Monthly Archives: November 2022

14, November 2022

US: Three dead, two injured in University of Virginia campus shooting ⁰

A shooting on the campus of the University of Virginia late Sunday left three people dead and two wounded, university police said in a tweet, adding that the suspect was still at large and “armed and dangerous”.

The university police identified a student, Christopher Darnell Jones as the suspect, and said multiple agencies were engaged in an active search.

Jones was described as wearing a “burgundy jacket, blue jeans and red shoes”, and may have been driving a black SUV, according to the authorities.

An email sent to the student body by the university’s vice president recommended that all students seek safety and follow shelter-in-place commands as the situation remained active.

The shooting is the latest in a wave of gun violence on US college and high school campuses in recent years. The bloodshed has fueled the debate over tighter restrictions on access to guns in the United States, where the Second Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms.

(Source: Reuters)

12, November 2022

Cameroon lost 67 million dollars to corruption in 2021 ⁰

Cameroon lost about 44 billion xaf (about 67 million US dollars) to corruption last year, according to statistics released Thursday by the Cameroon Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC).

The amount represented an increase of over 26 billion xaf compared to 2020, the report said, adding that police and local government officials were among the worst offenders, with health, education, finance, road transport, and territorial administration sectors being the most corrupt.

“Efforts have been made so far to fight this vice, but we need to step up our strategies. It is true that people are becoming aware of their responsibility in connection with fighting corruption and checking the management of public funds but officials also need to make some more efforts,” CONAC President Dieudonne Massi Gams told reporters in the capital, Yaounde during a media briefing on the report.

CONAC, established in 2006, is a public independent body under the direct supervision of the head of state. Its mission is to monitor and evaluate the effective implementation of the government’s anti-corruption program.

Source: Xinhuanet

12, November 2022

Manyu: Happy Birthday song now in Ejagham Language ⁰

The tune to the song ‘Happy Birthday to you’ is used in many different languages around the globe. There are also a number of other birthday songs, some of which use the same tune but different words.

‘Happy Birthday to you’ was written in 1893 by Patty and Mildred Hill, teachers in Louisville, Kentucky in the USA. The tune came from another song called ‘Good Morning to All’.

The English version: Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear——-, Happy Birthday to you has attracted the attention of Tambendiparrah Tanyi, a native of Kembong, Eyumojock Sub Division in Manyu for ages!

The German trained Engineer and international IT-Consultant who also moonlights as an instrumental author of the Ejagham book – “Nguid Ejagham – Echort Ejagham” and a promoter of Ejagham culture and tradition recently put pen to paper and developed the Ejagham version of the song.

Here goes the lyrics and also do not forget to join Cameroon Concord News on face book and watch how Eyum Anneh performs the birthday song live

Bhere Oyibhambenghe Ofuh Obliih

1) Bhere Oyibhambenghe Ofuh Obliih

Bhere Oyibhambenghe Ofuh Obliih

Bhere Oyibhambenghe Ofuh Obliih obha ah!

Bhere Oyibhambenghe Ofuh Obliih

2) Oreh Ngyah ebheg Eyih!

Oreh Ngyah ebheg Eyih!

Oreh ngyah ebheg Eyih-ih!

Oreh ngyah ebheg Eyih!

3) Titih Ngya ya, Ngya gya!

Titih Ngya ya, Ngya gya!

Titih Ngya ya, Ngya mbeeh eyah!

Titih Ngya ya, Ngya gya!

12, November 2022

Rigobert Song: The coach who does not know how to pronounce his players’ names ⁰

The Cameroon national team announced its list of 26 players for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in which it will compete in Group G alongside of Serbia, Brazil and Switzerland.

Local and international media were offended by what happened at the squad announcement, and there are concerns about their coach, the legendary Rigobert Song, a former Cameroonian footballer who played in four World Cups.

The suspicions are because when Song was sitting in the press conference to announce the 26 names, something surprising and unexpected happened.

The coach was repeatedly stumped when pronouncing the names of some players and, on some occasions, did not know how to pronounce some surnames so it was the journalists who came to his rescue to which Song responded with a “thank you, thank you”.

It didn’t end there, because Song was frozen when he saw the notebook where those names were written. He had to consult the advisor who was next to him. This did not sit well in the country’s confidence in his team at the World Cup.

Doubts around Lions at the 2022 World Cup

Cameroonian media point out that Song might not have much say in the making of the roster, highlighting the interference of the Cameroon Football Federation in which 26 players would go to the World Cup.

