The National Anti-Corruption Commission, CONAC has named 11 government ministerial departments that deliberately refused to contribute to its 2015 Report. CONAC published its report on the situation of the fight against corruption in 2015 on the 29^th of December 2016 and also stated some of the difficulties the body encountered in the course of producing the document. According to François Anoukaha, the Vice President of CONAC, “despite the participation of their representatives in the workshops organized by CONAC, some government departments did not feel they had to send their contributions to CONAC.”

The ministries included Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Defense, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development and External Relations. A detailed list released by CONAC carried equally important departments such as Transport, Water and Energy, Land Affairs, Sports and Physical Education and Social Affairs.  More surprisingly, in this category of ministries boycotting the anti corruption body is the Ministry of Communication headed by Issa Tchiroma, spokesman of the Government.

Vice President Francois Anoukaha, however observed that these government buildings had representatives at the two workshops organized for the final drafting of the report. As a result of these workshops, CONAC granted them a deadline on the 5^th of September 2016 to send their various contributions. It was never done. The fight against corruption in Cameroon is optional. It is a strong commitment only when it concerns highly placed government official seeking regime change in Yaoundé and consequently the various segments of the Cameroonian society as a whole care less about its implementation.

By Sama Ernest

The Prime Minister and Head of Government, Philemon Yang has chaired the last cabinet meeting for the year 2016. The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday the 29^th of December 2016. During the session, two submissions were made by the ministers of social affairs and Arts and Culture.

The Minister of Social Affairs, Pauline Irene Nguene spoke on the strategies for the development of social entrepreneurship for vulnerable persons. Pauline Irene Nguene highlighted the importance of providing training to disabled persons in 2017 to render them independent and fit for the job market.

For his part, Arts and Culture Minister, Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi examined reforms in the management of authors’ rights. The Minister of Arts and Culture informed cabinet ministers that he was preparing a temporary national directory of holders of copyrights and related rights.

Prime Minister Philemon Yang instructed the Social Affairs boss to intensify cooperation in order to increase technical and financial partners. He also exhorted the Minister of Arts and Culture to widely publicize the temporary directory which is in the pipeline for 2017.

CRTV

Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor has made public some of the reasons why he slammed the negotiations door with the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo government. The human rights lawyer who is also the chairman of the Cameroon Common Law lawyers’ consortium said that the lawyers have asked the CPDM government to release with immediate effect all the children kidnapped in Bamenda and Kumba, who were transferred to Yaoundé Central Prison or the State Secretariat for Defense (SED). He added that negotiations could not be continued without these children being released.

Nkongho Felix Agbor told Nouvelle Expression newspaper that in a dialogue, the process must be a win-win situation “If we release the children, we can continue to dialogue.” According to him, no guarantees as to the safety and health of the young people arrested during the demonstrations in Bamenda were made available to the Anglophone lawyers. He said there was need for government agents to take off ego in this process.

The Chairman of the consortium noted that among the British Southern Cameroons children “that were arrested and taken to Yaoundé are some who are ill, are ill-treated.” Barrister Agbor Balla wondered aloud that “They were arrested in the South West and North West, what are they doing in Yaoundé in the Center region?  When people demonstrate in Yaoundé and they are arrested, do they take them to Bamenda or Buea?

The Buea based lawyer also revealed that several other grievances made the meeting impossible. He hinted that “a strike was staged in the South West and North West. We are organizing a meeting in Yaoundé. The Commission is unbalanced. The head of the Commission is someone from Yaoundé; the Secretariat is run by a francophone. These are unacceptable things.”

According to Nkongho Felix Agbor, even if the CPDM government releases all detainees arrested in the North-West and South-West Regions, negotiations will only take place in Bamenda or Buea.  The consortium has also announced that it will call for an independent commission of inquiry to shed light on the acts of violence perpetrated on citizens in Bamenda and Kumba. Concerning the thorny problem of federalism, he thinks it is important to discuss it. “Federalism,” he says, “is not secession.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Members of the teachers trade unions including Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, CATTU, Presbyterian Education Authority Teachers Trade Union, PEATTU, Baptist teachers Trade Union, BATTU, Catholic Education Workers trade Unions, CEWOTU, higher Education teachers Trade Union, SYNES and Teachers Association of Cameroon, TAC have announced that schools might remain paralyzed come 2017 and will be extended to all ten regions if the government does not solve the problems raised by the teachers before resumption of school for second term.

The NESG of CATTU, Wilfred Tassang reiterated, “The teachers union has resolved that if these issues are not properly addressed before the beginning of the 2017 academic year, the strike will be extended to other regions where Anglophone children attend school and the teachers union have reaffirm their stand for Federalism as the ultimate solution to our problems.”

In a Press Conference held in Bamenda, North West region Thursday December 29, 2016, the teachers rubbished report read by Paul Goghomu, President of the ad hoc committee. They say the 11 points were cooked by the Yaoundé delegation to give an impression that they have met with students and parents.

Wilfred Tassang, Executive Secretary General of CATTU quoted Minister Fame Ndongo as saying that “all what we had presented as grievances are false not true, he read them and said not true so what are they coming to solve?”

The teachers inter alia are asking for the youths arrested in Bamenda and Kumba to be released without conditions, the redeployment of Anglophone teachers teaching in French sub system of education to that of English and vice versa.

Culled from CIN

A fantastic scene occurred on Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at the crossroads of Bonakouamouang in Douala, the economic capital.

