Life

28, November 2024

Yaoundé: Professor Robinson Mbu in tears after being sacked by Biya ⁰

More than two decades ago, Professor Robinson Mbu then President of the Manyu Elements Cultural Association in Yaoundé told this news reporter that he believed in miracles.

Mbu a very brilliant Southern Cameroons student with more than twenty A level points was refused a place in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Yaoundé by the Francophone dominated regime.

By some strange happenstance, he travelled to neighboring Cross River State and deceived the government there that he was a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And so they allowed him to study medicine in the Federal Republic of Nigeria without paying a penny.

It was indeed a “miracle” for Robinson Mbu who graduated in Nigeria, returned home and became a chartered member of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate. His areas of specialization include Obstetrics and Gynecology, Operative laparoscopy in obstetrics and gynecology and Public health.

Robinson Mbu Enow (to use his three names) has been everything in Cameroon’s ministry of health including Director of Family Health. Late today, President Biya did what he does best by firing Professor Robinson Mbu.

Ever since the news came out on state radio and television CRTV, Robinson Mbu has been crying and jumping around at his Yaounde’s residence like a neck less chicken.

Manyu citizens in Yaoundé have been trooping to his home to console the CPDM health criminal and he has been talking ohne ende- boasting how even Biya cannot take away his professorship and that one of his buildings in Buea can keep him going forever.

It’s been clear from the very beginning of his career in Yaoundé that many CPDM barons such Minister Ahmadou Mustapha; the late Dr Ayuk Takem Jacob and even General Elokobi Daniel Njock didn’t trust this physician. That image of a trustworthy medical doctor was eroded long ago over a D and C incident which was never reported.

Today, a frustrated Mbu is crying, seemingly after losing his post in the Ministry of Health.

Stop crying please, Professor!! That is the modus operandi of the CPDM crime syndicate.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Eyong Tabot Enow in Yaoundé

19, November 2024

Yaoundé: CONAC flags corruption, production of fake certificates as most worrying issues ⁰

Cameroon’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC) has flagged corruption and the production of fake certificates as two of the most worrying issues plaguing the country’s higher education system.

At a campaign at the University of Yaoundé II to educate and sensitise the university population on the consequences of the production and use of fake certificates in Cameroon and abroad on 5 November 2024, the chairman of CONAC, the Reverend Dr Dieudonné Massi Gams, underscored the dangers of corrupt practices and falsification of certificates. This has become endemic in higher education institutions in the country, actions not compatible with head of state President Paul Biya’s policy to promote good governance as pathways towards economic emergence by 2035.

“The university should be a place to promote academic excellence as recommended by the Head of State, Paul Biya, and not academic forgery,” Massi Gams said at the University of Yaoundé II campaign.

The campaign to fight against fake certificates and corruption in universities for the 2024-25 academic year which started on 25 October 2024 at the University of Yaoundé I, comes against the backdrop of reports of several cases of graduates falsifying certificates to secure employment in both public and private institutions as well as access to post-graduate studies at foreign universities, Massi Gams said.

“We have received several complaints from the ministry of higher education and directly from foreign universities about applicants from Cameroon with falsified transcripts, a practice that tarnishes the image of the country’s higher education system,” he noted.

Students, staff sensitised

The campaign, carried out in collaboration with the ministry of higher education, he said, targets students of higher education institutions where recruitment for various enterprises is focused, as well as the entire university community.

The campaign at both University of Yaoundé I and Yaoundé II was characterised by words of advice from the CONAC team, and messages to students and staff about the implications of using fake certificates. Examples of fake certificates were placed on billboards around the campus.

Anti-corruption billboards bearing the campaign message are planted in strategic corners of the university campuses as well as on stickers stuck on vehicles of staff and some students. The campaign will be extended to all public higher education institutions in the country as well as private universities, CONAC authorities said.

Experts said it was imperative that corruption is fought at universities in Africa in their capacity as institutions of higher education that touch the lives of future leaders, and as large organisations with substantial economic footprints.

Students welcome chance to talk

“The fight against corruption in Africa, in general, and Cameroon, in particular, should start with the training system of our future leaders. That is why the campaign against fake certificates and corruption in higher education institutions in Cameroon is very strategic,” Dr Nick Ngwanyam, director and CEO of the St Louis University Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Cameroon, told University World News.

