Editorial

The recent fire outbreak in Buea, Cameroon, exposes another loop with the gangster regime -- ineffective emergency response units of the dubious growth and development policies. We cannot claim to be living in a 21st century when we still lack basic standby ambulances and firefighting brigades at the beck and call of the people in every city. On a daily basis, tax officials comb the neighborhoods, coercing people to pay taxes, and shutting down shops of defaulters. And so why can't these fraudsters protect the shops of those who paid their taxes? Who are the tax inspectors in Buea in the first place? We need their names to name, shame and blame.

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Tapang Ivo

18.Jul.2016

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CRTV  reported yesterday that the Controversial Revised PENAL CODE has been enacted by head of state Paul Biya and that it went into function since July 12,2016.

My Take;Many prisons will have to be built across the country because many tenants will obviously go to jail.

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Prince Nfor Hanson

15.Jul.2016

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The new Cameroon Penal Code under review could land social media users in courts. It does not only seek to place an eagle eye on the social media, but to criminalize users who criticize the 34-year-old regime for its abuse of power. Threats according to the code, are not clearly defined.

At the moment, Cameroon still applies the 1990 laws on social communications that regulate the old media. Perhaps, Communications scholars who drafted the 1990 media laws could not predict nor explain the rise of a more powerful new media that would challenge the authoritarian press.

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Tapang Ivo

07.Jul.2016

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The words slogan and sloganeering have about two definitions, but for the purpose of this write-up, we are going to adopt the ones found in the Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, International Student Edition. It defines a slogan as “A short phrase used for advertising something”. It also looks at the word as “A short phrase used by a political party or group of people”.
When it comes to sloganeering, the dictionary looks at it as “the use of slogans, especially by politicians who want to communicate a simple message that people will remember”. It emphasizes that “This word shows that you do not approve of people who do this”.
Away from definitions, it is important to point out here that President Paul Biya upon taking power in November 1982 coined a programme which was actually a summary of a series of codes that were intended to be the main guides and principles his government was going to work to achieve. That programme was known as “The New Deal”, later to be code-named or broken down to “Rigour and Moralization” and it was given some seemingly concrete shape when late Minister Francois Sengat Kuoh wrote the book “Communal Liberalism” and gave President Biya the authorship.
“Rigour and Moralization” made a lot of waves to the point where almost everyone saw in it dreams of a society where mediocrity would be kicked in the ass and meritocracy placed on a shiny pedestal. Thus, artistes picked on it and spread it through sound tracks, sketches and pieces of drama; it sounded the dawn of a new era where tribalism, favouritism, nepotism and all other attendant ills like bribery and corruption would find no fertile ground to breed.
As the years swept by with President Biya ignoring his own key promises to the people, it began to dawn on the minds of a cross section of the population that “The New Deal”, “Rigour and Moralization” and “Communal Liberalism” were in effect mere slogans that had nothing to do with President Biya and his governing class that was busy ridding the State of financial resources and carting same abroad.
When this set of slogans faced mixed fortunes in the 1990s, the President and his strategists redefined their approach in 2004 and came up with yet another ‘programme’, this time it was called “Greater Achievements” in English, though the French appellation was more telling; “Grandes Ambitions”. He secured a 7-year mandate on those counts and it was only at the end of the mandate that a wider section of the public understood that the era was actually one of casting only ambitions, with little or no work done. Another slogan had just slipped down the throats of the people!
Even the realization that for seven years “Greater Achievements” ended as mere words and so much ranting from a regime that excels in making people dream, dreams that never come true, did not put such a seemingly ‘promising’ strategy to sleep. Instead, in 2011, the governing CPDM came out to agree with the people that the ambitions, nothing but ambitions they spent 7 years to cast were going to be transformed into veritable achievements within the next seven years or why not less.
That is how “Major Accomplishments” came into being, or call it “Grandes Realization” in French for a greater understanding. Five years into the “Major Accomplishments” era, the super highways promised are yet to see the light of day, electricity load shedding is still the order of the day, several rural and urban communities are yet to enjoy potable pipe-borne water, road accidents are still claiming scores of lives daily and the list is long. Another slogan is quietly whistling by and there are already talks of “Greater Evaluations” to mark the next mandate that would either be anticipated or commenced in 2018.
Cameroonians in their own struggle for change, appear to have been contaminated by President Biya and his CPDM cohorts; they have reduced their struggle for change into mere words, slogans that fill the internet, particularly facebook where they come up and shout down the regime with names like: “Cameroon after Biya”, “Cameroon Political Agenda”, “Paul Biya Must Go”, “No Biya for 2018”, “Cameroon Youths for Change” and so on and so forth.
In as much as these slogans are important when it comes to formatting and reformatting the minds of the wider public, the message from Etoudi is getting clearer daily; that only action, sustained action can get President Biya up from slumber and out to retirement. Such action must be coordinated and well executed to ensure success; in fact, it should not even include political parties, as they have collectively and individually betrayed the true aspirations of the wider public for change. They did so by giving up the struggle unilaterally, by losing faith at a time the masses so dearly needed leadership to take their destiny into their own hands.
To graduate from slogans to concrete action, Cameroonians need to develop faith in the cause and stay optimistic that the future is bright. Talking about such faith, Sir William Osier said in 1910 that; “Nothing in life is more wonderful than faith…the one great force which can neither weigh in the balance nor test in the crucible”. This means where there is no faith in a cause, there will be no will power, there will be fear and there will be failure due to lack of action.
It is important for everyone involved or intending to be involved in this struggle for change in Cameroon to align with Mike Murdock when he said; “Beginning is half the victory in any enterprise”. That thought is followed up by Christopher Morley who said “Big shots were only little shots that kept shooting”. The insistence here is on faith, commitment and perseverance- consistency in the pursuit of set goals.
As we all plan in our little corners to make the difference in this struggle, the convergence of views and the encamping of all ideas and efforts is essential. One thing, however should remain on our minds; that to spend time sloganeering is simply facing President Biya and his people on familiar terrain. This line of wisdom must always stay glued to our hearts; “Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength”

