Society

As Buea, the capital of the South West Region of Cameroon prepared to host the 50th anniversary of the reunification of the country some two years back, a plethora of projects were being executed in the region. All major roads were either completely tarred or renovated while earth roads were graded.

As the days narrowed down to the celebrations of the reunification anniversary, Buea witnessed a facelift as it was almost difficult to distinguish between night and day in the town. This was due to the total lighting of the streets, junctions and inside the quarters. There was some order in the town as all road side vendors and stationed vehicles were removed by the council authorities.
The pavement graveyard

Just few months to the coming of the head of state to Buea, the population woke up one day and noticed that the pavement which separated the main road in Buea had been removed thus creating what is today described as the “Paul Biya Boulevard.”

Long abandoned Mountain Hotel where the reunification of French and British Cameroon was signed and the historic parliamentarian flats including the German constructed Prime Minister Lodge consumed Billions of FCFA as the government decided to give them a rehab. Not only was Buea a reflection of a modern town, but it could be compared to a state in the United States of America.

On February 20, 2014, H.E Paul Biya after years of postponement finally decided to visit Buea. The Presidential visit which lasted two days saw the celebration of the 50th edition of the reunification of Cameroon. Buea was the epitome of focus as the entire Cameroonian population admired its beauty, historical heritage, culture, cosy weather and warm reception.
Buea a shadow of former self

Today, anybody who visits Buea will have a completely different story to tell as the town has become a shadow of itself. One will wonder if at all the projects put in place were just made to last long enough to host the president and fade out immediately after his visit ended.

The two state hotels in the town which were renovated in 2014 glopped Billions CFA of tax payers’ money are currently under yet another renovation two years later. Billions of Francs CFA have again been allocated for their complete renovation and extension as the Nation prepares to host the Female African Cup of Nations to take place this November in two regions of Cameroon; Centre and South West Regions.

Today, it is not only difficult but almost impossible to see a street light blooming in Buea at night. On more than one occasion, students and denizens of the university town have staged protests against the frequent power failures and irregular supply of potable water.

Roads infrastructures in Buea have yet another sad story to tell. Almost all roads that were tarred during the reunification ceremony have gone bad. From the Mungo bridge right to Limbe and back to Buea through Tole, the roads are disastrous. The main road in Buea which has been known as the “Paul Biya Boulevard” has become a death trap as the number of deaths recorded on a daily basis has forced the population to wonder why the pavement that separated the road was not reinstalled after the reunification celebration.
Development only for special occasions

While Buea seems to have been abandoned to itself, denizens of the town have been quick to question if the regional capital only gets maintained when an announced visit of the head of state is made to the region. While the authorities have continued to keep silent to the questions and worries raised by the local man, inhabitants of Buea however remain optimistic that in the next ten years when the president will pay another visit to the town again, that is if he will, development will therefore show its face once again to the town. #Buea after reunification #50th reunification celebrations in Buea #Buea reunification projects

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Amos Fofung

17.Oct.2016

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Chief Moukondo Daniel Ngande is already three years into his five-year mandate at the helm of the Tiko Council. He was elected Mayor on October 16, 2013 after his party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), secured victory at the September 29, 2013 municipal elections.
During a ceremony to commission him into office on Saturday, November 23, 2014 at the Tiko grandstand, Fako Senior Divisional Officer, Zang III described Chief Moukondo Daniel Ngande as a square peg in a square hole.
Popular acclamation given the mayor three year on only confirms that he is indeed a square peg in a square hole like the SDO had said.

Bouncing back strong after eleven years in the political wilderness, Moukondo Daniel Ngande was certainly aware of the stakes of the office and was prepared to meet up with the great expectations of the people.
Zang III told Moukondo to immediately get to work and develop Tiko when he said “...You have to tackle challenges like the fight against urban disorder and uncivil behaviours, fight the illegal sale of council land, reorganise council staff, ensure the removal of abandoned vehicles around Tiko Town, ensure effective implementation of the council budget and above all mobilise resources through local taxes to finance investment projects. You have to provide social amenities to the population.”
Moukondo indeed was aware of the challenges. In a chat with The SUN moments after his installation three years ago, he had said this:

“We are going to prioritise the needs of the Tiko people and we will attend to these needs gradually. We shall meet up with our obligations... The work culture had been dead in the council. The first thing will be to fine-tune the staff situation in the council, to make them to be more work conscious. You may have all the money, but if you don’t have the personnel to manage the resources, you will never succeed”.
“From there, if you look at Tiko critically,” he continued, “the main issue is that of roads. All the roads in the municipality are bad. We will start tackling the problem of roads, then move to health, the schools, social situation and other things. I think the most pressing issues are the roads.”

