The Council of the Cameroon General Certificate of Education (GCE) Board has “exceptionally authorized” the registrar to extend the deadline for the 2017 GCE registration for the Ordinary and Advanced Levels in all centers across the country to March 20, 2017. The decision that comes after two other postponements was taken at the end of an extra-ordinary council meeting of the Board in Buea on Friday March 3. The previous deadline expired on Tuesday February 28.

The Registrar of the GCE Board, Humphrey Ekema Monono, told state radio and television on Tuesday that slightly over 70.000 candidates had registered nationwide to sit for the 2017 session of examinations organized by the Board—a figure estimated to be about three times less than the number that sat for the exams in 2016. The extension is seen by critics as a government move to lure teachers and students to go back to school as allegations are rife that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) could declare a blank academic year in the country due to the numerous teaching hours lost in the two English speaking regions.

According to a release read on CRTV Radio, the session that was attended by representatives of teachers’ trade unions, teachers’ associations of the South West and North West regions, religious and private institutions, “also unanimously called on teachers, students and pupils to resume classes latest Tuesday March 7, 2017 at 7:30am.”

It is the third time the deadline is being extended. Registration was initially due to end December 30, 2016 but rocking Southern Cameroons which has paralyzed activities in schools and courts forced authorities to postpone. Schools in the English speaking North West and South West regions have remained closed since teachers in the regions began a sit-in strike in November last year.

Despite the repeated postponements, some observers still believe the holding of GCE this year is still implausible. They argue that schools are yet to resume and students have been out of activity for months though government says “measures have been taken” to avert such.

Cameroun Info.Net

The General Certificate of Education has reportedly recorded a low registration this year as compared to previous years. Local media reports in Southern Cameroons say some 70,000 candidates have successfully gone through registration formalities. The figure is far below the 182,000 that registered last year.

Commenting on Tuesday February 28, 2017, the GCE Board Registrar Dr Humphrey Ekema Monono shied away from the worrying registration statistics in both the Bamenda and Buea provinces of Southern Cameroons but hinted that the Board was working daily for the smooth holding of the 2017 Session.

The chartered member of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate also observed that it was too early to know the exact number of candidates who have registered in West Cameroon but insisted on making public the figures next week.

The well-fed Registrar said the Board hopes to have some 100,000 after the Tuesday deadline. Dr Humphrey Ekema also revealed that vetting of questions for the 2019 session has started in Buea. However, it is still not clear whether the examinations will take place in the months previewed; May and June respectively.

The Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime has insisted that examinations this year must hold despite calls from protesters for boycott. A pro La Republique online news portal, Cameroun Info.Net recently hinted of the possibility of extension of the school year citing one Mr. Paul Goghomu serving at the Prime Minister’s office.  However schools have remained closed in Southern Cameroons and for those that are opened, classes are not effective.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files from CIN

The deadline for students to register for the 2017 session of the General Certificate of Education, GCE ends this Tuesday February 28, 2017 with no projection of a possible extension.

The Registrar of GCE Board Dr Humphrey Ekema Monono observed a fortnight ago that contrary to rumors that there will be no GCE this year, the session will hold and that the board was already compiling the necessary documentation.

The closure of the registration process was initially scheduled for 30 December 2016 but has been extended twice due to event unfolding in Southern Cameroons which has paralyzed activities in schools and courts. The well fed looking Humphrey Monono hinted that several anonymous messages threatening his life and family have been sent to him.

The organization of the 2017 session of the GCE this year according to some observers remains a myth as schools are yet to resume and students have been out of activity for months for fear of the unknown. Security measures reportedly taken have failed to safeguard the student community.

Cameroun Info.Net

At least six Guineans have been killed during violent protest rallies calling for the reopening of schools amid a weeks-long strike by teachers. The government said in a statement that the protests, which rocked various neighborhoods of the Guinean capital of Conakry on Monday, also left at least 30 people injured, including members of the police force.

“Our capital was the scene of unauthorized and illegal protests” to call for the reopening of schools, the government said. Government centers, small stores and gas stations remained closed Monday amid fears that there would be looting by the protesters, mostly young students.

