NEWS FROM CAMEROON No. 001 of SUNDAY 10-01-2010

By Tikum Mbah Azonga

CULTURE AND TRADITION


Oshie people showcase their heritage

The newly enthroned Fon of Oshie, HRH Ekanya Lawrence Anyangwe V has been presented to the Oshie population of Limbe in the South West Region. This took place in November 2009 at a ceremony warmed up by Oshie notable and business tycoon Awanga in his capacity as National President of the Oshie Cultural and Development Association (OCA).

During the ceremony, the sum of 20m FCFA was raised for the refurbishment of the Oshie palace and improvement of water supply in the village. The event was attended by over 2000 delegates and invitees, including the Government Delegate to the Limbe Urban Council, Andrew Motanga Monjimba who made a contribution of 150 000 FCFA. Ngamfon Awanga who is also Board Chairman of the National Financial Credit high street bank and CEO of the Samaritan Insurance Company, donated a million FRS CFA. He also used the occasion to launch a scholarship scheme for Oshie students with a view to enabling them accede to higher education, with emphasis on professional disciplines such as medicine, business studies, accountancy, engineering, as well as professional schools like ENAM, IRIC, ASMAC, ASTI, EMIA and the ENS. To farmers, he promised subventions for fertilizers and seedlings in order to boost crop production.

The presentation of the Fon coincided with the holding of the 2009 edition of the OCA Annual National Convention. The reason for holding the Convention out of Oshie was stated by the OCA National President as being a means of increasing participation and fundraising.

(Chronicle Nov 11-21, 2009)

POLITICS

Biya walks a tight rope

On the occasion of the 27th anniversary of President Paul Biya`s accession to power, in November 2009, Chronicle newspaper drew up a balance sheet of his work, published under the title, “Biya`s tempting moments within 27 years”. The analysis is contained in eleven points: the transformation of the erstwhile CNU party into the present day CPDM, the attempted coup in 1984 which the president survived, the wind of change that originated in Moscow and swept across Africa in the 1990s, the Ghost Town demonstrations that paralyzed the nation in those years, and the devaluation of the CFA Franc as a response to the biting economic crisis. Also mentioned are the fight against inertia and corruption, the Bakassi crisis, revision of the constitution to increase the president’s term in office, the power struggle at the helm of state affairs symbolized by the G11 syndrome and the February 2009 commodity riots.

(Chronicle Nov 11-21, 2009)


Former SDF baron joins new party

The Former SDF parliamentarian for the Tubah and Bafut Constituency, Akonteh Andrew, who quit his party has joined the Democratic Movement for a Modern Cameroon (DMMC), as that party’s National Vice President. The DMMC is headed by the politician Milla Assoute who is known for his acerbic criticism of Paul Biya, National President of the ruling CPDM party and current president of the Republic.

(The Post, November 23, 2009)


RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Rumpi launches road project

The Rumpi Area Participatory Development Project is soon to begin construction and rehabilitation work on some 227 kilometers of rural roads in the six Divisions of the South West Region: Fako, Meme,Ndian, Kupe Manenguba, Meme and Lebialem. The revelation was made by Dr. Andrew Eneme Ngome, General Manager of the South West Development Authority (SOWEDA) which is the supervisory body of the Rumpi Project. Funding is being provided by the African Development Bank as part of its ongoing assistance to Rumpi projects. The improved road network is expected to boost access to farming areas in the hinterlands and ease evacuation of farm produce.

Responding to concerns that the work might be abandoned half way, Rumpi Project Coordinator Besong Ogork Ntui gave assurances that such an eventuality was impossible because the project would be closely supervised by an independent Control Mission from the Republic of South Africa.

(Eden, Wednesday 18- November 23 2009)

AIR TRANSPORT

Douala airport tightens security

Security has been reinforced at the Douala International Airport as a way of protecting persons and goods passing through the airport. Some of the measures introduced include refusal of access to persons seeing off passengers, the beefed up presence of policemen and women and security guards at the various entrances and exits of the airport, the banning of vehicles on the path leading to the VIP lounge and the interdiction of haphazard parking in front of the airport. Even airport staffs are no longer allowed to park at the entrance to the airport. Henceforth, they must use the car park allocated for that purpose. Ambulant salespersons and street beggars who used to freely enter and leave the airport have now been barred. People coming to receive parcels must first of all leave their identity cards with the appointed official before entering the building.

(Le Jour, jeudi 03 décembre 2009)


POLITICS AND DIPLOMACY

National Assembly President in China

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril has returned from a working visit in China, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, the President of the Permanent Committee of the Chinese People`s National Assembly, Wu Bangguo.

While in China, Cavaye visited the capital, Beijing, Guiyang in the South East, and the industrial and commercial centre of Guangzhou in the South.

During talks held by the two men, the need to strengthen cooperation was stated, with specific mention made of domains such as infrastructure, equipment, capacity building of parliamentarians. The two leaders recognized that although business between the two countries was encouraging, it needed to be enhanced.

(Cameroon Tribune, December 31, 2009)


BILINGUALISM

Douala Linguistic Centre turns twenty

The Douala Linguistic Centre which is on of the centres opened in eight of the country’s ten regions for the teaching mainly but not exclusively of the two official languages, French and English, and through that, the promotion of the policy of bilingualism, celebrated its twentieth anniversary in November 2009. In the twenty years of its existence, the Douala Centre has trained some 4000 learners. However, there is still some considerable apathy on the part of the government employees for whom use of the Centre should have been a foregone conclusion.

