Cameroon:First Female Regional Delegate for Communication Appointed

By Christopher Ambe

Muma Achu Rosette Bih

Muma Achu Rosette Bih, who was serving as interim Southwest Regional Delegate for Communication was, on September 8, confirmed as the regional communication boss by the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakari.
    Muma Achu’s confirmation as regional delegate was among other appointments made by the minister in the Ministry of Communication.
    Muma Achu, aged about 40, is now on record as the first ever female to occupy the post of regional communication delegate in the country.
“To the best of my knowledge I am the first female to be appointed as regional delegate of communication in the Southwest Region since independence. The appointment came as a pleasant surprise to me. I am thankful to the Minister for the confidence he has in me,” she told The Recorder, shortly after her appointment. “Before being confirmed as the regional communication boss, I served here as Interim Delegate for a little over one year”
    Muma Achu, who is a career journalist with about fourteen years of journalistic practice, told The Recorder that she would do her best to bring sanity into the journalism practice in the Southwest.
“Many journalists practicing in the southwest are not trained and as such don’t understand the media law and Government’s communication Policy”
    Muma Achu had before held other duty posts in the same Ministry of Communication such as Divisional Delegate of Communication for Manyu and Fako Divisions .She had also headed the Communication Unit of the Southwest Provincial Technical Group for the Fight against HIV/AIDS.
Muma Achu  holds a First Degree in English from the University of Yaoundé 1 and is a graduate of the Advanced School of Mass Communication (ASMAC) Yaoundé.
(First Published in The RECORDER Newspaper,Cameroon,of September 15,2014)

Cameroon:Chief A.S. Ngwana laid to rest in Bamenda

By Christopher Ambe
The mortal remains of Chief Albert Samba Ngwana, 77, were on Saturday September 6 buried at their family compound in GRA up-staion, Bamenda,after two requiem masses were said at the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral,Akwa,Douala and at  St Joseph Cathedral Bamenda ,in honor of the fallen patriarch and patriot.
    Both masses were attended by hundreds of mourners from home and abroad especially Christians since the deceased was well-known to be a committed Catholic faithful.
Chief Ngwana also described as an out spoken politician, before his demise was the National Chair of the Cardinal Democratic Party (CDP) with head quarters in Douala.
This British-trained banker who became the pioneer Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Cameroon Bank (defunct), died on August 17 in a hospital in Douala after a brief illness.
                                      The Last Journey
     After the corpse removal from the Garnison Militaire Mortuary, Douala last September 5 in the afternoon, it was taken to the St.Peter & Paul Cathedral in Akwa Douala, where a requiem mass was said from 7:30, lasting over an hour.

    Officiating at the divine service at Akwa, were three priests Clement Aboundi Nova, Fr. Christopher Gey Kum and Rev. Hontanon.
     Rev. Aboundi Nova described life and death as the greatest mystery, noting that Chief Ngwana was a devout Catholic Christian, who never missed the Holy Communion, which gives life and not death.The presiding priest likened Chief Ngwana to an angel.

“It is very important for angels for angels to bury us than for people to make all types of preparation.
“Chief Ngwana is an angel; let us bury him in quiet”, remarked the priest. “No Matter what happens Papa Ngwana is in the kingdom of God”
The Douala mass ended with mourners filing past to get a view of iconic Chief Ngwana.
Kinspeople pay last respects
    Accompanied by a long convoy of mourners after the Douala requiem mass, the hearse drove to Carrefour Music in Bonaberi, where Chief Ngwana was laid in state fo

r more more tributes .His tribes people who had converged there paid tributes, sang and danced in honor of the departed Beba man, whom they said, was a rallying force and great source of inspiration to all and sundry. “Pa was everything to us here”, one woman in tears told this reporter 

Requiem Mass at Mankon Cathedral   
When the hearse arrived Bamenda on September 7, another requiem mass was said at St.Joseph Cathedral Mankon, officiated by four priests: Rev. Prieto (vicaire Regional de l’Opus Dei), Rev.Humphrey Tata Mbue, Rev. Kizito and Rev. Paul Njokikang .
In his homily, Rev.Tata Mbue stressed that, death is a moment for deep reflection. To make his homily more interesting, the priest explained the meaning of every letter of the word “Death.”
     He said the D in death stands for definition. According to him, death has defined human beings; that it shows that human beings are limited-that is there is a beginning and an end. He noted that death is the clumsiest diplomat that does not know how to discuss with someone .The priest advised that “we should always pray for a good death, so that people can come and sit together when it happens.
     He said the E in death stands for equality, meaning all human beings are equal before God and are only different in their different assignments; that E also represents eternity, since mankind was made for eternity. Justifying the letter A in death, Rev. Humphrey Tata, said it stands for acceptance, implying “we must learn to accept the reality of death”
     The letter T, the priest continued, stands for truth. “The only lie you cannot tell is that you cannot die”, he noted. He described late Chief Ngwana as a principled man, who was ever ready to die for his principles.
     The letter H in death, according to the Minister of God, stands fro humility.”Many of us fear to accept who we are, the humble background we come from”, he noted.” Pride goes before fall. And there is nothing we are supposed to be proud of-even our lives”
In summary,l eulogies from family members, friends and others described late Chief Ngwana as a God-fearing man who did his best to contribute to the development  of mankind and the society.
    For his part, Albert Agha Ngwana, son of the deceased, was thankful to all those who sacrificed in one way or the other to support his family in giving his father a befitting funeral and burial.