Students have also saluted the initiative which, they say, helps to bring university authorities out of their silos to openly discuss even taboo subjects like sexual harassment for marks.

“The campaign on campus was very educative and provided a rare opportunity for students and university authorities to discuss even some taboo subjects like sexual harassment,” Victoria Ebage, a law student at the University of Yaoundé II, told University World News.

Cameroon’s 2023 anti-corruption status report released in September 2024 shows that, like in other sectors, bribery and corruption have been rampant in higher education – regarding admitting candidates at public professional institutes. Merit hardly plays a role, which has opened the doors to mediocrity.

The report says that, generally, the State of Cameroon lost over CFA114 billion (approximately US$184 million) to corruption in 2023 which represents an increase of CFA109.4 billion compared to 2022.

‘Favours’ undermine credibility

Other sectors where corruption is on the rise include transport, secondary education, territorial administration, finance, telecommunication, and public works, according to the report. The 2023 report is divided into four parts, with part one focusing on measures to prevent corruption, part two on sanctions, part three on the fight against money-laundering and recovery of assets derived from corruption, and part four, on cooperation – at both local and international levels – in the fight against corruption.

The report says higher education institutions have been plagued by sexual harassment and favours for better grades. The widespread practice has severely undermined the credibility of the merit-based system. Experts have sounded the alarm that such deviant practices could hamstring the broader efforts by the government to foster quality education at higher education level. “It is difficult to obtain quality results in our universities under such circumstances,” Ngwanyam said.

Massi Gams called on students to strive for excellence and uphold integrity. He challenged them to lead in the fight against corruption in the country to guarantee a better future. “As future leaders, you are expected to shine the flag, set the example for a brighter tomorrow,” he said.

In similar message to students, the Rector of the University of Yaoundé I, Professor Remy Magloire Dieudonné Etoua, warned against the adulteration of results transcripts and birth certificates. He urged students and staff to guard against the practice, which is not only punishable by Cameroonian law, but also a deterrent to professional and intellectual development in Cameroon.

Backdoor payments common

“We have had cases of students changing marks on their results transcripts and ages on their birth certificates to gain access into professional schools for employment into the public services. These are criminal acts punishable by law,” Etoua said at the University of Yaoundé I launch.

There has been a public backlash against prevailing corruption with impunity in the country’s higher education system, especially access to higher professional institutions. On 13 August 2024, CamerounWeb reported about backdoor payments of as high as CFA30 million (about US$48,265) to gain admission into the National School of Administration and Magistracy, or ENAM, the higher education institution that trains senior administrators, magistrates and finance experts in the country.

The prevailing corruption in the admission of students to prestigious higher professional schools in the country has eroded public confidence in the higher education system, experts say. “The public has virtually lost confidence in our higher education system because corruption has taken virtually all the professional higher training institutions hostage. The power of the wallet has taken over the place of merit,” Etoua told University World News.

Culled from University World News

4, November 2024

Quincy Jones, music legend who worked with Michael Jackson dies at 91 ⁰

Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.

Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. Jones was to have received an honorary Academy Award later this month.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Jones rose from running with gangs on the South Side of Chicago to the very heights of show business, becoming one of the first Black executives to thrive in Hollywood and amassing an extraordinary musical catalog that includes some of the richest moments of American rhythm and song. For years, it was unlikely to find a music lover who did not own at least one record with his name on it, or a leader in the entertainment industry and beyond who did not have some connection to him.

Jones kept company with presidents and foreign leaders, movie stars and musicians, philanthropists and business leaders. He toured with Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, arranged records for Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, composed the soundtracks for “Roots” and “In the Heat of the Night,” organized President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural celebration and oversaw the all-star recording of “We Are the World,” the 1985 charity record for famine relief in Africa.

Lionel Richie, who co-wrote “We Are the World” and was among the featured singers, would call Jones “the master orchestrator.”

In a career which began when records were still played on platters turning at 78 rpm, top honors likely go to his productions with Jackson: “Off the Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” were albums near-universal in their style and appeal. Jones’ versatility and imagination helped set off the explosive talents of Jackson as he transformed from child star to the “King of Pop.” On such classic tracks as “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Jones and Jackson fashioned a global soundscape out of disco, funk, rock, pop, R&B and jazz and African chants. For “Thriller,” some of the most memorable touches originated with Jones, who recruited Eddie Van Halen for a guitar solo on the genre-fusing “Beat It” and brought in Vincent Price for a ghoulish voiceover on the title track.

