An open letter to Obama/Clinton

ABORTION HAS DISASTROUS EFFECTS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH

Since the agrarian revolution about 10,000 years ago, man has desired large families, for economic reasons, to cultivate big farms and become rich.

Governments have encouraged large populations for economic, military, security, and social reasons. To do this, individuals resorted to polygamy and large families. Governments enacted laws and encouraged individuals to have many children.
All governments in the “civilized world” have encouraged population growth. The motivations have varied. Governments have been influenced by economic arguments to bolster their work force, so ensuring that the working population was big enough to sustain dependants; they have been persuaded that national defense requires a large pool from which to recruit troops, and they have been seduced by the notion that national greatness is linked to population. The size of the population determined economic growth and military strength.

As the population increased, economic activities and social needs multiplied. More farms were cultivated, more houses built, more roads constructed and bigger armies required to defend the population.

With the rapid growth of the population commercial activities began and increased in the cities and towns. People grew rich. Population growth became an important factor in determining wealth and military strength. Consequently governments treated abortion, manslaughter, euthanasia and murder as serious criminal offences, punishable in some cases with the death penalty.

In 1873 the U.S. Congress enacted the “Comstock Law”, which regulated public access to birth control devices, medicines, or information for the next 60 years. It was illegal to distribute any device (condoms etc) medicine or information designed to prevent conception, this was applicable even to physicians. The most notorious policies introduced to boost births rates and population growth, were deployed by totalitarian regimes of far – left and right. Monthly pregnancy tests were conducted to see if women were performing their patriotic duty, and were provided more generous subsidized housing to larger families. Across the Communist block pro-birth policies were applied, including State Child - Care and subsidized goods for children and housing to further encourage reproduction. Fascist regimes went further to introduce tax on bachelors. In Nazi Germany the pro-birth program was ruthless. Information about contraception was suppressed. Unmarried adults faced tax penalties. State Loans were given at weddings, only to be written off when a couple produced children.
In this drive to increase population growth and achieve quick economic development, many atrocities were committed. The dignity of the human person was abused and had reached an epoch in which liberty and justice were denied and the dignity of man was trampled upon in many ways. Africa was drained by the slave trade, there was child/ labor, abuse of women and even genocide wars were used.
Then on the 10th Dec. 1948, the UN General Assembly resolution 217 A (111) adopted and proclaimed the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
The General Assemble proclaims: “THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.”

Article. 3 “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”.
The first and most important fundamental human right, and the basis of all human rights, is the RIGHT TO LIFE. Without human beings we cannot talk of human rights.
ABORTION. Abortion is the deliberate killing of a human being after conception and before birth. Miscarriage (or spontaneous abortion) is the accidental death of a human being after conception and before birth. Science and religion agree that human life begins at conception, when the ovum is fertilized by the sperm. In abortion, a human being is deliberately deprived of his/her life. And that is nothing but murder. Abortion is an attack on life itself
The 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the United Nations states that the child “needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.” A principle, which is in keeping with a previous declaration by the World Medical Association to, “maintain the utmost respect for human life, from the time of its conception.”
The 1966 International Convention on Civil and Political Rights states that “sentence of death shall not be carried out on pregnant women, and that the express intention of this article is inspired by consideration of the interest of the unborn child.”
Abortion is a crime against Natural Law, Abortion is a crime against Divine Positive Law (Thou shall not kill), Abortion is a crime punishable under Cameroon Penal Code, Abortion is a contravention of the UN Charter on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a right of every Human Being to life and to live, Abortion is an abuse of the Rights of the Child. Abortion is against African culture and customs. Abortion is a crime against humanity and cannot be justified.
Last year alone millions of children were killed by abortion, more than all the people killed during the two World Wars, more than the Afghanistan and Iran and Iraque wars put together. More people die by abortion every year than they died during the Slave Trade. More people die by abortion every year than they have died through genocide. More people are killed every day by abortion than by terrorism. More people die from abortion than they die from AIDS or Malaria.

Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every Human Being is protected. Abortion is the most despicable, callous, heinous and inhuman method of killing. The child is killed by the very persons who are supposed to protect the innocent, harmless child – their parents and doctors. Think of the barbaric and brutal method called “partial-birth abortion”, usually performed in an advance state of pregnancy. It allows a partial delivery before the baby is killed, in some cases using a small hammer or cudgel to crush the skull of the baby while still crying. Yes this is inhumanity of man to man, legalized by some 90 governments of the “civilized World”, signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Every Government in any country in the world has the right, freedom, liberty and duty to rule and carter for the good of its citizens as it thinks fit unless it is in a gross violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or other international Conventions to which it is a signatory.

Last month Hilary Clinton the American Secretary of State appeared before the US House of Representatives in sworn testimony said the following.

Clinton praised Margaret Sanger, the racist and eugenicist founder of Planned Parenthood Federation. She compared Sanger to Thomas Jefferson.
Clinton praised the UN Population Fund, the UN agency that helped set up and run the Chinese one child policy which is responsible for millions of horrible coercive abortions.
Clinton said the US would ratify the pro-abortion CEDAW treaty, meaning the last meaningful CEDAW holdout will now fall.
THE FULL FORCE OF THE US GOVERNMENT WILL BE USED TO GET GOVERNMENTS TO CHANGE THEIR LAWS ON ABORTION ALL OVER THE WORLD.

This is an insult to governments and countries all over the world. What right has the American government, to use its full force, to subvert, sabotage, and force Sovereign Governments and States all over the world to change their laws on abortion, to amend their Criminal Codes?

The Cameroon Penal Code on abortion is based on our culture, traditions and customs, our love for children, our believe in the sanctity of life, and our love and fear of God.

Last month at a United State (US) House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton stated that there was a new administration in place with different values, beliefs and global agenda. Fine that is for the American people. The global agenda on abortion is not acceptable to Africa and the developing World.
We need our population for our economic development and growth. Africa is poor and underdevelopment because we are under populated.
The average density per sq. km in Europe is 115 people with an average GNP per capital of $23,660, while the average density per sq. km in Africa is 25 people with an average GNP per capita of $637.

Why on earth will Clinton want to force the Developing Countries to reduce their populations by killing their unborn children? Is Europe and America not satisfied with stopping our population growths by pumping trillions of contraceptives, condoms, pills and other abortifacients to the Developing World?. We need our population to grow if we must develop and industrialize and get out of poverty. Europe and America did this in the past, India and China are doing it now. Simplistic as it is, development is by people for people, where there are no people, there is no development.

Madam Hilary Clinton, we followed your work at Cairo+5, Beijing+5, when Mr. Clinton occupied the Oval Office, no body can doubt that you are among the most radical pro-abortion advocates in the world, but please note that the Obama/Clinton Position on Family Planning and Abortion Violates the Cairo Agreement.
Any person who supports abortion, encourages abortion or who commits abortion, or any government which legalizes abortion, is worse than people who commit terrorism, unjust wars or are guilty of genocide. They have no moral right to condemn torture or any crimes against Human Rights.
If America must maintain its leading position in the world and command respect, it must drop its murderous agenda on depopulating the world, through abortion. We reject it and please keep off.

Chief Albert S. Ngwana
National Chairman,
Cardinal Democratic Party,
BP 2401 Bonanjo, Douala, Cameroon
Tel. (237) 7775 7173
Email: ngwanasamba@yahoo.com

CC. The American Ambassador, Yaounde, Cameroon
President Paul Biya, Yaounde, Cameroon.
All Diplomatic Missions to Cameroon,
The UN Secretary General, New York.
The Chairman AU
The Secretary General AU

NB: The Letter was written on 6/5/09

Monitoring and Observing elections

By Tazoacha Asonganyi,Yaounde

Following recent publications indicating that the Chairman of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) has been invited to monitor elections in South Africa, the issue of monitoring and observing elections is brought to the fore. If one were to go by the dictionary definition of "observe" and "monitor", election monitoring and election observation would be used interchangeably.

But they represent different concepts, even if there is a lot that is common to both.
Usually, the election observer has no role in election administration while the monitor has.
The election observer only observes and does not play a supervisory or executive role; the election monitor does not only observe, take note and report but also supervises and gives binding, corrective instructions to the election officials in the course of the electoral process.

In principle, the monitor is a representative of a political party or candidate. Since political parties field candidates at elections, their monitors participate in the maintenance of transparency of the electoral process, to ensure that no other party receives more favourable treatment; indeed, they look out for the interests of their party/candidate.

Not so for the election observer whose role is usually said to be the purposeful gathering of information regarding an electoral process and the making of informed judgement about the process on the basis of the information collected.