Akuroh John Mbah

Msc in International Relations,

Specialised in Communication

and International Public Policy, Excellent

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Akuroh John Mbah

06.Jul.2016

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 Almost all mechanisms put in place by the 34 year old New Deal government is failing to yield fruits and situation in the country is getting from bad to worse. No sector seems to be moving, except corruption and embezzlement which has been first on chart on several occasions.

The national Anti corruption commission has just revealed in its 2014 report of state of affairs in Cameroon that over FCFA 16 billion, money meant for compensating victims of the 1998 NSAM disaster and the Memvele Hydro electric project was embezzled. Those who spearheaded the operation are said to have issued fake payments that went into their bank accounts.

In fact going by the report of the led MASSI GAMS commission, corruption in Cameroon has continued to show its ugly head, despite the multiplicity of structures such as Audit Bench of Supreme Court, National Financial Observatory and Supreme State Audit, to fight against the vice. The fight against corruption seems to be window dressing. Much resources has been spent to fight against the vice, with several trips ,seminars by CONAC officials but money recovered from embezzlers lives much to be desired. Today, Rev. Dr Dieudonne MASSI GAMS says these bodies have recovered almost FCFA 100billion. CONAC counts 10 years existence but more methods of embezzlement, corruption has surfaced; the state’s economy is dwindling. 

A major setback of CONAC is that fact that it is the presidency which decides who to imprison after indictment , giving rooms for critics to argue that it was a mechanism created by president Paul Biya to put his political rivals or enemies to prison. Cameroon a country with plenty resources is practically on its knees as these resources have been hijacked by a few. A majority live in abject poverty while a minority lavish in riches. The economic situation of Cameroon is appalling with prices of basic commodities skyrocketing on markets. A glass of ‘Garri’, locally produced food from Cassava now sells at FCFA 100, few years’ back it used to be three glasses for same amount. Price of Rice, Sugar and other basic needs have continued to go up the ladder. The new deal government which inherited a strong economy with over 6% GDP, high life expectancy has failed in its mission to better the living conditions of Cameroonians. There is high unemployment and under employment with youths making a majority.

The Water and Energy sector has been a fiasco, with epileptic power supply. Despite change of names from SONEL to AES SONEL and now ENEO, things have not changed. Cities like Douala and Yaoundé suffer from constant water shortage despite numerous outings by Basil ATANGANA KOUNA. The country’s airline company Camair Co is flying in turbulent skies. Flights have been grounded on several occasions with the recent been an outing by the General Manager of Civil aviation Authority stating that Camair Co has been banned from flying to Europe. The airline company is now a shadow of its former self. The road network of Cameroon speaks volume of an abandoned state.

The poor states of the roads have led to several road accidents especially along national road number 5, Douala-Nkongsamba-Bafoussam and equally Douala-Yaounde highway .Recently the Governor of zlittoral Region, Samuel Dieudonne IVAHA DIBOUA disclosed that about 176 accidents have been recorded along the national road number 5 and a total of 91 deaths. The Bafousaam - Bamenda highway has remained for ages without rehabilitation despite ordeal travelers go through. The health sector recently came under spy glass with several scandals that rocked hospitals. Health care scheme of the New deal Government is a total failure as compared to the realities on the ground.

The country is in dire strait situation and the president has abandoned his rigor, integrity and moralization campaign when he came to power. The country has been reduced to tribal conflict of who rules between the BETI and the Northerners. The BETI hegemony in the country has helped them to divide resources, thus dividing Cameroon like booty being shared among criminals. The country is on its knees and needs a political messiah to save Cameroonians from the wilderness. Cameroon may seem moving on good foot but maybe on a dormant volcano, it will take the idea of 2008 to stimulate the volcano to action and time is fast running.

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Prince Nfor Hanson

28.Jun.2016

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There is disbelief in Tanzania and East Africa in general as new elected President John Pombe Magufuli breaks with the past - introducing policies which a growing base of displeased elites are angrily branding as "arrogance" and a creepy Dictator. However as the First Action leader has been branded with slogans like '' what would Magufuli do?'' he is created alot of followers and lovers especially on social media who rather find his decisions relevant but hostile and quick.

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Rita Akana

26.Jun.2016

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