Society

It is reported that the Etoudi tenant is so worried about who opposes him from the Social Democratic Front, stronger than him that he has allocated lots of money to buy those militants who have voting rights to vote John Fru Ndi.

This is done in order to top due much stronger candidate that could emerge such as that of Osih Joshua backed by a radical such as Jean Michel Nintcheu. 

Similarly a situation of the same magnitude is believed to have taken place in 2011 that saw John Fru Ndi emerge as the Presidential candidate.

Today lots of the Social Democratic Front militants desire having someone else as their presidential candidate and to many, the vice president of the party Osih Joshua is the man that the party had been waiting for. 

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Rita Akana

03.Jan.2018

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The minister delegate at the presidency in charge of defence is calling on the displaced people of Manyu to come home.

More than 7,000 Southern Cameroonians are believed to be in refugee camps in Nigeria.

Joseph Beti Assomo was in the South West region to observe how the people were coping with the challenges of the struggle.

But he was quick to notice that some villages were  deserted because of what he terms fear. 

The minister has assured the people that there's enough security now for them to come home.

Recent clashes between security forces and Ambazonian restoration forces , coupled with government brutality, have forced thousands of people out of their houses.

President Paul Biya and his men maintain their stance on brutal treatment of Southern Cameroonians.

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Rita Akana

03.Jan.2018

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The Grand North is very capable to feed itself and graduate from poverty. Álls Conscious of the youthful exuberance of the people of the Grand North, loaded with courage, tenacity and hope for s better society that stands to benefit from the huge human and material resources endowed in the sahel region.

The founding fathers of this new dynamism called on all the Northerners to stand together to fight against almost two generations of marginalization and apathy which has been the greatest blunder that has cost so much to these two generations. It's time he said for the Northern Region to once more become the Pilar and pulse of the nation. The Northerners must arise and ask what do they stand to loss if they continue to fold their arms in apathy? Today the Northerners are more and more instrumental, open to the world and do have an encouraging electorate both Male and Female.

Egoistic tendencies must not blend the enthusiasm and bright future of the Grand North. It's time to invest in the political field so as to be able to be relevant to the changing dynamics. The absence will be of Northerners will be to the advantage of those who are causing hardship and misery to the Northerners.

The founding fathers collectively called on the political outfits from the Grand North like UNDP, MDR, FSNC, ADD...are ranked behind the RDPC. The Grand North has been held hostage by the egocentric and gastrointestinal desires of people like Dikole Dissalla, Bello Bouba, Isa Chorima, Alim Ayatou, Garga Haman Adji etc.

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Rita Akana

02.Jan.2018

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A New Cameroon is Possible - Akere Muna.
The question is whether such a Cameroon will be "one, united and indivisible" since the 2018 NOW movement Presidential candidate did not specifically address the ongoing Anglophone crisis. Besides, Akere says change is NOW possible in Cameroon through the ballot box with elections organized by ELECAM and MINATD. What does Akere know that other Cameroonians don't?

Ekinneh Agbaw Ebai

My fellow Cameroonians,

 

As I speak to you at this time of the year, which is traditionally a time for sharing, retrospection and particularly celebration, I feel deep emotion, unconditional love for our country alongside worry and enthusiasm. As this year comes to an end, we have no reason to be merry; it has been a difficult one for our country. We have sufferred a heavy toll... For the first time since our independence, over 10,000 Cameroonians are refugees away from their home; these figures are projected to reach 45,000.

Many others, in the thousands, find themselves in exile. Many families of fallen members of the armed forces will start the New Year orphaned, widowed or just simply bereaved and remain in grief. Many other Cameroonians, in the hundreds, have lost their lives needlessly while expressing themselves and their ambitions for Cameroon.  Others remain incarcerated under circumstances that might well have been avoided by the simple choice of dialogue over confrontation and repression. That is not all; some of our children have not been able to go to school, our roads have never been so deadly, our business enterprises are asphyxiated, and our health system is deteriorating.

 

The country continues to indebt itself heavily, and our youth cannot find work while their parents, who sacrificed for their education, are now entering retirement without any guarantee of a decent life.  A glaring example of this is the fact that 4,906 billion CFA of contracted loans are not be used because of the incapacity of the government to conform to the procedures or to get the projects ready. Consequently, since these are contracted loans, we have to pay over 12 billion francs per annum for money we are not using, just to service the loans. This amount of 12 billion CFA in interest could easily build two blocks of classrooms in each of the country’s 360 local government councils.  Better still, at a time when the prices of Cocoa and Coffee are falling drastically and many of our hard working farmers are caught up in huge debts from getting fertilizers fungicides and other important products for their cocoa, such an amount could have easily subsidized them in such hard times.

