Traditional Rulers Disappointed With Governance In Cameroon

By Livinus Njume and Elias Ngalame

The National Council of Cameroon Traditional Rulers has resolved to add their voices to the fight against abuses in governance that have continued to drag the image of the country into dispute.

The newly created national association of traditional rulers met in its pioneer executive meeting at the Congress Hall in Yaounde on Friday 6 August 2010. Among other things, the traditional rulers vehemently condemned the several abuses that has become en vogue in the country especially with cases of child trafficking, corruption, maltreatment of women in general and widows in particular.

Cameroon, Brazil Sign Four Cooperation Agreements

By Rolande Nzobou (NPB student on internship)

Cameroon and Brazil have signed four cooperation agreements following President Paul Biya’s visit to Brazil where he was received by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva.

The first of the agreements signed in the presence of the Heads of State is that related to a memorandum of understanding between Cameroon and Brazil in the agricultural sector.

After a series of meetings recently by Cameroonian activists in the UK to raise funds to continue the struggle for the liberation of Southern Cameroons, another meeting has been scheduled for 31 July 2010 in Hamsworth, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The objective of this meeting is not quite clear, but insiders say it might be in the same direction like previous meetings.

Preparations for the installation of   François  Bona Ebengue,  as the new Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, due to take place of Friday 9 July  2010 is beginning to enter high gear following the setting up of committees to ensure the proper organization of the installation ceremony.

The committees were announced last Friday, 25 June during the first official planning meeting which took place at the Limbe I Council hall.

Presided over by the 1st Assistant Senior Divisional For Fako, Johnson Malafa Mochi, the meeting brought together, the Government Delegate  to the Limbe City Council,  Sub Divisional officers of Fako, Mayors, Divisional Delegates,  heads of the security and defence services, traditional authorities, the media and other stakeholders.

CPDM militants in Mbu village, Santa subdivision have vowed that they will stop at nothing to flush out the opposition SDF from the neighbouring Baba II village which happens to be the birth place of Ni John Fru Ndi.

The militants were reacting to concerns that the development of the area has been stalled by the presence of the SDF in the area for over 20 years and it was during a ceremony to hand over piglets to villagers.

The ceremony which took place at the palace of Mbuh village on Saturday 12 June 2010 was organised by Ntumfor Fru Jonathan, Chargé De Mission at the Central Committee of the CPDM and Director of General Affairs in the Ministry of Transport.

Speaking at the heavily attended ceremony, Fru Jonathan noted that the project dubbed “Operation One Man One Pig” which started in April 2008 is aimed at effectively combating poverty amongst the villagers by encouraging pig farming. He said at inception, pigs were handed over to households to rear and after the pigs reproduced, the piglets are handed over to other families. Ntumfor Fru Jonathan added that presently, more than 30 farm families have benefited from the project and Saturday’s ceremony to “pass on the gift” benefited 12 other people who are expected to produce piglets to be distributed to at least 50 people in the next nine months.

The initiative which has led to the creation of the Ntumfon Mixed Farming Group is also intended to encourage the villagers to diversify their agricultural options to include livestock and cultivation of different crops. The donor added that Mbu village is known in Mezam division only for the production of cola-nuts to the point where cola-nuts are now referred to as Mbu biscuit.

He said the intention of the exercise is to make the village a big producer of pigs for commercial purposes and to remind the villagers that only CPDM can bring development after several years of frustration by the SDF.

Corroborating Fru Jonathan, the CPDM Member of Parliament for Ndop, Njingum Musa, asked the population why they should invest their votes in a party that cannot help them. He said the road to the village which was recently rehabilitated is proof of the CPDM’s resolve to change the fortune of the villagers.

The Fons of Ngyen Muwa and Mbu who were part of the ceremony also urged the population to support the achievements of ST Muna, Foncha and Achidi Achu by abandoning the destructive politics of the SDF.

During the ceremony, Fru Jonathan announced that he has plans to put up a processing mill for cassava in the area so that villagers can make more money. The sum of FCFA 150,000 was immediately raised to ensure that the project sees the light of day.

Following all these promises and actions most of the villagers moved that a ceaseless campaign to guarantee the victory of the CPDM during any election must begin and spread to all the villages around especially Baba II where the SDF chieftain, Ni John Fru Ndi, comes from.

The organisers of the event said it should not only be Santa that must be in the opposition, adding that the opposition is not a Santa thing, and time was ripe for the opposition to move to elsewhere and allow the villagers to embrace new opportunities, which, they held, can only be found in the CPDM.

The two Fons present told the villagers that Fru Jonathan was sent out as a Ntumfor to bring good things for the communities, an assignment he has accomplished and everybody must support him to go get more.

It is on this strength that traditional sacrifices were done on him with the expectations that he will move to higher heights in the days ahead. The ceremony was also attended by some mayors, MPs, local and external elite as well as villagers.

After the closure of the headquarters of the Coordination of Alternative Forces, CFA, located within the precincts of the Douala Naval Base, officials of the party are planning to drag the Wouri administration to court for a violation of their rights and abuse of power.

