The Minister of State Property and Land Tenure, Mr. Pascal Anong  Adibime has blamed and condemned his collaborators in the North West Region for the numerous land conflicts in the field. The Minister made the condemnation at the Bamenda Congress Hall May 14, 2009 to over 500 people who turned out to welcome him. The evening reception was attended by a cross section of Fons, Administrators and land stake-holders.
The Minister scoffed at his Regional Delegate’s attempt to distribute Land Certificates when he had an urgent message for the public. His presentation, which lasted for over two hours, centred on the procedure for acquisition of Land Titles. Minister Anong Pascal, in his frank and objective presentation, embarrassed the DOs, SDOs and Fons with his open declaration that from his field experience, most conflicts are directly or indirectly caused by Divisional Officers, Senior Divisional Officers, Fons and even land users. He also noted that the irrational sale of land generates conflicts.

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ELECAM is indeed a hard sell for its Board members who have embarked on a nation-wide contact tour in their respective Regions of origin. Dr. Mrs. Dorothy Limunga Njeuma has been getting the taste of this very difficult mission in the South West, during stops in Meme and Fako Divisions. In both stops the opposition, especially the SDF and civil society personalities remained bunkered and adamant in their condemnation and rejection of the appointment of former top brass CPDM members into the Board of ELECAM, staging walk-outs in some places like Kumba. In Limbe, last Saturday, May 16, where she met with political party and civil society leaders and other stake-holders of Fako, Dr. Dorothy Njeuma painstakingly defended ELECAM’S credibility and independence. The meeting attended by Fako SDO, Jules Marcellin Ndjaga and his auxiliaries, the Gov’t Delegate to the Limbe City Council,  political parties and civil society leaders exposed the lingering doubts hanging over ELECAM, but Dr. Njeuma debunked CPDM’s clout over the newly-created electoral body.

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The financial bubble enjoyed by the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, the country’s largest agro-industrial complex, over the last few years may have burst, as the corporation is inadvertently slipping into a crisis dig. The international financial crisis which hit major industrial nations last year like the tsunami, creating recessions in leading economies around the world, is now having a huge toll on the fragile economies of developing nations, especially Cameroon. One major consequence of the international crisis is the inexorable slump in the prices of commodities like rubber, timber, crude oil etc. Rubber accounts for about 70-80 percent of C.D.C total revenue. Oil palm and banana add the rest. However, rubber price has slipped from about FCFA 1,300-1500 a kilogram in early 2008 to around FCFA 500/kg at the close of 2008. Currently the price stands around FCFA 500 a kg.

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Tiko United alias “Samba Boys” are on the verge of creating history as the first soccer team West of the Mungo to grab the First Division Champions title. Kumbo Strikers and Mount Cameroon’s earlier feats, where at the level of the Cameroon Cup. The Tiko side is now 10 points adrift of immediate challengers, Cotonsport of Garoua,  current title holders. The team consolidated its stranglehold on the championship by disintegrating Union of Douala at the Tiko Town Green Stadium by three goals to one, to move on to 46 points.  Coton Sport of Garoua were at the same time being held at home by Panthere of Nde to a virgin tie at the Roumde Adjia stadium. Barely five days to close the season, the Tiko lads need six points or two victories to seal the deal. Tiko’s current scintillating form has sent football pundits predicting that the South West team now has the potential of clinching the title.

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Ever since Fon Chafah, the out-going President General of the North West Fons Union unwisely carried the simmering disagreement between him and his Union’s spokesperson, Ntumfor Nico Halle, to the public arena, invectives and missiles have been fired to both of them and at times from very unsuspecting quarters. I have not had the opportunity of paying much attention to Fon Chafah’s stewardship at the helm of NOWEFU partly because of the disdain that has developed in me against most elite and chiefs’ associations. These have become willing tools in the hands of the system which it manipulates according to its whims and caprices. It has become very evident that most of our elite and traditional rulers pursue and support causes which are at variance with those of the people they purport to represent.