           The Life & Death of Chief Ngwana,the Patriot

                                         By Albert  Agha Ngwana*

    Chief Albert Samba Ngwana was born circa 1937 in Babaji, now known as Beba, in Menchum Valley Sub- Division in the Northwest region of Cameroon. He was born from a Catholic family. He attended primary school in Okoyong,Mamfe from 1943 to 1949, then proceeded to St. Joseph College, Sasse,Buea from 1950 to1954.  He was admitted into the seminary but later was told by the Rector that he could no longer continue his studies in the Seminary and sent to attend regular classes, in spite of passing his final exams. He obtained the senior Cambridge overseas School Certificate. He then joined Barclays Bank, where he was one of two Africans sponsored by Barclays bank DCO for managerial training in London. He worked and studied in London from 1957-1960 where he qualified in banking and obtained the ACIS in 1960 and became the first Cameroonian qualified banker. He is a life associate of the British institute 0f bankers.
Professional career
    Upon the completion of his studies in England, he returned to Nigeria, where he worked with Barclays Bank. He was later directed by the bank to man its operations in Cameroon.  However, after attending a course on balance and payments methodology with the international monetary fund (IMF) in Washington DC, on his return home, he was appointed the first and only Managing Director and Chief Executive to the newly created State bank he founded in conjunction with his then employers Barclays Bank, by Dr. John Ngu Foncha, the then Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Cameroon and Prime Minister of West Cameroon government.
    After he created Cameroon bank Ltd, he made it flourish from 1961-1966. During his tenure at Cameroon Bank, he was offered a top job by the IMF, in Washington, D.C., however, when he submitted his passport to obtain a visa for the job, the passport “disappeared” and did not resurface until 3 years later when the job opportunity had gone, as the government of Cameroon withheld it to restrict his movement for being suspected of financing Anglophone businesses and the Anglophone opposition. From that moment he decided that his future was no longer safe in Cameroon and looked for any opportunity to exile himself.
    He accumulated functions as vice chairman in charge of finance in the Cameroon Chambers of Commerce from 1964 to1968. When he could not meet up his aspirations, he resigned his post for private business and used the opportunity to lead a banking delegation to Spain to leave Cameroon, and lived in exile until 1978, at which time he re-surfaced in Cameroon sporadically and attempted to re-integrate business life in the country, without real success due to the political climate and his stands against the government of Cameroon.
    After his departure Cameroon he worked in conjunction with multinationals in the import and export industry in Nigeria, the Republic of Benin and England: countries in which he operated and opened offices.  During this period, he then also established a flourishing foreign exchange business, until 1976, when the Nigerian authorities froze all his assets to restrain his activities. From that point on he became a serial entrepreneur and consultant in various business.
Chief Ngwana ,the devout Christian.
    As stated earlier, Chief Ngwana was born into a catholic family and in his early academic years was a seminarian at Sasse College.  After being made to leave the seminary, he continued a very strict religious life and his love for the Church and its teachings grew stronger, year after year.          Although a prominent businessman, he decided to put God before anything else in his life and made prayer his strongest tool in this world.  His philosophy was that acts of charity were Godly and that a devotion to the Virgin Mary and a dedication of his professional/vocational life to Christ was the ultimate joy.  Compromising with any aspect of religion, or the doctrine and dogmas of the Catholic Church were not matter for compromise.  His life and all he did became in the name of God and material things became worthless to him if not for his bare survival.  He thus spent a lot of time catering to the needs of others and sacrificed the pursuit of  material wealth.
    Upon becoming a member of Opus Dei, he found the perfect path to heaven.  His life totally changed and the practices he had developed by executing his daily plan of life found the perfect Chanel to heaven.  Everything he did became tied to his daily apostolate, acts of charity and quest for closeness with God.