“Thriller” sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone and has contended with the Eagles’ “Greatest Hits 1971-1975” among others as the best-selling album of all time.

“If an album doesn’t do well, everyone says ‘it was the producers fault’; so if it does well, it should be your ‘fault,’ too,” Jones said in an interview with the Library of Congress in 2016. “The tracks don’t just all of a sudden appear. The producer has to have the skill, experience and ability to guide the vision to completion.”

The list of his honors and awards fills 18 pages in his 2001 autobiography “Q”, including 27 Grammys at the time (now 28), an honorary Academy Award (now two) and an Emmy for “Roots.” He also received France’s Legion d’Honneur, the Rudolph Valentino Award from the Republic of Italy and a Kennedy Center tribute for his contributions to American culture. He was the subject of a 1990 documentary, “Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones” and a 2018 film by daughter Rashida Jones. His memoir made him a best-selling author.

Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones would cite the hymns his mother sang around the house as the first music he could remember. But he looked back sadly on his childhood, once telling Oprah Winfrey that “There are two kinds of people: those who have nurturing parents or caretakers, and those who don’t. Nothing’s in between.” Jones’ mother suffered from emotional problems and was eventually institutionalized, a loss that made the world seem “senseless” for Quincy. He spent much of his time in Chicago on the streets, with gangs, stealing and fighting.

“They nailed my hand to a fence with a switchblade, man,” he told the AP in 2018, showing a scar from his childhood.

Music saved him. As a boy, he learned that a Chicago neighbor owned a piano and he soon played it constantly himself. His father moved to Washington state when Quincy was 10 and his world changed at a neighborhood recreation center. Jones and some friends had broken into the kitchen and helped themselves to lemon meringue pie when Jones noticed a small room nearby with a stage. On the stage was a piano.

“I went up there, paused, stared, and then tinkled on it for a moment,” he wrote in his autobiography. “That’s where I began to find peace. I was 11. I knew this was it for me. Forever.”

Within a few years he was playing trumpet and befriending a young blind musician named Ray Charles, who became a lifelong friend. He was gifted enough to win a scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out when Hampton invited him to tour with his band. Jones went on to work as a freelance composer, conductor, arranger and producer. As a teen, he backed Billie Holiday. By his mid-20s, he was touring with his own band.

“We had the best jazz band on the planet, and yet we were literally starving,” Jones later told Musician magazine. “That’s when I discovered that there was music, and there was the music business. If I were to survive, I would have to learn the difference between the two.”

As a music executive, he overcame racial barriers by becoming a vice president at Mercury Records in the early ’60s. In 1971, he became the first Black musical director for the Academy Awards ceremony. The first movie he produced, “The Color Purple,” received 11 Oscar nominations in 1986. (But, to his great disappointment, no wins). In a partnership with Time Warner, he created Quincy Jones Entertainment, which included the pop-culture magazine Vibe and Qwest Broadcasting. The company was sold for $270 million in 1999.

“My philosophy as a businessman has always come from the same roots as my personal credo: take talented people on their own terms and treat them fairly and with respect, no matter who they are or where they come from,” Jones wrote in his autobiography.

He was at ease with virtually every form of American music, whether setting Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” to a punchy, swinging rhythm and wistful flute or opening his production of Charles’ soulful “In the Heat of the Night” with a lusty tenor sax solo. He worked with jazz giants (Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington), rappers (Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J), crooners (Sinatra, Tony Bennett), pop singers (Lesley Gore) and rhythm and blues stars (Chaka Khan, Queen Latifah).

On “We are the World” alone, performers included Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. He co-wrote hits for Jackson – “P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing” – and Donna Summer – “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger) – and had songs sampled by Tupac Shakur, Kanye West and other rappers. He even composed the theme song for the sitcom “Sanford and Son.”

Jones was a facilitator and maker of the stars. He gave Will Smith a key break in the hit TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which Jones produced, and through “The Color Purple” he introduced Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg to filmgoers. Starting in the 1960s, he composed more than 35 film scores, including for “The Pawnbroker,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “In Cold Blood.”

He called scoring “a multifaceted process, an abstract combination of science and soul.”

