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3, June 2016

Nigeria: Shell and Agip pipelines blown up in Niger Delta ⁰

Militants have blown up strategic gas and crude pipelines belonging to Shell and Agip as part of a campaign that has cut Nigeria’s oil production in half. A hitherto unknown militant group, calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers, said it had dynamited the trunkline linking the Dutch-British Shell company’s Bonny terminal and the Brass export terminal of the Italian company Agip.

Earlier, the group had blown up gas and crude oil pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Delta State near the city of Warri. Nigeria’s oil production had already fallen from a projected 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to 1.4 million bpd before the latest string of attacks on the oil industry in southern Nigeria, including three within the past week on facilities of the US oil company Chevron.

The militants have given oil companies a May 31 deadline to leave Nigeria’s southern, oil-producing Niger Delta. “Watch out something big is about to happen and it will shock the whole world,” the the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) warned Saturday, addressing international and indigenous oil companies and Nigeria’s military. The NDA has intensified attacks in recent months, pushing oil output to its lowest in more than 20 years and compounding the problems faced by Africa’s largest economy.

The group claims it is fighting to win a greater share of oil profits for the nation and protect the environment from pollution caused by these oil companies. Local community leaders and non-violent environment activists have reportedly sided with the militants. They say residents of Niger Delta support their demands for a greater share of the country’s oil wealth.

Oil pollution has destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farmers and fishermen in the region. Several companies have evacuated some of their workers while the government has deployed thousands of troops to guard oil installations.

Culled from Presstv

3, June 2016

Cameroon Mourns a Statesman ⁰

Chief Michael Tabong Kima: The Silent Diplomat Goes Home

The country lost a true patriot and statesman in the person of Chief Michael Tabong Kima, foremost traditional ruler, quintessential diplomat and humanist. The passing of Ambassador Kima, as he was fondly called, is a great national loss; but it is also an occasion for the country to celebrate a truly great life and a man of virtue. A fine technocrat and astute administrator, he was by any measure, a hallmark of integrity in service and post-service life. His immediate constituency – Bakebe village; his family and the nation at large can only take consolation in his sterling qualities and the fact that he lived a most fulfilled life, in both public and private circles. He was a meticulous public servant who stood to be counted when it mattered. His private life was devoted to philanthropy and mentoring the young. His family, friends and the entire nation should be proud of his acclaimed virtues. Such are the memories of outstanding men in history.

A light-hearted man of fulsome humor, who taunted himself even as he did everyone who came around him, Chief Kima was a man of many worlds; a universe of politics, diplomacy, hearty socialization and community service, all neatly woven by a life of quiet philanthropy. What is striking is that his diplomatic career was the by-product of circumstances and a historical accident. In a 2005 interview, he recalled how it all began and paid special tribute to his mentor and former boss, Nzo Ekangaki:

“Nzo Ekangaki was a boss and a friend. Thanks to him, I left Buea for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was a very important person in my life. I was Executive Officer in the Secretariat in Buea in 1962, when he (Nzo) was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister. He came to my little office and did something, which I think others have never done. He spoke in Bayangi; “I have to see you. I (Nzo) have been appointed Deputy Foreign Minister and I have a post – Chief of Cabinet, so I want you (Kima) to come and help me to run this cabinet. I gave him some reasons why I might not be able to fill that office…but as we were talking, he already had my file. Before I could even convince my wife, a decree was published on May 5, 1962, appointing me Chief of Cabinet. And from there, I set sail for further studies on diplomacy and international relations. Subsequently, I was integrated into the career of diplomats. That is why I owe him a lot of gratitude”.

Before his first international posting to the Cameroon embassy in Moscow, as 1^st Secretary, in 1968, he obtained Diplomas in Public Administration and International Relations from the Institute of Social Studies, the Academy of International Law at The Hague, Holland and the Cité Université de Grenoble in France. After three years in Moscow, he was recalled home and later appointed Deputy Director of Protocol and Treaties in 1973. In 1976 he was posted to the Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC, where he was 2^nd then 1^stCounselor and later Chargés d’Affaires. In 1982 he was named Minister Plenipotentiary and Ambassador Extraordinary to Liberia; with accreditation as Head of Mission in Sierra Leone and Guinea.