He became an advocate for family in the catholic and Christian manner, for marriage and for life.  As such he wrote many articles and books on population and development, the ills of abortion and contraception, the joy of marriage, the virtue of living a pious life.
    He spent most of his life doing doctrinal teachings, to all he met, without discrimination and also trying to make sure that as many people as he knew could say the rosary or at least say it once with him and if they are not baptized , direct them towards that path.  As such he had many unwed couples marry and bring up their families in the catholic way.  One of his mottos was”pray, pray, pray and pray some more”. “Never get tired of praying, keep praying, as God always listens to his children.”
    While working closely, with the Church, he engaged in philanthropic activities which resulted in the construction of secondary schools, a university to take care of children, church building and aid to priests wherever they were located.
    He sponsored many people who needed help in furthering their career or life. Some of the people are now doctors, priests, engineers, pilots, Lawyers and directors of companies.
    Chief Ngwana was a member of the Catholic Men’s Association (CMA). He equally belonged to and patronized several Christian groupings and had a very strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
          Chief Ngwana,a family man.
Chief  Ngwana married the love of his life, Elizabeth Nyamsi Ngwana in 1960 and stayed married and in love with her until his death on August 17, 2014, fifty-four years later. They have five children, eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.  All his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are practicing Catholics.
    His love for his wife was exemplary.  After she had been diagnosed with a neurological condition and became helpless and totally dependent and speechless and near paralyzed, he stood by her and took care of her over the years, giving her personal attention and making sure she never lacked anything, from medical to spiritual care.  He loved her unconditionally and with the same love he had for her the first day he fell in love with her.
Chief Ngwana, the politician
Chief Ngwana founded the Cameroon Democratic Party (CDP) to fight the dictatorship government of a one party authoritarian State in Cameroon. The CDP was launched in Douala because we knew it was the same pattern of government which was going to continue. During the launching, there were mass arrests of party militants. The party instructed 24 of the country’s best lawyers to register it, but, the government could not allow another party to run alongside the only existing party in the country the CNU.
    Even though multiparty reforms were being instituted up in Cameroon, the government decided to make sure he remained in exile by withholding his passport when he submitted it for visa renewal at the Cameroon embassy in Lagos. However, as a staunch catholic, he held tight to his faith.
    His political philosophy grew out of his love for his country Cameroon andhis belief in one sovereign and indivisible Cameroon. He preferred a federated Cameroon and was a very strong supporter of all progressive Anglophone causes which furthered equal status and autonomy through federation.
    Chief Ngwana changed his party’s name to the Cardinal Democratic Party, after the government registered another party in his party’s name and stated it was registered before his.  The name Cardinal Democratic Party was chosen personally by him to make sure that his political mission was godly and really not to be confused. 
His mission as a politician was purely a continuation of his apostolic work on earth.  He used his political platform to spread the word of God and especially act as a warrior of Christ combatting evil, as he believed good can never be defeated by evil, no matter how popular evil had become, so long as valiant warrior of the Church stood up against it and fought to remind everyone of the will of God.  He thus made sure he was a shameless advocate of the word of God and defender of assailed principles of the Church.
    As a catholic, a family man, a politician and a philanthropist, he always put God first and lived his life for God and to further the legacy of Christ on earth.  He ended his life as a simple and humble man who touched the lives of many and who left the mark of Christ in each he touched. At the end of his life, he became selfless as the spirit of God had completely invaded his soul to replace temporal matters and earthly longings. 
    A memorial website has been set up in his memory for testimonies and tributes and images and photos of this memorable soul at http://www.forevermissed.com/chief-albert-samba-ngwana
    *Albert  Agha Ngwana is son of late Chief A.S.Ngwana