A senior official of CFA who doubles as the owner of the headquarters of the party which is also a restaurant and bar, named Le Dernier Comptoir Colonial, told a press conference in Douala on 12 June 2010 that after failed attempts at getting the structure reopened, he would seek redress from the courts.

“I have met the Senior Divisional Officer who said the decision to close Le Dernier Comptoir Colonial was taken after a security meeting and that it was not dependent on him. He told me that the administration is saying we held an illegal meeting that was banned by the DO. He sent me to meet the governor who (Governor- Fai Yengo Francis) claimed he was not aware of the closure. Note that the secretariat of the Governor and the SDO even refused to acknowledge reception of a petition I had written appealing for the reopening of this economic structure which had been closed since 19 May,” Rene Eteki complained to pressmen.

Economic Loss
According to Rene Eteki who was flanked at the conference by the coordinator of CFA, Marie Louis Eteki Otabela, they were not even given any chance to remove the food which was on fire.
“I am employing up to 50 Cameroonians. Some are cooks others are gardeners while others help to preserve our cultural artefacts. I cannot exactly tell you how much we are losing a day. But it cannot be less than a million francs. Remember that my image and that of the structure has been tampered with,” he complained.

Illegal Closure
After waiting in vain, Rene Eteki hired the services of a bailiff who described the closure of the restaurant as illegal. In a report, copies made available to the press, it was observed that Le Dernier Comptoir Colonial was closed down at 6:20 pm.

The bailiff, Me Embolo Rene, noted that there was no administrative or judicial document ordering the restaurant to be shut down.

“One can simply observe that there is a piece of paper on the door on which it is written ‘Scelle N°3; Gendarmerie Port Douala, P.O. TIC.’ The paper has neither a signature nor the seal of any official,” stated the bailiff’s report.

Political Repression
On the day of the closure Rene Eteki said he was verbally informed by the Brigade Commander of the Douala Port, a certain Bikele and a man who presented himself as one of the Assistants to Wouri SDO.
“With about 50 armed gendarmes they said they were simply executing the SDO’s decision, and that they will inform their bosses that I did not resist them.”

Rene Eteki further explained that the closure came two days after the general assembly of CFA was banned by the Wouri administration.

“We had declared the meeting formally and until 17 May no ban had been issued even by telephone from any administrator. With all that has happened I am dragging the SDO of Wouri, Bernard Okalia Bilai, and the Port Brigade Commander, Bikele to Court. If we are wrong or right the courts would decide. I want to believe my rights have been seriously violated,” Rene Eteki said.

The talk in the economical capital is that the closure of Denier Comptoir Colonial was a political decision that might have come from Yaoundé.

The banned assembly of CFA that was broken up by security forces on 17 May was seen as a slap on the face of the government in the wake of the 50th anniversary celebrations.

Speakers at the meeting were to demand France to truly liberate Cameroon, for, according to Otabela, Cameroon is yet to have its independence from France.

SDF and CDU militants were expected to be part of the meeting that was banned. The intention, according to some pundits, is to economically weaken the CFA in the wake of the 2011 presidential election.

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has reiterated that one of the fundamental democratic values propagated by his institution was the organisation of credible elections.

The august guest who was on a 24-hour visit to Cameroon, told the media at a press conference to round up his visit that “I had the opportunity to discuss with President Paul Biya on the important issue of the 2011 presidential elections in Cameroon. Cameroon is well known for its peace and political stability and these are important elements in any development efforts which cannot be compromised. I told the President during our discussions to ensure that free and fair elections were conducted in 2011 to avoid any incident that will destabilise the country. The UN is ready to help towards this goal”.

Ban Ki-moon added that “Cameroon is widely known as a beacon of stability in Africa. And I have seen for myself such a determined will of the Cameroonian people to develop the social-economic situation.
All in all, I am very much impressed by what you have achieved - political stability, democratisation, and also social-economic development.

I appreciate your contributions to Peacekeeping operations, particularly through sending well-trained, disciplined policemen in Burundi, Kosovo, Haiti and Darfur. I hope that such a strong partnership between the United Nations and Cameroon will be further strengthened in the years to come”.

Bakassi Conflict
The Secretary General lauded the perfect example of peaceful resolution of boundary conflict epitomised by President Paul Biya and Obassanjo of Cameroon and Nigeria respectively, resulting to the famous Green Tree accord.

He said the UN was ready to continue to support the effective implementation of the resolutions of the Green Tree accord, especially in the areas of demarcation of territorial boundaries, carrying out of development projects in the Bakassi zone and ensuring permanent security in the area. The Secretary General will also be meeting the Nigeria authorities on the issue as well, it was disclosed.

Preaches Good Governance, MDGs At National Assembly
It was at the National Assembly that the Secretary General voiced what he had in mind as message for Cameroonians. The tone and content of message was indicative of the seriousness of his mission to Cameroon among other African countries.

