Up Station Mountain Club

SDF May Quit Coalition Over Single Candidate

By Chris Mbunwe and Peterkins Manyong

The Social Democratic Front, SDF, is contemplating quitting the National Coalition for Reconciliation and Reconstruction, NCRR, for alleged shabby treatment given Fru Ndi, and some overbearing ambitions from other political parties within the Coalition. This piece of information filtered from the SDF National Executive Committee, NEC meeting, Saturday, August 28, in Bamenda.

Cabinet Meeting To Decide Fon Doh’s Fate

By Willibroad B. Nformi

Following the gruesome murder of the Balikumbat District Chairman, John Kohtem, a cabinet meeting was on Thursday, August 26, held to deliberate on possible political sanctions to be meted on the assassins. Fon Doh Gah, is highly implicated, The Post has gathered. Kohtem's murder appears to have perturbed the authorities in Yaounde, especially as it was committed close to the Presidential election.

Coalition Announces Discussions With Senior Gov’t Moles

By Clovis Atatah & Kini Nsom

Leaders of the National Coalition for Reconciliation and Reconstruction, NCRR, have announced that they are in secret discussions with disaffected senior government officials on how to defeat President Paul Biya in the forthcoming Presidential election.Leaders of the NCRR, who addressed a press conference last week, said senior government and CPDM officials, who are unhappy with the way the Biya regime is running the country, have contacted the CNRR. CDU Chairman, Dr. Adamou Ndam Njoya, also said CPDM modernists have also established contacts with the NCRR and they are in discussions.

Britain Called To Ensure Justice In Kohtem’s Murder

By Pegue Manga

The British government has been urged to take a firm stance against the murderer(s) of John Kohtem, SDF Balikumbat District Chairman. A letter written by Lord Avebury, Chairman of the Cameroon Campaign Group, CCG, to the Foreign Office, August 26, called on Tony Blair’s government to ensure that “…steps are being taken to protect witnesses, to collect witness statements, and to question those alleged to have perpetrated this crime.”

Demonstrators Disrupt Bamenda Council Session

By Chris Mbunwe

An extraordinary session of the Bamenda Urban Council, August 26, kicked off smoothly until 10.00 am when one of the Fons, Martin Forbuzie Asanji of Chomba village, on his way to the meeting, reported to the Mezam Divisional Officer that the town was boiling. After concerting with the administration, the Chairman of the Bamenda Urban Council, Prince Pius Ngwa Amandou, suspended the session.

Sale Of AIDS Drug:Defendant Says Suit Will Crash

By Josiane Nkamdem & O'ril Asong Atem - (UB Journalism Students On Internship)

Doctor Thompson Kinge, a specialist in infectious deceases at the Yaounde Central Hospital, recently sued for “illegally” marketing an anti-retroviral drug, Aurea Cento 100, has said the case against him will crash. Batiston Ikome Lyonga of WELU Enterprise Limbe, who says he had patent rights to distribute and market the drug worldwide, dragged Kinge, traditional doctor, Fia Edward Fominyen Ngu, and his four German partners to the Fako High Court in Buea, claiming FCFA 1 billion as damages.

INSECURITY IN The NORTHWEST: Bandits Attack Clinic, Monastery

By Peterkins Manyong

Insecurity in the Northwest Province has reached such a high crescendo that even health centres and mission establishments are being raided and occupants brutalised. The latest targets of attacks by the bandits are the Mezam Polyclinic and the Monastery in Mbengwi. The attack on the Polyclinic occurred on August 11 at about 1:00 am, according to Dr. Paul Achu Proprietor of the establishment. That on the Monastery Mbengwi occurred a little earlier.

No Solution To Bonaberi Water Shortage

By Joe Dinga Pefok

An official of the National Water Corporation, SNEC, Ralph Mofor, has said there is presently no immediate solution to the perennial shortage of water in Bonaberi (Douala IV) Municipality. Mofor, who is also a councillor of the Bonaberi Municipal Council and the Douala Urban Council, was speaking during a meeting between the Mayor of Bonaberi, Gabriel Fandja, and the Anglophone community of the municipality.

Home Boys Humbled At Home

Innocent Mbunwe

Elecsport of Limbe recently stunned Prisons Social Club of Buea a.k.a Home Boys 1-0 on the last playing day of the Southwest Division II Championship at the Molyko Omnisport Stadium. Elecsport were present at the stadium at 3.00 pm, but the Home Boys sauntered into the stadium at 3.15 pm.