Jones’ work on the soundtrack for “The Wiz” led to his partnership with Jackson, who starred in the 1978 movie. In an essay published in Time magazine after Jackson’s death, in 2009, Jones remembered that the singer kept slips of paper on him that contained thoughts by famous thinkers. When Jones asked about the origins of one passage, Jackson answered “Socrates,” but pronounced it “SO-crayts.” Jones corrected him, “Michael, it’s SOCK-ra-tees.”

“And the look he gave me then, it just prompted me to say, because I’d been impressed by all the things I saw in him during the rehearsal process, ‘I would love to take a shot at producing your album,’” Jones recalled. “And he went back and told the people at Epic Records, and they said, `No way — Quincy’s too jazzy.’ Michael was persistent, and he and his managers went back and said, `Quincy’s producing the album.’ And we proceeded to make ‘Off the Wall.’ Ironically, that was one of the biggest Black-selling albums at the time, and that album saved all the jobs of the people saying I was the wrong guy. That’s the way it works.”

Tensions emerged after Jackson’s death. In 2013, Jones sued Jackson’s estate, claiming he was owed millions in royalties and production fees on some of the superstar’s greatest hits. In a 2018 interview with New York magazine, he called Jackson “as Machiavellian as they come” and alleged that he lifted material from others.

Jones was hooked on work and play, and at times suffered for it. He nearly died from a brain aneurysm in 1974 and became deeply depressed in the 1980s after “The Color Purple” was snubbed by Academy Awards voters; he never received a competitive Oscar. A father of seven children by five mothers, Jones described himself as a “dog” who had countless lovers around the world. He was married three times, his wives including the actor Peggy Lipton.

“To me, loving a woman is one of the most natural, blissful, life-enhancing — and dare I say, religious — acts in the world,” he wrote.

Along with Rashida, Jones is survived by daughters Jolie Jones Levine, Rachel Jones, Martina Jones, Kidada Jones and Kenya Kinski-Jones; son Quincy Jones III; brother Richard Jones and sisters Theresa Frank and Margie Jay.

He was not an activist in his early years, but changed after attending the 1968 funeral of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later befriending the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jones was dedicated to philanthropy, saying “the best and only useful aspect of fame and celebrity is having a platform to help others.”

His causes included fighting HIV and AIDS, educating children and providing for the poor around the world. He founded the Quincy Jones Listen Up! Foundation to connect young people with music, culture and technology, and said he was driven throughout his life “by a spirit of adventure and a criminal level of optimism.”

“Life is like a dream, the Spanish poet and philosopher Federico Garcia Lorca said,” Jones wrote in his memoir. “Mine’s been in Technicolor, with full Dolby sound through THX amplification before they knew what these systems were.”

(AP)

24, October 2024

Longue Longue torture video sparks nationwide outrage ⁰

A video purportedly showing popular Cameroonian singer Simon Longkana Agno, widely known as Longue Longue, being tortured has led to widespread outrage in the country.

The artist, renowned for making hits about bad governance, colonialism and other social ills, said the video was taken after he was arrested in 2019, but this is the first time it has been seen by the public.

Longue Longue shared it himself, but it is unclear why it is only coming out now or how he obtained it.

The Cameroonian authorities said in a statement they have opened an investigation into the “unfortunate incident”.

In the video, Longue Longue’s hands are cuffed behind his back, and he is sitting on the floor in his underwear as the soles of his bare feet are beaten with a flat machete.

Despite his desperate pleas for the beating to stop, the men, alleged by Longue Longue to be security agents, continue.

The BBC has been unable to verify the video. We have tried to contact the singer without success.

On his Facebook page, he said he was arrested for his “freedom of thought”, and promised to file legal complaints in both Cameroon and France.

Longue Longue sitting on the floor in his underpants underneath a chair. A leg is standing on his knee — [Longue Longue]

He was arrested in 2019 after posting a video saying that long-time President Paul Biya had rigged the 2018 election.

The artist said opposition leader, Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), was the rightful winner of the polls.

At the time, the Constitutional Council rejected Kamto’s demand for a re-run because of alleged rigging.

The opposition leader is among those to have denounced the apparent torture and called for an investigation into the incident.

“The CRM strongly condemns this state barbarity and demands the urgent opening of an enquiry to arrest and immediately bring before the courts the perpetrators of these inhuman acts,” Kamto said in a statement on X.

