureau referred as Extended EB members. This includes; Pascal Nyumfor, President of CAMSOC Boston ,Dr. Solomon Baseme, President of CAMSOC North Region, Mrs. Jacky Achu, President of CAMSOC West Region and Mrs. Nina Fombuh, President of CAMSOC South Shore. However, CAMSOC has the following  executive body for a two year mandate; Emile Kamadeu, Vice Chairman,William Nganjui, Secretary General, Janet Minang, Financial Secretary, Emilia Likine, Treasurer, Romeo Ngnintoundem, Activity Secretary, Stella Kumcho, Assistant Activity Secretary, Olguy Songolo, Publicity Secretary,Amanda Perez, Regional Cordinator and Bernard Nkwantah Life Insurance Coordinator.

Addressing the mammoth crowd that turned out at Crown Plaza Hall, the Chairman revealed his plan of action for the next two years by stating that he wants to rally and organise a National General Assembly, increase efforts to intensify new membership, launching of new activities,  annual visits of cultural groups and sporting activities. Said Gerald Ayuk Tabi "My goal is to have an active and inclusive Cameroon Community in Boston MA, where you are your brother's or sister's keeper. Where one man's problem is everybody's problem and one man's joy is everybody's joy. A community where everyone is treated the same and has the same share of benefits. A community where members should know that we are one people and together, we'll move this Organization forward".It is vital to include in this report that the success of the event was the handiwork of CAMSOC's Event Coordinator, Stanley Kisob.

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Ngwa Bertrand

02.Mar.2015

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The Association of North West lawyers ( NOWELA) have decried the extortion practise by most Magistrates within the region, Cameroon Concord has learnt. The group has written a strongly worded petition bearing 6 major grievances to the President of the Bamenda Appeal Court for onward transmission to Yaoundé. The legal brains complained that the Magistrates charged exorbitant sums of money from both plaintiff and respondent for a team to go out for surveys pertaining to land disputes or other small issues.

NOWELA stated that some Magistrates in Bamenda would request both parties to pay as much as 150.000 FCFA each to survey a dispute that is within Bamenda city. The lawyers wondered aloud that at times the amounts the Magistrates demand to move out of their courtyard go up to millions of FCFA. This according to the North West advocates is a locust fee and extortion of the poor farmers or cattlemen who simply seek justice.

The Lawyers also protested against judges who prefer to use the French language to intimidate disputing parties who can barely utter a word in French. The Common law men and women observed that the language of communications in North West courts should be English which is not only a constitutional right but a minority right in a bilingual Cameroon.

Cameroon Concord understands that for a long time now, there are recurrent arguments in courts around the North West region between Francophone judges and Anglophone lawyers on which language comes first. Francophone judges have claimed that they can only handle cases using the French language which they master properly. It is vital to include in this report that during court sessions in Francophone regions, presiding Anglophone judges do not use the English language.

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Ngwa Bertrand

28.Feb.2015

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The CPDM business empire is doing fairly well and shows no signs of crumbling. The opposition has left Cameroonians with nothing. So,the national chairman and head of state of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM), President Paul Biya has decreed the creation of new lower organs of the party. According to decision No 001 / DPRK / PN 24 February 2015, as amended and supplemented by provisions of Article 1 of Decision No. 004 / DPRK / PN 11 September 2014 concerning the creation of new sections of the CPDM,9 new units have been authorized by the President of the Republic.

The creation of new units which is unprecedented gave the Central Region precisely at  Nyong and Ekelle 3 sections. The Nyong and Kelle section now has northeast-I and II with headquarters at Bot-Makak, in the same district of Nguibassal with the third section created at Bondjock. The CPDM party also did extend in the Far North region ravaged by the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram with new sections located at Vélé and Guémé in the Mayo Danay Division. Mayo Kani in the Northeast, whose jurisdiction covers the district of Porhi and Touloum was also accorded a seat. While Mayo Kani East based in Taibong was granted a section with headquarters based in Dziguilao .

 In the Southwest region, the city of Limbe in Fako division has three new sections;Fako-IA installed in Limbe, 1 Council area, Fako-IB in Limbe Council 2 and Fako C located at Limbe 3^, The new sections that aimed to better support the militants of the ruling party are expected to elect their officers in the coming weeks to put in orbit with existing CPDM sections in the national territory.

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Ngwa Bertrand

26.Feb.2015

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Amadou Vamoulké, General Manager of the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), has been indicted by Annie Noëlle Bahounoui Batende, a senior judge at the Special Criminal Court in Yaounde, for misappropriation of more than 2.8 billion CFA. Justice Annie Noelle accused the head of the state radio and television, to have participated hand-in-gloves with his predecessor, the disgraced Prof. Gervais Mendo Ze, and Amadou Sambo, General Paymaster during the era of over payment of visual royalty in 2005 and 2006.

According to information that filtered to Cameroon Concord from the Special Criminal Court, the testimonies of Antoinette Essomba Cameroon’s former Director of Marketing and Communications Agency imprisoned after the former CEO of CRTV, greatly helped in exposing the involvement of   Amadou Vamoulké . Gervais Mendo- Zé for his part has been in police drag net ever since November 12, 2014. The trial process will have to establish the link between Gervais Mendo- Zé right up to December 9, 2004 which is the date of his entry into the cabinet as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Communication and Vamoulké Amadou, who took over the management of the state radio and television on January 25, 2005.

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Ngwa Bertrand

26.Feb.2015

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A US couple who were married for 67 years have died hand-in-hand within hours of each other. In a scene reminiscent of film The Notebook, Floyd and Violet Hartwig passed away on February 11 with their beds pushed close together, family members told ABC News. "They weren’t fancy. They were just decent people that were always committed to each other, no matter the situation," daughter Donna Scharton said. "My mum had dementia for the last several years and around the holidays we noticed she was going down," Mrs Scharton said. "Then, I got a call from the doctor saying 'your dad has kidney failure and he has two weeks to live.' So, we decided to put them in hospice together."

When they saw the end was drawing near for her father, Mrs Scharton said they placed his beloved wife’s hand in his. “My dad died holding my mum's hand. Mum was not coherent, but we told her that dad had passed away and that he was waiting for her. She died five hours later." The Californian couple married in 1947 and had three children together. The pair were devoted to each other, with Mrs Hartwig making a breakfast for her husband, who served in the Navy, every morning at 4.30am, Mrs Scharton said.

"I remember them kissing each other goodbye every morning. I remember mum called him 'Blondie' because he had such pretty blond hair and blue eyes." Even as Mr Hartwig’s heath was deteriorating, his main concern was always for the love of his life, she said. "He would tell the doctor, 'I'm okay I just want her fixed',” she said. "That was his concern; not how bad his pain was, but that he wanted my mum fixed." The couple’s granddaughter and Mrs Scharton's daughter, Cynthia Letson, said she would remember them as simple people who just loved being with their family. "They never, ever asked for anything," she said. "All they ever wanted was their family and it was amazing that they got that in the end."

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Ngwa Bertrand

26.Feb.2015

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