He returned to Cameroon on February 4, 1984, following his appointment to replace Philemon Yang Yunji as Minister of Mines and Energy; a position he held until May 16, 1988. Amongst his numerous accomplishments, he oversaw the rural electrification of Cameroon. This was his defining legacy to his native Manyu Division and the country at large. As a pioneer member of the central committee and politburo of the ruling CPDM party, Pa Kima was an indomitable political force. It is to this adroitness that as a one-man political powerhouse, he took on the Manyu political establishment and opened up the political space to a younger generation of politicians.

Despite the controversy surrounding his politics, Chief Kima was a kind and humane person; a man of power and means, whose heart was at one with the people. Following his father’s death in 1986, he became 2^ndclass Chief of Bakebe village. In his life-time, his generosity transcended socio-cultural barriers and he was everywhere a peace-maker. Once, at a Manyu parley, then Gov. Oben Ashu tongue-lashed former Gov. Enow Tanjong, for militating in the SDF. The situation degenerated into a shouting match when Pa Tanjong retorted that when he was governor, Oben Ashu was a clerk. It took the energetic efforts of Chief Kima, invoking an Ekpe injunction to prevent an escalation into a fist fight.

After leaving the cabinet, he got another ambassadorial posting to Italy in 1989, where he distinguished himself; becoming the longest serving envoy and Dean of the Diplomatic corps. After 19 years in Italy, by which time his qualification for retirement was no longer a secret, and his continuous stay in office was marked by diminishing returns, the old-horse was given a deserved retirement in 2008. He died May 9, 2016 aged 88.

Born July 5, 1928 in Bakebe, Upper Bayang, Manyu Division, Southwest region, he attended Sasse College and did post-secondary education at Gov’t Clerical Training School Oshogbo, Nigeria where he studied Public Administration. He returned to Cameroon and worked with the Victoria Council. In 1954, he married Frieda Moloke, the love of his life and soulmate for over 60 years, who passed on in 2011. A man of honor; even in death, Chief Kima is survived by four children, nine grandchildren, 12 brothers and sisters, a large extended family and the people of Bakebe and Nkockonock clan.

Chief Kima was an unapologetic traditionalist who lived life to the fullest; his philosophy anchored on his belief that a man is who he is; not what he has! A transdisciplinary intellectual, who gave his diplomatic portfolio a wide social context through his creative output and socio-political engagements, Chief Kima by natural inclination, had time for everybody who came his way, status notwithstanding. That was a mark of his modesty and simplicity. A silent gentleman of quiet decency, sardonic wit and great mentoring skills, he was of that rare breed of Cameroonians, for whom integrity was all. Hence his entire life was a case study in selfless patriotism.

His legacy of personal integrity and patriotism represents a high value system difficult to reestablish in a country embroiled in governance anomie and blatant moral bankruptcy. His life is a lesson for contemporary public servants and a classic example that a person of means, privilege and power can live a fulfilled and happy life serving other people to the best of his ability and satisfaction of his true conscience. Cameroon has lost a quintessential public servant and distinguished personality. Indeed, the nation has lost one of her best. To have known Chief Kima was to value him. Good Nite Your Excellency, you will be sorely missed.

Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai

Harvard Kennedy School of Government

United States of America

2, June 2016

Ivory Coast: Attempted rape of former first lady filmed ⁰

Ivory Coast’s former first lady Simone Gbagbo says she suffered attempted rape while in detention back in 2011, and claims French soldiers deployed in the country also filmed the attempted rape. During the first day of her trial on Tuesday, Simone denied a court’s charges of crimes against humanity during the 2010 wave of violence, saying, “Mr. Chairman, I have been brought before this court for crimes I did not commit. I have been accused of things that are not established as facts, alluding to my direct involvement in the violence.”

