Collective Contracts, the Press and Government

By Tazoacha Asonganyi in Yaounde.

The talk in town now is about the noises coming out of the rubber-stamp parliament that as usual has completed its job of letting garbage in and letting it out virtually dressed in the same robes.

With the deafening empty talk from the glass house, let us not forget the convention between journalists, their employers and the government. We should not forget it because, whereas the other “estates” are gagged by one man, at least this one can still bark, even if the caravan still passes with mocking pride!

There is no doubt that most journalists in Cameroon have a deplorable financial and social situation. Indeed, if we judge them with the standards of the public servants who go to their offices daily to paint their nails, shave their beards or lay ambush for those who come to seek public service, the verdict would be unequivocal: journalists earn too little for the much work they do in the interest of all of us.

But there is much doubt as to whether the solution to this can come from collective conventions to guarantee better salaries, especially through government subventions to the press. Judging from the performance of public media like CRTV and Cameroon Tribune that receive huge government subventions, it is clear that such subventions only open a trunk road towards further gagging of this other estate.

The commodities usually sold by the media are news and good ideas. Then there is the advert to fund the activities, including salaries for the journalists. The rule is simple: adverts are there if the public and private sectors are vibrant, and if there is democratic governance. We shall use advertising in some randomly selected Nigerian and Cameroonian newspapers to illustrate this.

The Saturday Punch (Nigeria) of 18 October 2008 had 64 pages, sold for N100 (400 FCFA) and carried 17 full pages, 10 half pages, 5 quarter pages and 1 eighth page of mainly coloured adverts. The Vanguard (Nigeria) of 14 November 2008 had 56 pages, sold for N100 (400 FRS) and carried 24 full pages, 1 half page, 1 quarter page and 6 eighth pages of mainly coloured adverts.

The Post (Cameroon) of 5 December 2008 had 12 pages, sold for 400 FRS, and carried 2 full pages, 1 half page, 1 quarter page, 1 sixth page, 1 eighth page and 1 twenty fourth page of adverts. The Eden (Cameroon) of 1 October 2008 had 12 pages, sold for 400 FRS and carried 2 full pages of advertorials and 1 page of advert.

The Herald (Cameroon) of 27 November 2008 had 12 pages, sold for 400 FRS and carried no adverts. “Le Jour du Samedi” (Cameroon) of 6 December 2008 had 16 pages, sold for 400 FRS and carried 3 full pages and 3 eighth pages of adverts. Mutations (Cameroon) of 17 November 2008 had 12 pages, sold for 400 FRS and carried 2 full pages and 5 quarter pages of adverts. “Le Messager" (Cameroon) of 5 December 2008 had 12 pages, sold at 400 FRS and carried 3 full pages, 1 half page, 2 quarter pages and 2 eighth pages of adverts. Cameroon Tribune (Government sponsored) of 18 August 2008 had 32 pages, sold for 400 FRS and carried 7 full pages, 5 half pages, 2 quarter pages and 3 eighth pages of adverts.

There is a marked difference between the Nigerian and Cameroonian sources of adverts in that there is great diversity in the sources in Nigeria. This is due mainly to the vibrant private sector in Nigeria and the far-reaching decentralisation programme with 36 states headed by elected governors, plus Abuja the federal capital territory; the further division of states into 774 Local Government Areas each headed by an elected “Chairman”; and simmering economic and political activities in each state and Local Government Area.
Indeed, in Nigeria, there is not only inter-state competition, but there is also intra-state competition between politicians and the various suppliers of goods and services. This is a goldmine for adverts and advertorial reporting which flood the news media in Nigeria. Compare this to Cameroon where there is just one miserable centre of power in Yaounde!

Without wishing to be the pessimist, I think the media can only give what they have, except perhaps to declare bankruptcy as some are already doing in advert-rich milieus. Like the “performance contracts” that attracted a lot of energy and noise from New Deal outfits before, the collective contract will come to naught because it is not based on any solid foundation. The private sector will remain moribund because of high taxes, stinking corruption and the one-party mentality imposed on our society by outdated and visionless leadership.
The people have always been the only significant long-term threat to the hegemony of all dictatorships.

Therefore dictatorial governments always consider citizens who are able to think for themselves as subverts, preferring a flock of timid citizens for whom the governments provides enlightened leadership.

This is why the press whose mission is to educate citizens is never in the good books of dictatorial governments. Therefore we are not likely to see a media-friendly tax system; and there is not likely to be any government subvention to the media without strings. Further, even subventions with strings may turn out to be like the government subventions to private education that is on paper but nearly never in reality!

With no vibrant private sector, with the exclusion of free, democratic competition and with the cosmetic decentralisation that leaves only one centre of power, journalists will continue to live in hardship in 2009, and beyond. But like Cameroon that has lived under sustained hardship and plundering for decades without dying, the media can never be out under hardship.Indeed, their present performance is commendable.

Under the present hardship, the journalists should spend New Year 2009 pondering this saying of Mao Tse-tung: “So many deeds cry out to be done, and always urgently. The world rolls on. Time passes. Ten thousand years are too long. Seize the day; seize the hour”.

