Monthly Archives: October 2016

The Drama of the Intercity train derailment: A Cameroon Concord News Production

22, October 2016

The Drama of the Intercity train derailment: A Cameroon Concord News Production 0

The Intercity train service 152 left the nation’s capital at 11:15 am for Douala the economic metropolis. The technical service of Camrail- a subsidiary of the Bolloré Transport & Logistics Group operating the rail sector in Cameroon did not check the front wheels of the locomotive to see if they had the ability to pull a surplus of 8 additional coaches which were added hastily after the disaster on the Douala- Yaoundé highway that made transportation by road impossible.

The brakes of the train were checked before the 8 wagons were added. A rail technician sounded a note of caution and reportedly opposed the idea of additional coaches. A Camrail carrier with 88 seats and 20 standing places was now code named Intercity service with 8 new coaches and on that Good Friday, had 1350 passengers on board.

The tragedy happened around 11:45 am at Eseka- a small town located some 120km from Yaoundé. Camrail was quick to set up a crisis unit led by its senior management and it mobilized rescue teams. Three cabinet ministers: Transport, Public Health and Territorial Administration arrived the scene by helicopter and claimed they were sent by the President of the Republic, who is on holiday with his wife and kids in a five star hotel in Geneva for 35 days now.

Minister Edgar Alain Mebo Ngoo, the Minister of Transport attempted to score some political points for himself in order to buttress his case of becoming Cameroon’s next head of state. He announced earlier that no train had derailed and after some 55 minutes, Edgar Alain again came back on the airwaves of the state radio and television to provide a fictitious death toll.

 70 people died and 600 were injured. The bodies of our departed citizens were taken to mortuaries in Edea, Douala, Eseka and Pouma. Our cream of reporters covering this story have all opined that the toll is expected to rise, given the many serious injuries recorded and the several passengers who are still trapped in the carriages that fell apart. The bodies of 14 passengers are still inside some of the wagons in the ravines. The government has ordered special equipment from the military headquarters to help pulled out the coaches.

Some big men in Yaounde call the ministers have announced the opening of a judicial inquiry to establish what caused the accident. The independent media has been barred from the scene and no one is allowed to take photos. Some reliable sources including travellers have stated that more than a hundred were killed in the incident. However, President Biya in a condolence message to the bereaved families agreed with our intelligence officers that 70 people have died as a result of the derailment.

By Sama Ernest, Rita Akana and Eyong Johnson

Bafoussam: Governor Awa Fonka says Camair-Co flight QC272 landed safely

22, October 2016

Bafoussam: Governor Awa Fonka says Camair-Co flight QC272 landed safely 0

The governor of the West region, Awa Fonka Augustine has debunked rumour of a Camair-Co plane crash in Bafoussam. Information circulated that Camair-Co flight QC272 that left Douala for Bafoussam-Bamougoum had crashed.

Governor Fonka Augustine revealed that the said flight left from Douala at 9:10 am for Bafoussam and made a dramatic landing due to bad weather conditions caused by heavy rains accompanied by thick clouds and fog. Flight QC272 arrived Bafoussam with 33 passengers and departed for Yaounde Nsimalen.

News of the crash sent shock waves around the country as the population is yet to recover from the pain of the train derailment incident and the collapse of a bridge on the Yaounde-Douala highway.

By Rita Akana

US: Concerns grow as voters say a Clinton victory means rigged vote

22, October 2016

US: Concerns grow as voters say a Clinton victory means rigged vote 0

The majority of Republican voters in the United States think if Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton becomes president, it would be due to illegal voting or vote rigging, a new poll shows. According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday, only half of Republicans would accept Clinton as their president and nearly 70 percent of them said a Clinton victory would be because of vote rigging.

On the contrary, 70 percent of Democratic voters said they would accept a victory by Republican nominee Donald Trump and less than 50 percent would attribute it to illegal voting or vote rigging, the poll showed. The poll shows a broad concern across the political spectrum about voter suppression, the actual vote count and ineligible voters casting ballots.

However, the Republicans feel that concern more. Eight out of ten Republicans are concerned about the accuracy of the final vote count, while about six out of ten Democrats are concerned about the vote count. Sixty percent of respondents, regardless of political party, said they are worried about issues such as voter intimidation and suppression.

The level of concern and mistrust in the system, especially among Republicans, is unprecedented, said Lonna Atkeson, a professor at the University of New Mexico and head of the Center for the Study of Voting, Elections, and Democracy. “I’ve never seen an election like this. Not in my lifetime. Certainly not in modern history.” The difference, she said, is Trump. “It has to be the candidate effect.”