 

Many small and medium enterprises stand to close because of a fiscal policy whose only concern is about raising money. Thus, the struggling woman who would travel to West Africa to trade will suddenly have to pay about 150% more in airport taxes which in some cases account for 30 to 50% of the cost of the air ticket. No thought is given to the relationship between the cost of the airport tax and the cost of the ticket. Should someone traveling to China pay the same airport tax as someone travelling to Nigeria, Benin or Gabon? Another aspect we will have to discover will be the effect of this sort of policy on Tourism.

 

In all the well-known indices Cameroon is still considered a very corrupt country. Our very own anti-corruption agency states that the government treasury was robbed of 1,246 billion francs between 2010 and 2015, an equivalent of 75% of the Public Investment Budget of 2016! Yet again, we are paying the price of the inertia of those who govern us, their refusal to listen, their failure to design realistic plans and their lack of ambition to serve the interests of the people of Cameroon.

 

The breakdown of the State gives us cause for concern. Our national unity is in jeopardy, and it is not because the People have lost faith in their nation. Not at all! It is simply because its custodians, the government, have confused inertia with stability. The message is now clear; sons and daughters of this country, from East to West, North to South want to see the rapid emergence of a New Republic, which keeps its promises and matches their aspirations.

 

I believe a New Republic will emerge if we reinvent our social pact. We must restore the Cameroonian Dream, the dream of the son of a catechist who becomes president of our country, the dream of a nation fiercely protective of its bilingualism, and the dream of a Cameroon that drives innovation in Africa.  This pact will bring about the rebirth of the Rule of Law.  All Cameroonians must not only feel unequivocally equal before the Law but must also feel protected by it. It is a fundamental right, and it must be restored without delay. I undertake to address this legitimate and urgent ambition, with your support.

 

Tonight, I am talking to you, the stakeholders of this new movement.

You, the Physically Disabled;

You, the Youths of Cameroon;

You, the Women of this country;

You, my Brothers, the men of our nation;

And You the Cameroonians of the Diaspora.

It is together that we will rebuild our country.

 

*****To The Physically Disabled:*****

 

As we start the New Year We must have a special thought for the Physically Disabled Persons of our Country. For too long they have been treated as Cameroonians apart. The New Republic must be an equitable one that recognises that the physically disabled can contribute to society and must therefore be empowered. There are many professions that can be exercised by many of our disabled brothers and sisters.

 

*****To The Youths:*****

 

I have travelled across the country since we launched our movement, and I have had the opportunity to talk with many of you in recent months. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing and generously contributing to our nation building blueprint. I observe with joy and admiration that Cameroonian youths are resilient, in spite of massive unemployment and the absence of a social ladder. You have been able to transform your palpable and legitimmate anger into a driving force for creativity. Digital, commercial and social entrepreneurship is booming. You have used social and solidarity-based economy as a concrete response to social challenges. I have listened to your call for better structural support for your efforts. I am extremely proud of you! I firmly believe that this energy must be accessible to all Cameroonians wherever they may be in our country. It is the role of the State to foster equal opportunities.

 

We will work together to that end. I am committed to this. I believe I must also remind you of the need to focus this energy towards policy changes. I need your support to achieve our common desire to upturn the status quo.

 

Young Cameroonian men and women, here and in the diaspora, listening now, know that you are the present and future of Cameroon. You are the most educated and most diverse generation in our country's history. Our nation is waiting for you to take the lead. Let us bring this change about, together!

 

*****To The Women:*****

 

Cameroonian women are the key to our society's resilience. They have that drive to grow and never give up that is characteristic of our mothers, daughters and sisters. I am also talking to you, the women. Your sacrifice for this country is visible and well known, but acknowledgement of your contribution is marginal. I share this concern with you, and it is a priority of the action for emergence that I am asking you to undertake with me.

 

We need more women at every stage of our action to reinvent our social pact. I am speaking of education, our health system, of maternal and child protection, and curbing childhood diseases. I am speaking of our social fabric, of household welfare. I want better assistance for female entrepreneurship. Our country needs you; our movement cannot achieve its goals without your contribution.

