Society

Work on course to materialize the demarcated Mbesa/Oku boundary is expected to open a new chapter in the relations between the two conflicting communities. In effect, both fondoms, respectively in Boyo and Bui divisions have suffered pain, hardship and lost family members in the over 70 year-old conflict. It was against this backdrop that North West Governor, Adolphe Lele  Lafrique travelled to Mbesa on April 20, 2016 where he launched work to materialize demarcation to give peace and tranquility a chance.

The tone for field work was set when he commissioned the works Commission on the strength of Provincial Order No. 00007/ PD/E/GNW. CG.30/SG/LA of 29^th March, 2007. An endorsement Order of 28^th August, 2008 by MINATD matters when Commission members later proceeded to the disputed area for work with Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique urging the population to avoid derailing the commission because facts and truth is their password for a definite solution. Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique stressed that demarcation work is not meant to separate Mbesa and Oku people who must now emerge with a new spirit as people with a common origin. He saluted initial peace building initiatives by the Fons of Mbesa and Oku which paved the way for the Administration to foster reconciliation  efforts with the materialization of  work on the boundary.

The event offered a moment for the Mayors of Belo and Oku municipalities , Tosam Bernard and Njioh Jerome Ngum as well as their majesties; Fon Gilbert Njong of Mbesa and Sintieh II of Oku to be forward moving with peace and reconciliation efforts. “Let us co-exist and not see land to slow our progress and development” was the message that emerged from speaker after speaker.

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Elangwe Pauline

26.Apr.2016

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Suspected to have been sparked up by faulted electrical connections or breakdown of some electrical gadget connected to the power supply, fire fighting gendarmes who quickly rushed to the area are yet to make any declaration. Some traders, however, said the fire came from behind their shops (probably a neighbouring shop) and just when they could notice some smoke billowing into their shops some articles had already begun to catch fire. 

Before the Fire Fighters stopped the incident several minutes later, nine shops had been completed razed while others had merely survived. A new line of activity broke forth as people began to empty shops in a bid to safe even some articles. Two shop owners told CT that this is the second time they are losing shops worth over FCFA 5 million each to fire disaster after that of last February 2016, when 20 shops were consumed.

Cameroon Tribune

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Elangwe Pauline

26.Apr.2016

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Yaounde: ENAM (National School of Administration and Magistracy) with a mission to provide training for civilian personnel and financial services of the State as well as the magistrates of the judiciary has launched the recruitment of students for the academic year 2016-2017. Successful applicants shall be integrate into the rings A and B of the administrative division and the financial authorities , the grafts chains and Legal auditors. 

The director of the National of ( ENAM ) announced the launch of the competitive recruitment of 400 students in a decree published April 11 by the Minister of Public Service and administrative Reform in Yaounde . After the successful admission, 75 of the students shall be assigned to take courses in to the financial governance division ,while the others shall be assigned to the administrative division.

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Elangwe Pauline

19.Apr.2016

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The Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi launched the 2016 road maintenance season yesterday  Monday, 18th April 2016 during a video conference in Yaounde.

Some one thousand kilometers will be repaired in 2016. The project concerns some tarred roads, earth roads and rural roads.

The minister called on regional delegates to play a prime role in the follow up and control of the maintenance of road projects nationwide. They are expected assist road construction companies and ensure that the roads are well maintained respecting laid down norms and quality inputs. 

The contribution of regional delegates is essential in improving the country's road network of which only 18% is tarred. He said that emphasis during routine controls in 2016 will be on the respect of the terms of contract and the deadline for the

CRTV

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Elangwe Pauline

19.Apr.2016

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WWF, the world’s largest conservation organisation, has been accused by leading tribal defence group Survival International of inadvertently facilitating serious human rights abuses against pygmy groups living in Cameroonian rainforests.

In a 228-page formal complaint to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD), Survival alleges that anti-poaching eco-guards who were part-funded and logistically helped by WWF, victimised the hunter gatherer Baka people, razed to the ground their camps, destroyed or confiscated their property, forced them to relocate and have regularly used physical force and threats of violence against them.

The complaint, which covers several years and is the first to be taken against a conservation group, alleges that WWF broke both OECD guidelines for the conduct of multinational companies and the UN declaration on human rights.