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a campaign rally on October 21, 2016 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by AFP)

The findings come after repeated statements by Trump that the media and the political establishment have rigged the election against him and he may not accept the election outcome if Clinton wins.

Trump’s claim that the presidential election is being rigged and his suggestion that he may not accept the result of the election if he loses has challenged a centerpiece of US democracy and outraged many Democrats and Republicans.

During a campaign rally on Friday in Cleveland, Ohio, Clinton called the New York businessman’s refusal unprecedented. “Now make no mistake: by doing that, he is threatening our democracy.”

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Eseka train disaster: Government spokesman says Biya is following the situation closely from abroad

22, October 2016

Eseka train disaster: Government spokesman says Biya is following the situation closely from abroad 0

The Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma has told the Cameroon people that, President Biya has ordered the opening of an investigation into the terrible train accident that occurred on Friday, October 21, 2016 near Eseka.

In a statement presented in both English and French on state radio and television, Issa Tchiroma Bakary informed the nation of actions taken by the head of state from his holiday resort abroad. The statement reportedly crafted by a Biya acolyte in Yaounde stated that, the President of the Republic was following the situation closely and has given standing and appropriate instructions to Prime Minister Philemon Yang to hold a crisis meeting.

The government spokesman added that President Biya instructed the government to make available financial resources to the bereaved families and the wounded to enable them to deal with the situation. The Biya statement reassured the public that all necessary steps were being taken by the government to deal with the situation and urged the Cameroon people to show their usual solidarity in such circumstances.

By Sama Ernest in Yaounde

Cardinal Tumi condemns tribalism, says he does not believe in regional balance

21, October 2016

Cardinal Tumi condemns tribalism, says he does not believe in regional balance 1

Cardinal Christian Tumi, cardinal emeritus of the Douala Arch Diocese has reacted to the issue of tribalism in governance in Cameroon. The retired Roman Catholic prelate was asked to comment on the recent wave of memoranda written by elites from some communities to the head of state, President Paul Biya that have become common practice in Cameroon.

The response of the former Archbishop of Garoua was straightforward. “I do not accept this way of doing things. This is purely tribalism. We must have an acceptable development pattern void of tribalism. We have over 200 ethnic groups in Cameroon. If each tribe or ethnic group began to demand jobs or infrastructure only for their community, what will become of Cameroon?

The Cardinal added that, “We must not think in terms of tribe, but in terms of nation. If a Cameroonian works well, regardless of tribal origin and irrespective of the place where he works, he works for Cameroon. I do not believe in the regional balance. That is why I favour merit and competence. We must promote values such as good work and effort in society. I have never worked as Bishop in Anglophone Cameroon where I am from. As a priest, I never worked in my tribal area. I have worked with the people I met in all the places the Holy Father has sent me to. I’m on my third diocese,” noted Cardinal Tumi.

Cameroon has been rocked by a series of petitions from political elites of the Far North, North, Centre and South regions all claiming that their respective peoples and constituencies have not received the attention they deserve from the ruling CPDM consortium of crime syndicates.

By Sonne Peter with cables from CIN

 

Many feared dead as Intercity train derails in Cameroon

21, October 2016

Many feared dead as Intercity train derails in Cameroon 0

An Intercity train from Yaoundé to Douala derailed this morning at Eseka. The derailment was confirmed by Camrail-a subsidiary of Bolloré Logistics & Transport, responsible for the structures of the railway sector in Cameroon.

The CPDM government has reportedly deployed military intervention and security teams and have so far not made any official statement concerning the happenings in the country. Unconfirmed reports say many bodies were seen littered around the train immediately after the accident.

The country was hit by the collapse of a bridge on the Yaounde-Douala highway, some 65 km from Yaoundé. Consequently, the two main cities of the country were cut off by road.. Many passengers were directed to use the train services from Yaoundé to Douala, called “Intercity”. 8 coaches were added to enhance the movement of users which prompted the incident.

By Rita Akana

Obama says Trump’s rhetorics are dangerous

21, October 2016

Obama says Trump’s rhetorics are dangerous 0

US President Barack Obama has criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his repeated claims that the presidential election on November 8 would be rigged, describing the claims as “dangerous.” Obama made the comments on Thursday at Miami Gardens, Florida, during a rally in support of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“That is dangerous because when you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people’s minds about the legitimacy of our elections, that undermines our democracy,” Obama said. “You’re doing the work of our adversaries for them because our democracy depends on people knowing that their vote matters. That those who occupy the seats of power were chosen by the people,” he added. With the presidential election less than three weeks away, Trump has intensified his criticism of the American electoral system.

