Monthly Archives: November 2016

4, November 2016

November 4th 1982-November 4th 2016: In Loving Memory of the Late President Ahidjo ⁰

The late President Ahmadou Ahidjo elected in May 1960 as the first President of the Republic of Cameroon decided on the 4^th of November 1982 at the age of 58, to resign as head of state. He handed over to his constitutional successor, Prime Minister Paul Biya. To remember this day, a sister publication, Cameroun-Info.Net made available the historic speech that was read on state radio by the late president.

“Fellow Cameroonians, My dear compatriots,

I have decided to resign from my functions as President of the Republic of Cameroon.

This decision will take effect as from Saturday, November 6th at 10 am. In this major circumstance, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all those who for nearly 25 years, gave me their confidence and provided assistance in performing my duties as president of the republic.

I particularly want to thank the militants of our great National Party, the CNU for their total, constant and unwavering support.

If there was much to do in building our beloved and beautiful country, we have indeed accomplished together after independence, reunification and Unification and considerable progress in all areas.

Our country has significant assets. We have consolidated national unity; we have many resources, varied and complementary, a continuous expanding economy, sound monetary and social justice system, an ever improving working population and a dynamic youth including strong and fruitful relations of friendship and cooperation in Africa and the world.

I invite all Cameroonians to give unreserved trust and lend their support to my constitutional successor, Paul Biya. He deserves the confidence of all, inside and outside. I urge you to remain a united people, patriotic, hardworking, dignified and respected. I pray Almighty God that he continues to provide the Cameroonian people the protection and assistance to its development in peace, unity and justice.

Long Live Cameroon.”

November 4, 1982

Amadou Babatoura Ahidjo

President of the Republic of Cameroon

Culled from Cameroun-info.net

4, November 2016

Overwhelming majority of American voters view Trump and Clinton as dishonest ⁰

Republican and Democratic Parties have made such a mockery of US democracy and electoral process that a majority of Americans want neither candidate to win the November 8 election, asks Myles Hoenig, an American political analyst and activist.

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s unpopularity among American voters has reached a new high, according to recent polls, putting her on par with her Republican rival Donald Trump. According to the final pre-election New York Times/CBS News Poll released on Thursday, an overwhelming majority of American voters are disgusted by the state of US politics, and most view Trump and Clinton as dishonest.

More than 80 percent of voters say the presidential campaign has left them repulsed rather than excited, the poll found. “Having the two most hated politicians running for president of the US representing the two largest political parties has made a mockery of our democracy and electoral process,” Hoenig told Press TV on Friday. “Hillary Clinton lied and stole her way to the nomination for the Democrats and Trump bullied his way by insulting every interest group in America, including his fellow Republican opponents,” he added.

“For the third parties we have Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, who has been made a laughing stock for his ignorance of foreign policy. His poll numbers are dropping. The other 3rd party candidate is Jill Stein of the Green Party who is seeing an actual rise in her numbers in spite of lies and smears coming from mostly the Democrats, with assistance from the main stream media,” he said. “That the race is tightening is no surprise. It often happens at this time but the reasons now are not because people are becoming more assured of who they want but more and more disgusted in the choices they have,” he stated.

“Regardless of who wins, and it’s most probable that it’ll be either Clinton or Trump, this country’s nightmare will only begin on Jan 21st, the day after the inauguration. If it’s Clinton one wouldn’t be surprised if the ink on the articles of impeachment isn’t already dried. By then, it’s possible that criminal charges will have been presented to her or that she had received by then a presidential pardon from the outgoing President Obama,” the analyst noted.

“President Ford once said, when he was a leader in the House of Representatives, that impeachment is for whatever the Congress wants it to be. Simply the whiff of impropriety or criminal behavior would make any partisan congressman see that as reason enough for such an article of impeachment. Compound that with an actual indictment and it’s guaranteed,” he said.

The commentator said, “Trump has a different set of problems if he were to be inaugurated in January. His positions are so outlandish that even his own party, which by and large has rejected him, would pounce on anything he does that would jeopardize their chances as a party and individually in the next off-year elections of 2018.”

“We have to look inward as to what kind of nation we are that we have degenerated to the point where a majority of Americans want neither candidate to win,” he said in his concluding remarks.

Culled from Presstv

4, November 2016

Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey meets Gabonese leader Ali Bongo ⁰

President Paul Biya secretly sent an emissary to Libreville to congratulate Ali Bongo for his re-election. The Minister of the Economy and Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey was the Biya acolyte who traveled to Gabon with the message to the Gabonese president.