It all began when popular anti French activist André Blaise Essama appeared at the main round about and implanted a statue of the late Dr. John Ngu Foncha, an emblematic figure of the struggle for the Anglophone cause and the father of reunification who died on April 10, 1999 at the age of 82 . Immediately, a large crowd gathered on both sides to admire the sculpture.

Alerted, the police disembarked on the spot and destroyed the monument. A resistance put up by André Blaise Essama seriously disrupted traffic. After a scuffle, the activist was forced to abandon the sculpture to the police. The men in uniform, however, had a hard time to transport the monument which was so heavy. André Blaisse Essama went away Scot-free and promised his numerous fans who chanted his name at the top of their voices to return with another statue.

The nationalist activist who has the reputation of destroying monuments dedicated to French settlers was released from prison only three months ago. He had spent six months in the New-Bell penitentiary in Douala for vandalizing General Leclerc’s monument in the Bonanjo neighborhood.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

Cameroon Common Law Lawyers have announced that direct dialogue with the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime has failed after two days of negotiations in Yaoundé. Cameroon Intelligence Report understands the Anglophone teachers also staged a walk out yesterday in Bamenda as the CPDM negotiators attempted to play the North West/South West divide game. Our senior political correspondent in Buea opined that “the resistance has taken full swing and the Biya regime seems to be playing with fire at a petrol station.”

After two days of a marathon deliberation inside La Republique du Cameroun, the deadlock came following the refusal by the Francophone government to grant the preliminary issues demanded by our Anglophone lawyers. A spokesperson for the Common Law Lawyers was quoted as saying the group found out that the Biya Francophone government is still maintaining bad faith towards the crisis and therefore had no reason to continue with the talks.  The President of the consortium, Barrister Agbor Nkongho Balla posted on his face book page that the preliminary demands from the Anglophone lawyers included but not limited to:

1. The unconditional release of all Southern Cameroon citizens arrested/ abducted from Southern Cameroons and taken to Yaounde.
2. Reviewing the composition of the committee.
3. Uplifting the ban and/or suspension imposed on North West Lawyers Association-NOWELA, Meme Lawyers Association-MELA, Fako Lawyers Association-FAKLA.

All roads from Nkambe in Donga Mantung Division and Jakiri in Bui Division into Bamenda town have been blocked by the Francophone soldiers from Yaounde and Douala. The soldiers are reportedly controlling all major roads into the city of Bamenda.

Travelers from Nkambe and Jakiri were forced to make a U-turn early Tuesday December 27, 2016. A passenger from Ndu, Tata Sharick WEYI who was denied entry into Kumbo said, “I just witnessed it, I’m on my way back home as the men in uniform will not let us access. I’m going back to Ndu, was blocked and told roads will only open by 6pm. Even patients on their way to the hospital were stopped and sent back.”

The road block according to a lawyer based in Bamenda is due to fears that youths from Nkambe and Jakiri, stronghold of famous Hon. Wirba Joseph could invade Bamenda to disrupt the meeting previewed for today between Anglophone teachers’ trade unions and the government. The youths had earlier vowed that there would be no meeting if those arrested last November 21 and December 8 are not released.

The governor of the North West region, Adolphe LELE L’Afrique is said to have given the orders. Military vehicles from Yaoundé also accompanied the delegation coming for dialogue. Bamenda town is heavily militarized. Members of the mobile intervention unit of the army, BIR are seen parading the town with heavy arms ready for any showdown.

Cameroun info.net

Common Law Lawyers in the North West region have rejected an ad hoc committee created by Prime Ministerial decree to look into problems faced by Common law Lawyers in Cameroon. Meeting in Bamenda last Saturday December 24, 2016 the Lawyers outlined certain points which to them must be looked into before they sit on the negotiation table.

Among others, they are demanding the immediate inclusion of Barristers Agbor Felix Nkongho and Eyambe, Presidents of Fako and Meme Lawyers Associations respectively in the Committee, regret governments nonchalant attitude towards lawyers and the fact that the government is yet to condemn Police brutality on them, the lawyers also reject Yaoundé as Venue and propose Buea or Bamenda as the venue for discussion.

Read Full Communiqué

Mindful of the commission created by the PM and members therein, the Executives observe as follows:

1) The composition of the commission is not balanced, that there are many Francophones than Anglophones in the commission. That some Anglophone lawyers such as Manka Rosaline and Amaazee Amah Anthony who happens to be husband and wife, do not share in the same plight of the Common law lawyers as they had taken their stand against the course which was presented to the media.

2) That the commission has left out some instrumental leaders from the South West Region namely Barrister BALLA Nkongho and Barrister EYAMBE as well as our Bar Council representative from the South West Region which is a deliberate act of the government to divide us

3) That notwithstanding, it is with regret that till date, the government has not made any official statement condemning the acts of brutality on lawyers carried out by the forces of law and order including the confiscation of their wigs and gowns and the violation of lawyers offices. Such condemnations should precede any dialogue if the government is sincere for meaningful dialogue and lasting solutions to all the issues raised.

4) Yaoundé is not an appropriate venue for the holding of such meeting. That the commission must hold in BAMENDA or BUEA.

5) From the above, the EXCO recommends that these issues must be addressed to warrant our attendance.

6) We have also resolved that the BIG four together with the other members in one document should issue a communiqué to the fact that until the above issues are sorted out, we can’t be a party to any meeting of the PM’s commission.

7) The EXCO also recommends that the consortium should urgently meet on Monday 26/12/2016 and take a position on these recent developments.

Signed by NOWELA Vice President Barrister Umenjoh Hiram

Culled from Cameroun Info.Net