“Personally, I arrived at the Golf hotel (Ouattara’s headquarters) with my buttocks exposed, naked, and I suffered several attempts to rape me in broad daylight … and all this in the presence of French soldiers who were filming this,” she said. According to the prosecution, the wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo was part of a small group of party officials from Gbagbo’s Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) that organized violence and rights abuses against supporters of her husband’s presidential rival — Alassane Ouattara — in an attempt to keep him in power. She also faces allegations of crimes against prisoners of war, crimes against the civilian population and crimes against humanity.

“The FPI put in place a crisis cell in January 2011 that met at the presidential residence and constituted the organ charged with planning and organizing the repression,” an indictment read in the court stated. The trial is the West African country’s first for crimes against humanity and is being held in a domestic court after the government rejected her extradition to the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming that the Ivorian justice system is now capable of judging her. However, her lawyers did not immediately enter a plea on Tuesday and challenged the court’s jurisdiction for several hours, noting that Simone could not be prosecuted for “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes” committed in 2011 because these charges had not been included in Ivory Coast’s penal code since March 2015.

But prosecutors hit back at the criticism on Wednesday with Abidjan’s chief prosecutor, Aly Yeo, saying, “The trial that began yesterday will be a fair trial that will respect the rights of the defense, a transparent trial.” During the court session, Ivory Coast’s “Iron Lady” also claimed that Ouattara, now president of Ivory Coast, instigated the bloodshed. “The post-election crisis was born from the refusal of Alassane Ouattara, with the help of French authorities, to respect the constitution of Ivory Coast,” she claimed.

More than 3,000 people were killed in the post-poll civil war that broke out when Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Ouattara in the November 2010 run-off election. The violence petered out when troops stormed the bunker where the Gbagbo couple had taken refuge in the country’s main city, Abidjan, and arrested the two.

Simone Gbagbo is currently serving a 20-year sentence which was handed to her last year for charges on “endangering state security” — a sentence that was upheld on appeal this month — and Laurent Gbagbo is facing trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges linked to the conflict.

Culled from Presstv

2, June 2016

Germany: MPs passes Armenian genocide motion ⁰

The German parliament has approved a resolution recognizing as genocide the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago, in a move which risks damaging ties between Berlin and Ankara. On Thursday, the lower house of the German legislature, Bundestag, voted overwhelmingly for the motion, which is symbolically significant and has no legal effect.

“With one vote against and one abstention, this resolution has been passed by a remarkable majority of the German Bundestag,” said Norbert Lammert, the Bundestag president. Titled “Remembrance and commemoration of the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities in 1915 and 1916,” the motion was put forward by the ruling left-right coalition and the opposition Greens.

The resolution uses the word “genocide” in the headline and text. It says Germany – the Ottoman Turks’ main military ally at the time – bears some guilt for doing nothing to stop the killings. It also calls on the German government to “encourage” Turkey to “deal openly with the expulsions and massacres” so as to “lay the necessary foundation stone for reconciliation with the Armenian people.”

Armenia says up to 1.5 million of its nationals were killed between 1915 and 1917 as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, but Turkey argues that it was a collective tragedy, during which 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and as many Turks lost their lives. Yerevan has long sought international recognition of the genocide, but Ankara dismisses the term. Over 20 countries, including France and Russia, have recognized the Armenian genocide.

Reactions to ‘genocide’ resolution.Yerevan praised the recognition, with Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandyan saying, “Armenia welcomes the adoption of the resolution by the Bundestag.” However, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus denounced the German parliament’s move as “null and void.”

He said on his official Twitter account on Thursday that the “recognition of ‘distorted and groundless’ allegations as ‘genocide’ is a historic mistake.” Kurtulmus further noted that the decision was not beneficial for friendly Ankara-Berlin relations, warning that his country “will give an appropriate response to this decision on every level.”