In other words, the purpose of observation is to establish whether an election is carried out in accordance with the laws, rules, regulations and processes that govern the conduct of elections in the country concerned, and check the behaviour of officials and stakeholders in relation to the election.
There are usually local and international observers.

In the African context, the most important local observers known include the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) in Ghana and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) in Nigeria. Indeed, during the recent Ghanaian elections, CODEO deployed 4000 independent observers to polling stations throughout Ghana; among them were 1000 Rapid Response Observers (RRO) deployed in "statistically representative and randomly sampled polling stations" throughout the country.
Each RRO was required to send five text messages on Election Day to the CODEO Observation Centre at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre, Accra.

Using the information received from RROs and other CODEO observers, CODEO carried out a Parallel Voting Tabulation (PVT) to publish exit polls. Their exit poll coincided to the nearest decimal point with the final results published by the Electoral Commission of Ghana for the first round of the Presidential election! CODEO also played an important role during the presidential election rerun.
This is why it is appropriate to recommend that the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church, the Cameroon Union of Journalists and other local NGOs that send out local election observers during elections in Cameroon would do well to form a coalition similar to CODEO, so they can play a more significant role during such elections.

International Organisations like the African Union, the European Union, the Commonwealth, The Carter Centre, the National Democratic Institute, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the Francophonie and others usually send out international observers to observe elections in various countries. Such observers stay for weeks/months before the actual Election Day to assess candidate registration, the legal framework, the media situation, the work of the election administration, and the campaign environment, or for about a week to Election Day to observe the opening of polling stations, the voting process, and the counting and tabulation of results.
Some international observers usually remain in the country after Election Day for a few weeks to observe how possible election-related shortcomings and complaints are dealt with by the election administration and the judiciary.
Both local and international observers usually adhere to a code of conduct that prescribes strict impartiality, no conflict of interest, professionalism, discretion, no hindrance of the process, no giving of instructions, no contradiction of decision of election officials, fact-based conclusions, no individual declarations on process, and much more.
Each Organisation that deploys observers during elections gives its specific instructions to its observers.
From the foregoing, it is clear that the Chairman of ELECAM is technically an observer, not a monitor; he is a short term international observer in the Commonwealth Observer Group for the South African elections.
What the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa will be showcasing on Wednesday 22 April, 2009 is actually the apex of a process that has been prepared for about five years.

We do hope that the much the ELECAM Chairman will observe will inspire, not overwhelm him. In any case, the man who urgently needs such exposure is not the Chairman of ELECAM, but the Director General who is responsible for the organisation and management of the poll in Cameroon.

Why Africa South of Sahara Has Highest HIV/AIDS Infections !

By Chief A.S. Ngwana in Douala

To know why Africa South of the Sahara has the highest rate about 76% of HIV/AIDS infections in the world, we must revert to history.
From about 100,000 to 10,000 years ago man survived mainly by hunting, fishing, scavenging and living a migratory type of life.

But from about 10,000 years ago, man was able to domesticate plants and animals and to live a sedentary life. This agricultural
revolution made possible a phenomenal growth of human population and set the stage for events in human history that led to civilization and economic development.
Man wanted many children for economic reasons. The big man or rich man was the man with many children who could cultivate big farms and grow richer. These men became chiefs, fons, emires, or Kings with overwhelming importance and power. In this urge to get material influence and power, many people resulted to polygamy and large families. Sexual intercourse was mainly for procreation and pregnancies were no problem at all because children were considered a gift from God. Hence more children meant more blessings.
All governments throughout history actively encouraged their population growth. The motivations varied from economic, defense and social security. Consequently they treated abortion, murder, manslaughter, and euthanasia as serious criminal offences, punishable in some cases with the death penalty.
In 1873 the U.S. Congress enacted the “Comstock Law”, which regulated public access to birth control devices, medicines or information, for the next 60 years. It was illegal to distribute any device (condom), medicine or information designed to prevent conception, this was applicable even to physicians.
The most notorious policies to boost birth rates and population growths were deployed by totalitarian regimes of far left and right. In Ceausescu’s Romania, the Marxist dictator instituted monthly pregnancy test to see if women were performing their patriotic duty, and they provided more subsidized housing to larger families.
Fascist regimes even went further as Mussolini introduced a tax on bachelors above a certain age.
In Nazi Germany the pro-birth program was highly motivated and information about contraception was suppressed and unmarried adults faced tax penalties.
Across the communist block pro-birth policies were applied.

Even democracies like the France of the 1920s, laws were introduced to limit the sale of contraceptives and payments were allocated to women who stayed at home (giving birth)
Europe like the rest of the world adopted the culture of life for Religious, Economic and Political reasons.
European culture and traditions were greatly influenced by the Christian Religion and laws and customs were based on the “sanctity of life”. Divorce was forbidden, adultery was an offence, abortion was an offence, contraceptives forbidden, homosexuality was an offence, suicide was forbidden, euthanasia was forbidden, Prostitution, bestiality, necrophilia, paedophilia, pornography and incest were forbidden by law.
Then secularism, materialism and realism crept in and things started falling apart.
The Industrial Revolution transformed Europe from an agrarian society into a predominantly manufacturing world. Industrialization, mechanization, science and technology, rendered manual labour less demanding and almost irrelevant in some cases.
But most of Africa South of the Sahara, for centuries was isolated and cut off from the technological, intellectual progress and cultural revolutions that were taking place in the whole world.

It was cut off from the civilizations of the Mediterranean and the Near East by the Sahara Desert. It was cut off by the Equatorial Nile. It was cut off by the oceans and it was cut off by the almost impenetrable tropical forest.
In its isolation Africa remained an AGRARIAN society and maintained the need for large families and many children. More so, many children died at infancy due to diseases and lack of medicine. Consequently, parents had many children on the assumption that some would survive to adulthood.
Fertility was an important part of life and the gods were often consulted when this was lacking, for more children meant more blessings from God.
Barrenness was considered a curse from God.

Hence the African love for many children developed and with it our culture of polygamy.
Isolated Africa did not come in contact with Christianity for centuries.
Christianity which had influenced European culture and laws did not come to Africa early enough to influence African traditions, cultures and laws. Consequently, polygamy, fornication, and promiscuity were not considered SINS, by African laws, customs and traditions.

The HIV/AIDS is spread mainly by sexual intercourse. Polygamy and the African love for many children, encourage Promiscuity, and promiscuity encourages the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Hence Africa South of the Sahara has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infections in the world about 76%.
Therefore to control the spread of AIDS in Africa south of the Sahara, Africa must change or modify some of its cultures and traditions. Those African countries South of the Sahara, which have embraced the Christian religion, and practiced Fidelity in monogamy and abstinence before marriage, as preached by the Christian Religion, have experienced a great reduction in their rate of the HIV/AIDS infection.

Cameroon: Politician Wants Prostitutes Arrested

By Christopher Ambe Shu

Albert Samba Ngwana, Chairman of Cardinal Democratic Party (CDP) of Cameroon, has urged the Cameroonian Government to arrest and prosecute all known prostitutes in the Country, insisting that they are criminals.
Angered by an interview granted to a local tabloid by a woman, presenting herself as President of Northwest Prostitutes, the CDP chair, has in a letter dated April 6,2009,addressed to the Governor of the Northwest Region of Cameroon, called for the immediate arrest of the chief Prostitute and co.

Below is the letter, read on:

The Governor,
N.W. Region,
Bamenda.
Cameroon,

Your Excellency Sir,

“PRESIDENT OF NW PROSTITUTES SAYS THEY EARN THRICE MORE THAN CIVIL SERVANTS”

The Star Newspaper of today Monday April 6, 2009 published a lengthy interview Ndi Ndi in Bamenda had with Ndongla Mairo, where she proclaimed herself as the President of Northwest Prostitutes. A union they started in 2006 with about 325 prostitutes.

Your Excellency, the whole Nation was shocked and scandalized by this revelation.
Prostitution is an offence punishable under section 343 of the Cameroon Penal Code. The punishment ranges from six months to five years imprisonment or a fine of 20,000 to 500,000 CFA.
We want you to instruct the department in charge of crimes to investigate and arrest the culprits at once and bring them to justice.

Cameroon is running down to chaos and immorality and this must stop.
In February this year the Wouri SDO took a bold step to clear the Douala Municipality of prostitutes, by rounding them up at night. We applauded his action and asked other SDOs to do same.

The N.W. Prostitutes have declared themselves through their president as practicing prostitution and should be arrested at once and tried according to the law.

Mr. Governor, we hope that you will act swiftly.

Yours faithfully,
Chief A.S. Ngwana,
National Chairman,
Cardinal Democratic Party.