If his brief stay and limited encounters with the various stakeholders suggested another diplomatic formality, then the content of his message to the people’s representatives and lawmakers in the presence of almost all members of government dispelled any such assumptions.

The Secretary General hammered on the question of good governance, electoral fraud, constitutional manipulation, human rights abuse that has become a bane to the people of Africa in general and Cameroonians in particular.

Addressing some concerns in Africa, he said “Africans must work out solutions to their problems. Africa’s people need neither pity nor charity. What Africa needs is more actions and less talk”.

He expressed regrets that Cameroon was among the countries in Africa that still have much to do to implement all the eight Millennium Development Goals especially in the areas of governance, health, maternal and mother care, the rights of a woman etc.

He lauded the efforts already made in areas of child education especially at the primary school but emphasised that much still needs to be done in key areas leading to effective poverty alleviation. The Secretary General announced the convening of an MDG summit in September.

It should be recalled that MDG’s are some eight goals agreed by world leaders at the turn of the 21st century to reduce poverty and hunger, increase education and opportunities for children, improved health for all including women, mothers, the environment, equal rights for women.

Getting A Feel Of UN Projects In Mbalmayo
The UN scribe must have been told or heard about some of the organisation’s sponsored projects in Cameroon, but his wife and him had the  opportunity to shuttle to Mbalmayo in the Centre region to see the realities in the field.

Ban Ki-Moon and wife, Ban SoonTaek, in the company of some UN officials took a ride to Mbalmayo to see how the Cameroon government with the assistance of the UN was putting some of the visions of MDG’s into practice.

These projects include construction of water points, setting up community radios, support revenue generating activities in agriculture, arts and craft etc.

The Chairman of the opposition Alliance of Progressive Forces, APF, Barrister Ben Muna, has insisted that if Cameroon’s democracy must benefit the nation in the supreme interest of development, then it must be “consensual” and begin with identifying the development needs of the country.

Barrister Muna was speaking in Bamenda on Friday 4 June 2010 while launching two of his most recent books, “The Challenge of Democracy In Africa” and “God The Democratic Politician”.

Commenting on the first book, Barrister Muna said the theme and context of the book derives from the practice of democracy in Cameroon in particular and Africa in general both before and after independence and after the reintroduction of multi-party politics in the 1990s.

According to him, democracy in Africa is power-centred to a point where anybody venturing into politics is only interested in gaining power and taking decisions without any clear vision of the long-term development needs of the country.

Drawing inspiration from Rwanda where he served as UN chief prosecutor for the Rwandan genocide as well other duties on the African continent, Barrister Muna in the book holds that various actors in politics should be able to concert and come out with a common development vision for the entire country before breaking into different political parties to see how to implement this vision. In this way, he added, power politics which is often time characterised by winner takes all will cede way for development democracy and politics.

Quizzed on whether this was not an indirect way of returning to a one party state, Muna said consensual politics is very different from consensual government, adding that it is a consensual government that can take the country back to a one party state. He added that advocates of consensual democracy do not need to think the same but must have the same long-term vision for the country even out of government.

Muna regretted that the present power politics is instead retarding development instead of promoting it through a democracy that should take into consideration the general interest.

On the second book “God ,The Democratic Politician”, Ben Muna said the book focuses on and satirises those politicians who go to church every Sunday, doll out colossal sums of money but spend the rest of the week days from Monday to Saturday committing evil and embezzling state funds. He argues in the book that for politicians to be useful, they must practice politics in the fear of God by first understanding how democratic God is through reading the Bible and seeing God’s democratic actions in governing the world which he created. He said a close look at the Bible reveals that right from the Old Testament, God allowed the Israeli to do what they like and even disobey him.

Muna holds that even though God had all the power to destroy those who opposed him he did not, but rather allowed them to learn from their mistakes and come back to him. He argues that politicians in Africa behave as if they are controlling everything when they are controlling nothing and the only way for them to leave these bad habits is to understand God, who, according to him, is a very democratic politician.

Quoting several instances in the Bible, Muna concludes in the book that this will help curb excesses by those in the corridors of power. He, however, added that all questions raised in the book are proposals which must be debated upon by the public for a consensus and solutions to Africa’s stalemate to be arrived at.

It should be noted that during the launching, Ben Muna admitted having given his life to Jesus Christ and is henceforth practicing politics in the fear of God.

An organisation known as Flashlight Organisation for the Right of Vulnerable Groups, FLORIVULG, is seeking to protect the rights of vulnerable persons including the rights of women and girls, HIV positive persons, handicapped persons, the elderly and migrant workers.

It is in this light that the Secretary General of FLORIVULG, Jean Atabong Fomeni, has called on the members of the group to look for ways in protecting such persons.

A district think tank of the Alliance for Progressive Forces, APF, met in Kumba over the Weekend to chart a roadmap for the South West Region ahead of future political calendars in Cameroon.

District chairpersons rallied in Kumba at the behest of the interim regional coordinator, Zacheus Ngwana.