Centre Province Grabs U-17 Trophy

By Clovis Atatah

The Centre Province, August 28, at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde, beat the North Province to win the national under-17 soccer tournament.
The Centre Province defeated their opponents 4-3 after post-match penalty shoot-outs. Match officials decided on skipping the prolongation stage after both teams were tied at one-all after 90 minutes of play and proceeded directly with penalty shots.

COALITION WANTS FON DOH ARRESTED

BY PETERKINS MANYONG, CHRIS MBUNWE, JEFF NGAWE

Members of the Coalition for Reconciliation and Reconstruction, NCRR, have called for the immediate arrest and trial of Fon Doh Gah Gwanyin on murder charges. Addressing a mammoth crowd at the City Chemist Roundabout (Liberty Square) Bamenda, Tuesday, August 24, members of the NCRR, a delegation of which arrived in Bamenda the same day, were unanimous that the murder of John Kohtem, SDF Balikumbat District Chairman, was a crime against humanity and democracy.

NOWEFU, BADO, UDP, Request Speedy Justice

BY PETERKINS MANYONG

The Northwest Fons Union, NOWEFU, Balikumbat Development Organisation, BADO and the United Democratic Party, UDP, have denounced the murder of Kohtem, and called for justice to take its course against the criminals. Speaking on behalf of NOWEFU, Ntumfor Nico Halle, told The Post in Bamenda that no Fon can condone such an act, stating that justice will take its course.

At Eseme Murder Trial:Judge Bans Secret Letters To Panel

BY PEGUE MANGA & OLIVE EJANG TEBUG

The Judge hearing the criminal suit against Nfon V.E. Mukete, Caven Nnoko Mbele, Johnson Ayuk, Dr. Godson Oben and Joseph Agbor Ndip, in connection with the murder of Martin Eseme, has warned that he would not entertain any communication with the defendants. Justice Mbeng, who heads a panel of three judges, declared in the High Court of Meme, holden in Kumba, Wednesday, August 25, that: “I have received three letters from the parties which is inappropriate. Any letter of this nature should be forwarded to the Minister of Justice or the Attorney General,” the Judge said.

Administration Drags Batoke Chieftaincy Dispute

BY PEGUE MANGA, FRANCIS TIM MBOM & O’RIL ASONG ATEM

Marafa Hamidou Yaya, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, MINATD’s letter to the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Fako was terse:

“I wish to request you to repeal prefectoral order No 185/2003 of June 15, appointing Mr. Molive Otto Molungu as Third Class Chief of Batoke. This is on the grounds that the consultation talks which led to his designation were carried out by the Senior Divisional Officer of Fako in violation of the provision of decree no 77/245 of July 15, 1977, to recognise chieftaincy.”

UN Representative Doubts Credibility Of Bakassi Commission

BY NFORMI SONDE KINSAI & LEOCADIA BONGBEN

Ould-Abdallah Ahmedou, Chairman of the Mixed Commission on the implementation of the verdict of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, on the Bakassi dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon, has expressed fears that the credibility of the Mixed Commission would be put to question, if the withdrawal of authority from the peninsula, programmed to end by September 15, is again altered.

SDF District Chairman's Murderers Should Be Promptly Punished

By Francis Wache

Last Friday, an odious crime was committed in the obscure, ignored and poorly developed Balikumbat. The sleepy backwoods of this godforsaken wilderness only burst into national prominence because of one man:

Fon Doh Gwanyin.

5 Franc Question

BY CLOVIS ATATAH

Deathly Chair

In the game of musical chairs, participants desperately try to beat each other to a seat. The final two try all kinds of antics to be the person on the envious seat when the music stops. But in Balikumbat, it is usually a game of deathly chairs.

The music at the grand finale is the staccato clatter of busy firearms or breaking bones. In the last scene, a diabolic but dexterous lion performs a macabre death dance. As the curtains close, the lion devours the hapless person on the chair who had mistaken the game for musical chairs.

As blood trickles down his jaws, he announces that he murders in the name of a certain Lion Man. Last weekend, this game of deathly chairs was played out again. The SDF District Chairman for Balikumbat, John Kohtem, was devoured.

The nation is shocked! For a while now, the average Cameroonian has been indifferent to the actions of the Lion Man. Granted that there was a lot of anxiety over the transformation of a normal person to l’homme fantôme. But everybody knows that a Lion fantôme can be more dangerous than a normal lion.

Be that as it may, as soon as the average Cameroonian was assured that the process of transformation from a normal l’homme lion to l’homme lion + fantôme, he stopped giving a damn about what ever the fantôme was doing to rig elections.