He added that the video was “reminiscent of the horrific treatment” opposition activists faced during the crackdown in 2019 when hundreds of his supporters were detained.

Renowned Cameroonian human rights lawyer Akere Muna said Longue Longue’s treatment was a “stark reminder of the depths of depravity to which humanity can descend”.

Rights groups have criticised the government for creating an atmosphere of impunity for members of the country’s security forces.

They have also accused the authorities of cracking down on dissent ahead of next year’s presidential election.

Source: BBC

24, October 2024

France to increase student visas for Cameroonians ⁰

France plans to issue around 4,300 visas to Cameroonian students this year, a 10% increase compared to 2023. Thierry Marchand, France’s ambassador to Cameroon, called this “excellent news.”

“Issuing student visas is a very important part of the relationship between France and Cameroon,” he told the press last week.

The French diplomat also said France aims to issue even more visas in 2025. To help with this, embassy teams will be at the “Salon pour la promotion des études en France” (Sapef) event in Yaoundé and Douala this October. Marchand emphasized that Sapef is a chance to give Cameroonian students more information about how to apply for visas.

In addition, the French embassy has announced the opening of Campus France desks at several universities across the country. These desks allow students to start their immigration process right on campus, making it easier and saving them time.

Beyond student visas, Thierry Marchand also announced that the total number of visas issued in 2024 could increase by 30% compared to the previous year. This aligns with his goal, since he arrived in Cameroon at the end of 2022, to make the visa process easier. This task has been given to TLSContact, and he proudly noted that the wait for an appointment is now no longer than 15 days.

Source: Sbbc

16, October 2024

Tala André-Marie celebrates 55 years of music ⁰

Music legend André-Marie Tala has announced the celebration of his 55-year musical career, dubbed “Avec Vous.” The 74-year-old artist made the announcement during a press conference held on October 14, 2024, in Douala. As part of the festivities, Tala is set to host two special performances: one on October 25 at Best Western Hotel in Douala, and another on November 1 at the Yaoundé Congress Hall.

“It will be an opportunity to connect, to share with those who love music, beautiful melodies, and particularly André-Marie Tala’s journey through his works,” the artist stated. Tala, who has an extensive repertoire spanning over ten albums, promised to revisit his greatest hits and deliver an unforgettable performance. He will be joined on stage by artists from different generations, including seasoned musicians like Prince Ndedi Eyango, Annie Anzouer, and Isnebo, as well as younger talents such as Stanley Enow, Krys-M, and Kareyce Fotso. “We’ll share emotions, and I’ll let them know that they can always count on me as long as I’m alive,” he added.

In addition to the concerts, a master class is scheduled for October 16 at La Chaumière cabaret in Douala, aimed at teaching younger generations the fundamentals of music. On October 19, a sporting event will be held at Douala’s Parcours Vita, followed by humanitarian activities at a social center in Yaoundé.

Blind since the age of 15, André-Marie Tala has turned his disability into “opportunities that, through hard work, have allowed me to be recognized around the world.” The artist, best known for his hit song Je vais à Yaoundé released in 1975, continues to seek recognition from the city he has celebrated globally.

Source: Sbbc

3, October 2024

Biya regime launches digital platform to verify diploma authenticity ⁰

On October 1, 2024, the Cameroonian government introduced a new digital platform aimed at verifying the authenticity of diplomas issued by universities, public administrations, and private institutions. The initiative was unveiled at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) of the University of Yaoundé 1, during a ceremony co-chaired by the Minister of Higher Education (Minesup), Jacques Fame Ndongo, and the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform (Minfopra), Joseph Le.

The digital platform is described as an “essential tool” designed to streamline the often lengthy recruitment process within the public sector, which has been slowed by cumbersome diploma certification procedures. “This platform is not only a modern tool for verifying the authenticity of diplomas but also a guarantee of trust for citizens, employers, and especially public institutions,” said Joseph Le.

As per a joint circular from May 8, 2024, Minesup will provide Minfopra with a secure software interface, allowing access to diploma data. In return, Minfopra will be able to submit verification requests digitally, speeding up the process. A secure response confirming the authenticity of the diploma will then be sent back to Minfopra through the platform. According to Minister Le, the platform is “a crucial step” in the government’s commitment to enhancing transparency and efficiency in public administration. The initiative is part of a broader modernization effort to improve the management of civil servant integration processes.