Copy: SDO Bamenda
Government delegate Bamenda
Commissioner of Police Bamenda
Chief of National Security Bamenda

Boniface Nkobena’s Paradigm of Paul Biya: Governance by Intentions and Opposite Outcomes

By Tazoacha Asonganyi in Yaounde.

Nkobena Boniface Fontem recently launched a book of 175 pages titled, "Sarcedotal Politics and Systems Sustainability: The Paul Biya Paradigm". The book published by "Presses Universitaires de Yaoundé" and going for 10.000 FCFA a copy, is arranged in nine chapters as follows: Chapter one: The theoretical framework: contending approaches; Chapter two: Some historical insights: ideal type leaders; Chapter three: The task ahead: patterns of social deviancy; Chapter four: Policy goals: towards eradicating deviancy; Chapter five: Policy instruments and implementation; Chapter six: Policy outcome metrics; Chapter seven: Towards explanations; Chapter eight: Implications: findings and relevance; Chapter nine: Some perspectives: what ought to be done.
Science is part of a shared humanity. As a fraternity of enquiring minds, it has evolved into a universal language of hypothesis-testing and self-correction. This is probably why "to give a scientific content" to the book, the author provides a hypothesis for his "study" as follows: "that there is a strong causal relationship between leadership quality and systems sustainability; that sarcedotal politics is isomorphic with idealist precepts which are sine qua non for systems sustainability; that systems sustainability is a function of sarcedotal behaviour; and that systems sustainability is a function of leadership quality".

The scientific method does not allow the adoption of a sloppy methodology to test hypotheses in order to arrive at pre-determined answers to research questions.

The author sets the stage for the testing of his hypothesis, by reviewing some historical intellectual figures which he presents in the "idealist school" (John Locke, Rousseau, Bentham, Kant, Durkheim, Mill) or the "realist school" (Thucydide, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Richelieu). He also reviews the lives of some historic political figures "whose vocational life incarnates sarcedotal behaviour" (Mahatma Ghandi, Luther King, John Kennedy, de Gaulle, and Mandela).

In order to "test" his hypothesis, he uses what Stephen Covey would describe as "Character Ethics", and which the author describes as "ten qualities that characterise President Biya’s management style" (experience, patience, tolerance/dialogue spirit, discretion, humaneness, resourcefulness/rigour, liberal-mindedness, moral rectitude, legal-mindedness, foresightedness ... and the role of his spouse). There is no control group (or society) as such, but it can be assumed that the group of historic political figures cited above is his control group against which he measures his hero! Following the "testing" process, he places Paul Biya squarely in the idealist school, and in the same league with these political figures!

History teaches us that well-intentioned people are not a safeguard, as highlighted by the statement of John Steinbeck that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Good intentions have to always hinge on a social contract that binds society and allows good-intentions to be fulfilled. Another serious weakness of the book is that much of the testing process is based on the expression of good intentions, divorced from a strong social contract – strong institutions in a constitutional framework accepted by all. The author falls in the class of those who depend on the whims and caprices of "strongmen" rather than a strong institutional dispensation that protects the rights of individual citizens so that they can seek the good as they see fit.

Choices and actions must be rooted in social circumstances. Therefore it is foolhardy to invoke schools of thought and the choices and actions of historical political figures who acted within the ambit of strong institutions, to compare them with choices and actions in a society characterised by weak and repressed institutions. When there is little or no trust, good rhetoric and good intentions make no difference, since they cannot provide a foundation for permanent success.

Intellectuals are people who live in the world of ideas, books and writing. They hold up a mirror to those in authority, to allow permanent self-examination. They occupy the moral high ground, work for the good of society rather than the good of the few, live in truth and speak the truth to the prince/princess. Although some intellectuals are academics/experts, they should never be confused with the academics/experts that work for factions in society, live in half-truth, and tell the prince/princess what they want to hear.

Economists usually emphasise the outcome of choice; psychologists, the process of choice. Politicians should emphasise both. These are judged by a process of "legitimation", which, according to Jurgen Habermas, is an enquiry that considers whether one’s decisions enhance our social world and enrich our interactions with one another. The book under review is an effort at the legitimation of 26 years of Paul Biya at the helm of the Cameroon state by an academic/expert. The author exploits intentions expressed by Paul Biya and third parties, and describes the opposite outcomes of the intentions in the Cameroon society as the consequence of "political, economic, socio-cultural and administrative deviances" that he seems to consider to be independent of his hero’s will!

Faced with the "good intentions" he acclaims and the opposite outcomes he cannot ignore, the author states that "People hardly imagine what it would mean for a Head of State, an individual human being to personally go round every corner of the nation to track down defaulters; what it would mean for him to personally thrash every defaulter". He does not seem to know that the legendary politicians he cites in his book as his hero’s league mates, did not need to personally go round their countries to seek defaulters; decentralised, strong institutions lighted the torch in all corners of their societies!
Quoting Thucydide, the author says, "I have written not for immediate applause but for posterity, and shall be content if the future student of these events…finds my narrative of them useful".
Interestingly, although he talks about posterity and the future, he seems to view "sustainability" as a process in Paul Biya’s lifetime, even if the Brundtland Commission provided the world with the following definition of sustainable development: "development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
Politics being the key to development, and judging by the outcomes of Paul Biya’s choices in our society, I doubt that either this book or the legacy of Paul Biya would enjoy the sustainability claimed by the author.

Tuberculosis: Right Action Is The Panacea.

By Christopher Ambe Shu

"Are your parents aware that you are sick?”
Ngwa, a Cameroonian, provocatively asked his classmate, John, who had just stopped coughing and was catching his breath.

“I don’t blame you. I didn’t buy it?” fumed John in reply. Even though John, looking frail, had been coughing with difficulty, for over two weeks he did not deem it necessary to consult a medical doctor to ascertain the cause of his troubling cough.

Why? He probably thought he had not had enough pains to feel threatened by his ailment. He was ignorant that he had TB, whose victims are stigmatised in many regions

But he would later be told in hospital that he had Active TB, and advised to start and take his treatment seriously.

TB is an infection caused by a bacterium, called mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB is a dangerious, but curable disease, which has killed millions of people worldwide. Millions of people are still living with this infirmity despite increased efforts by health professionals to eliminate it from the surface of the earth

Health experts are agreed that, TB spreads through the air and usually affects one’s lungs. But other body parts such as bones, kidneys, spine and brain can also be infected

Indeed, there are two types of TB :( 1) TB Infection or Latent TB, meaning the bacterium is present but is not making the carrier sick; that also means the carrier can not spread the disease. (2) Active TB: the bacterium is present and is making the carrier sick; that suggests the carrier may be able to spread the disease.

Health is wealth. But unfortunately, many Africans -especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, for several reasons among which is poverty (weak financial power), don’t take their health seriously. They don’t respect their bodies and find no reason to give them special attention.
When you advise them to do check-ups or go for treatment at the early stage of an infection, this may be what you get in reply: “Don’t worry .I am feeling better. I don’t have money. I will be OK soon”

It is true that the body can get rid of some ailments without you resorting to medical treatment, but when an ailment is punishing you or taking long to disappear, there is that urgent need to seek medical advice and even moral support.

Some Africans forget that when one person in a family or community is sick other relations are affected and or infected in case of contagious disease.

The stress resulting from the sickness of a loved one could be financial, emotional, psychological or even physical-all obstacles to happiness

Suzy Prudden, one great mind, noted, “Your body is your vehicle for life. As long as you are here, live in it.
Love, honour, respect and cherish it, treat it well, and it will serve you in kind."

There are many killer- diseases such as AIDS, cancer, malaria, diabetes and tuberculosis (TB)
While some as AIDS are incurable such, others such as TB are curable. How nice to know that a killer disease is curable!

This writer’s particular concern here is on TB. Every March 24 is celebrated as World TB Day. That was the case last 24 March .This day is intended to celebrate the lives and stories of people affected by TB and those involved in the global war against this killer disease.
Cameroon, a Central African country with rising cases of TB, was also actively involved in this year’s celebration. In 2007, for example, it was estimated that Cameroon had 35,556 new TB cases and Cameroonians who were living with TB totalled 36.088.

World-wide in 2007 it was estimated that about 15 million people were living with TB despite sustained efforts to contain it.