LETTER FROM BUEA

What has happened in Balikumbat can only happen under La République du Cameroon. Worse still, the prime suspect is free.

Under the Anglo-Saxon legal system we freely enjoyed here, before the coming of the locusts that have eaten up every fresh leaf of peace, freedom and justice, the prime suspect would have been in custody, even if only preventive custody.

He is free in spite of the fact that eyewitnesses have attested to the fact that they actually saw the accused kick the life out of Kohtem.

COLLECTOR'S DAIRY

In the inn room - In one bound the serpent leapt at me and coiled itself round my neck; that is what I thought I saw through eyes blurred by fright, disbelief and shock. I felt ice-cold arms gripping me on the shoulders.

Then I felt my face being spattered with the coldest kisses ever.
I screamed. The deadliest terror in my life was kissing me. The spirit of my being sank into the earth and piddle dripped down my trousers. Tears of penitence rolled down my face. I knelt down and wept more than Jesus Christ.

Buea Mayor Counts Achievements At Two

BY WALTER WILSON NANA, FRANCIS TIM MBOM, O'RIL ASONG ATEM & MARY MAGDALENE FUABEH

The Mayor of the Buea Council Area, Charles Mbella Moki, has enumerated some of his achievements after 2 years in office. This was the gist of a 2- year evaluation report, he presented at the Buea Council Chamber, Tuesday, August 24. According to Mbella:

“The Council has built three new markets in the localities of Bokwaongo, Bonjongo and Lysoka. My administration is gradually moving traders from the Great Soppo market back to their former site to bolster their security. Council staffers and retirees now wear broad smiles on their faces. We have also paid more than 70% of the debt we owed the National Social Insurance Fund".

FON GAH GWANYIN LINKED TO MURDER OF SDF CHAIRMAN

By Peterkins Manyong and Chris Mbunwe

John Kohtem, Balikumbat SDF District Chairman, was August 20, beaten to death allegedly on instructions from Doh Gah Gwanyin, Fon, MP and Mayor of Balikumbat. But Fon Doh told The Post yesterday that incensed villagers lynched Kohtem. The incident, which reportedly occurred at the Balikumbat Small Market Square, at 5 pm, followed a meeting between Northwest Governor, Koumpa Issa, and stakeholders in the ongoing electoral process.

Fru Ndi Warns:‘Biya Is Pushing Opposition Into The Bush’

By Clovis Atatah & Kini Nsom

Main opposition leader, John Fru Ndi, has said President Paul Biya is currently pushing the opposition from the streets into the bush. Speaking to The Post during an interview at his Omnisport Yaounde residence last week, the SDF Chairman said by obstructing their weekly peaceful street demonstrations in Yaounde, President Biya is effectively pushing the opposition to where the language that is best understood is that of force. Fru Ndi said, because of his love for Cameroon, he would prefer to be martyred in the streets, rather than taking up arms.

SDOs Ordered To Remove Polling Stations From Palaces

By Chris Mbunwe & Noella Nanga (UB Journalism Student On Internship)

Senior Divisional Officers, SDOs, in the West and Northwest Provinces have been ordered to remove polling stations found in palaces and obscure private homes in order to avoid rigging in the up-coming Presidential election.

This appeal came from senior officials in the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, who organised a one-day seminar at Ayaba Hotel on August 19, on capacity building for local administrative officials and Presidents of Divisional Supervisory Commissions in charge of elections from the Northwest and West Provinces.

Floating Bridge On Mungo: Several Weeks Behind Schedule

By Bouddih Adams

The floating bridge on the Mungo River is not yet ready for traffic, several weeks behind schedule.

When the bridge collapsed on July 2, the government, in consultation with the Shipyard Industrial Engineering Company, referred to by its French appellation, Chantier Naval, announced that it would take a little under one month to have a floating bridge across the river, as stopgap measure against the crisis, before canvassing for funds to reconstruct the collapsed bridge.

THAT ESEME MURDER RULING:Win One, Lose One Or Window Wide Shut

By Charly Ndi Chia

It is difficult, very difficult for a cockroach to claim its innocence in the midst of cocks and hens. In the court of fowls, it is all foul and unfair. No cockroach ever takes a plea. These insects of prey are just arraigned, found guilty as charged, convicted and sentenced to penal servitude.In Cameroon, media men and women very often arrogate to themselves the knowledge of Magistrates. Then they presume to judge the issue when they have not had the evidence of the case. Sometimes, out of ignorance, gullibility or greed, the press is pushed into serving as a law court by any other name.