The platform aims to address the growing issue of fake diplomas in both the public and private sectors. For example, in June 2024, Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo announced the discovery of 1,312 fake diplomas during the recruitment process for young gendarmes and soldiers for the 2024 fiscal year. Similarly, in 2022, nearly 1,000 gendarmerie students were dismissed due to falsified credentials. This new platform is expected to help decrease such incidents by streamlining document verification.

The platform’s launch follows an agreement signed between Minesup and Minfopra on April 6, 2023. It will be implemented in collaboration with the ministries that issue the most diplomas, including Minesup, the Ministry of Secondary Education (Minesec), the Ministry of Basic Education (Minedub), and the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (Minefop). Through this initiative, Minfopra aims to verify diploma authenticity more effectively and significantly reduce the processing times for recruitment and certification.

Source: Business in Cameroon

24, September 2024

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: Where education does not matter! ⁰

All over the world, education is considered a visa that can get many people out of poverty, but in Ambazonia, a virtual country also known as Southern Cameroons, illiteracy is considered good for the citizens and the key to a bright future. A strange irony which challenges any sound educational and social development experts

One of the many reasons Ambazonians raised when the sociopolitical problem which has destabilized many people in Cameroon and killed thousands in the two English-speaking regions of the country was that the quality of education provided by the Yaoundé government was of the lowest quality.

Ambazonians, also considered by the government of Cameroon as separatists, said they needed good quality education but their first action when the sociopolitical crisis commenced was to call on all students not to go to school until the government engineered new ways of doing things, especially by withdrawing all French-speaking teachers from the country’s two English-speaking regions.

While the Yaoundé government has since made some cosmetic changes and concessions, Southern Cameroonians have remained frozen in their positions.

From 2016, following the commencement of the country’s most destabilizing sociopolitical disaster, more than 30,000 students in the country’s two English-speaking regions of the country have not gone to school as gun-toting separatists have been threatening to kill any students and teachers who dare to go to school.

Their latest irrational action just came to an end yesterday. Since schools resumed in other regions of the country in early September, kids in Southern Cameroons have been at home for almost a month because Ambazonian forces had issued a ghost town operation in early September warning parents and students of deadly consequences if students violated their no-school order.

Ambazonia is a “country” wherein education does not matter but their leaders are talking about engineering sustainable development once they gain their independence. No country has ever developed without an educated population. Ambazonians want to demonstrate that education is not necessary when it comes to development and they will stop at nothing just to prove that.

Unfortunately, it is turning out that they are shooting themselves in the foot as their decision will only be counterproductive. Illiterate people will certainly not be reasonable and rational thinking will be a scarce resource. Crime will be high in a country wherein he who toots a gun can become the king.

Not many Southern Cameroonians are admiring these criminals who are marketing themselves as saviors who will bring independence and prosperity to their people. This archaic way of doing things has already hurt the economies of the two regions and unemployment and crime are unacceptably high.

The local population, which used to support the independence seekers is today working with the national defense forces to mop up the two English-speaking regions of the country which are replete with bandits and armed robbers who pass off as separatist fighters.

For almost eight years, most children in rural Southern Cameroons have not been to school. For those whose family members are well to do, they have been moved to towns and cities across the whole country for them to acquire much-needed education. Strangely, most of the students have moved to East Cameroon where they will have to learn the French they had rejected when there was peace in their beloved Southern Cameroons. What an irony! They will be fully assimilated and they might never return to the land they once called home.

Ambazonians are ignorantly helping the Yaoundé government in its bid to assimilate young English-speaking Cameroonians. More power to their elbow! In the next two decades, there will be more French-speaking Cameroonians in Southern Cameroons than English-speaking Cameroonians.

Even the worst dictatorships in the world have never refused their citizens access to education. Even the Taliban encourage their boys to get good education, though the girl child does not have the same access to education.

Ambazonians must stop committing human rights abuses. Refusing children their right to education is a criminal offense just as it is a punishable human rights abuse. Without a soundly educated population, no country can make giant steps forward regarding development.

This irrational decision to keep children out of school has caused a massive exodus from the two English-speaking regions of the country and this is not good news for a region and a people who think they should preserve their Anglo-Saxon educational culture.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

16, September 2024

Michael Jackson’s older brother Tito Jackson passes away aged 70 ⁰

Tito Jackson, an original member of the Jackson 5 pop group and brother of the late Michael Jackson, has died aged 70, US media report.

