Breaking News

6, June 2016

Gabon 2017: The big names have their tickets ⁰

Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Morocco and Cameroon have so far clinched their qualification spots for the final phase of the tournament in Gabon. Six of the sixteen teams to take part in the final phase of the African Cup of Nations to take place early next year in Gabon are already known. They are namely, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and host country Gabon. While Gabon got her qualification from the office by winning the bid to host the 2017 edition of the tournament, the others had to slot it out from the green turf of the pitch after taking an unassailable lead in their respective groups.

Egypt and Morocco were the first countries to qualify and will be making a return to the continental scene after having missed out on the 2015 edition of the tournament in Equatorial Guinea. Egypt simply didn’t qualify after having been stunned by little known Republic of Congo in the last and crucial qualification match. Meanwhile Morocco was banned from taking part in the competition after refusing to host the competition because of Ebola scare.

The sentence was higher but Morocco appealed the decision and the ban was lifted. After winning the legal battle Morocco also won on the pitch of play dominating Group F earning 12 points in four outings. Egypt equally sailed through Group G virtually unperturbed with 10 points in four outing with Nigeria coming distant second in the group with barely two points.

Algeria and Senegal also picked up their qualification tickets before the last day of play of the qualifiers top come up during the weekend running from September second to third. Algeria sailed through Group G with flying colours obtaining 13 points in five outings and can no longer be caught up by the runners up of the group, Ethiopia with barely five points.

Meanwhile Senegal witnessed an unbeaten run in Group K winning all fifteen points up for grab in the group so far and will also be making a return to the continental scene in Gabon. Cameroon as already known picked up the lone qualification ticket in Group M after butting out the last surviving contender, Mauritania in the fifth qualification match on Friday June 3^rd.

The rest of the qualified nations will be known after the last day of play of the qualifiers on September second and third. Besides the respective group leaders, the overall best runners-up of all the 13 groups join the host for the final phase of the competition in Gabon.

Cameroon Tribune

6, June 2016

Cameroon’s war on terror: US marines drill Gendarmerie, police ⁰

Twenty four investigators from the National Gendarmerie and National Police Corps on June 3, 2016 in Yaounde completed a 12-day training in terrorist crime scene investigation. The training, carried out by several instructors deployed by the government of the United States of America (USA), was the second out of five modules related to the fight against terrorism.

After handing over end-of-course attestations to the trainees at the Judicial Police Training Centre of the National Gendarmerie, Yeyap Barracks last Friday, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam, expressed gratitude for the increasing multifarious assistance given by Cameroon’s strategic partner, the USA.

He expressed hope that the training, which started on May 23, 2016, will help alleviate several shortcomings observed in the handling of terrorist-related crime scenes since the country started receiving Boko Haram attacks. In this vein, US Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E. Michael Stephen Hoza, reassured that the training will enhance Cameroonian security services’ ability to investigate terrorist attacks and help the military and other branches of the government stop Boko Haram bomb makers and other threats. The US diplomat also handed over 24 sets of kits to the centre for training in counter-terrorism crime scene investigations.

Cameroon Tribune

6, June 2016

Special Criminal Court frees former Delegate to the Limbe Urban Council ⁰

Samuel Lifanda and co-accused paid the amounts they were accused of embezzling before the matter came to court. The former Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council, Samuel Ebiama Lifanda, reportedly a Pentecostal church pastor, is once more enjoying the air of freedom following his release on May 27, 2016, from detention in the Kondengui-Yaounde Maximum Security Prison by a decision of the Special Criminal Court, SCC. Lifanda was set free alongside Casimir Nyime Lyonga, the then Technical Head for Urban Affairs and Priso Simon Mokosa, ex-Service Head for Urban Affairs – all with the Limbe City Council.

Attempts on June 4, 2016, to reach Samuel Lifanda on phone were cut short by the wife who said he was not ready to talk to the media. Entreated to say when she thought her husband could be available, she retorted that she did not know and quickly hung up. Another family member would not say if Lifanda was now back with the family in Limbe or was still in Yaounde as rumoured. According to a source at the Yaounde-based Special Criminal Court, Lifanda and the two others were jointly accused of embezzling about 67 million FCFA, being funds from undue waivers he granted for building permits.