Also, some members of the CPDM in Tiko had said it will be an abomination for an ‘SDF’ Mayor to welcome President Paul Biya at the Tiko Airport during his visit to preside at celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Cameroon’s reunification. Moukondo mobilised and set the stage for the Presidential visit, a goal he achieved.

Quietly but steadily, Moukondo is assuming the mantle of a transformational leader who knows where he is coming from, where he is and where he is going to.
Three years into a popular mandate entrusted to him and the other 40 councillors, Tiko, a town seemingly abandoned in the doldrums of underdevelopment, is gradually seeing the change promised at the eve of the September 30, 2013 elections.
Doubters and cynics are already revising their prejudices as they initially thought Moukondo and his team will fall short of expectations – prophets of doom had no friendly prayers for the mayor and his état major. In fact, many are those who did all to kick out the SDF list. They failed.

Tiko has a history and a past before Moukondo, no doubt, but what he is successfully doing is consolidating and expanding the horizons of the municipality to meet its growing stature. After all, he is only continuing from where he stopped when he left the council in 2002.
As the mayor himself puts it, the council has grown in size, reason why he has transformed the town into a vast construction site. “We want to clean Tiko, we want to develop Tiko. This is what we shall be able to leave behind when we leave the council.”
Before we get disapproval from those who don’t see anything good in Moukondo’s three-year stay at the helm of Tiko, it may be wise for them to see destiny seems to have thrust Moukondo on the municipality. Let us straight away say that it is not a 100% scorecard judgement that we are passing because there is still a lot to be done and a lot to be better managed. Only the passage of time will afford us the opportunity of making a more elaborate appraisal.
But because the expectations and the negativism at the onset of Moukondo’s mandate, especially because the former administration of the council is thought to have failed, were so low and high, a rundown of what Moukondo and his team have been able to realise is a telling and poignant reminder of the levels to which one can be propelled through self-belief and determination to achieve.
Be it in the domain of health, hygiene and sanitation, education, infrastructure, social and economic advancement of the town, Moukondo has handled the issues with the sparkle of a tried and tested politician, a charismatic leader.

The Sun

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Rita Akana

17.Oct.2016

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Barrister Eyambe Elias Ebai ,founder and head of the Eyambe-Ebai Law Chambers in Kumba has been elected as the President of Meme Lawyers Association,MELA.The legal Luminary of 18 years in legal practice,former Representative of the President General of the Cameroon Bar Association Member of the International Criminal Court,leader of the United and Strong MELA campaign team secured 100 votes as against 52 votes for Barrister Mbi Jones of the Restoration of MELA campaign team.

The free fair transparent and democratic elective general assembly of MELA,supervised by a level head electoral commission headed by senior Barrister Obenengu James Agbor,along side Barristers Kwo Benjamin,Atoh Walter,and Advocate- in –Training Emmanuel Divine took place at Club 75 Kumba Saturday October.

15th,2016.Barrister Eyambe takes over from Barrister Awutah Philip Atubah who after two years at the helm of the movement step down to give a chance to another group.Voted alongside Barrister Eyambe included Barristers Mpako Jacob as Vice President,Barristers Pascal Nanje Meloko and Sone Ebong Roy, as Scribe and Vice Secretary,Barristers Anita Nanje,and Asu Alfred Takem as Treasurer and Financial Secretary respectively,while Barristers Chia Divine,Elangwe Mercy and Besong Marshall Agbor scooped the position of Organisation secretary respectively.

In his acceptance speech, Barrister Eyambe hinted that,as President For MELA,he alongside his team will expose MELA to a digital World build a cordial relation between the association and other sister national and international associations,organizing seminars,mock trials,radio programmes,and debates on topical legal issues for Lawyers,uniting all MELANS and bringing them on board to jointly foster the growth of the association.Barrister Eyambe MELA president elect observed that,with him at the helm of the association,he will fight against all the ills perpetrated by magistrates police and gendarmes,the regularation of court sittings time,the fight against charlatanism within courts, and above all create an enable relationship between the association and the administration.