(Fiist published in The RECORDER Newspaper,Cameroon,of September 15,2014)

CPDM Delusional Politics of Motions of Support

By Tazoacha Asonganyi 

    Government is a service industry that is responsible for delivery of services to society.  Politicians are the “experts” that provide the raw material for the services, while public servants – in the civil service – and other co-opted agents are the vehicles for delivering the services that they use the raw materials to manufacture. Government’s promotion of the private sector is usually in this realm.
    Political parties are organized groups that seek to control state power, and form governments to provide these services to society in ways usually defined by doctrines, and visions packaged under various universal labels – socialist, social democrat, liberal, conservative, Christian democrat, you name them. Some people usually claim that Africa does not need these labels, as if to say that Africans do not have scales of values.
    These doctrines are ideas articulated by people and implemented for society. Interestingly, there seem to be no doctrinaire CPDM people in Cameroon because the politics of the party is centered on one man and implemented for one man through motions of support. This has seemed endless, for 30-some years and still going. The politics has seasonality - like locusts - coming and going with society’s mood.  As described by one of them in the heat of recent conflicting motions-of-support, “they are made to sign these motions of support at night, with torches, often on blank sheet”; and they are always told that their One Man agrees with them.
    In the nature of all human effort, there comes a time when even the best intentioned use of a fraudulent tool begins to backfire. And when it backfires, there is always cacophony. That is what the fate of the CPDM is today!
    For all the emphasis on stability, the end-of-reign mood in Cameroon has been jittery for some time now. This is probably why Cavaye Yeguié Djibril tried to exploit our scare about Boko Haram by making the unsubstantiated declaration from the tribune of the national assembly that “…Members of Boko Haram are among us, some acting in the dark while others act as hypocrites, pretending to help (the regime) but actually hiding their intention to set the country on fire…” Many CPDM militants cheered, with Guillaume Sorro looking on in deep reflection about North-South divides. At that time, my good friend of communication who usually fumbles the vital job of providing information to Cameroonians about how the power they have delegated to government is being used, was quiet. With probably Marafa and other supposed candidates for succession in mind, the silence was spent in celebration of the Cavaye bluff.
    Well, the elite of Lekie Division probably reasoned that if “members of Boko Haram are among us,” they must be within the ranks of people of Adamawa, North and Far North, since the perception daily distilled to us is that the people of those regions want to destabilize “their” One Man, and takeover his power – “their” power! And since Cavaye Yeguie Djibril has been using all subterfuges to claim leadership of the “Northern Block,” he felt obliged to react on behalf of the Block in spite of his previous grandstanding about Boko Haram. And then this time around, as if from a deep slumber, my good friend of communication rushed in to tell us that “there is no Cameroonian Boko Haram.” Good Job!
    This is all like CPDM politics, except that when a similar declaration was made in the past about “enemies in the house,” no leader of the Block against which the declaration was made emerged from within the CPDM regime to counter it. It is the fault of the Block, not that of any one else. It shows the Block – again - as the weak link of the politics of the united Cameroon – of the CPDM!
    In a system where decentralization is not forthcoming, the CPDM has based their motion-of-support politics on decentralized motions of CPDM barons that they claim, represent the voice of the nation. This is attested by the volumes of motions of support published by the public corporation, SOPECAM. Paul Biya agrees indeed with the politics and lives by it. He has used motions of support in the past in lieu of his party convention to declare himself candidate for the presidency.
    CPDM militants have learned to deceive themselves convincingly using motions of support. Motions of support have become a powerful protective vaccine that gives the money-hungry, me-firsters in the CPDM the energy to embezzle public funds and engage in all types of self-serving maneuvers against national interest, with impunity.
    The CPDM may sing itself hoarse, or write their pens dry, or spend precious time on their keyboards writing motions of support. That will not change the reality that no one will ever finish the job of President of the Republic. Not in Cameroon; not anywhere in the world. Ahidjo did not finish it; Biya will not either.

CAROSAF & Buea Council Are For Accident-free 2014/15 Academic Year,says Edwin Minang

The Cameroon Road Safety Foundation (CAROSAF), a Buea-based NGO noted for its road safety campaigns has, in partnership with the Buea Road Council, launched a two-week road safety campaign within the Buea municipality, to ensure an accident-free 2014 /2015 back- to- school. The Recorder caught up with Edwin Minang, CAROSAF CEO for an interview.
Below Excerpts:

Edwin Minang

 

Recorder:Mr. CEO of CAROSAF, why are you so involved in road safety campaign?

 Mr.Minang:  Thank you Mr. Editor for always having interest in our activities, which are very people-and development-oriented.
    As you know we advocate road safety and highway injury prevention; and in line with our objective to raise awareness on road safety we thought it very necessary to re-awaken roads users on safety measures as they use the roads during this period of schools re-opening. You know during this period, there is a lot of movement of people and vehicles - thus increasing the traffic rate on our roads.

I have learnt that this campaign is being carried in partnership with the Buea Council. What role does the Buea Council play here as a partner?
     Sometime in August 2013, the Buea Council and CAROSAF signed a memorandum of partnership, which is intended to ensure in the implementation of road safety measures within the Buea municipality. Within the frame work of this partnership, we are carrying out the school traffic controllers’ project .This project contributes to efforts geared towards protecting vulnerable road users, especially school children. Trained traffic controllers are stationed at selected locations within Buea Township to help cross school children and other road users at traffic peak periods in the morning and afternoon during school days. One year down the line of this partnership alongside the school traffic controllers project we decided to carry out this “Accident – free 2014/2015 Back to school Road Safety campaign which started from the 1st day of school reopening, During this campaign, amongst other things we organize sensitization sessions with Buea township taxi drivers during which road safety stickers will be put on all taxis circulating within the Buea Township; Sensitize inter-city city bus drivers (Agencies de Voyage) and the regular bus drivers who run Buea – Douala – Limbe – Kumba – Tiko. Stickers on Road safety will be placed on their dashboards as a reminder of what they are required to do or observe;walk  along the major roads within Buea municipality .We advise  drivers on the speed limit recommended by Government (90km/h highest) and also place road safety stickers on their cars; Visit driving schools within Buea municipality and discuss  road safety issues with them

What are you particularly emphasizing on during this road safety campaign?.
    I must say speed. Respect for  speed limit is the main aspect that we are emphasizing ,because if speed is respected then the other  aspects of road safety such  drunk– driving, driving  and  telephoning, over-loading ,non- use of seat belt) would have been minimized ;In  an event of an  accident the causality on the cars and persons is minimized. The stickers that we are distributing addresses speed. Those for taxi drivers carry the inscriptions “Taxi drivers, respect speed within the town – 30km/h; those for highway drivers have “Respect speed limit – max. 90km/h”.

