Headline News

11, October 2016

France says Russian President Vladimir Putin has cancelled his visit to Paris planned for next Tuesday ⁰

France says Russian President Vladimir Putin has cancelled his visit to Paris planned for next Tuesday after the French insisted on holding talks only on Syria. “There were contacts between the Kremlin and the Elysee this morning to offer to Putin a working visit on Syria, but excluding all other events that President Hollande could have taken part in,” President Francois Hollande’s office said Tuesday.

“In response to this proposal, Russia has just indicated that it wants to postpone the visit planned on October 19,” a source at the office was quoted as saying. The Kremlin confirmed that President Putin has indefinitely postponed the visit, which envisaged the opening of a Russian cultural center and an exhibition. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the French side had revised the program and insisted that the visit should focus extensively on Syria.

“Regrettably, those events dropped out of the program,” Peskov said, adding it’s up to the French side to explain the reason. “The president decided to cancel the visit,” Peskov said. Russia on Sunday vetoed a French-drafted resolution calling for an immediate halt of anti-terror airstrikes in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo. Moscow said halting airstrikes “provides cover to terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra” and other militant groups allied with them. Relations between Paris and Moscow have soured as they back opposite sides in the Syria crisis.

On Monday, Hollande said he had not decided yet whether to meet Putin and claimed that Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, had committed a “war crime” in Aleppo. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visited Moscow last week before heading to Washington in a bid to garner support for the French draft resolution for a ceasefire in Aleppo.

Last month, Russia brokered a ceasefire in cooperation with the US but it collapsed after an American airstrike killed 83 Syrian troops in Dayr al-Zawr. The US also failed to implement an important requirement of the peace deal to separate what Washington calls moderate militants from terrorists such as al-Nusra Front members.

Under the deal, the US military had also undertaken to join Russia in targeting terrorists in Aleppo but Washington fulfilled none of the pledges. The calls for a ceasefire come as the Syrian army is tightening the noose around the terrorists in Aleppo as part of its bid to retake the country’s second largest city.

Presstv

11, October 2016

SONARA spends 112,472 dollars buying toys for the children of its staff ⁰

The management of the National Oil Refining Company, SONANA has awarded a contract worth 56,236,396 (fifty-six million two hundred and thirty-six thousand three hundred ninety-six francs) a little more than 112,472 dollars for the supply of toys to the children of its staff.

Cameroon Concord News was reliably informed that the supply of toys was decided and unanimously agreed by a board meeting chaired by former minister John Ebong Ngole, member of the political bureau of the ruling party at a time when the company was struggling to survive.

Our chief economic correspondent who contributed to this report hinted that the CPDM government recently launched a savings collection operation for the financing of this same company-an operation that ended in fiasco as only 350 billion CFA francs was collected simply half of the expected amount. A journalist with Cameroon Intelligence Report revealed late last week that the heavy debt crisis that has rocked SONARA came about due to the inconsistency of the state of Cameroon in paying its own fuel debts related to sovereign expenditure.

A very flippant but reliable source in the company told this reporter that the supply of toys for 56 million FCFA is a practice that has always existed within the company. But this time around, the general manager decided to handover the contract to a close family friend also a worker in the company.

By Rita Akana

11, October 2016

International Cycling: Grand Prix Chantal Biya begins tomorrow ⁰

The 2016 edition of the international cycling race, Grand Prix Chantal Biya will kick off tomorrow with the first lap expected to be run between Yaounde and Bafia. The last preparatory meeting towards the organization of the race took place on October 6^th and was presided by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education representing the minister.

It came out from that meeting that all was now set towards the effective take off of the race. Ten teams from Europe and Africa will be taking part in the race. The bulk of the foreign delegation will arrive in the country today including the referee of the race, Belgian born Jean Pierre Coppenole. The race will comprise four laps; Yaounde-Bafia, Yaounde Ebolowa, Zoetele –Meyomessala and Sangmelima-Yaounde. The kick-off of the race will be at the place de l’Independence, whereas the arrival will be at the 20^th May Boulevard.

Cameroon Tribune

11, October 2016

CPDM Cameroon: Where housemaids are now killing children ⁰

The story about the killing of 12 year old boy Rhandy Ndonko is still making news around the Ngoussou neighbourhood and Yaounde the nation’s capital. He was stabbed and killed last September 2016 by a 22 year old girl – Nchang Tina Ngwa who was apparently serving as housemaid to the Ndonko Family at Santa Babara-Ngoussou neighbourhood in Yaounde.

From police investigations, Nchang Tina Ngwa affirmed that she drank two bottles of Guinness and a short of whisky before committing the act. Rhandy died shortly after having been stabbed three times on his back. As if that wasn’t enough, she tried stabbing Rhandy’s elder brother Ndonko Wanyl who attempted to rescue his brother but did not succeed.

