6, May 2020
Buea University Don summoned over question on Ambazonia crisis 0
Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor alias Agbor Balla, Instructor at the English Law Department, Faculty of Laws and Political Science of the University of Buea has been summoned by authorities to justify why he set an examination question on the Anglophone Crisis.
The Disciplinary Hearing opens at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at the Board Room of the Central Administrative Block, said Prof. Atangcho Nji Akonumbo, Dean of the Faculty of Laws and Political Science.
The rights activist is said to have breached professional obligations when he set an exam question on the Anglophone Crisis in a first semester level one course titled “Political and Constitutional History of Cameroon”. The question read: “The Anglophone crisis since 2016 was caused by lawyers’ and teachers’ strikes. Assess the validity of this statement. (40 marks).”
An “Invitation Letter to a Disciplinary Hearing” dated April 29, 2020 was only delivered to Agbor Balla’s office at the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) at 12:08 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, 2020, Cameroon-Info.Net has learnt. Although Agbor Balla was not on seat, the invite was received on his behalf by one of his collaborators at CHRDA where he is founder/president.
In the invitation letter, Prof. Atangcho writes: “On the instruction of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea, and in keeping with article 16 of decree No. 93/036 of 29th January 1993, you are being invited to appear before a constituted Disciplinary Panel of the University to hear allegations against you for non-compliance of professional obligations for a question you set on LAW243: Political and Constitutional History of Cameroon, during the 2019/2020 first semester examination.”
The Minister of State for Higher Education and Chancellor of Academic Orders, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo had on April 20 instructed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea ,Professor Horace Ngomo Manga to put a definite end to all on-campus activities of Agbor Balla which breach the “ethics and deontology” of the University.
Cameroon-Info.Net recalls that when the crisis in the North West and South West regions started in October 2016 with the Lawyers’ and later Teachers’ strike, Agbor Balla was President of the Fako Lawyer’s Association (FAKLA) as well as President of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC.
When pressure came to bear on government, the CACSC was banned on January 17, 2017 and Agbor Balla arrested same day along with Dr. Fontem Neba who served as Secretary General of the Consortium.
Brought before the Yaoundé military court for promoting terrorism among other charges that carry the maximum sentence, Agbor Balla was freed when President Biya ordered the discontinuance of proceedings against him and others on August 30, 2017.
Human Rights Lawyer Agbor Balla’s trouble at the University of Buea may not be unconnected to his indictment of government for the February 14, 2020 killings in Ngarbuh.
Culled from Cameroon Info.Net
6, May 2020
Coronavirus Outbreak: Les Brasseries du Cameroun pressured Biya to lift the ban on bars and pubs 0
French brewery cartel known as Les Brasseries du Cameroun reportedly pressured President Biya to undermine Cameroon’s Health Ministry lockdown provisions against COVID-19 exposing the government’s total ineptitude in dealing with the crisis, Cameroon Concord News Group has gathered from concordant sources in Yaoundé.
The pandemic is now sweeping across Cameroon, overwhelming hospitals, and leading to the surging death toll but the Head of State has ordered all pubs, bars and breweries to operate as usual. While in mother France, pubs are only permitted to either deliver drinks or allow customers to pick them up.
The French brewers threatened Etoudi with severe consequences if the regime failed to put an end to the lockdown. Officials at the Ministry of Public Health have blatantly refused to criticize the government for downplaying the risk of coronavirus spreading in beer parlours.
The Biya decision was put into practice without any proper consultation with Cameroonian trade bodies and civil society organizations. A cream of Cameroonian clergies have raised fingers against the move on social media with a prominent Man of God stating that “The reopening of bar is DANGEROUS. When the FLOOD subsided after 40 days, Noah did not RUSH OUT. He sent a bird out and it was after the 3rd bird did not return that he knew it was TIME to STEP OUT. Please do not join the multitudes that are rushing out because they are tired of staying at home. A lot of people have already been infected and unknowingly will keep infecting others. Let us be wise like Noah to OBSERVE for many more days inside our own ARK, OUR HOMES before taking any action. May we and our loved ones be preserved and protected from this pandemic in Jesus mighty name. Amen.”
By Chi Prudence Asong