 

Every Cameroonian must applaud the bravery of your children in our armed forces fighting Boko Haram, but I applaud your bravery as well. As you stand by them, and you carry the burden of educating the next generation of our country, I must congratulate you.

 

Housewife, trader in our cities' markets, professionals in the public and private sectors, members of the diaspora, our movement is also designed for you. You are the cornerstones of the change our country needs. Our ambition to take Cameroon into a new era, where there is gender equality in all decision-making positions, is the responsibility of us all, and yours in particular.  Join us, and together we will reinvent a modern status for the Cameroonian woman.

 

*****To The Public Servants:*****

 

I would like to address you diplomats, magistrates, civil servants, Police Officers, Gendarmes, military men, doctors, professors, teachers and all those who are employed as civil servants or by the government, you are the backbone that ensures that any society is well run and administered; you are key to the success of the New Republic. You deserve to be treated, fairly and equitably. This will be an imperative in the New Republic.

 

*****To the Cameroonian worker in general:*****

 

Finally, to you, farmers, truckers, taxi drivers, motor bike taxis, businessmen, artists, musicians, journalists’, writers, teachers, professors, and generally speaking to all of you Cameroonians who toil silently for the survival of a society that many times appears ungrateful and unappreciative of your contribution, I understand your turmoil. Rest assured that your sacrifice for the nation is appreciated. I share your desire for a society that recognises your efforts and makes room in its policy to facilitate your true emancipation.

 

*****To The Diaspora:*****

 

The Cameroonian Diaspora has proven beyond any doubt their competence as well as their capacity and love of their motherland. This remains an asset that we have failed to tap into by any kind of policy. In the New Republic, we will encourage a proactive and inclusive Diaspora. Dual Nationality will be their choice and not the choice of the Government. For those who choose to have a different nationality, a special status will be put in place to facilitate their travel and that of their families to their homeland. In the Economic sector, we must put into place a system which reserves certain contracts for our renowned specialists in the Diaspora especially consultation contracts.

 

To all of you, Cameroonians, the call for a modernisation more conducive to economic growth is more than urgent. As much as taxation is necessary for the functioning and smooth running of government, it cannot be turned into a policy which stifles business and is driven by hidden lobbyists who protect a corrupt and inequitable process. We need you to foster investments, which will inevitably bring about more employment. It is increasingly difficult for you to serve a system that undermines democracy daily. These are realities that many of you shared with me during our meetings across the country. It is to address these issues that I decided to be a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, for I am convinced that only a peaceful endeavour will produce sustainable solutions to the challenges of modernising the governance of our country.

We need all hands on deck to achieve the much awaited change and combat cynicism. We need to rebuild the reationship of trust.

 

The voice of our people must be heard in the upcoming elections. Change is now possible. It is our common duty to make it happen!

 

My fellow Cameroonians,

 

As this year ends, you must have understood that I am making a solemn call to you, so that under no circumstances should we miss our rendezvous with the destiny of our nation starting with the presidential elections. Cameroon deserves better and we can do better. We can take back the Cameroonian Dream. From January 2, 2018, the electoral registers will be reopened again. Register massively on electoral lists. This is our chance to put an end to this inertia, which has undermined our progress and is now threatening national unity.

 

I am happy that I have received support from many political parties and many influential political personalities who are prepared to work with us in the building of a new Republic. Being of the Civil Society myself, I must confess that I am overwhelmed by this support and encouragement. I have also received from Civil Society Organisations as well as their leaders, Trade Unions and professional Associations not only their overwhelming support but also their desire to join the platform in building a New Republic. We are working very hard so that this can happen within the first month of 2018.

 

Together with the NOW movement, we will continue to make sure that Cameroonians not only register to vote, but must indeed vote and ensure that every vote counts. It is a movement through which, in 2018, we will reinvent our social pact together.

 

On the eve of this new decisive year, a year of hope for all Cameroonians it is my prayer that this time next year we will be celebrating A New Republic. The beginning of a new era brought about by our combined efforts.

 

Happy New Year 2018!

God Bless Cameroon!

God bless us all!

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Rita Akana

02.Jan.2018

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Most speeches are tailored to give a balance sheet of the previous year and chart the new part with a vision aimed at orientating the nation towards the part of glory.