An official cause of death is yet to be determined.

Tito performed in the famous ensemble with brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, who died in 2009.

He was recently in Munich ahead of a performance that the group were due to give.

Getty Images Clockwise from bottom left: Michael Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson — The Jackson 5 began performing in the mid-1960s

Steve Manning, a long-time Jackson family friend and former Jackson family manager, told Entertainment Tonight that Jackson died on Monday.

The news was confirmed in an Instagram post by Jackson’s three sons, Taj, Taryll and TJ Jackson, who were themselves an R’n’B/pop trio, 3T, in the 1990s.

“We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken,” they wrote. “Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.”

They continued: “He will be missed tremendously. It will forever be ‘Tito Time’ for us.

“Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is ‘Love One Another’. We love you Pops.”

The Jackson 5’s hits included ABC, The Love You Save and I Want You Back.

The group was formed in 1964. Tito played the guitar and provided backing vocals.

Jackson 5 has sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

In 1980, the siblings were presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Getty Images Tito Jackson at the Fool in Love Festival — Tito performed recently at the Fool in Love Festival in California

Days before his death, Tito posted a message on social media from Munich, Germany, where he visited a memorial to Michael with his brothers.

He wrote: “Before our show in Munich, my brothers Jackie, Marlon, and I, visited the beautiful memorial dedicated to our beloved brother, Michael Jackson.

“We’re deeply grateful for this special place that honours not only his memory but also our shared legacy. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive.”

The Jacksons performed in Germany on 10 September, days after their performance at Boogietown, a UK music festival celebrating funk, soul and disco in Surrey.

The siblings also performed at the Fool in Love Festival at Hollywood Park Grounds in Los Angeles on 31 August.

‘Devastated and speechless’

Former Jackson 5 drummer Jonathan Moffett led tributes on social media, writing on X: “There is great sadness in my heart tonight – I just found out that my brother in heart and spirit, Tito Jackson has passed.

“I’m stunned, devastated and speechless. I love you, Tito. My most sincere love & prayers for the entire Jackson family. I love you all VERY much”.

Getty Images Taj Jackson, TJ Jackson and Taryll Jackson — Tito’s three sons are in a pop group called 3T

Tito was the third oldest Jackson and one of nine children. His other siblings include global stars Janet and La Toya Jackson.

All his siblings, other than Michael who died aged 50 in June 2009, are still alive.

The family’s patriarch, Joe Jackson, died at the age of 89 in 2018.

The group of performers and singers have produced a total of 27 US number one hits.

Alongside work in the band, Tito also had a solo career as a blues musician which started in 2003.

He was the final sibling to place a solo single on the Billboard charts with his 2016 hit, Get It Baby.

In 2019, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon embarked on a World Tour as The Jacksons.

Two years prior they performed a slew of shows in the UK as part of A Celebration of 50 Years, also stopping to perform at Glastonbury Festival.

Source: BBC

10, September 2024

UNESCO secures $44.5M for Cameroon education ⁰

During an official visit to Yaoundé, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, announced the mobilisation of $44.5 million for education in Cameroon. The funds will be used to modernise school curricula and train more than 28,000 education professionals.

“Cameroon has made education a priority and it was essential for UNESCO to support these efforts. Thanks to the Global Partnership for Education, today we’re mobilising $44.5 million to boost the improvements of the country’s school system. This is yet another example of UNESCO’s firm commitment to supporting all its Member States in their efforts to achieve universal access to education” Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO said.

With these new funds, UNESCO and Cameroon will work together to modernise school curricula, with a particular emphasis on multilingual education. The Organization will provide more than 4 million school textbooks and teaching manuals. It will also support the training of 15,000 teachers as well as 13,000 headteachers, trainers and educational professionals. Finally, this initiative will provide school meals to children from the poorest families to further support their schooling.

This initiative in Cameroon joins those already undertaken by UNESCO in many other African countries. In recent years, the Organization has notably raised $15.7m for education in Burundi, $48.2m in Chad, $39.5m in Côte d’Ivoire, and $10.7m in the Republic of Congo – again as part of the Global Partnership for Education. At a time when the African Union has dedicated 2024 as the year of education, UNESCO is once again demonstrating its role as a leading partner of African states in this field.

Source: miragenews