Teachers’ unions in the West African country have been on strike since February 1 to demand a pay raise and better working conditions as well as the full integration of contracted teachers, who are not full time, in the public school system. During the Monday rallies, the protesting students shouted, “Where will we go to class? There is no activity in the country.”

The demonstrators also set fire to tires and threw them into the streets, prompting police to respond by firing tear gas.The Guinean authorities arrested at least 12 people on Monday. According to a hospital source, four men, including two young people, and one woman were shot dead during the clashes. Another young man was hit by a bus as he attempted to flee the violence, a police official said.

The government said the demonstrations turned violent despite a deal reached “with the unions after many days of negotiations” on Sunday night. However, the unions said Monday that the strike would continue until their demand for a pay raise of between 7.5 and 10.3 percent is met. “We will continue to strike, and we then also demand the resumption of courses by licensed educated contractors,” union spokesman Aboubacar Soumah said.

Presstv

A report published by the pro Biya regime online portal, Cameroun Info.Net has revealed that Bamileke billionaires plan to build English-language schools in the Western region.  Cameroun Info.Net did not make public the names of the Bamileke tycoons but was quick to state that if the project succeeds it would be a great economic and cultural loss for the region of the Northwest, generally considered the base of Anglo-Saxon education in Cameroon.

Ever since the strike action orchestrated by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, schools and colleges in Southern Cameroons have remain closed and ghost town operations have rocked the entire West Cameroon territory. The parents of Francophone students are now demanding reimbursement of their children’s school fees from both the Roman Catholic and Protestant academic establishments.

Reacting to the news of the Bamileke billionaires, our senior political commentator observed that it is simply an attempt by the Biya Francophone regime to put the Bamilekes and Southern Cameroonians are daggers-drawn positions.

By Rita Akana

Laptops were not promised only to Anglophone students!! It was a gift from the Head of State Paul Biya to all university students in Cameroon. The Biya gesture was made public on the 10^th of February 2016 following his address to the youths of the nation last year. Students now say they are disappointed that they are not yet in possession of these machines.

On the 10^th of February 2017 and in the presence of 5 members of government, students from the University of Yaoundé 1 asked for the computers that the Head of State promised to offer them. The students had assembled at the Amphi 700 to listen to the Youth Day address of the Head of State and they expressed their disappointment and disapproval of the 84 year-old leader.

In front of the cabinet ministers, the predominantly Francophone student audience shouted immediately the broadcast of the speech came to an end “What about the computers he promised on this same day last year? No no ! He still forgot about our computers. We are disappointed; all students were waiting for these computers.”

The Minister of Communication made matters worse when he noted to the angry student community that “I want to reassure you that you will be in possession of the computers. It is a question of preparing them. The Government was not obliged to make this offer to you. It’s because you’re an android generation, you’ll have them. “

Yves Emvudu Wono, head of the IT department of the Ministry of Higher Education, recently said that the computers would be distributed during the academic year. A leading opposition figure in Yaounde was quoted as saying that even a small business center in Douala is capable of supplying Cameroon will a million laptop computers.

However, Speaking of the state of progress of this project, Mr Emvudu Wono said: “the first part including all the administrative procedures has been finalized. Cameroon has already fulfilled all its specifications. All those involved, namely the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, the Caisse Autonome d’Amortissement and the Prime Minister’s office have already fulfilled their part in this long procedure. The other stage concerns universities. It was necessary for the Ministry of Higher Education to develop the modus operandi and discuss it with the heads of these academic institutions. Now these institutions are working to produce the list of beneficiary students. As for our third step, the Chinese designer started manufacturing these machines. We must speed up the preparation of the lists. We should not be late when the computers are available. “

As a reminder, it was during his speech on the 10^th of February 2016 that the Head of State made the announcement of the donation of computers to students of state universities. Jacques Fame Ndongo, the Minister of Higher Education, added that the objective of the project was to provide 500,000 Cameroonian students with computer tools to link them to the digital university economy.