What are some of the road safety activities that CAROSAF has been carrying out? 
    We  have conceived developed and are implementing the school traffic controllers’ projects in the Buea and Limbe. Since 2010, we have carried out yearly celebrations of World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims.
    In collaboration with the Buea council, we served as the technical partner to the administration of the Southwest Region in the organization of the landmark special road safety campaign for the celebration of 50 years of reunification of Cameroon.
    CAROSAF started a pilot school road safety club project in some schools within the Buea municipality.We also get involved in periodic road safety sensitization and syndicates within Fako Division
It would be recalled here that CAROSAF organized road safety sensitization workshop within the Cameroon Development corporation(CDC).We are doing quite a lot ,which we think is being appreciated by the public and the Local administration.

Sir can you tell us about the way forward?
    We intend to broaden the scope of the school traffic controllers projects to cover the entire Southwest region; expand on the school Road safety clubs projects to involve all schools within the entire region situated along major highways and within proximity to crash hotspots,
There is no doubt that CAROSAF will start a program of capacity strengthening of township taxi drivers in the major townships of the Southwest region.
    Let me add here that,in collaboration with the councils, CAROSAF  start a project of road safety crusaders at major motors parks within the Southwest Region; organize a yearly road safety award ceremony. This award recognizes achievements and innovations and I think such will improve road safety within the community.

Is CAROSAF just a Buea –based local NGO on road safety or you have affiliations and international connections?
    Well the headquarters of CAROSAF is in Buea where our office is, precisely the FAKO SHIP Plaza Building. Created since 2008, Cameroon Road Safety Foundation is affiliated to the following organizations:1) Global road safety partners – GRSP; 2) Africa road safety NGO network (here the coordinator of CAROSAF is the 2st secretary general; (3) global road safety  NGO network;(4) COALIROWE  ( a coalition of road safety NGO in Cameroon).

Has your NGO had the opportunity to take part in some international conferences?
     Of course! CAROSAF has participated in several international road safety meetings and conferences. For example, from November 9-11, 2011 CAROSAF was present during the second African road safety conference in ADDIS – ABABA Ethiopia during which the African Action Plan for the Decade of Action for road safety was declared. From July 16-18, 2013, CAROSAF attended the expert review meeting on the implementation of the Amity Program of Action concerning and small island in Africa – Addis Ababa
Again in 2014 (i.e. from 17-19 June) CAROSAF was present at the Africa road safety management work shop in Ethiopia and also attended the Regional Forum on Cross – Border Transport Infrastructure in Africa, Ethiopia

 From the balance sheet you just presented, it seems your NGO has come to stay?
    CAROSAF is a problem-solving NGO, and so long as the problems we try to resolve are there, we shall stay on. We are determined to leaves our foot prints on the sands of time, by contributing our quota to development and the promotion of long live. Life is so short, so we must all be very careful as we try to get the best of life.    

(First published in The RECORDER Newspaper,Cameroon ,of September 15,2014)