To seize the day and the hour, we need vigorous, new leadership in politics as in industry, in science as in protest, and more importantly, in the media, to run our society according to the people’s will, not power’s whim. We too need an open, democratic, decentralised and vibrant society so that journalists and the rest of us can work as proud, healthy, dignified and prosperous citizens!

Cameroon: Human Rights Promoter to Run for 2011 Presidential Election

By Christopher Ambe Shu

Christopher Tambe Tiku(pictured), South West Regional Secretary of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF) of Cameroon, yesterday, December 10 in the town of Buea, used the 60th anniversary celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to announce his decision to run for Cameroon’s next presidential election, billed for 2011.

This year’s anniversary was celebrated under the theme "Dignity and Justice for all"

It was unclear why Mr. Tambe Tiku chose but the Human Rights anniversary to make public his political and presidential ambition. It was not also known under which political party he would be running and the reason for his very early announcement, which took many people by surprise.

Mr. Tambe Tiku, an outspoken lawyer and pioneer Secretary of NCHFR in the South West Region, announced his candidature in his formal opening address at a conference marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in his office.

" I have decided to run for the 2011 presidential elections in this country in a bid to exercise my rights guaranteed by the Cameroon Constitution", he said in his speech, drawing applause from the assembly.

Journalists, lawyers, Human Rights advocates, magistrates, University Students,security operatives and a cross section of the local population attended the conference.
Also in attendance was Njonjo John Njie, Deputy State Counsel (deputy prosecutor) for Buea, who expressed satisfaction at the inquisitiveness of the audience on Human Rights concerns

In presenting his two-year report of activities as NCHRF pioneer Southwest Regional Secretary Mr.Tambe Tiku said his regional office experienced a steady increase in the number of complaints about Human Rights abuses filed in.

"For example in 2006 the office recorded 45 complaints. The number of complaints increased to 96 in 2007 and in 2008 there are already 120 complaints. Altogether, the regional office has received a total of 261 complaints since its inception," he disclosed

He added that about 80% of the complaints were disposed of by mediation, a mode of conflict resolution deemed "faster, informal, non-confrontational, relatively cheaper and more suitable for the majority of clients who fall within the lower income bracket and are among the most vulnerable groups in our society"

Mr. Tambe Tiku justified that his office played a pivotal role in the crusade against corruption in the Southwest region, investigating numerous complaints of corruption, abuse of office and conflict of interest

"My office…insisted on the dismissal of a certain police officer at the Judicial Police for extortion. This officer was suspended for six months and subsequently transferred," he disclosed
The Regional Secretary noted that their determination to do more in human rights promotion was handicapped by the paucity of funds. "Lack of adequate financial resources limited the office’s ability to organize more training workshops and seminars," he noted.

But Mr Tambe Tiku faulted the Commission’s Permanent Secretariat in Yaounde for not doing much to help his regional office.

"We are highly disappointed by the fact that the Permanent Secretariat in Yaounde concentrated its promotional activities in Yaounde and Bamenda", he fumed, suggesting that more sensitization activities be focused in the regions and peripheries where people are still ignorant of their basic rights.

A question -and -answer session as well as a donation and an exhibition of human rights books to participants characterized the conference

The National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF) of Cameroon was set up in 2004,charged with the promotion and protection of Human Rights. But its Southwest Regional Office was established October 2006.

Cameroon Parliament: CPDM MP Resigns as Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee

By Christopher Ambe Shu

Honorable Ayah Paul Abine(pictured), CPDM MP for Akwaya and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Cameroon’s National Assembly has, fearlessly, tendered his letter of resignation as chairman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

But his resignation will only take effect as from the next session of the National Assembly in March 2009, during which period a new bureau of the House including committee chairpersons are elected.

Hon Ayah, by the time of posting this report, could not be reached even by telephone confirmation

But several reliable sources close to this out spoken MP who confirmed they saw the letter, told this reporter that, Hon Ayah Paul submitted his letter of resignation, last November 30, to the National Chairman of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), Paul Biya (who is also Cameroonian head of State), via the president of the CPDM parliamentary Group leader.

The CPDM hierarchy is yet to react to Hon Ayah’s letter of resignation

The sources added that Hon Ayah chose the March 2009 session for his resignation to take effect because if he resigned now- during this on-going session, it could impede the smooth functioning of the House

What motivated Hon Ayah’s letter of resignation? Our sources disclosed that the out- spoken MP who is a career magistrate of exceptional class ,had repeatedly complained to his party hierarchy that, he was not treated well by the Bureau of the House because of his critical stance on issues of national interest. He said Hon. Ayah considered his mistreatment by the Bureau of the House as a betrayal of the confidence the party bestowed on him and so judged it wise to give up his functions as chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. But he remains an MP

Even as chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, it was observed that Hon Ayah was hardly on trips abroad not of his liking but as kind of a punishment for being too overtly critical of the ruling party’s anti –people policies and decisions.

It would be recalled that, on Hon Ayah was the only CPDM MP who was against the recent amendment of the Cameroon’s constitution scraping off presidential term limit

The CPDM has a crushing majority in the Cameroon National Assembly, which is currently in session to examine and adopt among other things, the country’s 2009 national budget.