When John, mentioned earlier, was coughing he did not suspect it could be a symptom of TB. Of course, he did not know that people with active tuberculosis often feel tired, and have a long lasting cough. Other TB symptoms may include weight loss, a fever or difficult breathing, chest pain, bloody sputum and night sweats

“Thank God that I was diagnosed with TB only. When I started coughing my classmates were claiming that I was an AIDS patient. That frightened me much and I was afraid to go to the hospital for testing .But I gathered courage and went for it. I was tested for both TB and HIV and I have only TB.I am already on drugs,” John who did not know how he got infected, but accepted that he was a heavy alcohol consumer, told me. “I have made my friends to understand that I am HIV negative. I am a free man.”

The people with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis far exceed those who have already developed active TB.

Health professionals often prescribe particular antibiotics for people diagnosed with the TB bacteria to take for some time, so to kill the infection, so it must not later develop into active TB.

And these bacteria –carriers are warned to strictly respect their drug prescription and to report any side effects as soon as need be.

For those who have developed active TB, they are prescribed a combination of antibiotics to take simultaneously so that the TB does not become resistant to treatment. TB patients require regular checkups to ensure they stay free of the tuberculosis disease, even after completing the full course of treatment that is usually six moths.

Dr. Matilda Ako Arrey, who is regional coordinator of Cameroon TB Control Programme for the Southwest Region with a population of over 1.3 million people ,on Radio Buea Health Updates slot, said, “TB cases are increasing in the region( Cameroon). Due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, TB cases are increasing.”

The Southwest region of Cameroon has 16 TB treatment centres. In 2008, Wane Victor, a health worker assisting Dr Ako Arrey revealed that 1112 (pulmonary) TB cases were diagnosed, adding that 41 started treatment and later stopped.

The other nine regions of Cameroon have their own TB statistics

“Defaulting patients are a problem to us”, cried Dr. Ako Arrey, insisting that sensitisation on TB must continue. “We are not satisfied with the level of sensitisation here.”

She noted that those who are mostly at risk of contracting the TB infection are smokers, abusive alcohol drinkers, those poorly fed, and those living in poorly ventilated houses. She called for healthy living habits.

TB and HIV /AIDS seem to be in love. That is why when one has TB he is tested for HIV and vice versa so that proper treatment can begin right away.

HIV/AIDS weakens the immune system and so someone with HIV is likely to have TB
“A weakened immune system allows TB to reproduce unchecked within the body, causing illness,” according to one health writer, Mark Cichocki R.N of About.com.

“In HIV infected people, TB infection of the lungs or anywhere else in the body is considered an AIDS-defining condition. In other words, a person with both HIV and active TB has AIDS.”

There is no doubt that TB is a dangerous but curable disease; and that Cameroon ,like other countries, is making efforts ,supported by international organisations, to combat it.But such efforts need to be intensified at all levels.

But the panacea to TB, many now argue, is taking the right action at the right time. That would mean massive and continued sensitisation and education of citizens on all what the disease is about, subsidized treatment of patients, monitoring of patients on drugs, making TB drugs readily available, discouraging abusive smoking and alcohol consumption that are risk factors for TB; a call for improved diet and other healthy living habits such as enough sleep, regular exercise, strict respect of drug prescription.
But above all, action must be taken by all citizens within their means to pay greater attention to their health by going for regular medical check-ups. Health is wealth, they say.

The Pope on Condoms and AIDS

Pope Benedict XVI has every right to express his opposition to the use of condoms on moral grounds, in accordance with the official stance of the Roman Catholic Church. But he deserves no credence when he distorts scientific findings about the value of condoms in slowing the spread of the AIDS virus.

As reported on Tuesday by journalists who accompanied the pope on his flight to Africa, Benedict said that distribution of condoms would not resolve the AIDS problem but, on the contrary, would aggravate or increase it.

The first half of his statement is clearly right. Condoms alone won’t stop the spread of H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. Campaigns to reduce the number of sexual partners, safer-sex practices and other programs are needed to bring the disease to heel.

But the second half of his statement is grievously wrong. There is no evidence that condom use is aggravating the epidemic and considerable evidence that condoms, though no panacea, can be helpful in many circumstances.

From an individual’s point of view, condoms work very well in preventing transmission of the AIDS virus from infected to uninfected people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites “comprehensive and conclusive” evidence that latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are “highly effective” in preventing heterosexual transmission of the virus that causes AIDS.

The most recent meta-analysis of the best studies, published by the respected Cochrane Collaboration, concluded that condoms can reduce the transmission of the AIDS virus by 80 percent.

However, both groups warned that condom use cannot provide absolute protection. Condoms sometimes break, slip or are put on incorrectly. The best way to avoid transmission of the virus is to abstain from sexual intercourse or have a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected person.

From a national perspective, condom promotion has been effective in slowing epidemics in several countries among high-risk groups, such as sex workers and their customers, but less effective in slowing epidemics that have spread into the general population, as in much of sub-Saharan Africa. That is probably because far too few people use condoms consistently and correctly.

Even so, health authorities consider condoms a valuable component of any well-rounded program to prevent the spread of AIDS. It seems irresponsible to blame condoms for making the epidemic worse.

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Courtesy:The New York Times ,Editorial of March 18, 2009

Pope Arrives in Cameroon

Cameroon (AP) -Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Cameroon to start his first visit to Africa as pontiff.

The pope's Alitalia plane touched down in Yaounde at around 1500 GMT on Tuesday. It had departed hours earlier from a Rome airport.

Speaking aboard the plane that took him to Cameroon's capital, the pope touched on Africa's AIDS pandemic, saying that condoms were not the answer in the continent's fight against HIV.
The seven-day pilgrimage will also include Angola and is Benedict's first trip as pontiff to Africa, the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic Church.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI said on his way to Africa Tuesday that condoms were not the answer in the continent's fight against HIV, his first explicit statement on an issue that has divided even clergy working with AIDS patients.

Benedict had never directly addressed condom use. He has said that the Roman Catholic Church is in the forefront of the battle against AIDS. The Vatican encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease.

"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters aboard the Alitalia plane headed to Yaounde, Cameroon, where he will begin a seven-day pilgrimage on the continent. "On the contrary, it increases the problem."

About 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, according to UNAIDS. In 2007, three-quarters of all AIDS deaths worldwide were there, as well as two-thirds of all people living with HIV.
Rebecca Hodes with the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa said if the pope is serious about preventing new HIV infections, he will focus on promoting wide access to condoms and spreading information on how best to use them.

"Instead, his opposition to condoms conveys that religious dogma is more important to him than the lives of Africans," said Hodes, director of policy, communication and research for the action campaign.
While she said the pope is correct that condoms are not the sole solution to Africa's AIDS epidemic, she said they are one of the very few HIV prevention mechanisms proven to work.
Even some priests and nuns working with those living with HIV/AIDS question the church's opposition to condoms amid the pandemic ravaging Africa.

Benedict's first papal trip to Africa this week will take him to Cameroon and Angola. Africa is the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic Church, though it competes with Islam and evangelical churches.

The pope also said Tuesday that he intends to make an appeal for "international solidarity" for Africa in the face of the global economic downturn.
He said that while the church does not propose specific economic solutions, it can give "spiritual and moral" suggestions.

Describing the current crisis as the consequence of "a deficit of ethics in economic structures," the pope said: "It is here that the church can make a contribution."
On the plane, Benedict also dismissed the notion that he was facing increasing opposition and isolation within the church, particularly after an outreach to ultraconservatives that led to his lifting the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop.

"The myth of my solitude makes me laugh," the pope said, adding that he can count on a network of friends and aides whom he sees every day.

In a letter to Catholic bishops released last week, the pope made an unusual public acknowledgment of Vatican mistakes and turmoil in his church over the rehabilitation of Bishop Richard Williamson.

While acknowledging mistakes were made in handling the affair, Benedict said he was saddened that he was criticized "with open hostility" even by those who should have known better.
---
Associated Press Writer Krista Larson in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

Sarkozy Invites Biya to France to Defrost Bilateral Relations

By Christopher Ambe Shu

The apparent icy relationship between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Paul Biya may be getting warm.
President Sarkozy, widely believed by political observers not to be too friendly towards President Biya who has ruled Cameroon for over 26 years, has, at long last, extended an official invitation to the Cameroonian president to visit France this summer ,for a yet -to -be disclosed agenda.

Picture: Presidents Sarkozy and Biya{Elysee}
But pundits think that Sarkosy now wants to voice out on democratic reforms inCameroon,which have been subject of public criticism.

Sarkozy, who hates dictatorship, is said to be unhappy with Biya’s luke warm attitude towards carrying out genuine political and democratic reforms.
The Cameroonian president early last year influenced the amendment of the country’s constitution which scrapped off presidential term limit, by using his ruling CPDM party’s crushing majority in Parliament against popular protests.
And last December he appointed several CPDM members into ELECAM, the body that’s supposed to organize all elections in Cameroon, whereas the law calls for the appointment of neutral personalities. That act of Biya again drew sharp criticisms from within and out of the Cameroon especially Western Democracies.