The Center’s Director, Mbiwan Tanyi Ebob Ebenye, told Cameroon Tribune: “Our fees are extremely moderate. We offer almost free services to the public. The fees range between CFA 20, 000 and 30 000, depending on the learner’s schedule. We have six levels of learning, beginning with the foundation through elementary to the advanced level. Each module lasts three months and strictly respects individual schedules. Some students come in the morning, others choose to come in the afternoon or evening. We also adapt our lessons to the learner’s individual needs. We teach the language of business to businessmen, the language of diplomacy to diplomats, etc.”

(Cameroon Tribune, Monday 21 December 2009)


DIPLOMACY

Bakassi priority projects on track

The 2009 fiscal year has been a good one in terms of realization of the priority projects earmarked for the Bakassi County. According to Lekunze Ketuma Jacob, Chairman of the Coordination and Follow-Up Committee for the projects, up to 80 per cent of the projects were completed in the fiscal year. Lekunze was speaking after an evaluation tour in the area.

Lekunze said: “We had CFA one billion for priority projects in Bakassi in 2008 with an execution rate of more than 90 per cent, and now, we have an execution rate of 80 per cent for the 2009 projects budgeted at over eight billion.”

According to Cameroon Tribune, projects have been completed in all the five Sub Divisions that constitute the Bakassi peninsula. These are Bamusso, Idabato, Kombo Itindi, Isangele and Kombo Abedimo which the paper says “are currently being transformed into work sites with infrastructure springing up like mushrooms.”

Specific projects FOR Kombo Itindi include an Integrated Health Centre complete with staff quarters and a police post in Ngoso, as well as the Sub Divisional Delegation of Agriculture and Rural Development, complete with staff quarters. Bamusso has a new Sub Divisional Delegation of Animal Breeding, Fisheries and Animal Industries and a new Sub Division of Basic Education. Kombo Abedimo has been given a Sub Divisional Office, a Government Technical College, a Potable Water system using solar energy, a Women’s` Empowerment Centre, a Social Centre, and a Rural Artisan and Home Economics Centre (SAR/SM). Isangele Sub Division also has a Women’s Empowerment Centre and a Rural Artisan and Home Economics Centre (SAR/SM). In addition, the Sub Division has been equipped with a residence for the medical officer and a new building for the Sub Divisional Office as well as a Sub Divisional Delegation of Animal Breeding, Fisheries and Animal Industries.

(Cameroon Tribune, Monday 21 December 2009)


PUBLIC CONTRACT AWARDS

Information System Installation

The Douala Port Authority is inviting tenders for the putting in place of a Seaport Information System at the Douala Port.

Criteria for selection include qualification of staff, candidate’s references, technical capacity and presentation of the file.

Application files should be written in French or English must be in five copies, one of which is the original and the other four, copies, and deposited in Room 920 of the Douala Port Authority Office, situated in the IGH Building at Douala-Bonanjo by 12 pm on 20 January 2010 Cameroon time. Further details can be obtained from the Permanent Secretariat of the Seaport Information System at the Douala Port Authority. Tel: (237) 3342 0133.

(Cameroon Tribune, Monday 21 December 2009)

POWER SUPPLY

Wind generated electricity to take off in North West

A Spanish firm , Ecovalen Energetica S.L., is working towards setting up electricity production wind turbines in Fundong, headquarters of Boyo Division in the North West Region, which when completed, will supply enough power to the entire region for about twenty years. The project which is the initiative of the Cameroon government is expected to go operational in about a year’s time.

North West Regional Delegate for Power and Water Resources, Awa Celestine Anyam, explained the choice of Boyo to host the projects by the fact that experts had recommended it based on the Division having the highest wind velocity in the region. After Boyo, similar projects will be installed in Manyu for the South West and Mbouda for the West Regions respectively.


REGIONAL NEWS

West Region: New hospital equipment

Sons and daughters of Baham, headquarters of Upper Plateau Division have sent home drugs and medical equipment worth some 1bn FCFA. The items are to be distributed to some seven hospitals in the region.

The package which was handed over to the Prefect of Upper Plateau Division, Tangwa Joseph, for onward transmission, included 480 hospital beds and 16 operation beds, made possible through personal contributions from members of the Baham community in Germany as well as some German friendly NGOs.

(Cameroon Tribune, Tuesday 23 December 2009)

South Region: mosquito nets

The MTN Foundation has donated a total of 500 mosquito nets to expectant women and children aged 0-15 years in Lokoundje, Ocean Division, for use by the inhabitants of Lokoundje Council area. The gift was handed over to the mayor of the Council, Innocent Ondoua Nkou, by MTN Cameroon General Manager Philippe Vandebrouk, as MTN`s contribution towards the fight against malaria, a major killer in the country.

(Cameroon Tribune, Thursday 03 December 2009)

North Region: Garoua II Council votes 2010 Budget

Garoua II Council has adopted a budget of 136m FCFA for the 2010 financial year, which marks an increase of 12m over the 2008 budget. The new budget will prioritize the acquisition of a site for the construction of the Garoua II Town Hall, rehabilitation of the Takasko market and the extension of the electricity network in some quarters of Garoua II.

(Cameroon Tribune, Thursday 03 December 2009)

Littoral Region: European Union boost

The European Union has through the Rural Development Programme of the Mungo-Nkam Agricultural Basin (PDRBAN), donated a garri manufacturing machine to the Grouping of Girls and Women for the Aid and Development of Ngalmoa (REFENAD), located in Nkongsamba I Sub Division.

The machine is worth 2.3m FCA and is equipped with components such as cassava grinding machine, a processing machine and a cassava flour sieve. The machine has the capacity to grind up to ten tones of cassava per day, which means that the quantity of cassava needed to meet that demand is high but also challenging.


Cameroon Tribune, Thursday 03 December 2009