Cameroon Concord News informant in the Gabonese capital hinted that Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey also met with senior cabinet ministers of the Gabonese administration.

By Chi Prudence Asong

4, November 2016

Trump gaining ground in states that were leaning towards Hillary Clinton ⁰

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has gained ground in several states that were leaning toward Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as Election Day draws closer, a new poll has revealed. According to the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project released on Friday, Trump and Clinton are now tied in Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio with the November 8 presidential election just four days away. In Michigan, Clinton’s lead over her Republican rival has decreased so much that the state is now too close to call.

Trump’s support has increased in 24 states and decreased in 11 over the past week. In comparison, the former secretary of state’s support has grown in 13 states and lessened in 22. The States of the Nation project surveys some 15,000 likely voters every week in all 50 American states and Washington, DC. The Democratic nominee, according to the poll, still has about a 90 percent chance of winning the 270 electoral votes which are necessary to win the presidency, but Trump now also has a plausible route to victory, especially if there is a sharp fall in turnout among African-American voters.

Trump has to prevail in both Florida and North Carolina to have a good chance of winning the November 8 election, but Clinton could lose both states and still clinch the White House. The tightening of the polls comes after FBI Director James Comey dropped a bombshell on the Clinton campaign last week by announcing the revival of the investigation into thousands of new emails sent by Clinton as secretary of state.

Following the FBI’s announcement, Clinton’s unpopularity among American voters has reached a new high, according to polls, putting her on par with her Republican rival Trump. On Sunday, the FBI obtained a search warrant to begin reviewing the emails, reportedly numbering 650,000 and found on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin. According to the final pre-election New York Times/CBS News Poll released on Thursday, an overwhelming majority of American voters are disgusted by the state of US politics, and most view Trump and Clinton as dishonest. More than 80 percent of voters say the presidential campaign has left them repulsed rather than excited, the poll found.

Presstv

4, November 2016

Biya and the CPDM: Justifying successful failure in leadership ¹

The ruling CPDM party has attempted an explanation on the failure to hold a congress this year. The national chairman and members of the political bureau met in Yaoundé and agreed that the Eseka train tragedy, the economic and financial crisis in the country and the fight against the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram have made it impossible for the party to hold a national congress in 2016 as demanded by the rules and regulations governing the party.

Elected in 2011 for a five-year term as Chairman of the Cameroon People Democratic Movement, CPDM, Paul Biya’s mandate expired in September 2016 including those of the political bureau, members of the Central Committee and the National Offices of the women and young wings of the party.

For some two months now, the ruling party and all its activities have been illegal. It was to end this illegal situation that the National Chairman of the CPDM summoned on Thursday a meeting of the political bureau of the party. Since there has never been any distinction between the party and the state, the meeting held at the Presidential Palace in Yaoundé.

Of the 23 members of the Politburo, four were conspicuously absent for various reasons including former Minister Marafa Hamidou Yaya charged for corruption by the regime. Four resolutions were adopted authorizing the extension for an indefinite period the different mandates of highly placed members of the party under Article 18 of the Basic Laws of the CPDM. They included:

– The resolution extending the period for holding of the CPDM National Congress;

– A resolution extending the mandate of the National President, until the holding of the next Congress of the CPDM;

– The resolution extending the mandate of the members of the Central Committee and Political Bureau, until the holding of the next Congress of the CPDM;

– The resolution extending the mandates of members of the National Office of the WCPDM and YCPDM until the holding of the next national congress.

The reasons for the postponement were noted as follows:

– The Congress Hall with the capacity to host such forum is now under construction;

– The fight against Boko Haram is still financially and humanly demanding despite the tangible results achieved so far;

– Political activities are not necessary at a time when Cameroonians are still reeling from the Eseka train disaster;

– The upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations this November will require the Cameroonian youth many of whom are CPDM militants to inject a lot of energy to make this event a resounding success;

– The current austerity measures taken by the nation needs rigor in the management of available resources;

– The Sub Saharan region is in peril and needs Cameroon vigilance at all times.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Cameroon-info.net

4, November 2016

Geremi Njitap takes command as head of SYNAFOC ⁰

Geremi Sorel Njitap, has been elected president of the National Union of Cameroon footballers. The former Cameroonian international was the only candidate for the race to head the association known as Synafoc.

He was acclaimed at the end of the general assembly that held on Thursday in Douala. Geremi Njitap takes over from the late David Mayebi, who died some five months ago, after more than 20 years as head of the Union of Cameroonian footballers.