Cameroon, a former French and British colony, is quite rich in natural resources. For example, Cameroon’s Bakassi peninsula, which projects in to the Gulf of Guinea is believed to contain up to 10% of the world’s oil and gas reserves.
France has huge investments and interests in this Central African Country and has maintained close relations with it for decades

But relations between both presidents are reportedly icy.

Should Biya honor Sarkozy’s invitation, then that would revive and deepen French-Cameroonian ties, as well as between both leaders
Biya first paid an official visit to France after Sarkozy was elected President in May 2007, but against high expectations Cameroon was dropped from a list of African countries President Sarkozy plans to visit not long from now.

Alain Joyandet, French Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophonie was last Tuesday in Cameroon and was warmly received in audience at Unity Palace (Cameroon Presidency) by the Cameroonian President, during which he extended Sarkozy’s invitation to Biya.

But it was not clear whether Biya, who had since be expecting Sarkozy to also visit Cameroon, readily accepted the offer
After the audience with Biya which lasted about an hour, the French Cooperation Minster told journalists that, their discussion centered on Franco -Cameroonian ties, which he described as good.
Joyandet who was in Cameroon for two-day visit, also announced the visit of Francois Fillon, French Prime Minister to Cameroon in the near future

Roland Fube and Human Rights in Cameroon

By Tazoacha Asonganyi in Yaounde.

Paul Biya has been around as head of state for the last 27 years. Since presidents are usually overexposed by the press, it is certain that Cameroonians have since lost interest in him because such exposure brings boredom after 5, 10, not to talk of 27 years! The people have since tuned out and can only be reawakened by a new show, a new leader...

As head of state, his cronies usually say that all that is done in Cameroon is done under his authority; therefore all bad and good happenings are attributable to him. Joblessness, unchecked corruption, embezzlement of public funds, impunity of public servants, electoral fraud, lack of transparency and accountability, inefficiency, and generalized indiscipline are all attributable to him.
In addition, as president, he is too aloof and does not behave like somebody who knows that "The People" are the boss for whom he works! He is perceived as one who invokes one set of conduct for those who oppose him and another for his friends and cronies; as one who pretends to impose discipline on his subordinates without accepting and working to the same discipline himself. He is supposed to be the national arbiter and be seen not to have a partisan spirit, but he has.

From this perspective, Cameroonians have a reason to be angry with him, and are likely to lose their nerves at the least provocation. Waiting for a presidential convoy for hours in heavy traffic, under the scorching sun is enough provocation!

Roland Fube, a school teacher in Yaounde is languishing in Kondengui prison "awaiting trial" for having made an "anti-Biya" statement when he lost his nerve in a traffic jam caused by the convoy of the president. The Forchive years are forcefully brought back to us by the news that he was arrested instantly by a plainclothes policeman! That era was supposed to have officially ended with the advent of the Criminal Procedure Code! How many such mad plainclothes men are going around the country unknown to us?

It is interesting that we recently read in a local newspaper that a whiteman, in frustration against anti-Obama statements being made by some white persons in the United States wrote that "I am going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying in seriousness or in jest anything of a threatening nature about President Obama". The white persons who say such threatening things are racists who do not think that a black man should be the president of the US
.In any case, this is only mentioned here to highlight the fact that where freedom of speech is a human value, a serious security force carries out investigations to determine to what extent "a threat" can go beyond "talking the talk". After all, during the colonial days, we are told that when an old African threatened to kill a whiteman if he had the opportunity, and was arrested for it, he asked his interrogators: "my mouth na gun?" If as some version puts it, the statement Roland Fube made in anger was "a threat", it is proper to ask the same question on his behalf...

Fube’s case indicates clearly that the Fochive era is still with us! Indeed, it is common knowledge that to settle a score with your "neigbour", you can pay a freak in a police station to cause him/her to be invited to the police station on a Friday...to be arrested and thrown into a police cell to spend the weekend there until Monday! Some of the extra-judicial killings that occur often in Cameroon, occur during such senseless and shameful operations!

Of recent there has been much talk about the human rights situation in Cameroon. This was ignited by the damning report of Amnesty International on the human rights situation in the country, published in January 2009. Many defenders of the Yaounde regime have made frantic efforts to give the impression that the report is an exaggeration. In the process, we have had confirmation that the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms in Yaounde is nothing short of window dressing. Roland Fube’s case tells us that the situation of human rights in Cameroon could even be worse than the one painted by Amnesty International!

Pope’s Cameroon Visit:Another Holy Opportunity for Biya

By Chritopher Ambe Shu
Preparations are in high gear as Cameroon, Africa in miniature, looks forward to receiving Pope Benedict XVI on March 17.That will be Pope Benedict’s first pastoral visit to Africa since assuming the papacy in April 2005.
Some African countries, which were apparently hoping to host the incumbent Head of State of Vatican City, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to media reports, think Cameroon should not have been chosen as the first African host of this Vicar of Christ on earth.
Pope Benedict’s predecessor, Pope John Paul II, had visited Cameroon twice -in 1985, and in September 1995, whereas several countries had not had such “regular holy visits”

The German-born Benedict is scheduled to have audience with President Paul Biya at Unity Pace, during which, it is widely hoped, there will be frank exchanges between the Pope and the President on matters of good governance, human rights, moral and democratic values.

President Biya, himself a staunch catholic would likely want to confide in the pontiff and seek his blessings in his leadership of Cameroon, pundits say.
The Papal visit to Cameroon is coming at a time when President Biya’s image is badly battered and soiled for socio-economic and political reasons, begging for cleansing.
Many political observers consider Biya’s leadership as “undemocratic and anti-people” even though the president has always claimed he is bent on modernizing and democratizing Cameroon.

Biya, who has ruled Cameroon for some 26 years, for example, still got his crushing majority in Parliament last year to amend the country’s constitution, removing term limits, against popular protest at home and abroad. The move was interpreted as Biya’s intention to become life president. His current and second seven- year mandate is expected to end in 2011.
Again, late last year Biya appointed several CPDM diehards as members of ELECAM (Cameroon’s so-called independent electoral body) and has since been widely criticized for not respecting the law which calls for the appointment of independent personalities. But the president does not seem to bother about the criticisms.
In protest, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Cameroon’s leading opposition party has called for the boycott of any election organized by ELECAM, a call which if respected may plunge the country into violent confrontations.
Mgr Victor Tonye Bakot, Catholic Archbishop of Yaoundé (capital of Cameroon), who is also Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Pope‘s visit to Cameroon recently disclosed to the press that, Cameroon government and the church would share the financial cost of hosting the pope and his large delegation ,which could run in to hundreds of millions of FCFA.
It is worth noting that, the Pope was jointly invited to Cameroon by President Biya and the National Episcopal Conference

But the most certain thing that Cameroon would reap from the visit is the Pope’s Blessings to the leadership of Cameroon and its citizens

In Cameroon, the pope will also meet with bishops, Muslim authorities, and on March 19 celebrate an open-air mass on the occasion of the publication of the Instrumentum Laboris of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops at Amadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé.

The Pope leaves Cameroon on March 20 for Angola’s capital, Luanda.
Pope Benedict’s predecessor Pope John Paul II had visited Cameroon twice -in 1985, and in September 1995 at the celebration phase of the African Synod.
And in his departure speech at Yaoundé airport on 16 September 1995, after his three-day visit, Pope John Paul II had called on Cameroonians “in positions of authority in public life and business… to contribute to removing the obstacles, which still impede the development that ought to benefit their compatriots”. He strongly remarked, “My visit to Cameroon has enabled me to see the many material and spiritual gifts which the Almighty God has poured out upon your country”
But despite Cameroon’s abundant natural and human resources a majority of its citizens still live in abject poverty as corruption, embezzlement of public funds by holders of public office, unemployment are at record high.
Cameroon recently emerged twice as the most corrupt country in the world, according to Transparency International, a Berlin –based good governance watchdog.

These social ills that are so rife in Cameroon are not unknown to Pope Benedict XVI
That is why on receiving Cameroon’s Ambassador to the Holy See last year, Pope Benedict XVI seriously warned the Biya regime to contain corruption, which has eaten deep into the fabric of this central African country

The Pope is coming to Cameroon at a time when even the country’s Catholic Church is known to be critical of the Biya regime, for not doing much to improve the lot of citizens

The Catholic Church in Cameroon has in the last two decades had several of its priests murdered in mysterious circumstances, prompting the Vatican to call on the Cameroon government to carry out investigations so to prosecute the killers, but results of such probes are hardly made public.

