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Details: Society

We, Members of the Fako Lawyers Association (FAKLA), express our indignation to the appalling incident that occurred on 12th March 2016 at the Laquintine Hospital leading to the allegations of death of 31 year old Ms. MONIQUE KOUMATE and her twin babies. We equally express our fury to the degrading health sector in the country and the poor medical facilities available to Cameroonians leading to the death of tens of thousands of Cameroonians. We recall the allegations of trafficking of babies in hospitals in Cameroon. We equally recall the adage that “Health is wealth’’ and notes that our country cannot emerge in 2035 without a robust health sector.

FAKLA notes that the 1946 World Health Organization (WHO) Constitution enshrines “…the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right of every human being.” FAKLA equally notes that the right of health includes access to timely, acceptable, and affordable health care of appropriate quality.
FAKLA recalls that Article 25 of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 states that "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including ....... and medical care and necessary social services." That the said Declaration makes special mention of care given to those in motherhood or childhood.
FAKLA acknowledges that the government of Cameroon has recorded some progress in the health sector. FAKLA equally acknowledged the LETTRE-CIRCULAIRE OF 26 FEV 2016 of the Minister of Public Health to DIRECTORS of Hospitals titled: Prise en charge des urgences medico-chirugicales vitales in which the Minister stated in paragraph II thus “Je rappelle les dispositions anterieures toujours, a savoir que toutes les urgences medicales ou chirugucales vitales beneficient d’une prise en charge urgent et prioritaire; le paiement des soins et autres actes etant exigible 24 heures plus tard”. It goes further to state in paragraph III that “Cette organization est indispensable pour garantir un access immediate equitable a des soins de qualite pour tous les patients en situation de detresse”.
FAKLA notes that despite the above, much still has to be accomplished in order for the Country to meet the basic minimum of affordable health standards.
Hence, FAKLA calls on the Government to accelerate progress on this national and global priority and urges the Government to apply a human rights-based approach to health which provides strategies and solutions to address and rectify inequalities, discriminatory practices and unjust power relations, which are often at the heart of inequitable health outcomes. The goal of such a human rights-based approach is that all health policies, strategies and programs shall be designed with the objective of progressively improving the enjoyment of all people to the right to health.
FAKLA urges the Government to adhere to rigorous principles and standards in achieving these goals which may include amongst others:
1. That there should be available sufficient quantity of functioning public health and health care facilities;
2. That Health facilities shall be physically and economically accessible to everyone without any discrimination; and
3. That all health facilities must be respectful of medical ethics and sensitive to gender and life-cycle requirements.
FAKLA calls on the Government to design Policies and programs to be responsive to the needs of the population as a result of established accountability and to encourage policy makers and service providers to meet their obligations in creating more responsive health systems.
FAKLA calls on the Government to make a commitment to mainstream human rights into healthcare programs and policies, by looking at underlying determinants of health as part of a comprehensive approach to health and human rights.
FAKLA notes that Cameroon is a State Party to the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and urges the Government to respect its obligations under the said Convention which provides that “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for:
......The creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness”.
FAKLA calls on the Government to fulfill its obligations to respect, obligations to protect, and obligations to fulfill the right to health as provided in the ICESCR.
FAKLA calls on the Government to immediately create a veritable INDEPENDENT Judicial Commission of Inquiry which should include amongst others Lawyers from the private BAR. We equally call on the Government to give the said Commission unfettered access to all requested information and to create a conducive and enabling environment for the Commission to carry out its investigation and that the Commission should be afforded reasonable time to make public its report.
FAKLA calls on the Minister of Health to ensure that the said Circular of 26 February 2016 is implemented to the letter and anyone found acting contrary to the Circular should be punished according to the Law.
FAKLA condemns the actions of the Minister of Health in preempting the final report of the Investigation Commission.
FAKLA concludes by reiterating that the right to health is a "fundamental, inalienable human right" that governments cannot abridge, and are rather obligated to protect and uphold.
FAKLA extends its sincere condolences to the bereaved family.

Done and Dated at Buea, This 14th Day of March, 2016.

NKONGHO FELIX AGBOR-BALLA
President
FAKO LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Details: NKONGHO FELIX AGBOR-BALLA; 19.Mar.2016; Hits: 1562

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Details: Society

President Sergio Mattarella kicked off the second day of his state visit to Cameroon with a conference at the University of Yaoundé I, where the former university professor gave a lecture on Italy – Cameroon relations. He was instantly given the title of an honorary lecturer of the University of Yaounde I.

President Sergio MATARELLA later visited the Reunification Monument in Yaounde where, together with his daughter Madam Laura MATTARELLA and Prime Minister Philemon YANG, they were given a succinct and profound presentation Minister of Arts and Culture, Narcisse MOUELLE KOMBI. He is scheduled to visit the Ferrero enterprise later in the afternoon before meeting with the Italian community in Cameroon.