Another possible reason is that Song has only been in charge for a short time and therefore does not know all his players. Until February this year, the position was held by the Portuguese Antonio Conceicao, who was surprisingly dismissed, considering his numbers of three defeats, six draws and 14 victories.

Song was chosen to replace him and had the difficult task of overcoming a tough qualifying round against Algeria, which he did with much suffering, to secure a ticket to the 2022 World Cup.

His record is two wins, one draw and three defeats. Their last friendly will be against Panama on November 18, six days before the opener against Switzerland.

In Cameroon, they hope to forget this embarrassment with a good start in the World Cup.

Source: Marca.com

12, November 2022

WHO Director’s statement on the Monkeypox situation in Cameroon and neighboring countries ⁰

The WHO regional Director of Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti recently held a press conference where he highlighted the state of affairs regarding the Monkeypox virus status in seven countries of Africa, including Cameroon.

He said that since the beginning of 2022, there have been recorded instances of Monkeypox in Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic republic of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“WHO and allies are combining forces to immediately determine the scale and source of the worldwide pandemic. So yet, recorded cases have no confirmed travel linkages to endemic locations. Based on the available information, they have mostly, but not entirely, been detected amongst gay men having sex with men (MSM) requesting care in general care and sexual health clinics.”

“What is critically crucial today is to prevent any risk for a repetition of the inequitable availability of COVID-19 vaccinations encountered by African countries earlier in the epidemic. We must have one integrated worldwide response to the monkeypox virus to prevent it becoming prevalent in other nations. This requires equal access to the appropriate knowledge and tools, and information sharing to enhance understanding of the severity of the situation.”

“African nations may probably have accumulated some immunity against monkeypox. But fair access to effective vaccinations is crucial to safeguard the continent’s especially vulnerable groups, including health professionals and the contacts of patients.”

“As WHO in the African Region, we are working together with African governments, technical as well as financial partners and regional institutions to enhance laboratory diagnosis, disease surveillance, preparedness, and response operations to stem future spread of the virus.”

Source: The Paradise

11, November 2022

Qatar 2022: New details on how Eto’o and Song will fall from grace to grass ⁰

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will on 23 November 2022 enter the Al Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah, Qatar as beyond-overwhelming favorites to leave the FIFA World Cup tournament after the first round.

It’s remarkable to believe that the Lions are already looking disarray even before the competition kicks off in Qatar. Several poor performances during international friendlies and a miserable 1-1 draw with a non football nation like Jamaica is what is going to turn long-serving centre back Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui’s dream for the Lions into a nightmare.

A number of factors are presently contributing to the Indomitable Lions poor performances. But the most salient is the team’s poor fit with head coach Rigobert Song and the president of the Cameroon Football Federation Samuel Eto’o.

Coach Rigobert Song does not like the team he is carrying to Qatar and he also does not like coaching big names like Clinton Njie and Nkoulou. Thanks to Eto’o, Song now has Nkoulou instead of Ngadeu.

The team has been struggling to come together as a group ever since Eto’o started introducing players from far away leagues and also players who were born and raised up in the West. Everyone in the squad is confused and they are all trying to cater to Coach Rigobert Song’s style which is completely different to what the all powerful President Samuel Eto’o wants!

Eto’o is always in the dressing room going after players even on social media and does not know how to keep his mouth shut. He often complains about players performance which is something never known in the rich history of Cameroon football.

Some of the players contacted by Cameroon Concord News after the Africa Cup of Nations in Yaoundé said Eto’o isn’t letting them play. “He’s trying to make us play for Eto’o and not for the nation! He’s not letting us play, we just need to play football and defend the colours of the country” one of the players hinted our correspondent.

Our Yaoundé city reporter who contributed to this report said FECAFOOT picked the wrong coach for the time. “Rigobert Song thinks he has a team full of stars like Mboma, Lauren, Kala and Wome and he has been trying to coach the team like it is Eto’o’s team. Telling guys who play their football all over Europe how to play what Eto’o wants! What they should and shouldn’t do on the pitch, instead of just trying to come together and win games and trophies” Rita Akana observed.

The appointment of Rigobert Song by Eto’o has also been interpreted by many football commentators as trying to use the Indomitable Lions as a tool. Truth be told, that’s probably why nice guys like Mamadou Idrissou are now speaking out and challenging the current status quo.

The problem is not just that these groups of Lions stars have not learned to be a cohesive unit — it’s that the leadership both technical and administrative is too young and foolish!