By Rita Akana

3, November 2016

President Uhuru Kenyatta accuses the UN of covering up failures in South Sudan ⁰

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has accused the United Nations of covering up its failure to establish peace in South Sudan by blaming a Kenyan commander in charge of the UN forces in the conflict-stricken country. Kenyatta said on Thursday that the UN was “scapegoating” Kenyan forces deployed to South Sudan for the failings of its mission in the country, known as UNMISS.

“We know that the people of this region want peace in South Sudan. But we also know that peace will not come to South Sudan by blaming a Kenyan commander for the wider failings of the mission to South Sudan,” said Kenyatta.

The harsh criticism came two days after the UN sacked Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki as the head of UNMISS, saying the results of a probe into his response to the fighting in South Sudan in July were “chaotic and ineffective”. The UN said soldiers killed civilians, looted warehouses and raped women, including foreign aid workers, during the escalated wave of violence in the capital, Juba.

Kenyatta, however, rejected the findings and said that Kenya would pull out its troops from South Sudan in protest at the UN statements. “We will no longer contribute to a mission that has failed to meet its mandate, and which has now resorted to scapegoating Kenyans,” Kenyatta said, adding, “Serving does not come at the expense of the country’s dignity.”

Kenyatta’s angry remarks followed a Wednesday statement by the Kenyan Foreign Ministry which announced Ondieki’s dismissal but said soldiers would be withdrawn and Kenya would disengage from its mediator role in the peace process for South Sudan.

Kenya has more than 1,000 troops in South Sudan. The troops are part of the 13,000-strong force of UN Mission in South Sudan. It had also agreed to contribute to a proposed 4,000-strong “regional protection force” intended to bolster UNMISS.

Presstv

3, November 2016

Yaounde-Douala Highway: Accident claims 6 lives, injures dozens ⁰

A truck transporting agro industrial products has killed six people on the Yaoundé-Douala highway today Thursday, November the 3^rd 2016, Cameroon-info.net reports. Residents say the vehicle was en route to Yaoundé from Douala when it left the motorway and crushed six of the many people who were standing on the edge of the road.

The accident reportedly occurred at Omog, a village located about 5 km from Boumnyebel. The truck driver lost control as he was dodging the pot holes on the road. Apart from those killed, other victims with injuries were transported to the Puma hospital and the death toll is expected to rise.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

3, November 2016

Chantal Biya: Cameroon’s next head of state? ¹

Senior Cameroon government officials, traditional rulers, political scientists, lawyers, economists, sociologists, and other prominent academics recently participated in a scientific symposium on the charity works of Chantal Biya, the wife of the President of the Republic of Cameroon.

Cameroon Concord News reporters were prevented from covering the conference that held at that Soa campus of the University of Yaoundé 2. Renowned Francophone Beti-Ewondo academics reportedly struggled for 3 days to have a thoughtful key to understanding the charity works of the first lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya.

Cat calls from the civil society greeted the conference but it had to go ahead as the husband to the lady in question firmly holds the bar and controls all state apparatus in a country whose predominantly young population aspire to nothing.

Minister Fame Ndongo and a sea of pro Chantal Biya comedians moved that an honorary doctorate be given to the wife of the 83 year old dictator, President Paul Biya, the so-called “father of the nation.” The scientific symposium spent the sum of 65 million CFA francs collected from the public treasury in Yaoundé.

On the second day of the symposium, the participants announced the birth of a new philosophical doctrine in Cameroon called le “Chantalisme Biyayiste”. Our editorial board invoked the power of Google translate but could not still get the meaning of what the Yaoundes are saying within this new CPDM discourse of the Chantalisme Biyayiste.

Our senior political commentator observed that it was the birth of a new personality cult that will drive the nation to a civil war. Schools and colleges in Cameroon will henceforth by studying “Chantalistes Biyayistes”.

At the end of the panel discussions, the “intellectuals” agreed to propose to the Cameroon government to design a legal status for the first lady. If the recommendation is adopted, the proposal will then be sent to parliament for a constitutional amendment. So, Chantal Biya is definitely Cameroon’s next head of state.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

3, November 2016

3 Cameroonian referees for the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations ⁰

The Confederation of African Football, CAF has made public a list of 11 referees and 14 assistant referees who will oversee the matches of the upcoming 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2016 in Cameroon. The list of 25 includes three Cameroonians:

Referees