Chantal Biya Urges Youth to Intensify Fight against HIV/AIDS

                                          By Christopher Ambe

      First lady Chantal Biya has implored Cameroonian youth to intensify the fight against HIV/AIDS in order to be free from the deadly pandemic.
     The First Lady made the call  ,last September 10, at Buea Council premises,through Jean Stephane Biatcha, Executive Secretary of African Synergy Against AIDS and suffering, who represented her at the closing ceremony of a two-week “AIDS-free Holidays” campaign, chaired by Southwest Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai.
      The “AIDS-free Holidays” is an initiative of Madam Chantal Biya, Founding President of African Synergy, for an AIDS-free generation.
       According to official sources, Madam Chantal Biya created and launched the AIDS-free vacation campaign in 2003, conscious that mostly young people are victims of HIV/AIDS.
“AIDS-free Holidays”, according   to a leaflet distributed at the ceremony, “is a sensitization campaign for young people (school-going or not) organized during holidays.
 Twelve years since its inception the encouraging results have made the campaign a national activity, involving several partners who are actors in the fight     against AIDS.
     The Recorder learned that since 2003, about 6000 peer educators have been recruited and trained in the 10 regions of Cameroon, with more than nine million people sensitized; about 1.3 million educational talks organized; some 2.5millon condoms distributed and more than 200,000 people screened.
The theme for this year’s campaign was “Youth, the fight against HIV/AIDS Continues”
     At the Buea closing ceremony, Dr. Tchatchoua , Southwest Regional Coordinator for the Technical Group for the Fight Against HIV/AIDS, revealed that  41 out of 2031 people who screened for HIV/AIDS tested positive, giving a prevalence rate of 1.8% .
     Mr. Biatcha considered the very low prevalence rate as satisfactory and lauded the sensitization efforts of the peer educators.
Governor Okalia  Bilai while commending  the initiative of the First Lady, reiterated the need for young people to intensify the war against the pandemic.
    Ivoline Mbinkar, one of the 100 peer educators in the southwest region, said it was exciting helping young people to stay to healthy. She said they sensitized their target population for two weeks and encouraged them to go for the HIV test so to know their status.
“ I call on the youth to do the AIDS test so to know their status. If they know their status, they would adjust their lifestyles”, she said.
    Gifts (didactic material and foodstuff) from the First Lady were handed to the peer educators.
     The well-attended ceremony was animated by cultural dances and musicians such as Tata Kinge. 
(First Published in The RECORDER Newspaper,Cameroon,of September 15,2014)

Fako Land Scandal: Defunct Villages re-emerging to benefit from land surrender

*Is Buea Mayor a land grabber as alleged?

By Christopher Ambe                                                                                              

Buea Mayor Ekema Patrick

More villages ,said to be extinct are re-emerging in Fako Division  apparently to benefit from the hectares of land being ceded by the Cameroon Development Corporation(CDC), headquartered in Limbe, to indigenous communities in need of settlement space, The Recorder has learnt.

    It is now public knowledge that some Fako chiefs and some elites of certain villages that have so far benefitted from the CDC land surrender have become suddenly rich from the proceeds of “abusive” land sale, while less influential villagers have little or nothing, causing them to protest against the violation of their land rights.

   The Southwest Regional Office of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF), headed by University of Buea law don, Christopher Tambe Tiku, has many complaints from villagers about the violation of their land rights.

   So serious are the protests that the Cameroon government and the National Anti-corruption Commission (NACC) are already probing into the allegations of land-grabbing by some traditional and administrative authorities, and the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, Jacqueline Koung A Bessike,has signed an order suspending any further CDC land surrender.

    As we went investigating into the resurrection of the defunct villages, the Divisional Officer for Buea,Kouam Wokam Paul, told The Recorder,  Friday August 22, in his office that, at the time he took over as the administrator of the subdivision, the handing over note from his predecessor showed that Buea had 59 villages with organized people whose chiefs were alive or dead. He added that these are villages he has visited.

    Mr.Kouam confirmed reports that some people have been storming his office to indicate their readiness to resuscitate defunct villages. He cited some of the re-emerging villages as Maungu and Liwo (after Lysoka).in Buea subdivision, adding that there are several more.

   The DO said when faced with such as a situation, he has to consult the archives to know whether such villages ever existed in the colonial (German) maps.  Mr. Kouam said once it is established that they existed, the applicants must prove that they are descendants of the villages in question, before development committees are set up by the administration as part of the village revival process.

   One of such villages said to be extinct was Wonjoku-near Bulu village. But with the revival of Wonjoku village on-going, it has applied for hectares of CDC land surrender and it is impatiently waiting. The Recorder gathered that tens of hectares of CDC surrendered land near Bulu Village meant as a layout for Wonjoku in Bova II have allegedly been sold out by those who applied for the land surrender with the apparent connivance of local administrators.

    When this reporter asked the DO for Buea who is said to have installed a development committee recently in Wonjoku if it is true that the village benefited from CDC land surrender, Mr. Kouam quipped, “I installed a development committee in Lower Wonjoku village, which is different from the Wonjoku with the surrendered land.” Mr. Kouam said he came and met the Wonjoku with the surrendered land, but quickly added that “I think that they would not have surrendered land if the Administration was not certain that it is a real village”
  Wonjoku: Quarter in Bova II   or full-fledged village?

Further investigation revealed that there is another Wonjoku in the Bonavada area. While the Chief of Bova II village, Nyoki Isume, claims that this Wonjoku is a quarter in his village, residents of Wonjoku boast that it an autonomous village with all rights and obligations.

This is the Wonjoku from where the Mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick Esunge, reportedly hails, and it is alleged that it is he who applied for CDC Land surrender for his “village” and they were allocated 50 hectares called Wonjoku layout, near Bulu village, incidentally where the other Wonjoku village is found.It is alleged that Mayor Ekema has sold a chunk of the contoversial Wonjoku layout

    A team of inquisitive reporters from three media houses last Saturday August 23, went to the Palace of Chief of Bova II, to get clarification on the status of Wonjoku( said to be  a quarter in his village) and to find out if at all Bova II also applied for CDC land surrender. Unfortunately, Chief Nyoki Isume was not in. But we left our contact addresses and introduced the subject of our visit.