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Zimbabwe's opposition warned Tuesday its leader might steer clear of another regional summit designed to salvage a power-sharing accord, saying it had yet to decide whether to trust President Robert Mugabe. The day after Morgan Tsvangirai refused to meet with Mugabe at a summit in Swaziland, his Movement for Democratic Change party said it was unconvinced the veteran ruler's camp was negotiating in good faith. Hoping to rescue the unity accord, southern African leaders agreed to hold new talks between the rivals in Harare on October 27, but MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said that Tsvangirai could not yet confirm if he would attend.

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The World Vegetable Centre – AVRDC, an international organisation has experimented variety of vegetable seeds in Bambili, North West Region. The experiment was exposed for analysis to the public Saturday, February 21, 2009 during a Farmer’s Field Day organised at the Technical School of Agriculture, Bambili in partnership with AVRDC. The Director of the Agric Schoo,l Mr. Jonathan Ndi, welcoming the guests, who answered present for the field day, said the experiment was to promote food security and  an attempt to facilitate the alleviation of poverty and hunger amongst farmers. Mr. Ndi  also clarified that the trials on vegetables like okra, cabbage, huckleberry and pepper will enable the international NGO  recommend the species of vegetables that will do well in the different ecological zones of Cameroon. The 12 different varieties of huckleberry experimented were also given palatability test. At the end of the practical eating test, the general impression was that the huckleberry is good. The D.O. for Tubah Sub-Division,  Mr. Etta Mbokaya Ashu, marvelled by the flavour of the vegetable, wished that the experiment be conclusive to enable people enjoy good food.

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The Cameroon Teachers’ Trade Union, CATTU, Executive Secretary, Mr. Simon Nkwenti has announced that a peaceful demonstration shall be effected in Bamenda come March 2009 over the poor state of Anglophone technical education. Mr. Nkwenti made the declaration at the Chomba Community Hall recently while receiving 33 sheets of zinc as gift for GTC Chomba. Reacting to the popular statement that children are leaders of tomorrow, the CATTU boss wondered aloud how the present scholars of the technical education can be leaders when their future is gloomy. He regretted that technical examination questions are never in either English or French. Such poor setting of exams confuses and disturbs the students. He also noted that most technical schools are understaffed.

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Tuberculosis cases will rise to alarming figures in Cameroon if the population does not come up for their test and free treatment. Dr André Gotinger, Permanent Secretary of the National Tuberculosis Control Programme told The Sun Newspaper in an exclusive interview in Yaoundé recently. Health expects in the country continue to lament on the negligence citizens put up vis-à-vis tuberculosis though its treatment has been declared free by the government in all health centers. The dust is yet to settle on the 16th edition of World Tuberculosis Day observed round the globe last March 24 that the Permanent Secretary Dr André Gotinger realises the heavy task still lying ahead of them.According to Dr. Andre Gotinger, “tuberculosis is neither a curse nor a fatality, it is cured and its treatment is free in Cameroon since 2006.

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As if by accident, November, the month in which the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon became autonomous, was also the month, 25 years ago, when power in Cameroon changed hands from a Muslim to a Christian. The change brought general euphoria not least because the new leader was an intellectual – in fact an ex-seminarian. His arrival therefore fuelled hopes that Christian values would thenceforth hold sway in the conduct of public affairs in Cameroon. It needs be said that, by a curious twist of fate, the old President hand-picked the new, and imposed him on the people. Had they actually chosen him, which could well have happened if they had been consulted, today the people would have been cursing their luck – or bad luck – because it is now clear that they drew a blank.

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Paul Biya has been around as head of state for the last 27 years. Since presidents are usually over-exposed by the press, it is certain that Cameroonians have since lost interest in him because such exposure brings boredom after 5, 10, not to talk of 27 years! The people have since tuned out and can only be re-awakened by a new show, a new leader. As head of state, his cronies usually say that all that is done in Cameroon is done under his authority; therefore all bad and good happenings are attributable to him. Joblessness, unchecked corruption, embezzlement of public funds, impunity of public servants, electoral fraud, lack of transparency and accountability, inefficiency, and generalized indiscipline are all attributable to him.

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Open National Invitation to Tender
No001/ONIT/Buea Council/TB/2009 of January 2009
For the construction of Buea Market

Funding: FEICOM Budget 2008 financial year

1.  Subject of Invitation to Tender

Within the framework the FEICOM budget 2008, the Mayor of Buea Council hereby launches an open national invitation to tender for the construction of Buea Market.

 

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