On Thursday, the GOP nominee said he will have the right to challenge the outcome of election if he feels it’s questionable. Hours later, Trump added fuel to the fire by saying that he would totally accept the results of presidential poll if he won.

According to a new poll released on Monday, 41 percent of American voters are saying the 2016 election could be “stolen” from Trump due to widespread voter fraud. During his speech, Obama also condemned Republican lawmakers for taking too long to withdraw their support for Trump, doing so only after the release of the 2015 tape where Trump was caught making lewd comments about women.

“Apparently that was the deal breaker for them. Or at least, his poll numbers dropping after the tape came out was the deal breaker for him,” he said. “But here’s my question: Why would it take you this long to figure out that Donald Trump shouldn’t be president?” “You stand up and nominate and support a guy who says that he would silence reporters, jail his political opponent in the middle of a debate, deport whoever he wants,” he said.

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US elections are rigged in favour of the billionaires and the millionaires

21, October 2016

US elections are rigged in favour of the billionaires and the millionaires 0

During the final US presidential debate with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday night, Republican nominee Donald Trump declared that he might not accept the results of the November 8 presidential election if there is evidence it was rigged.

Press TV has asked two political analysts whether they thought the upcoming election in the US would be rigged as Trump has predicted. Richard Becker, with the ANSWER Coalition from San Francisco, said the election system in the United States is not based on who wins the popular vote. “It’s who wins the election in enough states to win the electoral votes of that state and the electoral votes are very unbalanced,” he said on Thursday night.

Becker agreed that the US elections are usually rigged, but thought that would happen in Trump’s favour this time around.  “The elections are rigged but in his (Trump’s) favor, in favor of the billionaires and the millionaires” or “those who could garner the support of billionaires and millionaires,” he said.

He also touched on the Republican nominee’s allegations about a biased media coverage of the election campaign in the United States. “The mass media is supporting Clinton to a large degree now but it’s been estimated that at least two billion maybe as much as three billion dollars in free media coverage came Trump’s way,” Becker said.

Brent Budowsky, a columnist at the top US political website The Hill, said he supports a direct election of the president by voters, and not the Electoral College. Budowsky, however, ruled out the claim that the 2016 presidential race would be rigged, saying Trump was resorting to “conspiracy theory” to justify his defeat in the upcoming election.

The presidential elections in the United States have never resembled a true democracy

20, October 2016

The presidential elections in the United States have never resembled a true democracy 1

The presidential elections in the United States have never resembled a true democracy and the nation requires a political revolution to be able o function as a republic, according to an American scholar.  “US presidential elections have absolutely nothing to do with anything that resemble democracy,” said Kevin Barrett, an author and political commentator based in Madison, Wisconsin.

“Americans need to wake up and see that their nation has become a criminal empire rather than a republic as was setup the founding fathers,” Barrett told Press TV on Thursday. Republican and Democratic nominees, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, facef off in the last one-on-one debate on Wednesday in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has challenged the legitimacy of American democracy, declaring that he might not accept the results of the November 8 presidential election if there is evidence it was rigged. “I will look at it at the time. I’m not looking at anything now,” Trump said during his final presidential debate.

Barrett cited several examples that show American elections have been rigged since the 1940s. “I don’t know if Trump is the man to lead the second American revolution, I think he isn’t, but if he can continue to speak these unspeakable truths and destroy Americans’ misplaced faith and the big lies of their almost infinitely corrupt system, then we will get that much closer to second American revolution which is what this country needs,” Barrett stated.

Over the last week, Trump has intensified his criticism of the American electoral system. He called the election process rigged, and said the media is colluding with Clinton in order to beat him. He has strongly questioned the legitimacy of the US elections, saying that he believed the vote was already being “rigged” at many polling places. According to a new poll released on Monday, 41 percent of American voters are saying the 2016 election could be “stolen” from Trump due to widespread voter fraud.

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Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium may smile again

20, October 2016

Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium may smile again 0

Renovation works going on at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium that will host the opening and final game of the 2016 Women Africa Cup of Nations is almost completed. Even with finishing still pending, government sources say every aspect of the stadium will be ready soonest.

The new national stadium has very little resemblance with the old structure but for the fact that, it is found on the same spot. Some remarkable transformations in the facility include; the presidential lounge that has been created from the old presidential tribune that existed, a new press lodge with a technical control room for television and radio live broadcast and well adapted dressing rooms.

Journalists from the state radio and television who recently visited the site reported that it has an up-to-date security system boosted by surveillance cameras, an electronic command gate constructed to manage the large crowds, three high power standby generators that guarantee autonomy in water and energy supply and a Wi-Fi and internet services.

Some big men in Yaounde call the ministers have opined that renovation work in the stadium will be completed in the days ahead.

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