Barrister Eyambe on behalf of his team congratulated the out gone executive headed by Barrister Awutah for having transformed MELA and promised to follow his foot steps. Installing the new MELA executive, the chairman of the electoral Barrister Obenengu alongside Barrister,Grey Obenson,Malle Adolf,and Acheleke Gabriel ,disclosed that,the maturity of Meme Lawyers during the electoral exercise is true testimony to the fact that MELA is one and indivisible.

He called on the new executive to carry the association to the sky. The outgoing President Barrister Awutah disclosed that he is a happy man because a square peq has been put into a square hole. With the Barrister Eyambe led team he is confident that his dream for a united and strong MELA will be realized.In order for MELA to be united and strong the victor and the vanquished together with the members of the electoral commission pledged and took oath to respect the results of the polls and and support the association to the fullest.

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Rita Akana

16.Oct.2016

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Rita Akana

16.Oct.2016

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Dozens of residents in Muea, a cosmopolitan village in Buea sub division in the South West region, are now homeless after heavy duty machines from the Buea Council demolished their houses which were constructed along the road.

KAH Brigitte a housewife laments that they now have to sleep in the cold as a result of the demolition, “To have a house where you can perch is really difficult, it’s a crisis everywhere. So we are still living under the rain.”

Many business men have also being forced to shut down due to the activity. Shops were brought down alongside houses under the supervision of the Mayor for Buea municipality, Patrick EKEMA.

David a barber popularly known as Drogba is now perching on a veranda, he has nowhere to go, “After the demolition I was helpless and you can see this is where I am managing,” he said pointing to the veranda where a customer was seated.

Muea, which used to be a stop shop for travelers going to Ekona, Muyuka, Kumba, Mamfe and other areas, is now a shadow of itself.

Residents could be seen picking their broken pieces of belongings to start a new life.
The chief of Upper Muea, HRH David Molinge says the exercise which is not new is welcome because it will help to embellish the town, “That is what I did in 2008, I called the population and told them that it is dangerous constructing such houses along the road even in the quarters. Now we still need another sensitization meeting with the population to preempt such situation in future.

The exercise comes barely forty days to the 2016 Women African Cup of Nations, in which Buea will host some participating teams.

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Prince Nfor Hanson

16.Oct.2016

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Following the tussle on who should control water in Kumbo, which finally saw the putting in place of a team of engineers from CAMWATER and CDE, anger is rife in Kumbo as inhabitants are decrying the brownish water supplied.

Pictures of taps running muddy water and carried in buckets have been trending on social media groups of concerned Kumbo inhabitants as well as Nso people the world over.

In the hundreds of comments that follow the posts which were recently shared by Barrister Joseph Akuwiyadze, the people lament that Kumbo and Nso indigenes are now forced to drink dirty poorly treated water.

One of the people who fought to make sure that Kumbo water was controlled by its indigenes, Stanley Mathew Dzeven, narrated how they stood shoulder to shoulder and fought, seeing their kinsmen cut down by bullets from soldier’s riffles, and how they ran for days when armed and ready-to-kill soldiers were sent after them. 

In a pathetic tone, he narrated how late Shufai of Yuwar, who stood next to him, fell by his side, as the late Shufai, in his faint voice while collapsing uttered, “e be like say they dong shoot me”.

With his first-hand experience and narrative, he cautioned his kinsmen to do everything possible to avoid a similar situation that claimed so many lives.

To him, the solution should be by rooting for a peaceful solution. As he says, it was not only a Nso fight, but a fight by all those living in Nso.

One of the comments on Nso Facebook group by Alh Sanda asked if the CAMWATER and CDE engineers “are drinking this water, where did they get their engineering title from?” He concluded that even a primary school pupil knows the quality of good drinking water.

As the people wait to see CAMWATER and CDE engineers pack their gear and leave Kumbo, they say they will take over again and manage their water like they have always done.

In Kumbo, it is feared that, given the quality of water supplied, a cholera outbreak is eminent as many questioned whether it was not suicidal to consume such water.

Cameroonpostnewsline

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Rita Akana

14.Oct.2016

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