Eto’o’s decision to always enforce his own thoughts on the team appears to be making internal challenges more difficult. Rigobert Song is now being criticized for his handling of the Qatar 2022 selection process but video of the team announcement clearly reveals that he was simply presented the list of the 26 players to read to the media. To be sure — Song is not going to make anything work in Qatar.

Beyond leaving out one of the best defenders in Africa, the Song-Eto’o’s plan has gone against what the Indomitable Lions had all along represented in world football. The Indomitable Lions didn’t get its name by accident — from 1982 to Italia 90, the squad was constructed with men with solid personal football achievements. Song and Eto’o have misunderstood the Lions idea so thoroughly that after Qatar, both men shall fall from grace to grass.

The Indomitable Lions have always hard its key players that made Cameroon dominant as ever! But the team was always constructed with an eye towards national unity. With a Clinton Njie call including just one Anglophone in the FECAFOOT hierarchy, the Southern Cameroons perception of this 2022 team would have been different. So what changed in 2022? Perhaps, a move towards francophonising the francophone nation with a more inconsistent selection process.

However, it’s worth paying special attention to veteran footballer Mamadou Idrissou who recently said Nkoulou was called into the squad because his wife is a cousin to Samuel Eto’o.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

11, November 2022

Trumpty Dumpty: Rupert Murdoch’s powerful conservative media dumps Donald Trump ⁰

The powerful media empire of conservative billionaire Rupert Murdoch appeared to turn its back Thursday on Donald Trump, labeling the former US president a “loser” who shows “increasingly poor judgement” after the midterm elections.

Just days before he is expected to announce his 2024 White House candidacy, the Wall Street Journal, the flagship of Murdoch’s News Corp, declared in an editorial that “Trump Is the Republican Party’s Biggest Loser,” pointing to the party’s disappointing performance in Tuesday’s midterms.

Trump later Friday hit back at Murdoch, appearing to relish a scuffle, accusing News Corp media of falling in line to back a potential Republican rival of Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination, a choice he said News Corp would rue.

The cover of News Corp’s tabloid New York Post depicted Trump on a precarious wall as “Trumpty Dumpty” who “had a great fall” in the vote, blaming him for the failure of Republicans to sweep past Democratic rivals in the battle for control of Congress and governors’ mansions.

And at the hugely influential Fox News television network, praise was thick for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seen as Trump’s top rival for the party’s 2024 nomination.

“The biggest winner of the midterm elections was without a doubt Governor Ron DeSantis, whose landslide victory in the state of Florida was breathtaking,” wrote Fox columnist Liz Peek.

“The biggest loser? Donald Trump,” she said.

After supporting him through his 2017-2021 presidency, Fox, a Murdoch arm separate from News Corp, did not completely abandon Trump, still the most powerful figure in the Republican Party.

But even the network’s biggest star, talk-show host Tucker Carlson, assailed the Republican establishment for Tuesday’s ballot box failures and at least partly blamed the ex-president.

“Many others are saying that Donald Trump is the reason Republicans didn’t do as well as they thought they would. That’s a more complicated question,” he said late Wednesday.

“The truth is, Trump has always been a mixed blessing politically.”

The Murdoch outlets are some of the most influential sources of information for US conservatives, unabashedly backing Republicans and attacking Democrats.

So blaming Trump for election disappointments while lavishing praise on DeSantis could shape public views ahead of 2024.

Trump is expected to announce his candidacy next week, whereas DeSantis, who first had to win reelection to the Florida governorship, has only hinted that he might battle for the White House.

In fact Republicans scored significant gains Tuesday in the House of Representatives and are expected to wrest control of the chamber from Democrats when the outstanding races are settled.

But the party had expected to more powerfully trounce President Joe Biden’s Democrats and easily seize both the House and the Senate — still undecided — as well as some key governorships.

Instead, a number of candidates closely aligned with and endorsed by Trump failed to win in key races.

“Trumpy Republican candidates failed at the ballot box in states that were clearly winnable,” the Wall Street Journal wrote.

DeSantis meanwhile did not tap Trump for support in his race Tuesday, and he swept to a massive reelection victory.

On the cover of its first edition after the election, the New York Post celebrated DeSantis as “DeFUTURE.”

Meanwhile it told Trump: “The fate of your candidates Tuesday looks terrible for your increasingly poor judgment, which grows parallel to your desperation.”

Trump appeared to confirm the divorce from the Murdoch empire Thursday.