But many critical watchers of Cameron political arena are convinced that President Paul Biya, will this time take the Pope’ s God- inspired advice very serious and govern the country with the fear of GOD, which is said to the beginning of Wisdom.

According to Vatican Information Service, “Cameroon has a population of 18,160,000 of whom 4,842,000 (26.7 percent) are Catholic. There are 24 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 816 parishes and 3,630 pastoral centres of other kinds. Currently, there are 31 bishops, 1,847 priests, 2,478 religious, 28 lay members of secular institutes and 18,722 catechists. Minor seminarians number 2,249 and major seminarians 1,361.
‘A total of 410,964 students attend 1,530 centres of Catholic education,
from kindergartens to universities. Other institutions belonging to the
Church or run by priests or religious in Cameroon include 28 hospitals, 235 clinics, 11 homes for the elderly or disabled, 15 orphanages and nurseries,

40 family counselling centres and other pro-life centres, 23 centres for
education and social rehabilitation, and 32 institutions of other kinds.’’

''Cameroon Law Is Against Direct Trial of Children by Courts"

- Magistrate Mrs. Epie Esther Ayuk, Deputy President Court of
First Instance, Buea and National Coordinator of CYJULERC

So concerned about the welfare of children, Magistrate Epie Esther Ayuk(pictured below) is fond of organising sensitisation meetings on Human Rights promotion and protection. As the only Inquiry Magistrate for children in the town of Buea and National Coordinator of Cameroon Young Jurists' Legal Resource Centre (CYJULERC) she recently assembled stakeholders in the juvenile justice chain to be updated on Children’s rights. This jurist spoke to Christopher Ambe Shu after the seminar. Excerpts:

Your Worship, you recently organised a seminar at the Conference Hall of Alliance Franco- Cameronaise in Buea., What was the focus of the seminar?

Magistrate (Mrs)Epie Esther:The seminar was organised by Cameroon Young Jurists Legal Resource Centre (CYJULERC), a human rights organisation with headquarters in Buea. The seminar was on Juvenile Justice Chain in Cameroon: The Role of Actors; it also focused on international instruments relevant to juvenile justice administration .It was organised to commemorate the this year‘s youth day. And talking about youth we thought, there were some youth who were being neglected, whom we thought we could remember them on this day, and that is the young people involved in crime. This is a class that is always forgotten because most of the children involved are neglected or abandoned children. And most of them live along the streets and when they are picked up by law enforcement officers, no adult knows what has happened to them. And as such, no body cares about what is happening to them.
So we thought that CYJULERC, which has as one of its duties the protection of children’s rights , should organise a meeting to bring together the actors of the Juvenile Justice Chain-that is the civil society , the social welfare officers , the judicial officers(gendarmes and police),the State Counsel Chambers(the Prosecutors),the examining and inquiry magistrates , judges and the Prison officers, to deeply reflect on juvenile justice, and work together to ensure the justice of the young people when need arises.

From the interaction of participants during the one-day workshop, would you say the objective of the meeting was fully achieved?

It was achieved. It was more that the success we expected. The turn out was very massive, with over 40 participants. Some people who were not invited got wind of the meeting and turned up. Everybody participated actively and learned much from each other. We learned much on how to improve on certain aspects of our job working as a team. The workshop revised UN Guidelines for the prevention of Juvenile Deliquency, which stresses that, prevention of juvenile delinquency is an essential part of crime prevention in society. We treated the UN standard minimum rules for the administration of juvenile justice as well as the UN Rules for the protection of juveniles deprived of their liberty. The rules include principles that define the specific circumstances under which children can be deprived of their liberty, emphasizing that deprivation of liberty must be a last resort measure, for the shortest possible period of time and limited to exceptional cases.
We also examined the vulnerability of children in conflict with the law.

What are some of the new things you learned to improve on juvenile justice?

The meeting was chaired by the State Counsel for Buea,His Lordship Justice Wanki,who expounded on what is meant by juvenile justice and what laws are applicable in Cameroon and how these young people should be treated. One of the things which the participants learned which was new was the fact that, Juvenile justice was not only considered when it comes to crime, but also considered in civil matter; the young people have to be taken care of well.

How would you define juvenile justice?

It is an expression used when children come in conflict with the law. The justice that is supposed to be meted on them is special. The law has provided special protection for them to be treated differently from the adult. So, we can say juvenile justice is a process of trying children who are in conflict with the law. The term “children in conflict with the law” refers to anyone under 18 years who comes into contact with the justice system as a result of being suspected or accused of committing an offence.

What special treatment do children have over adults?

The law in Cameroon has stratified children. Below ten years –total criminal irresponsibility; this means they are not responsible for their acts. Children between 10 and 14, they have partial responsibility and between 14 and 18, they have diminished responsibility. So the law has given this special provision for children’s responsibility to be diminished in case they are involved in criminal offences. Because of their vulnerability, these young ones will not fully know their responsibility and so the law makes it mandatory for those who are in charge of to be very careful. When a child is picked along the street by the law enforcement officer for having committed a crime it is mandatory for a social report to be carried out to be able to know the origin or the person of this child, the parent and the status of the child. The law also makes it mandatory for children not to be tried directly by the courts; they have to go through a special procedure of preliminary inquiry by an Inquiry magistrate, who is a magistrate of the bench of the Court of first Instance. Even if they are supposed to be tried it is not in the open court. They are supposed to be tried in camera –that is in chambers with only those involved in the matters.

Why are you so concerned with juvenile justice? Is it because you are a mother?

Partly so. I am privileged to be a mother and I am also privileged to be a magistrate whose duty is to mete out justice to children. Coincidently I am the only inquiry magistrate for children now in Buea.I hope another one will be appointed soon. I am versed with their problems

Cameroon: “Secessionists” gaining grounds as Biya procrastinates

By Christopher Ambe Shu

The Cameroon government has since the formation in 1994 of Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC-a political pressure group, been harassing, molesting, arresting, prosecuting and allegedly persecuting members and sympathisers of this group.

President Paul Biya(pictured), who has ruled Cameroon for over 26 years and his regime describe the SCNC as “illegal and secessionist.”
But many pundits and human rights campaigners think the grievances of the SCNC are genuine, begging for corrective action

Last Monday over 25 more SCNC members were arrested by the Biya administration on claims that they were holding an illegal meeting and "threatening public order".

According to REUTERS, “The SCNC said the activists were arrested in Tiko, 50 km (30 miles) west of the southern city of Douala, where they went to support a colleague standing trial for holding an illegal meeting last October.

"The trial was adjourned and the leaders retired for a meal ... when they were surrounded by 14 (soldiers from) occupation forces and arrested," the group said in a press release.”

The SCNC is fighting, using “The Force of Argument, Not the Argument of Force” which is its motto, for the restoration of the independence of Southern Cameroons’- the portion of Cameroonian territory inhabited by English –Speaking citizens, commonly called Anglophones

In other words the SCNC, under the leadership of Chief Ayamba Otun(pictured below) is fighting against what they refer to as the gross marginalisation in appointments in top public offices and administration, army as well as in infrastructure development of the minority English-speaking Cameroonians by their majority French-speaking compatriots, called Francophones.

In deed, Anglophones feel they are treated as a conquered people in Cameroon; that they are discriminated against in almost of facets of national life. They cry aloud that they are not given their fair share of the “national cake”. But the Biya regime seems to have been giving them a deaf ear.

Do you still believe in the SCNC cause? I asked Cameroonian- born Sam Ekontang Elad, a noted lawyer and pioneer SCNC chairman in an interview recently.
And after reflecting for a few seconds, he retorted, “Any one, who wants human rights, federalism, poverty eradication, democracy, and good governance, will continue believing in the SCNC cause. The cause is a genuine one! I think the validity of what the SCNC stands for remains very much alive”

Going by Lawyer Elad’s argument, one is forced to ask, “Why is Cameroon Government that claims to be an ardent advocate of human rights, democracy, poverty eradication and good governance, prosecuting and, to an extent, persecuting SCNC activists who are claiming to defend the same values like the Government? Why is the Cameroon Government procrastinating instead of attempting a lasting solution to the SCNC problem, which has been internationalised? Why is the Government undermining the strength of this pressure group which could throw the country some day into pieces? Why has the Cameroon government refused to dialogue with this pressure group, whose grievances are legitimate? Whose campaign against the Biya regime is only growing bigger and stronger?

SCNC is today a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) in The Hague and the attention of the United Nations Organisation, just like power wielders, has repeatedly been drawn to this sensitive problem, which many fear could one day turn into armed conflict, with horrible consequences.