By Chi Prudence Asong

Dear Elites,

It was with great displeasure that I watched pictures of the meeting that was called and chaired by former Prime Minister, Peter Mafany Musonge, in the Southwest regional capital of Buea. I acknowledge that as a region we have to work together and be vigilant so as to preserve whatever little assets we have. However, yesterday’s meeting was baseless and it clearly demonstrated that those who claim to represent us are out of touch with reality. The current situation in West Cameroon has nothing to do with the famous southwest-northwest divide that you, the so-called southwest elites, have been promoting for years for your own parochial and personal interest.

The people of West Cameroon have been victims of marginalization for many decades and they are expressing their disappointment with a system that has reduced them to sorry spectators of events in a country that is supposed to be theirs. I hold that instead of seeking to fan the embers of division – which is your favorite sport – it will be smart of you to carry the people’s complaints to the appropriate quarters for a speedy resolution. The people of the southwest region are not on the same wavelength with you the so-called elites. You have been living an alternative reality that is at variance with what the people have been experiencing. While you have access to the state treasury which has given you and your children a beautiful and privileged life, the overwhelming majority of South-westerners have been languishing in abject poverty which has robbed them of their dignity and happiness. If you think you represent these people, you should be listening to them with a view to understanding the challenges blighting their lives. On the contrary, you seem to have lodged yourselves in an imaginary ivory tower wherein you require these same people to come and bow to you just like angels do to God. The people are sick and tired of this unpalatable drama which clearly belongs to another epoch and they want to put an end to a political and an economic dispensation that has turned out to be an earthly paradise for a few.

The contemptuous indifference and deafening silence of the hard-working and intelligent people of the southwest region should clearly inform you that the resolutions of your hastily organized meeting do not cut any ice with them. They don’t reflect their thoughts and they will never identify with such a comedy of helplessness. They need new and innovative ideas that can create wealth and opportunities for them and their children. They need leaders with sterling qualities; leaders who understand their pain; leaders who are capable of skillfully articulating their ideas in the corridors of power; indeed leaders who will make their problems and the development of their region key priorities. You don’t seem to understand this and that is why the people are walking away from you.

The people of the Southwest region are an educated people. Many are soundly schooled. Isn’t it preposterous to always think that they can be easily manipulated by you for your selfish interest? Why would you always give the impression that these people cannot figure out things for themselves. Why do you think North-westerners are always to blame any time south-westerners want to express their frustrations? Have you ever sought to have alternative ideas when you sit in those your meetings? Claiming that North-westerners are the prime suspects in this matter sounds like all of us, regardless of our sound education, are good for nothing. If you stop laying claim to the monopoly of wisdom, you will be able to find sound and sustainable solutions to some of the issues facing our region.

One of the many things shocking many south-westerners is your indifference to the arrests of some of our children during the peaceful strikes that took place in the University of Buea. Today, you want the university to resume while many of those kids are still in jail for peacefully asking for dialogue with the vice chancellor of the university. In which world are you living in? That our daughters get raped and all what is important to you is your political career? I guess you have seen the videos which clearly portray how our children were made to sleep and roll in raw sewage. Some were even made to drink this dirty water. You have never condemned this irresponsible behavior and no commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate such an important case of power abuse. These are the issues you should be dealing with and not seeking to deceive the people into thinking that they are being manipulated by external forces. If you show your people respect, they will reciprocate, but when you treat them with disdain and contempt, they will seek to find alternatives that can address their problems.

If the southwest has to seek its own way, then there must be unity and clear objectives. You cannot only talk about unity when it suits you. There are many cases that could have enabled us display our unity of purpose, but when such moments come, you sink into indifference and behave as if nothing is happening. What have you folks done so far to secure the release of Ayah Paul, a Supreme Court judge and an eminent son of the south-west region, who was arrested in a manner that was far from being fair and democratic? We can only work together if you stop thinking of manipulating others and giving the impression that your personal interests are above the interest of the region. You should be using your positions – if they are even respected by the government – to solve real problems instead of chasing shadows. Your people have rejected you. You must acknowledge that and then seek ways to rebuild that relationship. This is not a tough job. It can be done if only you change your mindset. We all want our kids to go back to school, but not in circumstances that will perpetuate their status as second-class citizens.

