Society

A resident told the press they thought briefly that Nigeria had invaded Cameroon or worse still, that they were under an attack by Boko Haram. “I called the CRTV radio house in Garoua to find out what was happening and no one answered. So I concluded that things have taken a twist for the worse...that assailants have taken over Cameroon”, he said.

The Garoua region of Cameroon was temporarily thrown into a state of confusion and panic on Saturday, September 6 when the local branch of the national broadcaster CRTV began to air the Nigerian national anthem. According to the French language newspaper Emergence, at about 6.30 am on Saturday, transmission suddenly went off while listeners were waiting for the English newscast relayed from CRTV Yaounde.

The source said transmission was restored soon afterwards but instead of the news listeners were greeted with the Nigerian national anthem followed by a Nigerian newscast in English for over 30 minutes.

A resident told the press they thought briefly that Nigeria had invaded Cameroon or worse still, that they were under an attack by Boko Haram. “I called the CRTV radio house in Garoua to find out what was happening and no one answered. So I concluded that things have taken a twist for the worse...that assailants have taken over Cameroon”, he said.

 

The transmission was later traced to Radio Gotel, a Nigerian radio station broadcasting relayed news from Abuja.

 

Explaining the mix-up however, a CRTV source explained that their transmitter powered off and there was no technician and no announcer in the studio at the time to rectify the situation. He said since the chief of technical services was also not at post, Pierre Babagai, a guard on duty took upon himself to turn transmission back on and to conduct an automatic dial search to restore broadcast.

 

Instead of getting CRTV Garoua however, the automatic dial search captured the signal from Radio Gotel in Nigeria, which is not far from Garoua.

 

Meanwhile all chiefs of services at CRTV Garoua regional station have been interrogated on Monday September 8, at the regional headquarters of the Ministry of Communication.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

15.Sep.2014

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His Majesty Fon Asaba has told the Board of Directors of the Cameroonian Community Association in the Greater Toronto Area (CCA-GTA) including the leaders of  some Cameroonian family meetings to market Cameroon’s rich culture in Canada and even beyond. The paramount ruler of the Fontem people made the call while addressing leaders of various Cameroonian cultural and development associations based in Canada.  HRM Fon Asaba thanked the community leaders for fostering unity among Cameroonians and for trying endlessly to create a peaceful and cordial Cameroonian community in Toronto. Said the Fon: “although the task is a difficult one, you leaders should not relent your efforts”.

In a rare public conversation with the press, His Majesty Fon Asaba revealed to Cameroon Concord that his late father was a Senator, President of the South West Chief’s Conference and a member of the National Fon’s Conference. “It is of vital importance that the people of Fontem should benefit from the solid foundation my late dad has put in place”. The Fon also hinted that he cannot guarantee his presence at all times in Canada as there are some traditional rites that must be performed by him in Fontem. Prominent among the community leaders who came to benefit from the Fon’s wisdom were Alongamoh Martin, Prosper Agbor Ndakaw and Cameroon Concord’s Canada Bureau Chief, Takang Gabriel.

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Ngwa Bertrand

15.Sep.2014

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Cameroon Electoral System and voter Registration.

                        What can possibly go wrong between 2016 – 2018 ?

 In all best analysis, research and forecast, the period 2016 – 2018 will certainly be the showdown to Cameroons democratic transition or succession. The faces can be from smooth electoral process to violent confrontation when the rules are infringed in the eyes of the people. The last supper of our Lucifer’s is at hand by faith or design. 

I strongly hold the opinion that for any revolution to be part of the change, our political forces i.e. the civil society activists and Opposition parties should start laying the grounds for mass civil participation or a justified cause for physical reaction and firm resistance to any democratic malpractices. A major point of contention is found in the electoral system and voter participation. They should start sensitizing the populace now.

On paper Cameroon is having the best models in young democratic settings as in,

The Constitution, Electoral code, Penal and Civil Code. Their implementation or application is where the CPDM regime under Mr. Biya has been smart in violating or twisting since 1982.

        The single round majority system is welcome for practicalities, ease and cost.

But the number of political parties should be limited which I still call on the opposition parties to have a platform of participation to counter the   jangoism of The CPDM presidential majority that will be mounted soon. Mr. Biya will not be a part of this game his main task now is laying grounds for an exit formula or a successor that will be friendly to his past deeds. Thus the fight shall be a fresh battle.

 This is the time the Opposition parties and civil society to hammer on voter registration,

electoral register, its revision and the issuance of voter cards as in sections 51-82 of the electoral code. The success of most young leaders today is their ability to convene young electors to participate. Kenya, Ghana, America, France, UK etc.  The voter age in Cameroon is 20. A watch should be on the electronic or biometrics in our identification system. While this is welcome, facts has proven that it has failed from inception on national ID Cards and Passport delivery. This is the data that will be use to ease voter registration, caution should be taken because opposition strongholds can  easily disenfranchised. Technology in elections is welcome but in young democracies the terrain and country specifics, communication is not yet ready for such an operation, Optical scanning in vote counting failed in Canada and Ukraine not long ago and even caused chaos in  USA in the past. Any attempt to use it in Cameroon will lead to mass fraud and intentional distortion of records by CPDM operators.

The issue of external voting should be fast organized according to country density of Cameroonians abroad, because of cost ,logistics and security .The system in external voting should be discussed now whether , E voting , postal or proxy. 

Sensitizing the population to participate will give them a strong sense and just course for a revolution and physical resistance when they sense cheated , Even the military  know when a cause is just . For a physical show down even the last option.  