On a visit to Cameroon while in office former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, advised the Cameroon government to dialogue with the group for the interest of peace, but the Cameroon government took it lightly.
Government officials claimed it was not right talking with an illegal group, thereby neglecting a potentially explosive problem

SCNC officials maintain that the Southern Cameroon’s question is a problem of international law. They recall that Southern Cameroon was a League of Nations mandated territory from 1922 to 1945 and a United Nation Trust Territory from 1945 to 1961.Thus, Southern Cameroons acquired international personality

Southern Cameroon is today the Northwest and Southwest provinces of Cameroon, the only two English-speaking provinces of this Central African country. Cameroon, a ten-province and bilingual country (French and English as official languages), has a population of about 18 million people .The two English provinces have an estimated population of about five million and very rich in natural and human resources.

Cameroon was a German colony but when Germany lost the First World War, it also lost sovereignty over its African colonies which included Cameroon. Cameroon then became a mandated territory under the League of Nations.

“By this arrangement, Cameroon was divided between Britain and France. The Eastern part of the country went to France while the Western part went to Britain. The latter further divided its own territory into two, North and South, ostensibly, for administrative convenience and the northern part, known as Northern Cameroon, was administered as part of Northern Nigeria while Southern Cameroon was administered as part of Eastern Nigeria.”, said Albert Samba Ngwana, political author and chairman of Cardinal Democratic Party,CDP, of Cameroon

It was on 11 February 1961 that Southern Cameroonians voted massively in a UN-supervised plebiscite to become independent by joining the Republic of Cameroon, which had earlier gained independence on January 1, 1960 from France. Southern Cameroons became independent on October 1, 1961 from the British.

The reunification of Southern Cameron and Republic of Cameroon on October 1, 1961 led to the establishment of the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In fact, it was from October 1, 1961 that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Cameroon became effective. The Federal Republic of Cameroon consisted of the two independent states-West Cameroon (former Southern Cameroon) and East Cameroon (former Republic of Cameroon).The federation lasted only for eleven years (1961 to 1972).
On May 20, 1972 a referendum was conducted and 99.9% of voters favoured the United Republic of Cameroon because President Amadou Ahidjo had argued strongly that, running a federal system was too expensive.
The unitary republic lasted for twelve years and on January 25, 1984 the National Assembly approved a constitutional amendment replacing United Republic of Cameroon with Republic of Cameroon

Before Paul Biya became the second president of Cameroon in November 1982, Anglophones felt cheated and marginalised in the Union, but when Paul Biya assumed office he promised to truly democratise ,and modernise the country and to give all Cameroonians equal opportunities based on competence and merits. Anglophones especially were hopeful. But with the passing of time, their hopes for equal opportunities continue to be dashed, making some of them feel that “secession” could now be the only answer to their worries, thus the formation of SCNC.

Had Paul Biya, a lawyer and political scientist, since considered the worries of Anglophones and started redressing them, or at least met with its leaders to discuss what is today called the Anglophone problem, SCNC might not have emerged? Even with the formation of SCNC if Mr Biya took corrective action in response to their worries, SCNC might have died, naturally.

But the Cameroonian president appears to have adopted a wait-and -see attitude towards the problem, yet claiming that the SCNC is a threat to national unity and peace.

In conclusion, one can say Mr Biya‘s failure to react positively to Anglophones’ worries has given teeth to the SCNC and helped to popularise its cause.
What will Mr. Biya tell the world if the SCNC becomes an armed group, now that it has a government outside Cameroon and branches in many countries?

NB: Article first published by a Canadian- based site MWC News www.mwcnews.net/content/view/28872/26/

Cameroon:Genesis and Reality of The Anglophone Problem

For the Anglophone Problem to stop, Cameroon must revert to the 1961 Federal Constitution...

*By Chief A.S. NGWANA (pictured)

The Anglophone Problem is real, very important and urgent because it borders on the corporate existence of Cameroon as one country.

The German claim to Cameroon was recognized in the Berlin Conference of November 1884, but when Germany lost the First World War it also lost sovereignty over its African colonies, which by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles came under the ambit of the League of Nations as “Mandated Territories”

By this arrangement Cameroon was divided between France and Britain. The Eastern side went to the French and the Western side to the British. French Cameroon and British Cameroon were separated for nearly 40 years and each absorbed the culture of its colonial master.

East Cameroon became independent on 1st January 1960 and Nigeria to which Southern and Northern Cameroon were attached also gained independence from Britain on 1st October 1960. On 11 February 1961 the UN conducted a plebiscite in Northern and Southern Cameroon to determined whether Cameroonians wanted to be independent by joining the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Republic of Cameroon.

The results of the plebiscite which should have been counted as one for the whole British territory, were split and counted separately between North and South Cameroon. The north voted to join Nigeria and the South voted to join the Republic of Cameroon. In June 1961, all the leaders of the political parties in Southern Cameroon met in Bamenda to discuss the terms and conditions of reunification.

There were disagreements on several issues, but all agreed unanimously that unification was to be based on Federalism and that Southern Cameroons was to retain all its organs and institutions, its culture and legal systems and its parliamentary system of government. In July 1961 the famous , “Foumban Constitutional Conference met in Foumban to draw up a Constitution for the Federal Republic of Cameroon.

After protracted talks it was finally agreed that reunification would be based on federalism, that the State of Cameroon would promote and strengthen the bi-cultural identity of Cameroon without the French or English culture absorbing the other, and that Southern Cameroon would retain all its organs and institutions.

These terms were then incorporated into the 1961 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Cameroon with a proviso in Article 47 making it impossible to unilaterally amend certain Articles of the Constitution without the risk of breaking up the Union. On the 1st of October 1961 the Federal Republic of Cameroon was born. It consisted of two Equal States – the State of East Cameroon (formerly French Cameroon or Republic of Cameroon) and the state of West Cameroon ( formerly British Southern Cameroon or Southern Cameroon.)

From 1961 to 1972 when the Federal Republic of Cameroon existed, there was no ANGLOPHONE PROBLEM. Let us not forget that it was Anglophones who voted to join the Union, and to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon, it was not the Francophones who voted, so the referendum to abolish the Federation should have only been voted by the Anglophones, but the Francophones with their majority in the Union “voted” and dissolved the Federation, the basis of Unification.

In so doing the Ahidjo government unconstitutionally and in breach of the Foumban Accord, abolished the Federal Government and introduced the present Unitary Government. This has created a new problem, a Constitutional problem called the ANGLOPHONE PROBLEM.

The Anglophone problem then started with the abolition of the Federation.

Anglophones who were used to the multiparty system of government suddenly found themselves in a one-party system of government (the “CNU monster ) with its dictatorship and suppression of human rights. East Cameroon-Francophone, oppressive laws and immanency laws, were extended and applied in West Cameroon.

West Cameroonians-Anglophones, were forced to carry “piece”(tax receipts, identity cards, voting cards, driving license etc) victims were arrested and tortured in the newly constructed BMM cells.

West Cameroonians who did not know fear before began to experience fear. Those who did not support the regime or criticize it were arrested, tortured or imprisoned.

By their legal system, a person is presumed guilty until he proves himself not guilty. Civil Servants were summarily dismissed businessmen lost their contracts or import licenses or were crippled by the imposition of unjustifiable taxes. Students were dismissed or had their scholarships withdrawn, journalists arrested and their papers seized or banned.

The whole exercise was planned and implemented by Youande to instill fear into the hearts and minds of West Cameroonians. At the end Youande succeeded. West Cameroonian Judges, who had always been independent and fearless, began to accept dictation from Yaounde. They compromised their consciences, dignity and integrity and miscarried justice. Military Tribunals headed by West Cameroonians jailed innocent persons.

Members of Parliament were appointed and dismissed by Yaounde. Civil servants, Judges, the military and security forces were appointed, promoted, demoted or dismissed according to the whims and caprices of Yaounde. In the absence of justice, fear reigned. Those who suffered most were politicians and journalist.

By 1982 when Ahidjo resigned and appointed Paul Biya, his regime had succeeded in subjecting the whole Cameroon to Fear. East and West Cameroonians, Francophones and Angolphones lived in absolute fear. Democracy was dead.

In 1983, we (Anglophones) launched the Cameroon Democratic Party, our aims were to eradicate fear in the minds of Cameroonians, restore fundamental human rights and the rule of law, fight against corruption, mismanagement, nepotism, and above all, return Cameroon to multiparty democracy.

