Editorial

12, July 2016

Yaounde: Biya appoints technical advisers, 33 secretaries in the Prime Minister’s office ⁰

Prime Minister, Head of government, Philemon Yang, yesterday July 11, 2016, urged newly promoted personnel to be assiduous and expedient in carrying out their functions. The cabinet hall at the 6^th floor of the Star-Building hosted the ceremony to install newly appointed officials in the Prime Minister’s Office. The officials included 11 Technical Advisers, 33 secretaries, 47 roving officers known as attache, five Directors and their deputies, appointed both in the Cabinet and the General Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office on July 4 and 5, 2016 by the President of the Republic.

Commissioning the officials, the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, urged them to be assiduous, hardworking, determined and courageous as they carry on with their tasks. He reminded them of their role in assisting him achieve the mission entrusted by the Head of State. “We are there to help the President of the Republic in his mission”, he stated while exhorting the newly promoted officials to shun all that can tarnish the image of the country such as corruption.

The Premier said they must give their opinion on each file that is sent to them, while admonishing the senior officials not to keep files for too long. Philemon Yang insisted on hard-work, stating that they must show their know-how in order to merit the confidence of the Head of State. Their appointment, the Prime Minister remarked, comes within a particular context of the Emergence Plan put in place by the Head of State and the country’s hosting of the 2016 and 2019 African Cup of Nations tournaments.

With these important events, the Prime Minister told the promoted that the Head of State and the government count on them for the success of the plan and the hosting of the continent’s biggest football events. While the official phase of the commissioning was on in cabinet hall of the PM’s office, family members and dance groups thronged the parking lot of the main entrance of the office where they celebrated with their loved ones.

Cameroon Tribune

11, July 2016

Cameroon to deploy troops along the border with the Central African Republic ⁰

Cameroon government authorities have announced that security will be tightened security along the border with the Central African Republic. Jean Baptiste Bokam, the Secretary of State for Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, made the decision public over state radio and television without specifying the nature of such measures.

Cameroon Concord News understands the strengthening of security will dampen or limit multiple incursions from rebels in the Central Africa region which has culminated to deaths or kidnappings of many Cameroonians. A sister publication, Cameroon Intelligence Report revealed that in recent months, the rebels of the Seleka and anti Balaka groups have multiplied their incursions into Cameroonian territory.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

11, July 2016

UK to have another female Prime Minister ⁰

The race to lead the UK’s ruling Conservative Party has just become narrower, with Minister of State for Energy Andrea Leadsom and Home Secretary Theresa May now battling each other to become the country’s second-ever female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher. In the second round of the voting by MPs on Thursday, May won the support of 199 lawmakers, topping Leedsom with 84 votes.

The third contestant, Justice Secretary Michael Gove was knocked out from the race after only managing to gain 46 votes. May and Leadsom will now battle to take a position that Thatcher handed to fellow Tories in 1990. As the home secretary, May is known for her high experience and is viewed as the favorite candidate among the 150,000 Conservative voters who will decide the winner. She won the first round by 165 votes, more than all of her four rivals combined.

Leedsome, however, is no easy target according to her record as a former banker. She is also endorsed by former London mayor Boris Johnson who had to drop out of the race after being “backstabbed” by Gove. Johnson’s support for Leedsom is guaranteed to win her a firm standing among the candidate among his admirers. The race to succeed current UK PM David Cameron into office is expected to be heavily shadowed by the country’s departure from the European Union (EU), something that forced Cameron to resign from the job in the first place.

On June 23, nearly 52 percent of Britons who voted in an EU referendum opted to leave the union. Cameron, who was a firm pro-EU campaigner, stepped down the next day. May, who opposed the move, has called for a candidate that can reunite the nation in the wake of the decision. However, Leedsom says that only a pro-Brexit candidate can be trusted to seize the opportunities made available after the vote. The winner will be declared on September 9.

Presstv

10, July 2016

Mayor of Lagdo, 13 others freed ⁰

Mama Abakaï, Mayor of Lagdo in the north and 13 Cameroonian hostages have been released after negotiations that did involve the governments of Cameroon, Central African Republic, the UN peace keeping mission, Minusca and the Central African armed groups that carried out the kidnappings.