Tina who was arrested eight days after the incident, was recently presented to the public by the elements of the First Police District of the Centre Region in Yaounde. The bloody act occurred just after two weeks of Tina’s recruitment as house maid at the Ndonko’s and at a time where the children just resumed schools from holidays. As a result of this, the forces of law and order are calling on parents to keep a close watch at the house maids they employ to serve their households.

11, October 2016

Bamenda: Agho Oliver is new Secretary General of North West FECAFOOT ⁰

The Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, North West chapter now has a new regional secretary general appointed by a decision signed by Tombi A Roko, head of Cameroon Football. Tombi A Roko Sidiki who was also elected in a controversial process last year, decreed that Agho Oliver, 33 should replace Kaba Christopher, now president of North West region FECAFOOT.

Immediately after the decision was made public on Monday October the 3rd 2016, Agho Oliver reacted by thanking the almighty God for his appointment and promised to work towards the development of football in the North West region. He marked his commitment to his new office to match assiduity, diligence and fraternity.

Getting more young men and women actively involved in football is among the priorities of the Kaba Christopher-Agho Oliver team. The appointment came barely a month and ten days away from the 2016 female African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Cameroon. The country has equally been favoured to host the 2019 AFCON.

By Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)

10, October 2016

Bush family behind release of tape against Trump ⁰

The Bush family was behind the release of an 11-year-old tape that shows Republican president nominee Donald Trump making lewd comments about women, according James Fetzer, an American scholar and a retired professor in Madison, Wisconsin.

On Friday, The Washington Post released a tape in which Trump is heard making lewd comments about women and having a conversation about trying to have sex with a married woman. GOP officials, including governors, senators and congressmen across the US have disavowed Trump over the sexually obscene remarks caught on a hot microphone.

Even Trump’s apology for the remarks has failed to quell the unprecedented controversy over his comments, prompting growing demands by Republicans for him to quit the race. “During the debate last night against Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump completely diffused the furor that has been created by the release of a tape 11 years ago, in a conversation with producer Billy Bush, who turns out to be a cousin of George Herbert Walker Bush,” Professor Fetzer said.

The scholar said the Bush family is “strongly opposed to Trump, because they represent the New World Order, and he’s out to defeat it. [They] were undoubtedly responsible for the release.”

Presstv

10, October 2016

University of Buea: After failed harmonization Plan, Faculty of Social and Management Science Board announces split of Faculty ⁰

The Faculty of Social and Management Science, FSMS, University of Buea has addressed attempts by government to create three new faculties and schools out of the current structure and to merge the social science facet with the Faculty of Arts. We gathered that the Faculty board recently met to strategize on the widespread reforms by the Ministry of Higher Education on the University of Buea curriculum. The Wednesday 5th of October 2016 meeting that held inside the campus and chaired by the Dean, Prof. Martha S. Tumnde, didn’t agree to some of the new formulation of three faculties with brand new nomenclatures such as; Law and School of Law, Social Sciences, and Economics and Management respectively. The partitioning of the Law school was however accepted.

The background information about the imminent creation of these faculties was transmitted to the Ministry of Higher Education. The proposals were mainly on the Social Sciences intended to be merged with the Arts to generate into the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/Humanities. It is expected that the Faculties of Law and Law School, Economics and Management and a School of Journalism and Mass Communication would stand out. The three structures initially were envisaged against the backdrop of an argument that the Social Sciences were going to bolster the Faculty of Arts financially. A 2008 proposal by UB officials for higher education authorities to scraped Law off the FSMS which would have led to the birth of a School of Law went futile.

The Board on the procedure and validity of the planned merger of the Social Sciences with the Arts observed that; firstly, the merger had no scientific basis as they were independent faculties in English speaking Universities. The latter and Social Sciences were markedly different in terms of content and approach. Secondly, the Board argued that the splitting of the FSMS was to decongest its size, then merging the departments of Geography, Women and Gender Studies, Sociology and Anthropology and Political Science and Public Administration with the Faculty of Arts would also lead to congestion of the new Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The board suggested that, it will not be proper to remove the nomenclature “Social Sciences” which has been used since the inception of the University of Buea because this Nomenclature “Social Sciences” reflects the Anglo-Saxon tradition and dream of education and not Arts and Social Sciences as obtains in the Francophone system.

Moreover, the Social Sciences disciplines have the prospects of growing with the creation of new programmes such as Social Work, Development Studies, Psychology, Demography, Urban and Regional Planning, some of which have been solicited to develop over the years. Lastly, the board also noted that the Social Science disciplines have been offering Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science and Not Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Art. The association with the Arts as Humanities will create problems of continuity and consistency that may cast doubts on our degrees especially out of the country. They also argued that the scientific approach with UB’s Social Sciences was an asset that ought to be maintained by creating its own autonomous faculty. The choices of the students who opted for this model should also be respected. In addition, the merger of the Social Sciences and Arts is a regression in intellectual development giving that these disciplines have moved apart a long time ago.