In search of facts,we now decided to meet the Chairman of Bova II Traditional Council to see if he could answer our questions. That led us to Wonjoku, where -luckily for us -its “Traditional Council” was meeting to look into a problem the DO for Buea had asked them to resolve, we were told.

 Also present at the “Traditional Council” was the Mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick,but who did not accompany the Traditional Council Chair,Bwembe Ndima Paul and his notables such as  Bwanonge Liombe when they were  answering our questions.

Wonjoku defends its Position

The Wonjoku Traditional Council boasted to us that Wonjoku is a full-fledged village (not a quarter in Bova II) that had applied and was allocated 50 hectares of CDC land Surrender, which, they claimed they have already shared it out without any complaints registered anywhere.

Chairman Bwembe declared that it was he and his notables who applied for the land surrender and not Mayor Ekema Patrick as allegations strongly hold. The allegations also hold that, it is Mayor Ekema,who had applied for the 50 hectares of land, posing as the Chief of Wonjoku;that he had sold out a good chunk of the land for his personal aggrandizement.

 The notables told us that Mayor Ekema Patrick is a member of Wonjoku, adding that he is from the royal family,a possibility that he could become a chief.

 Asked who the Chief of Wonjoku is, they told us that he is of late and that he was called Chief Likuka. But the Traditional Council failed to say exactly which year he died, when we further inquired. As to when the new chief of Wonjoku would be enthroned, the Traditional Council said the process was underway and journalists would be in informed at the appropriate time.

The Recorder did not succeed to independently verify the claim that it was the Traditional Council Chairman and not Mayor Ekema,who had applied for the Wonjoku land surrender. Our sources at the Limbe SDO’s office said the file was a sensitive one that it is  kept jealously.

Chief of Bova  II Speaks out.                

Several hours later after we had left Wonjoku,Chief Nyoki Isume, telephoned The Recorder to indicate his readiness to clear our doubts.

In an exclusive telephone interview (recorded) with Recorder Editor, the Chief Nyoki insisted that Wonjoku is merely a quarter in Bova II. Following are excerpts of our conversation:

Recorder: Your Higness, knowing your open-door approach to issues, we want to find out whether Wonjoku-the one near you is a village of a quarter under you?

Chief: It is a quarter under me.

Recorder: Is this Wonjoku different from the one behind University of Buea-near Bulu Village?

Chief: You know those people came from that area (Wonjoku near Bulu).There was much witchcraft there and the villagers ran to come here. There is another quarter in Lysoka also called Wonjoku.These people escaped from witchcraft and came here. They were staying inside the bush and my other people of Bova joined them there; that is why the quarter is called Wonjoku.

Recorder: What the Chief is saying here is that Wonjoku is a quarter in Bova II, not an autonomous village?

Chief: Yes!

Recorder: Who is the quarter head of Wonjoku?

Chief: The quarter head there is Paul Bwembe.

Recorder: Did Bova II apply for land Surrender?

Chief: Yes. We have surrendered land .But we have not yet developed it. The people who signed the request for our (Bova II) land surrender include the quarter head of Wonjoku.

Recorder: How many hectares of land were allocated for Bova II?

Chief: We have been allocated 35 hectares. The allocated land is around Bulu. We have the ministerial decree on our land surrender near Bulu. Now, if the minister does not approve, a prefectural order would not help you… We are still to share the land allocated to us.

Recorder: We learned the ayor of Buea Ekema Patrick is the one who applied for the land surrender and is posing as the chief of Wonjoku. What is your reaction to that?

Chief: I don’t know. If you go to the DO, they would tell you who signed as chief. 
Plight of Lower Wonjoku                                                                                      

When The Recorder contacted Mola Otto Ewumbue, Chairman of the Development Committee of Lower Wonjoku Village (near Bulu) and Vice-President of the village’s Traditional Council,he regretted that since his village applied for CDC land surrender fours ago, it is still awaiting it, whereas what he calls “ a fake Wonjoku village-which is supposed to be a family in Bova II” was allocated several hectares of land as a layout  near them.

“We applied for 35 hectares of land, fulfilled all the conditions but up to date we are still awaiting. It seems as if our portion of land was the one given to the fake Wonjoku- which is a family under Bova II.

“We are now called Lower Wonjoku because by the time we were applying, they said we had already applied which was not true,so to distinguish between the Wonjoku in Bova II,which had first applied we had to adopt the name Lower Wonjoku”,Mr. Otto told The Recorder .He disclosed that by November some consultative talks will be held so to select a new chief to replace, Chief Ngange Joseph Jaombe,who died some 24 years ago.