The complaint contains eye-witness accounts of alleged brutality, video testimonies, and reports from the Cameroonian press accusing the eco guards guards of violent actions against the pygmy groups. The complaint has not yet been heard.

The Baka, who have traditionally lived in what are now Cameroonian national parks, have been forbidden to enter many of their traditional hunting areas, even though their hunting is said to have minimal impact on the environment. Meanwhile, the forests have been overrun by militarised groups and large-scale poachers with buffer zones rented to safari companies. The net result, says the complaint, is that life has become impossible for the Baka.  

The complaint, which will be heard in Switzerland, says that the Cameroonian national parks depend heavily on the WWF for finance and management expertise. “Eco-guards are supported financially by WWF, and often transported in WWF vehicles driven by WWF personnel to the villages or other places in which they have abused Baka ‘suspects’. They have even interrogated suspects in WWF-built facilities,” it says.

WWF has responded saying it provides human rights training for the eco-guards.

In a statement, the group said: “Discrimination, disadvantage and abuse are unhappily the common experience of the Baka and this has indeed been reflected in their relations with law enforcement agencies. WWF has long supported human rights training for eco-guards and provides this and wildlife training for all eco-guards and operational support for some eco-guard units in areas where WWF is itself active.

“From 2009 to about 2013, there was a period of more frequent and severe allegations of abuse in a context of arms trafficking, more involvement by the Cameroon military, more poaching, war in nearby areas of the Central African Republic and an influx of refugees. Protests from affected communities and WWF representations to the Ministry of Forests and Fauna seem to have been influential in a marked reduction in the incidence and severity of incidents since.”

It added: “For the most part, eco guards are protecting the integrity and resources of a [forest] zoning system that includes community forests, hunting and access zones vital to Baka communities. Communities whose resources are being ravaged by poaching are often calling for more enforcement, and current initiatives are exploring a greater role for community policing.

“WWF is not aware of any direct involvement by WWF staff in abusive activities or any of such activities taking place in WWF offices, and would take immediate and direct action if this was verified.”

The OECD Guide‌lines for Multinational Enterprises, which have been adopted by 44 countries, are the most comprehensive set of government-backed recommendations on responsible business conduct in existence today.

The Gaurdian

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Elangwe Pauline

16.Apr.2016

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The structure will cater for minor health problems of students, administration and teaching staff.

A modern infirmary, equipped with drugs, chair, table and cupboard, was on April 14, 2016, handed over to Government Bilingual High School, Military Engineering Corps barracks at PK10 in Douala. Comprising a treatment room, waiting room and modern toilet, the modern structure, which was constructed in six months, covers an area of 45 square metres.

The construction of the infirmary follows the wish expressed by the school after repeated cases of convulsions, thought to be the result of the presence of a Hysacam refuse dump nearby. Thanks to the gift by the Hygiene and Sanitation Company, Hysacam, the infirmary will cater for some minor health problems of students, administrative and teaching staff. According to the Principal, Bakop Ikonyo Cécil, the school is adjacent the lone Hysacam dump in Douala and was exposed to some health problems.

Henri Delor Sosso, Wouri Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education, chaired the handover ceremony in the presence of Hysacam officials, students and staff of the institution. The facility, he said, was relevant and should be well taken care of to serve the interests of users. Mbakop Theodore, Hysacam’s Chief Accountant, who represented his General Manager, revealed that the structure was part of the company’s plan to equip schools and universities as well as construct infirmaries for them.

“We believe that children are the first actors of hygiene and sanitation. We invest in schools to help them inculcate the notion of hygiene and sanitation. We intend to extend this gesture to other schools in Deido and Bonaberi in the nearest future,” Mbakop disclosed.

According to Bakop Ikonyo Cécil, the handover was timely as it will solve a crucial health problem the institution has been grappling with over the years. Cases of convulsion and malaria were hitherto handled by the health facility of the nearby Military Engineering Corps. The infirmary, she said, will serve the 3,500 students and 167 administrative and teaching staff of the school. It will go operational in the 2016-2017 school year. She commended Hysacam for other forms of assistance like trash cans, brooms, books and prizes to students and teachers.

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Elangwe Pauline

15.Apr.2016

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