The faculty board at the end of the Letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor of UB urged the University and the Ministry of Higher Education to review the plan and leave the Social Sciences as an autonomous entity. At press time we gathered that the text of application to legalize the new faculties if finally promulgated will go operational this 2016/17 academic year. This implies that new students who had apply to read degrees in Sciences would be left with no option than to enrol in the Art degree program. Some observers say the imminent reforms are fallouts of the failed attempt to harmonize the country’s higher education system.

The desire to destroy and crackdown on Anglophone education is old and all a calculated attempt to ruin the hard earned genuine value and status the Anglo-Saxon system has achieved in contemporary times. The Ministry of Higher Education was represented by English speaking Prof. Gabsa Sixtus.

By Cham Victor Bama in Buea

10, October 2016

German ambassador to Cameroon says over 200,000 Cameroonians studying in Germany ⁰

“Today, I am happy to be in Cameroon, a country in which Germany has a long history of cooperation and friendship. This is marked by understanding, profound relations of over 100 years, and cooperation largely appreciated by the government and people of Germany. German Ambassador to Cameroon, His Excellency Dr. Hans-Dieter Stell, disclosed this in Douala on October 6, 2016, during the 26^th unification of Germany.

Among those present at the event were Cameroonian authorities in the Littoral Region, prelates, German university alumni, economic partners and representatives of diplomatic missions. The Ambassador noted that about 7,000 Cameroonians have so far studied in Germany, the largest in Africa. Currently, there are over 200,000 Cameroonians studying in Germany, the diplomat disclosed.

Friendly relations between Cameroon and Germany cover many sectors and essential areas such as decentralisation and good governance, environment, health, rural development, as well as military cooperation within the framework of the war against Boko Haram. Cameroon on her part, he pointed out, should focus on processing agricultural products to boost exports to Germany and Europe in general for maximum profitability and trade equilibrium. Some Germans at the event said they were celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the advent of the Unitary State.

The defunct West and East Germany separated after World War II and only reunited in 1990. To others, it was celebrating the quest for liberty of the men and women of East Germany against their autocratic government.

Cameroon Tribune

10, October 2016

Nigeria: 800,000 dollars seized from Judges ⁰

In the ongoing fight against corruption in Nigeria carried out by the security agency, Department of State Services (DSS) over 800,000 U.S. Dollars in various currencies, have been recovered from some Supreme, Appeal and High Court judges following sting operations in their premises, Reuters reported.

The Department of State Services in a statement on Saturday, October 8, 2016 said its raids were carried out to investigate allegations of corruption against the judges. “We have been monitoring the expensive and luxurious lifestyle of some of the judges as well as complaints from the concerned public over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis amounts of money paid,” Reuters quoted the DSS statement. DSS said it had found, “cash of various denominations, local and foreign currencies, with real estate worth several millions of naira and documents affirming unholy acts by these judges”.

Sahara Reporters media organ citing DSS sources, said an overnight raids were carried out on the residences of some nine court judges culminating in the arrest of several of them. It said the raids came as a result of petitions and decisions of the National Judicial Council (NJC), a statutory body that regulates the activities of judges. Full details of the money recovered indicate that there were 93,558,000.00 Naira, 530,087 U.S. Dollars, 25,970 Pounds and 5,680 Euros, as well as other amounts in some foreign currencies. Reports say the money was recovered from the premises of just three of the arrested judges.

Reports say two Supreme Court justices, John Inyang Okoro and Sylvanus Ngwuta, were arrested in connection with the receipt of bribes from Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. Justice Ngwuta reportedly traveled to Qatar to receive bribes that he shared with Justice Okoro and other justices in order to help Mr. Wike to win a case at the Supreme Court regarding his disputed election. It is said that the two judges have been linked with massive properties development in Abuja and Calabar. Other judge concerned includes Justice Muhammad Ladan Tsamiya, an Appeal Court, Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Justice Kabiru Auta.

Culled from Cameroon Tribune

10, October 2016

South Africa has launched the continent’s first solar-powered airport. ⁰

George Airport located in the South African town of the same name, is Africa’s first eco-friendly airport powered by the sun. All services at the airport from the control tower and escalators to restaurants and ATMs are supplied by a small solar power station nearby.

The power station makes use of 2,000 solar panels that generate around 750 kilowatts. The produced energy easily surpasses the airport’s electricity demand of 400 kilowatts. Apart from the obvious environmental value of the project, it benefits the airport financially and has ruled out the previously-frequent power failures.

The managers are also planning to take their project to a second phase which includes installing backup batteries that can store the solar energy for night. George Airport also plans on increasing the capacity of the power station by 250 kilowatts. Many other South African airports such as Kimberly and Upington plan to follow George Airport’s green line in the near future.

Presstv