In addition, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Ankara has recalled its ambassador to Berlin for consultations over what he called a “historic error” by the German legislature. Speaking at a speech in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the premier further blamed a “racist Armenian lobby” for the move by German lawmakers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also warned that the decision “will seriously impact Turkish-German relations.” Speaking during a visit to Kenya, Erdogan said recalling the ambassador for consultations was a “first step,” adding that the Turkish government would consider further steps in response to the vote. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the German embassy in Ankara said Germany’s charge d’affaires has also been summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Culled Presstv

2, June 2016

Cameroon: Higher Education harmonizing courses ⁰

Heads of Departments of the Faculties of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences, Law and Political Sciences and Economic and Management Sciences met yesterday, May 30, 2016 to discuss ways of putting in place a standard base on which the system of studies and educational programmes in these faculties in all State Universities will be built. This is to enable student mobility and credit transferability from one university to another as well as show proof of the implementation of the Bachelor, Master and Doctorate (BMD) system in the institutions of higher learning in the country.

Opening the workshop, the Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo said it is not about standardisation or uniformity of universities for each university needs to keep its specificity while harmonising educational programmes which are operational in classical faculties (not professional schools) in State universities for an effective credibility of the higher education system in the country.

The Minister reiterated the importance of the professionalization of the higher education system. He told participants to establish if the professionalization of studies should be gradual from one level to another or it should be professionalised at a certain level that is either Master or the last year of a First Degree level or at the beginning of any programme.

The experts debated on the various fields of studies and how to manage academic mobility taking into consideration the number of course units per semester, number of credits per course units and credit value all in a bid to ensure a hitch-free transfer if a student has to move from one university to another

A Research Officer in the Directorate of Higher Education Development of the Ministry of Higher Education, Professor Roselyn Mutia, said committee members also examined how programmes are named in various universities. A vivid example is the Department of English. In some universities it is called English Literature and in others it is called Literature in English. The committee had to harmonise the naming of programmes in a bid to come out with the same nomenclature of BMD programmes.

Participants also brainstormed on what could be fundamental courses in each discipline and what courses could be considered elective. Codes given to course units were predetermined and harmonised as it was agreed upon how many letters and numerals will be used to identify a course. At the end of the meeting, participants came out with reference documents through which others will use in drawing up teaching programmes.

2, June 2016

Photo exhibition in honor of late Minister Peter Agbor Tabi ⁰

A photo exhibition in honour of the late Deputy Secretary General at the Presidency took place at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC). It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. The over two dozen photos exhibited in lecture hall AB2 of the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, yesterday June 1, 2016, in honour of late Prof. Peter Agbor Tabi, former Deputy Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic and the Board Chairman of the University of Yaounde II, spoke volumes of his stewardship at IRIC as Director as well as Minister of Higher Education.

The pictorial exhibition to pay tribute to the fallen university don was opened by the Secretary General in the Ministry of Higher Education, Prof. Horace Manga Ngomo, in the presence of the Rector of the University of Yaounde II, Soa, Prof. Ibrahima Adamou, staff and students of IRIC. The Director of IRIC, Pierre Emmanuel Tabi, led officials into the exhibition hall where he explained the importance of some of the photos. The pictures essentially showed his administrative life as Director of IRIC, Minister of Higher Education and Honorary Director as well as his academic life as lecturer in the institution.

Some of the pictures as Director of IRIC were taken when he received the then Higher Education Minister, Abdoulaye Babale, the then Deputy Secretary General of Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Tiendreberogo amongst others. Other pictures such as those he chaired a jury of PhD defence and dispensing lectures portrayed his academic life in IRIC. Meanwhile a condolence register has been opened at the Institute.

2, June 2016

Cameroon: Mysterious snake at residence of former Prime Minister ⁰

Scores of panic-stricken inhabitants of Mvog-Atangana Mballa neighbourhood in Yaounde on May 29, 2016, thronged the home of the late former Prime Minister of Cameroon, Charles Asale. This followed news that a mysterious snake had been noticed in a tall tree inside the compound. The snake was reportedly spotted at about 3 pm by some neighbours and members of the nearby Jehovah Witness Church.