Cameroon Concord News learnt that they were freed two days. Our informant hinted that the mayor and his entourage were first handed over to the UN peace keepers before they started their journey home for Garoua –Boulaï. The 14 Cameroonian hostages were kidnapped on March 19, 2015 at Gbabio, a town in eastern Cameroon.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

10, July 2016

Minister Martin Belinga Eboutou travels to France for medical reasons ⁰

The Director of the Civil Cabinet at the Presidency of the Republic has reportedly traveled to France for medical reasons. Martin Belinga Eboutou, a long time acolyte of the Cameroonian dictator, President Biya, smuggled himself out of the country yesterday night.

Cameroon Concord News gathered from an authoritative source that Martin Belinga Eboutou walked through one of the tarmacs of the Nsimalen international airport incognito looking a very sick man and boarded an Air France flight to Paris.

10, July 2016

Black protest resumes in US ⁰

‘Black Lives Matter’ protests have resumed across the US with protesters demonstrating over the recent police killings of two African Americans.

On Tuesday, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was fatally shot by police in the southeastern city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and 32-year-old Philando Castile was shot dead Wednesday by a police officer near St. Paul, Minnesota. On Saturday, protesters held demonstrations in Baton Rouge and some of them were arrested by police in riot gear.

The protesters marched along the right lane of Airline Highway until police blocked all six lanes of traffic and began walking toward the demonstrators. They were chanting, “black power” and “no justice, no peace, no racist police.”

Presstv

9, July 2016

Boko Haram raids Northeastern Nigeria, kills 7 ⁰

The Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists raided a town in northeastern Nigeria Saturday, killing at least seven people. Locals in Borno state said Boko Haram gunmen stormed the town of Rann in Kalabalge district overnight Friday through Saturday and opened fire on homes.

“They opened fire on homes as we slept and killed seven people before carting away our food supplies and drugs from the only clinic in the town,” said a Rann resident, referring to the Boko Haram gunmen on motorcycles.

Rann’s residents had fled the town into Cameroon and to the town of Gamboru, about 28 kilometers (17 miles) away.

Presstv

9, July 2016

Transport Minister installs newly appointed officials ⁰

Seven newly appointed officials at the Ministry of Transport have been commissioned into their various functions. The Installation ceremony that held on Friday the 8^th of July 2016 was supervised by the Minister of Transport, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o.

The Biya acolyte said during the event that assiduity should be the watch word if production must increase. Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o congratulated the seven for the great efforts they made to win the confidence of the Cameroon government.

Among the newly appointed officials were directors and chiefs of service, in charge of the Ministry’s budget, road and Maritime transport, Rail way lines, the National Meteorology and the Communication service.

They are expected to ameliorate the Urban Transport and road security, investigate accidents and incidents in the aeronautic services, rehabilitate the meteorological network system, reinforce public information and restructure the Chantier Naval Industry in Cameroon. They were appointed based on Presidential decree No2016/2568/PM of 4th July 2016.

CRTV

9, July 2016

Cameroon: Beggars abandoned streets following adoption of new penal code ⁰

Beggars in Yaounde have abandoned the streets following the adoption of a penal code on begging, which promises sanctions to those guilty of aggravated begging. The article on begging stipulates that anyone who has a means of subsistence but begs to earn a living will be liable to a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to 500.000 CFAF.

In the same guise, people who use visually impaired persons to beg shall be charged with aggravated begging. Following the adoption of this article, beggars seemed to have deserted the streets of Yaounde, for fear of the above mentioned sanctions.

Inhabitants of Yaounde have hailed the article saying it will help rid the streets of criminals who pose for people in distress.

CRTV

9, July 2016

Cameroon ambassador to the US holds talks with the King of Lewoh ⁰

Cameroon’s new ambassador to the United States of America, Etoundi Essomba has met with the Supreme Leader of the Lewoh people from the Lebialem division in Cameroon.

Veteran Cameroonian journalist, Asonglefac Nkemleke reported via his face book page that Ambassador Etoudi Essomba also held discussions with members of the Lewoh Cultural and Development Meeting (LECUDEM).

The Friday July 7, 2016 come together provided a rare opportunity for His Majesty Fotabong Lekelefac to hold talks with the State Delegate, Will Smith of Montgomery County. The traditional ruler and King of the Lewohs is currently on his ever first visit to the USA.

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai (Cameroon Concord News Group)