Our people are suffering. They are unemployed. They need jobs so as to put food on the table. They want to raise their children in dignity. You folks have never really been there for them. You have fallen short of their glory. Even when there are opportunities in the southwest, you prefer to let other people take those opportunities. What happened to SONARA? While being a national asset, this oil refinery has not really served the south-westerner and this is one issue that is bothering our people. If Cameroon is one and indivisible, how come we do not have a fair share of the benefits SONARA is spinning? Most of the jobs are given to people from other regions, especially to Francophones while our people watch helplessly from a distance. Are North-westerners to blame for all of this? Are North-westerners to blame for Ndian Division, where our oil deposits are located, not having tarred roads? Is securing jobs for our people not what a so-called elite should be doing? I think you people are fighting the wrong fight. You have to be strategic when fighting. Our people need lucrative opportunities like those offered by SONARA. That should be one area you should be focusing on.

I look forward to a change in mentality so that we can work together as a strong and united people. Consider this letter as wake up call. You have been sleeping on your brains for too long. We don’t have to wash our dirty linen in public, but if you fail to create the right forum for us to talk and understand each other, then we will have to bring that dirty linen to the public. Your effort to divide the people by pitting south-westerners against north-westerners will not work this time around. It’s time to change strategy. The people are sadder but wiser now.

Sincerely,

Joachim Arrey.

About the Author: The author of this letter has served as a translator, technical writer, journalist and editor for several international organizations and corporations across the globe. He studied communication at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and technical writing in George Brown College in Toronto, Canada. He is also a trained translator and holds a Ph.D.

Schools have been deserted, benches parked, classes grounded since November 21, 2017 but government has not given up on it fight to see school resume and subsequent celebration of 11th February this year.

The Secretary General at the South West Governor’s office, Clement Fon Ndikum has insisted that the National Youth Day celebrated every February 11 will take place in the two English speaking regions despite the present deadlock.

He made the declarations in a preparatory meeting for Youth Day held recently in Buea. During the meeting, the SG urged parents to shun fear and send their children to school so that classes can resume in the two English speaking regions.

The government is hoping to use Youth Associations and groups should students and pupils fail to show up on Youth Day. According to Clement Fon Ndikum, “Students only form part of Youth population expected to celebrate the Youth day, there are other youth groups like social groups, like bike riders, political groups that are expected to honor the event.”

To him, Youth day is not just a formality but a patriotic event. Governments scheme to see students march on Youth Day comes on the wake of a counter scheme by social media activists calling for total ghost town on 11th February.

Cameroun Info.Net

The Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo government is backtracking on its decision that dissolved the Ad Hoc Committee and eventually led to the arrest of the leaders of the Consortium. It is now even hard to say who is really in charge in Cameroon.  The Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo made public a press release stating that the government will resume dialogue with the teachers on the 31st of January 2017.

The Fame Ndongo communiqué also stated that the fourth round of talks shall be held at the conference hall of his department. A lot of tongues have been waging ever since the Biya acolyte published the press release yesterday January the 18^th 2017. We understand the Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office; one Mr Ghogumu Paul Mingo had announced that discussion with the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium was over.

Ghogumu Paul Mingo’s pronouncement prompted the banning of the Consortium by another inexperienced Francophone Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Rene Emmanuel Sadi. The MINAT order led to the arrest of the leaders of the Consortium. Cameroon Concord News sources say Wilfred Tassang is currently at the US embassy in Yaounde.

One of the interesting features of the Minister Fama Ndongo press release is that the CPDM operates many governing councils within the crime syndicate.  At present, we do not know if Minister Fame Ndongo intends to appoint teachers representatives who will brave the bad roads and come to Yaoundé to dialogue with him. “This is highly unsatisfactory from a government that has many cabinet ministers with PhDs attached to their names” noted a retired Anglophone Head Master contacted by CAMCORDNEWS.

But something very unusual has just happened. The Minister of Higher Education observed in his press release that he was by his action informing “national and international public opinion” of the 31^st of January meeting. The inclusion of international public opinion not by the government spokesman is a major backdown.

Nigeria has had numerous armed struggles: Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers and Biafra. It has never disconnected internet services in any of its region. The decision to cutoff internet and telephone services in British Southern Cameroons tells us how they (Francophones) see us and tells us that we are not part of them.  It is sad to see the powerful Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime backtracking on this.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Editor-in-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group