 

All opinions to Cameroon Concord are published unedited

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Ngwa Bertrand

10.Sep.2014

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Bongfeng Ivo

The children fleeing the Balaka and Seleka violence in the Central African Republic and those escaping the Boko Haram carnage in Nigeria have all been abandoned to their mums on the streets in places like Maroua in the Extreme Nord, Douala and Yaoundé, Cameroon Concord has learnt. Today marks the beginning of a new academic year in Cameroon and refugee children from Nigeria and CAR were not part of it. Our cream of reporters assigned to cover what is known in Cameroon as “rentree scolaire” were shocked to find refugee kids instead helping their mums to sell peanuts at the entrance of major shopping malls in Yaoundé and Douala.

All attempts by Cameroon Concord at getting Prime Minister Yang Philemon to comment on this very disturbing situation met with a stone wall. A Cameroon Red Cross official who spoke to Cameroon Concord earlier today observed that Cameroon has never seen this large scale of influx of refugees into the country. He revealed that some Red Cross personnel had appealed to both the Nigerian and Central African diplomatic missions in Yaoundé to help the kids join their Cameroonian counterpart in going back to school but the embassy officials particularly those of Nigeria are only interested in the next presidential elections in their country. We of this publication are calling on the government of Prime Minister Yang Philemon to take the necessary steps that will enable all refugee children in Cameroon to have complete access to free education as define by the UN Charter on the protection of refugee rights.

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Ngwa Bertrand

08.Sep.2014

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The National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Front has challenged the Minister of Secondary Education over the decision of the GCE Board banning some three examiners for inviting colleagues for lunch at the SDF National Chairman during the marking of the 2014 examinations in Bamenda. The matter is slowly but surely turning into a political game with members of the public calling on the Prime Minister and Head of Government to intervene.

 A statement from the GCE Board observes that their involvement in "grave unauthorised invitations to examiners for a meal at the SDF Chairman's residence", constitute a malpractice which deserves sanctions. The SDF National Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi, regrets the GCE ban in what he believes was a harmless and apolitical choice to annually share in a "thank you meal" with GCE examiners. Fru Ndi appears at a loss why government Ministers and other civil servants regularly dine at his residence and the GCE Board thinks others wise. Fru Ndi maintains that he does not consider it sinful to appreciate teachers across the board over a meal during which no political messages feature.

 Muluh Gideon, Werewum Maurice and Bangu Thaddeus acknowledge that they were banned from GCE Board activities for three years. Werewum Maurice, Assistant GCE Examiner for Physics hinted that "No GCE Code of Conduct was broken in extending invitations to examiners who are full blown adults and not subject to control after 5 p.m during the marking exercise." He acknowledged that the trio examiners involved are front benchers of the SDF Party. Werewum Maurice is the SDF District Chairman for Batibo. Muluh Gideon of GTHS Ndop is the Assistant GCE Examiner for English language and North West Secretary General of the SDF while Bangu Thaddeus from GHS Santa is the GCE A/L Examiner and SDF, District Treasurer in Batibo.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

08.Sep.2014

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Cameroon Concord's Arrey Echi Agbor-Ndakaw tells the Cameroon story of "Back To School" using the same stylistic devices her Dad- Veteran Journalist Prince Agbor Echi Agbor Ndakaw exploited more than three decades ago. 

It is again that time of the year when the first image that greets the eyes is that of smartly dressed and multi colored uniformed pupils and students all excitedly hurrying to the eternal fountain of knowledge. After more than three months of holidaying which for some, were filled with excited new learning while for others it meant back breaking farm work to guarantee they have the needs for the next school year and the rigours preparations to get their kids ready; Cameroonian youth and the Cameroon Concord family finally join most of their counterparts worldwide in this onward march in the quest for knowledge. The said quest that will go on for the next nine months.Most are returning to state of the art and well-staffed schools and classrooms while many are returning to semidetached and crumbling structures with absentee teachers and staffs especially in our rural areas deep within Anglophone Cameroon. Notwithstanding, Cameroon remains one of the few African countries that can boost of a good educational system and high level literacy rate. Unfortunately, events of the past few decades show that this legacy is now a kind of CPDM rhetoric and it will continue on a downward spiral if necessary steps are not taken to revamp every sector that deals with the education of the Cameroonian youth.

In the past, learning was consider a joy but today, many view learning as a chore; going to school because their parents insist they do and reading solely for the purpose of passing an exam and going to the next class instead of acquiring  knowledge. The attitude of many teachers also lives much to be desired. Gone are the days when teaching was considered a truly noble profession because the vast majority of those who took up teaching had a passion for it. Today, many are just there to make ends meet and as such do not challenge the kids to read and discover things outside their school books. We are thus facing a new crises that of an increasing a-literacy class - people who can read but never get to open a book after their school years. Conversely, the dismal performance of many students in end of year public exams especially in the GCE levels calls for concern and a need to sit up to ensure this school year runs smoothly and students at the end of the year go home with the satisfaction of learning and accomplishing something worthwhile. To be sure, this revamping of the educational system is a monumental task that will require a lot of participants and stake holders but it is not an impossible dream. It is therefore hoped that as we look on with beaming smiles watching our kids and others head back to school; parents in particular will have a significant part to play in helping the teachers make learning and knowledge acquisition a joy. A stitch in time, saves nine.

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Ngwa Bertrand

08.Sep.2014

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