Details: Elangwe Pauline; 19.Mar.2016; Hits: 2312

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The leader of The Social Democratic Front (SDF) Ni John Fru Ndi is currently visiting the family of Monique Koumate who was abandoned to die at Lanquintinie Hospital last Saturday at the hands of Cameroon health authorities

Monique's story has gone viral all over the world with leading news agencies like CNN,BBC and VOA all reporting the issue, leading the international health community to question Cameroon's healthcare system and the competance of the regime in place as a whole.

The official United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund website indicated that Cameroon has one of the most alarming mortality rates in the world. Approximately 670 out of every 100,000 women die during childbirth.

[gallery title="#Moniquekoumate" width="IMAGE_THUMB_WIDTH" height="IMAGE_THUMB_HEIGHT" columns="3"]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni1.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni2.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni3.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni4.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni5.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni6.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni7.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni4.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[gallery_item title="Ni John Visits Monique's Relatives" src="/images/news/ni3.jpg" video_addr="VIDEO_ADDRESS"]Photo credit :Indira Ayuk[/gallery_item]
[/gallery]

Details: NFOR Hanson NCHANJI; 18.Mar.2016; Hits: 2569

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Details: Society

The President of the Republic of Italy, H.E Sergio Mattarella has started a four day official visit to Cameroon.

Photo for: Italian President begins official visit to Cameroon

The Italian chief executive and his daughter, Laura touched down at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport at noon today. Both leaders inspected a guard of honor followed by a twenty one-gun-salute for the high profiled guest.

The 75-year old politician is the first Italian President to visit Cameroon. Italy is lobbying for support for its bid for a non permanent member status of the United Nations Security Council.

Details: CRTV; 17.Mar.2016; Hits: 1699

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Details: Society

Some few days after returning from his un bref sejour en Europe, President Biya has sacked Ndongo Edou Fidele, Senior Police Commissioner,who headed the IT and budget office at the Delegation for National Security. Biya signed another decree some few hours after that of Ndongo Edou dismissing Mbarga Christophe, Senior Police Commissioner who was Deputy Director of Finance, IT management and Logistics at the Delegation of National Security.

Details: Rita Akana in Yaounde; 17.Mar.2016; Hits: 1686

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PRESS STATEMENT

The National Union of Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES) University of Buea Chapter, met in General Assembly on 2 March 2016 to deliberate on the socio-educational atmosphere on campus, the injustice and pain lecturers have endured in the last four years and particularly the expiration of the tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Nalova Lyonga due to her retirement in February 2016. The General Assembly discussed objectively and frankly, the disastrous engravements of Dr. Nalova Lyonga on the academic and social life of the University, and much more, the shame and damage she has brought on the good name of the University and the collective psyche of staff respectively.

The General Assembly of SYNES University of Buea Chapter therefore:

- Mindful of the directive of the Prime Minister and Head of Government that every retired officer should be replaced with immediate effect;

- Considering that any delay in replacing the current Vice-Chancellor is a stay of the Prime Minister’s directive and the continuous asphyxiation of the academic and social aspirations of the University;

- Considering that Dr. Nalova Lyonga has never embraced dialogue ever since she was appointed in 2012, but rather shunned it and carried out acts that stirred anger and caused unrest simply because she felt that she could use her position to call in police to maim her opponents;

- Recalling that she took 10 innocent lecturers to the police on false charges which she herself orchestrated through a fake email circulated on the internet with the complicity of Dr. Molua Ernest and Dr. Kingsley Ngange. Her intention by this accusation was to charge the lecturers to court and eventually incarcerate them for terrorism and have them physically eliminated on the grounds of national security;

- Recalling that she did not dissociate herself from an incendiary and extremely xenophobic letter supposedly signed by some Fako chiefs in June 2013, with the instrumentality of Dr. Molua Ernest and Ngange Kingsley, promising to deal with lecturers of non-Fako origin “using orthodox and non-orthodox means”;

- Recalling that she framed two lecturers for corruption and scandalized them on CRTV Buea for extorting money from students, dragged the said lecturers before a Disciplinary Panel and failed to prove her allegations;

- Recalling her onslaught on academic standards by trying to fraudulently and insistently award a PhD to a certain Mrs. Ali Joan Wacka who was not registered at the University of Buea and had not fulfilled the conditions required for the conferment of the doctorate degree;

- Recalling that this same Ali Joan received a salary for more than six years during which she was not teaching. Throughout that period, she spent endless hours in the Vice-Chancellor’s office spreading gossip and eavesdropping on official conversations and was protected by Dr. Nalova Lyonga. She was also given more than 3 million to go to the USA for an excursion when colleagues applying genuine for academic visits were turned away;

- Recalling that in furtherance of her rampage on academic standards, she drove to an examination hall to fire an invigilator from the hall after Mrs Biaka, a candidate in the MBA exam who was fidgeting, called her on the phone to report that the invigilator had changed her seat. She asked the candidate to return to her seat and continue fidgeting;

- Recalling that she instructed that first semester exams in 2016 be written in the university after only eight out of the statutory thirteen weeks of lectures in violation of UNESCO standards, even against the advice of Faculties and SYNES that students were not ready thereby causing many students to perform poorly;