One of the Christians said after service, they went out for evangelism. They were praying not far from the area when they were alerted by the shouts of neighbours who said there was a snake at the top of one of the trees in the compound. They immediately informed family members who in turn called in Fire Fighters. Even though some people claimed to have seen a big black snake in the tree, many others said they saw nothing. The only thing they could see was a dark bundle on one of the branches which some alleged was the snake that had “suddenly changed into the bundle!”

Also crows were seen flying on top of the tree, with some onlookers suggesting that it was the sign of the presence of a serpent nearby. Efforts by Fire Fighters to flush out the said snake with water hoses failed. After about two hours of trying, the officers returned to base to refill their tanks, while waiting for any further alert. Some neighbours said that the recent demolition of a portion of the fence and structures around the compound of the Asale’s by the Yaounde City Council might have forced the mysterious snake out of its hideout into the tall tree.

2, June 2016

Cameroon: Minister Hamadou Moustapha calls for divine protection against Boko Haram ⁰

The Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency, Hamadou Moustapha, has declared the need to pray for the country which is a victim of insurgency by the terrorist group, Boko Haram. “In spite of the bravery of our Defence Forces, bravery alone does not suffice. We absolutely need Divine protection,” he told the press after representing the Head of State at a prayer session involving over 30 Imams and Muslim dignitaries of the Centre Region on May 28, 2016, in the Essos Mosque, Yaounde.

The Imams were holding the 5^th edition of prayer session which is a tradition every year, a week before Ramadan fasting period. They prayed not only for peace in Cameroon but also for good health, wisdom and long life for President Biya, his wife and members of his family. “To support the Head of State, we instructed all imams to continue praying for each of his acts,” revealed the Principal Imam of the Essos Mosque, El Hadj Modibo Halidou Ibrahima.

For his part, the Coordinator of the Council of Imams and Muslim Dignitaries of Cameroon, CIDIMUC, Dr. Moussa Oumarou assured that all Muslims have been instructed to continue praying especially as faithful at the eve of the Ramadan period. The Governor of the Centre Region, Joseph Otto Wilson was also present in the prayer session during which sacred Koranic verses were read imploring God’s mercy and blessings over Cameroon.

Culled from Cameroon Tribune

2, June 2016

African fashion models taking over the runway ⁰

While numbers are still low, the percentage of non-white models has actually increased from 2015.In 2015, 84.7% of of all the models featured in spring 2016’s fashion adverts were white compared to 78.2% this year.

Of these models we are starting to notice an increasing number of high fashion models from Africa – many from Angola and South Sudan in particular.

Multimedia

2, June 2016

Cameroon honors petty traders ⁰

Ten traders were crowned ambassadors in various sectors of petty trading. They received trophies, attestations and encouragement envelops for endurance, stamina, persistence as puff-balls vendors, blind braid teacher, deaf kid coach, lame craftsmen, outstanding building constructor, blind craftsmen, and community hope givers from Big Earth.

Speaking during the award in Bonapriso recently, the President of Grass 2 Grace Humanitarian Organisation Cameroon who doubles as Promoter of Big Earth Award, His Royal Majesty Thomas Ayuk Fotang, prolific entertainer who presents the comic news “Scratch Ya Eye” on Canal 2 International, said the purpose is to alleviate poverty, kill stigmatization, boost capital with the goal of making beneficiaries veritable ambassadors of the informal sector. He explained that merit is not made only for the people of the upper class of society but also for the forgotten: “The less privileged also have the right to be recognized in the society.”

In another domain, Denise Fampou, El Hadj Oumarou Danjuma, Mike Okeke, Dipoko Songue, and Dimitri received five special prizes for their outstanding contribution to their communities. The jury comprised a clergyman, a philanthropist, and a humanitarian activist. Big Earth Award seeks to spur longevity, endurance, punctuality, assiduity and respect among petty traders.