The former Government Delegate was responsible for most of the sum, with Nyime and Mokosa accused of embezzling relatively smaller amounts. The SCC judicial source said the three suspects were released in accordance with the presidential decree setting up the SCC, with the approval of the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals before the matter got to court. The advantage at this level, our source pointed out, is that the offence will not be entered into Lifanda’s criminal records; unlike those who are charged to court and later released after reimbursing the amounts they embezzled.

Samuel Ebiama Lifanda, Casimir Nyime Lyonga and Priso Simon Mokosa, were on June 10, 2015, remanded in prison custody after appearing before an SCC Examining Magistrate on charges of embezzlement and mismanagement. The former Government Delegate was on February 6, 2009 replaced by Andrew Motanga Monjimba. He was appointed to the position in 1998, replacing the late Henry Njalla Quan, the pioneer Government Delegate to the then Limbe Urban Council.

Cameroon Tribune

6, June 2016

Peter Agbor Tabi gets befitting state burial ⁰

The former Deputy Secretary-General at the Presidency was decorated posthumously with the medal of National Order of Valour before being interred in his native Ndekwai village on June 4, 2016. All roads led to Mamfe, Manyu Division of the South West Region over the weekend as the nation paid last tribute to one of its illustrious sons, Prof. Peter Agbor Tabi who died on 26 April, 2016 in Paris, France. Not even the scorching sun could deter thousands of mourners from all the corners of the country to converge on the ceremonial ground in Mamfe for the official burial of the late Minister, Deputy Secretary-General at the Presidency of the Republic.

Present and former cabinet ministers, members of the Senate and National Assembly, South West Administration, ministers of God, traditional rulers, CERAC women, CPDM party supporters and the general public witnessed the official burial ordered by the Head of State in honour of his former close aide. The official ceremony began with the arrival of the representative of the President of the Republic, Minister, Secretary-General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh at the Mamfe ceremonial ground. The casket bearing the mortal remains of Prof. Agbor Tabi was thus brought in by Police officers draped in the national colours amidst solemn music from the military band. A college of clergymen officiated the ecumenical service during which they prayed for the repose of the soul of late Prof.

Agbor Tabi and implored God to comfort the bereaved family. The four eulogies that marked the funeral ceremony delivered by the family head, the South West Chiefs’ Conference, the deceased son and the representative of the Secretary General of the CPDM Central Committee, all attested to the sterling qualities of devotedness, humility, loyalty, hardworking and love for his community.

In a highly emotional speech, the representative of the Head of State described Prof. Agbor Tabi (his former teacher at IRIC) as a man of conviction, values and responsibility who served his nation with diligence and commitment. “In him, we have lost a prominent figure in Cameroon administration, a senior statesman and a patriot,” Ngoh Ngoh stated while adding that the Head of State held Prof. Agbor Tabi in a very high esteem and was deeply touched by his demise. He recounted efforts by the President of the Republic to save his life.

On behalf of the President of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh posthumously decorated the late former Director of IRIC, Rector of University of Yaounde I, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Deputy Secretary General at the Presidency with the medal of National Order of Valour. Meanwhile the Head of State’s condolence message was read and handed to the family by the Senior Divisional Officer of Manyu, Peter Tieh Ndeh.

Cameroon Tribune

5, June 2016

Pressure mounts on British Prime Minister to step down ⁰

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is likely to step down the day after the upcoming referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union (EU), a member of the British Parliament says, noting that more MPs are considering to join the Leave campaign.

Even if the Brexit campaign fails to prevail in the June 23 vote, Cameron’s government is not likely to clinch a victory by a margin bigger than 10 percent, the Daily Mirror reported Sunday. “That would let him leave in a sensible fashion rather than the bloody mess that it could be,” a backbench MP was quoted as saying by the daily.

According to the report, at least 25 Tory MPs are totally committed to the Leave campaign and can give Cameron a hard time in the build-up to the vote. The number is expected to rise as the voting nears. Last week Tory MPs Andrew Bridgen and Nadine Dorries said that the premier had effectively lost his parliamentary support after resorting to “lies” and “outrageous” claims in his bid to persuade British voters to back the Remain campaign.

Bridgen revealed that at least 50 MPs – the number needed to call a confidence vote – were on the ready to challenge Cameron’s leadership, adding that a vote on the prime minister’s future was “probably highly likely” after the referendum. Plotters of Cameron’s ouster inside his own party name leading Tory MP David Davis, his rival in the last general election, as their leader.