Yesterday's speech had the same tone of lamentation and regret of another very challenging year for Cameroon crossed thanks to hope, dexterity and tenacity of the populace.
The President of LA Republique Du Cameroun hasn't still understood the emptiness of the military option that he has chosen to resolve the Anglophone crisis.
A military option that has seen the lives of soldiers snuffed off at their prime, whereas a cheaper option of dialogue genuinely engaged with the good intention to ease tensions and normalize situations at such a critical moment in the life of a nation at cross roads.
The speech exposed a tired and weary President sapped dry by the challenges posed by bad governance and lack of s political will to engage in a frank and inclusive dialogue.
The speech is a continuum of a deliberate state manipulation and manoeuvre of local and international opinion, to continue holding on this falsehood that Cameroon is one nation that must not be divided.
LA Republique Du Cameroun must admit that historical trajectories can't be changed by them and admit as well that the disparities of treatment of Francophones and Anglophones have ignited a flame of truth and passionate quest for freedom that can't be curtailed by any one, no matter the degree of brute force applied on these resilient people of the Southern Cameroon's.
LA Republique Du Cameroun through their head of State has exhibited to the world that Francophones are citizens, whereas the Anglophones aren't citizens.
The way Francophones are treated while arrested and detained speak volumes in the Cameroon's as examples abound.
Typically typical example is the freedom granted the Ex Mayor of Kolfatta in Moro Division of the Far North Region whereas illegally incarcerated people of the Southern Cameroon's are incarcerated in their thousands across French Cameroun and in sordid detention conditions.
Their continues unabated case adjournment is tell tale stories of this disparities that weren't even mentioned in the callous speech.
The refugee crisis that has become so burdensome with the host nation, Nigeria wasn't equally mentioned. LA Republique Du Cameroun has exhibited its folly and fool hardy nature to the international community through its continuum abuse of the fundamental human rights, adding their criminal record at the UN human right court.
It was indeed an empty speech that failed the litmus test of a speech that could reignited the yearning of living together.

Below is his full speech:

 

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Rita Akana

02.Jan.2018

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Liberian President-elect George Weah on Tuesday set modest goals for his six-year term, calling for Liberia to start exporting crops and repairing decrepit infrastructure, in his first interview since winning election last week.

Weah rode a wave of youth support to capture more than 60 percent of the vote in last Tuesday’s run-off, but he will need to manage expectations as he attempts to revive one of Africa’s worst-performing economies.

Later this month, he will replace President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in Liberia’s first democratic transfer of power since 1944.

Seated outside his unfinished new house on a quiet dirt backstreet near the capital Monrovia, where a concrete sign announces, “Friends of Weah say welcome”, the 51-year-old ex-soccer star began to tentatively fill in some of the gaps in his vague campaign promises.

“I want for us to be self-sustained so we can export,” he said, appearing at ease in a dark blue dress shirt and gold watch. “The government has a responsibility to have agricultural programmes so people are able to grow their own food.”

“Ghana exports, our neighbouring countries export - we have the capacity to export,” he continued. “They export and we can do the same.”

Liberia spent years recovering from civil wars from 1989-2003 that killed hundreds of thousands of people and then was hit more recently by low prices for its chief exports, iron ore and rubber, and an Ebola outbreak from 2014-16.

More than 60 percent of Liberians depend on agriculture for their livelihood and multinationals like Malaysia-based Sime Darby (SIME.KL) have invested heavily in palm oil plantations. But the sector has languished due to low productivity, forcing Liberia to import more than 80 percent of its staple foods.

Weah has also made repairing Liberia’s hollowed-out infrastructure a priority. He grew up in Monrovia’s Clara Town slum and can look out on the derelict lots and gutted streets from the upstairs balcony where he spoke to Reuters.

“The roads for connectivity are vital. We have partners and we have revenue that we will make sure will come in to build our roads,” he said.

Weah, who starred for top European clubs such as AC Milan and Paris Saint Germain in the 1990s, has parlayed his rags-to-riches biography into political success but faces criticism that he lacks the experience and knowledge for the job.

He has in turn promised to surround himself with first-rate advisers and appealed to Liberians living overseas to return home.

“We will have economists who will put us on track. They will look at what is in the coffers and then work out how to move forward,” he said.

In the days since he became president-elect, security guards in sharp suits and ties have appeared outside the house and a new watch tower rises above 10-foot walls reinforced with barbed wire.

But Weah insisted that his new-found status would not go to his head.

“I don’t want my title to define my character,” he said as he walked the property, exchanging jokes with the staff. “I don’t think as a president I will change.”

Reuters

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Rita Akana

02.Jan.2018

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