“Despite having picked so many winners, I have to put up with the Fake News. For me, Fox News was always gone,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He issued a rambling four-paragraph statement later decrying DeSantis – whom he ridiculed as DeSanctimonious – for “playing games” about whether he will run for president in 2024.

In 2016, “Fox News fought me to the end,” Trump said, until he won, “then they couldn’t have been nicer.”

The Wall Street Journal “loved Low Energy Jeb Bush, and a succession of other people” but Trump said he “easily knocked them out, one by one,” and the Murdoch properties fell into line.

“We’re in exactly the same position now,” Trump asserted.

Source: AFP

10, November 2022

Indomitable Lions: Bassogog to fly from Shanghai to Doha for World Cup ⁰

Shanghai Shenhua’s Cameroon forward Christian Bassogog plans to fly to Doha on Saturday for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the Chinese Super League side announced on Thursday.

“According to plan, Bassogog will fly from Shanghai to Doha on November 12 to join up with his national team,” the Shanghai club said in a brief statement.

The 27-year-old striker scored five goals and made three assists in 22 appearances in the Chinese Super League this season.

Cameroon will face Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland in Group G at the FIFA World Cup.

Source: Xinhuanet

10, November 2022

Ngadeu-Ngadjui left out as Song-Eto’o name squad for World Cup ⁰

Cameroon left out long-serving centre back Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui from their squad for the World Cup in a shock omission as coach Rigobert Song named his 26-man selection for Qatar on Wednesday.

The coach also surprisingly included two home-based players — Souaibou Marou and Jerome Ngom — who had won their first caps just hours before in a friendly against Jamaica.

The team will be captained by Vincent Aboubakar, who competed as a teenager at the 2010 World Cup and again in Brazil in 2014 when the Indomitable Lions last appeared at the finals.

It will also be a third World Cup for defender Nicolas Nkoulou, 32, and Bayern Munich attacker Eric-Maxime Choupo Moting, who is 33-years-old.

Nkoulou made a comeback to the team in September after a five-year absence, having retired from the side after they won the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ngadeu was also a member of that team but had remained a regular for Cameroon since. He was omitted for the last round of friendly matches two months ago and left out again for the trip to Qatar.

Song gave no explanation for the axing of the 31-year-old Belgian-based centre back at a hastily arranged news conference on Wednesday, where reporters were given short notice of the intention to name the squad.

Song also included teenage goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu, who is on the books of Olympique de Marseille but yet to play a senior match. He is the only uncapped player in the squad.

Cameroon will play in an eighth World Cup — a record number of appearances for an African nation — and take on Switzerland, Serbia and Brazil in Group G, with their first game on Nov. 24.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Devis Epassy (Abha Club), Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Olympique de Marseille), Andre Onana (Inter Milan)

Defenders: Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes), Enzo Ebosse (Udinese), Collins Fai (Al Tai), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union), Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris Salonika), Tolo Nouhou (Seattle Sounders), Christopher Wooh (Stade Rennes)

Midfielders: Martin Hongla (Verona), Pierre Kunde (Olympiakos), Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City), Gael Ondoua (Hannover 96), Samuel Oum Gouet (Mechelen), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli)

Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nassr), Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua), Eric-Maxime Choupo Moting (Bayern Munich), Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys Berne), Jerome Ngom (Colombe Dja), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas), Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys Berne), Karl Toko Ekambi (Olympique Lyonnais)

Culled from Reuters

10, November 2022

Indomitable Lions enroute to Qatar 2022 ⁰

The Indomitable Lions are expected to be the first African team to arrive Qatar, a spokesman for the Francophone dominated Cameroon Football Federation said today at the Nsimalen International airport.

Cameroon Concord News understands all 32 teams will be located in top class facilities in base camps throughout the Qatar.

Following the arrival of the Indomitable Lions, the best team in Africa, the rest of the teams will descend on Qatar and will check in at their respective Team Base Camp Hotels at least five days before their first matches. The World Cup will be played from November 20 to December 18.

The giants of Africa will begin their 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament with a soccer match against the Switzerland national football team on 23 November 2022 at Al Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah.

As part of the unique features of the FIFA World Cup 2022, there is no requirement of domestic flights or long hours of travelling. That will mean all the teams will be using the same residence and training facilities throughout the tournament, with all the teams being given access to similar top-class facilities at Team Base Camps. The extremely compact nature of Qatar 2022 will see 24 out of the 32 teams based within a 10km radius of each other.

By Rita Akana in Yaounde with files