Presstv

5, June 2016

League 1: New Stars triumph over Lion Blesse, Yong Sport in Champions League position ⁰

League 1: Results after the 19 day of play

Limbé: New stars – Lion blessé 1 – 0

Douala: Union – Eding 2 – 0

Bafoussam: Racing – Dragon 0 – 1

Mfou: Apejes – Yong sport 1 – 2

Mfou: Cosmos – Ums 0 – 3

Mbankomo: Canon – Botafogo 3 – 1

Garoua: Coton sport – Panthère 3 – 1

Mbouda: Bamboutos – Aigle 0 – 1

Bafang: Unisport – Astres 0 – 0

League I table

1 – Ums 37 points

2 – Yong sport 34 points

3 – Union 33 points

4 – Coton 32 points

5 – Unisport 32 points

6 – New stars 30 points

7 – Racing 25 points

8 – Astres 25 points

9 – Aigle 25 points

10 – Panthère 24 points

11 – Canon 23 points

12 – Eding 23 points

13 – Bamboutos 21 points

5, June 2016

133 refugee bodies found on Libya’s western coast ⁰

The Libyan Red Cross says the bodies of 133 refugees, including five children, have been washed up on Libya’s western coast in recent days. Three-quarters of the dead refugees were women, said Red Cross spokesman, Al-Khalis al-Bosaifi on Sunday, noting that the bodies were found on the shore of the northwestern Zuwara City. Bosaifi added that no documents were found with the bodies to identify their nationalities but they were mainly sub-Saharan Africans.

A local official said the refugees were believed to have taken their journey from the Libyan city of Sabratha. People who hope to reach Italy from Libya pay a huge amount of money to human smugglers to give them places on their flimsy boats.The head of the EU’s Mediterranean naval mission recently said that human trafficking accounts for about 30 to 50 percent of the GDP in northwestern Libya.

The UN refugee agency said the route between North Africa and Italy is “dramatically more dangerous” than the route between Turkey and Greece.

Presstv

5, June 2016

Diego Simeone en route to Paris Saint-Germain ⁰

After the management clearly called into question the continuity of Laurent Blanc at the head of Paris Saint -Germain , the owners are now seeking his replacement . Reports from France say they have held talks with the representatives of Diego Simeone. But it will not be easy!!!! The Atlético Madrid technician has two champions league final lost in three years but his playing style pleases many around the beautiful game.

5, June 2016

Sanders showing no signs of surrender ⁰

US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has predicted that the Democratic presidential election process would lead to a contested summer convention against party frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Speaking to reporters on Saturday in Los Angeles, California, Sanders showed few signs of surrender, vowing to fight until the 2016 Democratic National Convention in July in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nearing the end of the primary season, a defiant Sanders is pushing back against the likelihood that Clinton will soon declare victory as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Sanders told reporters neither candidate would have enough pledged delegates by the end of the primaries on June 14 to declare victory and would be dependent upon superdelegates to win the nomination. “In other words, the Democratic National Convention will be a contested convention,” he said.

He urged news organizations to hold off on declaring Clinton a victor as the presumptive nominee following Tuesday’s primary election in California and five other states.Clinton, a former senator and secretary of state, is poised to unofficially clinch the presidential nomination following the close of the primary election polls on Tuesday.

“It is extremely unlikely that Secretary Clinton will have the requisite number of pledged delegates to claim victory on Tuesday night,” Sanders said.

Presstv

5, June 2016

Cardinal Tumi gives Biya his first ever “thank you” ⁰

The Roman Catholic family in Cameroon including government officials and heads of diplomatic missions witnessed a colorful ceremony chaired by Bishop Samuel Kleda, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Douala to pay tribute to retired Cardinal Christian Tumi celebrating his 50 years of priesthood. The Eucharistic festival was held under a sunny day punctuated by prayers, events and testimonials.

The Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Emmanuel Rene Sadi on behalf of President Biya made the Cardinal Commander of the National Order of Valor.” After receiving the award, Cardinal Tumi under standing ovation thanked President Biya and all those who came to pray with him. Said the man of God, “I thank the Head of State. I also say thank you to everyone who came to pray with me. ”

The initiator of the ceremony, Bishop Samuel Kleda urged Christians to pray that the Almighty should continue to watch over the first and only Cardinal now 86 years old in Cameroon. For his part, Archbishop Piero Pioppo, Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea noted that Cardinal Tumi has been young in heart and exemplary to Cameroon Africa and the world.