- Viewing that this onslaught on academic standards started when she caused her daughter to write undergraduate exams alone in the middle of the semester on the grounds that she was to travel abroad before the end of the semester. Then, resit exams were eventually instituted in ASTI because this same daughter of hers failed several courses and would not graduate on time if she was not given a chance to resit them;

- Recalling that she has swelled the support staff roll with about 300 new recruits mostly from the same ethnic background; a proof of her tribalistic disposition. In fact, recruitments are not advertised; rather, people are called on the phone to come and take up positions which yield fat salaries while lecturers type their documents and print off campus. This spurious recruitment is sucking up subventions to Faculties and inflating the academic debt;

- Considering that as part of her diabolical ploy to antagonize lecturers with each other, she appoints junior colleagues newly recruited to head departments, just to spite much older staff in those Departments and calls to find out what the reaction is;

- Recalling that this very Vice-Chancellor does not have a clean financial record; she does not pay the Faculties their fair share of the 35% of subventions received from the State because she uses it to pay salaries of support staff. As a result, some Faculties still owe bonuses of 2014 and 2015 much to lecturers’ chagrin;

- Recalling that she banned taxis from entering the campus and rejected proposals for the University to adopt its own transportation scheme simply because she planned to set up her own transport company under the name Bajo Club, heavily subsidized by the University. To this day, the company has not been able to acquire enough buses to serve the population of UB. At times, there are two buses to serve about 20,000 students, teachers and support staff. University staff are compelled to trek in the sun, rain and often get to work late because the buses are never there;

- Recalling that three Peugeot cars used by two Deputy Vice Chancellors and the Registrar disappeared shortly after she assumed office and much later the Vice-Chancellor’s black Prado also disappeared after 132 million Francs was given by the Prime Minister for the purchase of new service cars (being 55 million Francs for a new Prado for the Vice-chancellor and 82 million for Honda vehicles for her deputies and the Registrar) one would have expected a public auction of the old cars or that they be given to some Deans whose service cars are about 20 years old and out of use;

Hereby unanimously resolved as follows:

1. Lecturers have waited patiently for her tenure to expire with all its sham and drudgery and borne every pain despite provocation knowing that her departure is eminent. The shame brought on the reputation of the University by Dr. Nalova Lyonga and pain inflicted on the individual and collective psyche of the members of the UB community should no longer continue after she has duly retired.

2. Dr. Nalova Lyonga’s continuous stay at the helm of affairs is an academic and financial hazard to the University with a serious effect on our occupational health.

3. The General Assembly shall reconvene within 14 days to consider an indefinite strike action if appropriate steps are not taken by the powers that be to match the Prime Minister’s directive with action, that is, relieve our retired colleagues of their administrative duties.

4. If or when a strike is declared, there shall be no lectures, examinations/defences and practicals.

We urge students, parents and the public to understand and to recall their children home in the event of a trade dispute.

For SYNES-UB,

Sango Martin, PhD Fokam Bertrand Eric, PhD

First Vice President Second Vicec President

Fontem A. Neba, PhD Enoh Richard, PhD

Secretary Welfare Secretary

Chief Andrew Ngeh, PhD Chief Fombo Fah, PhD

Public Relations Officer Financial Secretary

James A. Abangma, PhD

President

CC:

- The Prime Minister and Head of Government

- The Minister of Higher Education

- The Vice-Chancellor, University of Buea

- The SG/SYNES

- The Press

Details: Sama Ernest; 14.Mar.2016; Hits: 5320

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The CPDM government has revealed under pressure that the young Koumatekel arrived dead at the hospital Laquintinie in Douala. A thesis rejected by the relatives of the family and a medical pratitioner of the same hospital. Senior Cameroon government officials have jointly and severally challenged the theory of "medical negligence" that led to the death of Lady Koumatekel and her twins on Saturday the 12th of March.

A beaming minister of public health, Andre Mama Fouda said "Her family went to the emergency ward of the Laquintinie hospital where one member of staff came out and said they had a pregnant woman. They were then directed towards the maternity ward where they were received by a midwife who told them that the pregnant lady had been pronounced dead. And referred them to the morgue.” Cameroon Concord understands the Minister of Public Health took care to specify that the young lady had passed through a first hospital before Laquintinie.

The version from the Health Minister was echoed by the medical doctor in charge who did not want to contradict his boss. However, based on the video aired out by our Face Book team, Lady Monique could not be dead 4 hours before arriving the Laquintinie hospital. A cousin of the victim said in an exclusive interview that his sister had not passed through another hospital.

As tension continues to mount on the government over the matter, the MRC party of Prof Maurice Kamto has urged the Biya regime to organize a national consultation with health professionals to diagnose and propose adequate solutions to the multifaceted problems at Cameroonian hospitals. Hon. William Mandio, CPDM MP from the Mbam-et-Inoubou constituency has called for the resignation of the Minister of Public Health.

The legendary Cameroonian artist, Richard Bona, says the 83 years old President Biya should be held responsible for the situation. Richard Bona wrote on his Facebook page that "Paul Biya is even more dangerous than Boko Haram."

Details: Rita Akana; 14.Mar.2016; Hits: 2697

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