Editorial

4, July 2016

Charles Ndongo says Biya is his savior and messiah ⁰

Appointments in CPDM Cameroon are not often seen as a virtue but as a reward from the head of state. This is the favor that Charles Ndongo recently got from the Cameroonian dictator when he was appointed general manager of the state owned radio and television.

Immediately after his installation, Charles Ndongo, publicly expressed gratitude to the president of the republic painting him as his “savior” and “messiah”.

Said Ndongo; “Biya has fundamentally and literally saved my life. I had only two months and some days to go on retirement but Biya has saved me. He is my savior and messiah. Thank you Mr President”. In Cameroon, retirement is seen by many CPDM militants as a kind of punishment.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

4, July 2016

CPDM awards 20 medals to some Senators ⁰

Shouts of joy swept across the Yaounde Conference Centre yesterday, June 30, 2016 as 20 medals were awarded to some Senators and personnel of the Senate. The ceremony that took place in the lobby of the Conference Centre was chaired by Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji, in the presence of the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Amadou Ali.

Three categories of State honours, notably, the National Order of Valour, National Order of Merit and Public Force medal were affixed on the chests of 20 beneficiaries by Senate President on behalf of the Head of State. The medals awarded to the recipients were part of the 2016 20^th May national distinctions to meritorious citizens.

Senators, staff and family relations who witnessed the solemn ceremony could not hide their joy each time the name of a recipient was called for the honour. Senators Ntube Agnes Njock and Mbella Moki Charles expressed satisfaction to the Head of State and said they would continue to serve the nation with loyalty. In an atmosphere of ecstasy, family relations handed bouquet of flowers to medal recipients. Meanwhile, the Senate Chairmen’s Conference met prior to the medal award ceremony to decide on the agenda of today’s plenary sitting.

CAMTRIBUNE

24, June 2016

Cameroon: National Anti-Corruption Commission to release 2014 report ⁰

Cameron Concord News has learned that the National Anti-Corruption Commission will make public its 2014 report on the 27^th of June. A reliable but very flippant source within CONAC revealed that the report carries vital information on the Kribi sea port project and the Cameroon Society of Musical Art (SOCAM).

CONAC is one of the tools used by the CPDM crime syndicate to guarantee President Biya’s continued stay in power. Its findings are always published years after. For instance, it released its 2013 report detailing the state of corruption in Cameroon on the 25^th of November 2015.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Intelligence Report)

24, June 2016

British Prime Minister announces his resignation after Brexit vote ⁰

British Prime Minister David Cameron announces his resignation after UK’s vote to exit the European Union. Cameron, who was speaking at Number 10, Downing Street in London, said Friday that he would leave office in fall- by October- when his ruling Conservative Party will hold a conference. The premier said the British people’s will must be respected after UK voters chose to leave the 28-nation European Union in a historic vote on Thursday.

Cameron said there is no doubt about the result of the referendum but that he is not the “captain” that will steer the ship through difficult negotiations with the EU. The PM, however, noted that there will be no initial change in how British goods and services are sold in Europe.

The decision comes after a majority of Britons voted to leave the 28-member bloc after 43 years of membership. This comes as some 51.90 percent of British voters opted to leave the EU, while roughly 48.10 percent of people voted to stay in the union. More than 17.4 million Britons said the country should leave the bloc, as just over 16.14 million others favored remaining in the EU.

The ‘Leave’ campaign passed the winning post with a lead of more than one million votes and a margin of four percent. Voter turnout has been at around 72 percent. In an earlier reaction to the results, the office of the prime minister said Britain is now in an “uncharted territory” following the ‘Brexit’ vote. UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage was among the first to assume a celebratory tone, saying the country was taking its independence back.

Prestv

24, June 2016

Cameroon and Israel to organize international scientific forum in Yaounde ⁰

Cameroon has reinforced cooperation ties with Israel in the domains of scientific research, technology and innovation. The revelations were made following a meeting between the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuente and the Israeli Ambassador to Cameroon, Ran Gidor on the 22^nd of June 2016 in Yaounde.

Cameroon Concord News gathered from government sources that Israel and Cameroon have made public plans to organize an international scientific forum in Yaounde. Minister Madeleine Tchuente told Ambassador Ran Gidor that there were many start-ups in Cameroon and youth involved in research and innovation who need exposure and help from the State of Israel.

The Minister also reiterated that all modern economies are based on science and innovation hence Cameroon must board the train.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

24, June 2016

Control of the Avian Influenza: Prospects bright for poultry farming in Cameroon ⁰

The Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries and the Minister of Public Health announce recently in Yaounde that: In the framework of the Control of the Avian Influenza Virus H5N1 declared at the Mvog-Betsi Poultry Farming Complex in Yaoundé on the 24 May 2016, the Government took measures to control the spreading of the disease and to monitor the disease as well as people at risk. A decision of the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries declaring the infection was signed on the 26 May 2016. International organizations were notified.