The ultimate goal was to build a buoyant and prosperous nation. Unfortunately the Biya government which inherited the atrocities of the CNU government of Ahidjo, kept me in exile for six years. Francophones must be told and the world must know that the Anglophone problem is not dying down but is gaining momentum every year. In 1985, Fon gorji Dinka, a former president of the Cameroon Bar, unilaterally declared autonomy for Southern Cameroon. He named the new State Ambasonia.

Dinka is president of Ambasonia in exile. The All Anglophone Conference (AAC1) held in Buea January 3-6, 1993 endorsed a return to the Federal System of government, While the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in its 1994 convention also accepted the Federal System.

On the 29th April to 3rd May 1994, AAC2, met in Bamenda, to discuss the “the road to peaceful self-determination and demand for zero hour” The AAC was transformed into “The Southern Cameroons People’s Conference” (SCPC) and then into the present SCNC “the Southern Cameroon National Conference”

In 1996, Dr. J. N. Foncha and S.T. Mona both of blessed memories, and once Vice-Presidents of Cameroon and retired Anglophone politicians, gave their full support to this struggle and led a delegation to the UN, accompanied by the Chairman of the SCNC, Mr. E.Elad, and prominent men from both North West and South West namely: Ambassadoe Epie of blessed memories, Ambassador Fossung, Mr. Litumbe, Dr. Youngbang, Justice Mbu and Dr. Munzo.

This was a clear indication of a united front and showed the gravity of the situation. In December 1999 Justice Ebong, a Judge of the Cameroon High Court, declared autonomy for Southern Cameroon, named the State “The Republic of Southern Cameroon”.

He was detained without trial for two years and then released Last year, 2008, Mr. Carlson Anyangwe, proclaimed the “Restoration Government of southern Cameroon”, he made himself president and appointed his ministers within and without the country All these people and movements in the Anglophone territory, are only trying to redress a situation which should never have arisen if our Francophone brothers have managed unification in the true spirit of brotherhood.

Instead we have been betrayed by the CNU/CPDM governments headed by our francophone brothers ADHIDJO/BIYA. In bad faith, they have betrayed our trust and confidence, our faith and aspirations for unification.

They have destroyed the basis of unification which is Federalism, they have, using their crooked control of political power marginalized Anglophones to second class citizens and are bent on destroying the Anglophone culture and tradition.

There are many Anglophones who have full mastery of the French language, more than many Fracophones and vice versa. But how can any one in good faith, explain the diabolic maneuvers to make sure that an Anglophone can never be president of Cameroon.

How can any one explain the fact that for 49 years, since independence an Anglophone has never held the important ministry of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Minister of Territorial Administration, defense or Chief Justice of Cameroon? Look at the disproportions, in numbers of Anglophone Generals, Governors, SDOs, Secretary Generals, Chief Executives of Government Corporations and parastatalls

In most of these places Anglophones occupy a second position How can you explain the fact that there is “regional balancing” in schools and universities only when it comes to admissions of francophone students. We did not unify to become second class citizens. Unification was based on Federalism and Equality of Status, on Unity in Diversity, on equality of all Cameroonians.

A Federation is the only way by which any multinational and culturally divers communion, has the opportunity for variation in laws, existences, dispensations, that take account of the motley sensibilities and accordingly concede reasonable autonomy to the constituting units. Cameroon is a multicultural, multiethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious State.

That is why the United Nations gave Southern Cameroon independence on the basis of Federalism. We unified on the understanding that we would operate a Federal System, in which we will live in a mighty, united, economically strong Cameroon Nation; guaranteeing all citizens of every race and religion, inalienable fundamental and civic rights, equal opportunities and respect for the bicultural character of our people.

We therefore condemn any attempts to abolish or absorb, destroy or assimilate, promote or ignore, favor or submerge one culture, as inimical to the unity of Cameroon.

Therefore any person or party or government, who or which condones the marginalization, discrimination or the treatment of Anglophones as second class citizens, is an enemy of our unification.

Anglophones’ interest can only be protected and enhanced in a Federal Government. Our fight, our struggle is not against Francophones as such, but against the oppressive CNU/CPDM governments of AHIDJO/BIYA, governments which have denied us our fundamental rights and frustrated our political, economic and social aspirations;Governments which reduced us to second class citizens, and are hell-bent on keeping us there.

For any democratic dispensation to be successful, there must be an independent body to conduct elections so that the people can choose their rulers or leaders through free, fair and transparent elections by the ballot box.

For the first time when the most important organ of our democracy, (ELECAM), is to be set up, President Paul Biya, knowing fully well that this ELECAM was doomed to fail, because he would not respect the laws setting up ELECAM, he appointed an Anglophone to head it.

The failure of ELECAM would then be blamed on the Anglophones.

Well ELECAM has failed before it starts, Cameroonians as a whole and the International Community have rejected it, as not being a neutral body to conduct free and fair elections. Stop using Anglophones to do the dirty jobs.

For the Anglophone Problem to stop, Cameroon must revert to the 1961 Federal Constitution, or a modified Federal Constitution, which gives the Anglophones autonomy in their own Territory. May God spare Cameroon from chaos.

*Chief A.S. NGWANA is Chairman, Cardinal Democratic Party (CDP) ,an opposition party in Cameroon

His Contact Tel: (237) 3343 1072 Cel: (237) 7775 7173

Email: ngwanasamba@yahoo.com

Wildlife Conservation Society helps Cameroon create new national park

Park safeguards western lowland gorillas, chimps, elephants and other wildlife

Gorilla population surveys, conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society, have helped the government of Cameroon create a new national park which will protect more than 600 gorillas, along with other threatened species such as chimpanzees, forest elephants, buffaloes, and bongo.

Called Deng Deng National Park, the new protected area measures approximately 224 square miles (580 square kilometers) in size—approximately the size of the City of Chicago.

The creation of Deng Deng National Park is the result of years of conservation planning, including the first gorilla population surveys in the former forest reserve in 2002 by WCS. Results from the surveys prompted the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife to list Deng Deng as a priority area for protection, containing the most northern population of western lowland gorillas.

"Deng Deng National Park is a major step toward conserving all of Cameroon's gorilla populations and wildlife," said Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "We applaud the government of Cameroon for continuing to be a leader in conservation and for taking this important step to protect this species."

Additional support for the conservation of Deng Deng's biodiversity will come from the French Government, specifically through the French Agency for International Development (AFD). The agency has agreed to provide 735,000 Euros to fund the first phase (a three-year period) of the project, to be jointly implemented by WCS and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife.

WCS has had a long history in Cameroon, which began with WCS scientists being appointed technical advisors at Korup National Park in 1988. In partnership with the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and CAMRAIL (the Cameroon Railways), WCS continues to play a critical role in enforcing regulations that ban transportation of bushmeat or any other wildlife products from remote locations to urban markets by local trains. This effort in part has helped Cameroon uphold its obligations as a member nation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In late November of 2008, WCS helped Cameroon to create Takamanda National Park, which now forms part of an important trans-boundary protected area with Nigeria's Cross River National Park and protects the Cross River gorilla.

The western lowland gorilla is the most populous of the four gorilla subspecies. Last year, WCS scientists discovered more than 125,000 western lowland gorillas in the northern Republic of Congo. Other subspecies include: eastern lowland or "Grauer's" gorillas, restricted to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; mountain gorillas, made famous by Dian Fossey and George Schaller; and Cross River gorillas, which number fewer than 300 individuals along the border region of Cameroon and Nigeria. WCS works to safeguard all four subspecies of gorilla, all of which are classified as "critically endangered" or "endangered" by the IUCN Red List.

Cameroon is one of seven African nations supported by the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) and the Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE). The U.S. government acting through the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested more than $60 million in biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin. Together, this support has augmented funds for great apes conservation in the region through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administered Great Apes Conservation Fund. Since 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has invested more than $13 million for the conservation of gorillas, chimpanzees, and other great apes and has leveraged more than $17 million in private donations and matching funds. The Great Apes Conservation Fund Act, which authorizes this fund, expires in 2010. WCS will continue to educate the U.S. Congress about the need for increased support for great ape conservation in the upcoming months.

In addition, WCS, along with many world partners, is celebrating the United Nation's Year of the Gorilla, which was declared by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS) in December 2008. Partners in the campaign include the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP), the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Year of the Gorilla is also part of the UN Decade for Education and Sustainable Development.

The Wildlife Conservation Society will be celebrating this special year with awareness activities, including its "Run For The Wild," a 5-kilometer run on the Bronx Zoo grounds.
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The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

Public release date: 18-Feb-2009
Contact: John Delaney
jdelaney@wcs.org
718-220-3275
Wildlife Conservation Society