   Government May Convert Wonjoku Layout to GRA

The Recorder learned on good authority that, embarrassed by the land surrender imbroglio, the Government is planning to convert the controversial Wonjoku Layout into a purely Government Residential Area (GRA), implying that those who sold out hectares of land there may have to refund the money to the various buyers.

    The Power of the Media

It is thanks to the now suspended CRTV Buea “Press Club” that the Fako land surrender scandal was exposed. The crack team of seasoned journalist-panelists and their erudite guests Christopher Tambe Tiku, University of Buea lecturer, ELECAM Board member and Human Rights campaigner, and Ikome Ngongi, retired UN legal Consultant, dissected the land crisis, citing some alleged land grabbers such as Southwest Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai and Fako SDO,Zang III.

     An angry Governor Okalia later confessed in a newspaper interview that he was the one who pressured CRTV Station Manager, David Chuye Bunyui to ban Press Club, which was rated as the flagship programme of the radio station.

    In a related developmet,as we were preparing to go and print this edition, we received a copy of a petition written by and reportedly signed by some 17 Molyko elites and family heads against their chief,Etonge Mathias. The petition addressed to the chief and copied the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, the Southwest Governor and the Southwest Office of the NCHRF, among others; accused their chief of unfair distribution of the 68 hectares of land surrendered to the Molyko.
They threatened him with legal action if he did not revisit the plot allocation scheme. Contacted for his reaction, Chief Etonge boastfully told The Recorder, “You can publish what they have given you. I don’t entertain journalists in my palace”

(This article was first published as lead story in The RECORDER Newsaper, Cameroon, of  August  27, 2014)

Cameroon: Second Edition of Dr. Makongo BONAVADA Tournament ends with call for unity & excellence among youth

By Christopher Ambe

Massoma kinge(middle) and other officials at the finals

The second edition of Dr.Makongo Bonavada Youth Tournament ended Sunday, August 31, hitch-free in Buea with a call  on the area youth to adopt unity and excellence  as watch words  in what ever activities  they do.

     Massoma Armstrong kinge, brother to the cup donor Dr. David Njie Makongo who is a US-based Cameroonian, made the call as he presided at the finals of the tournament in Bokova Village.

    The two-category soccer tournament, which began on July 12, saw Tripple M.FC of Bwiteva beat Wonya Moka FC of Upper Bokova by 7-2 goals in the male category.

In the female category, United Ladies FC of Bwiteva village defeated Bova United ladies FC by 1-0.

    Both category winners smiled home with trophies and cash prizes (100,000 FRS for Tripple M and 50,000 FRS for United ladies FC). There were other prizes for runners-up and individual laureates.

Massoma  greets players before starts of  match(male cat)

   The management committee revealed that this year Dr. Makongo donated 500,000 Fcfa (up from 300,000Fcfa donated last year) plus other logistic support.

 Eight male teams and four female teams participated in this year’s tournament. 

     The competition is aimed  at “fostering unity among BONAVADA youths, keeping them usefully occupied during this long vacation and helping to expose young talents in the community”, Mbua Emmanuel Mbua,chair of tournament’s management  committee  said at the finals.

    Mbua told spectators that Dr. David Makongo can be likened to “an all-time advocate of development, Unity and peace, whom BONAVADA Youths are Proud of”

He said the four teams that played the finals demonstrated qualities that our “our youths are called upon to emulate and possess, which include: self-confidence, determin

Female finals in mot

ation, hardwork and self-discipline”

   The management committee chair publicly acknowledged the contributions of some Bonavada elite, in kind or cash, towards the successful organization of the tournament, which is now a yearly event. “The game of football today has become so expensive that the Management Committee had to seek for additional support from some elites,”Mbua said.

    In his remarks, Massoma Kinge told the spectators before handing over the trophies to the winners, that his brother, the cup donor, has BONAVADA at heart and has promised to do his best to enhance development and unity in the area.

    Dr. Makongo,via his representative, called on the area youth not only to go to schools and be  educated ,but also to serve examples of excellence in whatever they do.

Cross section of  spectators at the finals

   The maiden edition of the tournament took place last year at the end of which Dr. David Njie Makongo announced his plan to construct in the near future a multi-million ultra-modern football academy in his native town of Buea.

BONAVADA is a development association made up of 13 villages along the slopes of Mt Cameroon in Buea subdivision .Dr. Makongo hails from Bova, one of the BONAVADA villages.

    Apart from the youth football tournament, Dr.Makongo also runs a scholarship program for Bonavada university students to encourage academic excellence.

Former Deputy Mayor of Buea, Lyonga Ngange and other Bonavada elites watched the finals, which many observers admit, were well organized.