Following national health surveillance and epidemiological investigations carried out, secondary outbreaks were identified in Mvila Division (South Region), Koung-Khi and Mifi Divisions (West Region), and in Djerem Division (Adamawa Region). To date, in the affected poultry farms, about Fifty-four Thousand (54 000) fowls have been slaughtered, denatured and buried. Decontamination and hygiene measures have been applied in these sources of infection. The different zones concerned are monitored daily.

Teams of the Ministry of Public Health have followed-up Four Hundred and Seventy-four (474) exposed persons and no case of human influenza from avian origin has been detected. The overall assessment presents a situation under control. The Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries and the Minister of Public Health welcomed the interministerial cooperation that prevails and thank friendly countries of Cameroon, international organizations and stakeholders in the poultry industry for their support and active participation in the fight against this disease.

Furthermore, the Government notes that in recent days, no new outbreaks have been detected, and therefore calls for greater vigilance and observance of health surveillance. And if the lull continues, additional necessary measures will be taken for the revival of activities disrupted by this worrying situation for the Cameroonian poultry activities in the affected areas.

Cameroon Tribune

24, June 2016

Penal Code Crisis: North West lawyers stage massive demo ⁰

Cameroonian lawyers from the North West region have staged a massive demo on Thursday morning in Bamenda, against the new Penal Code. Dressed in their black robes, the legal practitioners carried banners expressing their discontent and demand for the immediate withdrawal of the Penal Code adopted by the CPDM dominated National Assembly.

Late last week, the board of the Bar Association of Cameroon had urged the government to withdraw the document and submit the text to a national consensus.

Last Wednesday in the Chamber of the National Assembly, MPs of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) and the MRC walked out when their colleagues of the ruling CPDM were preparing to vote on the text. The opposition is demanding the removal of items that grant immunity to members of the government.

Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)

23, June 2016

3 billion FCFA to help Congo Basin communities ⁰

Some prominent NGOs announced on Wednesday in Yaounde the nation’s capital that they will invest nearly 3 billion CFA francs to secure the livelihoods of communities in the Congo Basin.

The consortium of NGOs (Well Grounded, Forest Peoples Program, Fern, ClienEarth and Rainforest Foundation Uk), coordinated by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), launched on Wednesday, June 22^nd the project “Congos”, which aims to support sustainable development and secure the livelihoods of communities in the Congo basin.

Five countries are involved in the scheme. They include Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville and Gabon. Cameroon Concord News understands the total cost of the project is an estimated 3 billion CFA francs from the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019.

Anang Valerian (Cameroon Concord News Group)

23, June 2016

Enfin!! Henri Bedimo signs for Olympique Marseille ⁰

Cameroon’s Henri Bedimo has signed a contract with Olympique Marseille that will keep him at the club for the next three seasons. Bedimo was out of contract with Olympique Lyonnais and became a free agent before the move to Marseille.

The 32 years old former League 1 champion with Montpellier (2012), will begin a new adventure and he has become the 12^th Cameroonian to play for the great club after Joseph-Antoine Bell, Stéphane M’Bia, Modeste Mbami, Salomon Olembe etc

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

23, June 2016

Corruption scandal rocks SODECOTON as 580 million disappears from company coffers ⁰

The CEO’s of public companies in Cameroon have continued their CPDM policy of looting in the open. This is the case with the Cameroon Cotton Development Company, SODECOTON, where 580 million FCFA have been stolen recently. Cameroon Concord News learned that SODECOTON created in 1974 by the Cameroon government is facing the worse ever financial crisis in its history.

Our chief intelligence officer hinted at the time of filing this report that a dozen company executive members have already been interrogated by prosecutors at the Special Criminal Court and 6 of them are in police custody. A sister publication, Cameroon Intelligence Report revealed that some of those highly placed SODECOTON officials arrested over the week end were transported to Yaoundé by a military plane from Garoua including the out gone general manager, Abdou Namba.

This is not the first time that cases of misappropriation of public funds have been reported in Sodecoton. In 2007, more than 174 million CFA francs disappeared from the state enterprise. The funds were reportedly diverted to Cotton Sport Garoua- a football club partly owned by SODECOTO.

The most recent case is that of Iya Mohammed, former general manager of Sodecoton, serving a 15 years sentence at the Kondengui central prison. He was charged in September 2015 for embezzling 11 billion FCFA.

Tambe Peter (Cameroon Concord News Group)