Up Station Mountain Club

46th National Youth Day: President Biya's Message to the Youth

HEAD OF STATE’S MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE 46TH EDITION OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH DAY

10 February 2012

My dear young compatriots,

In my message to the Nation a few weeks ago, I reminded all Cameroonians that we are caught in a pursuit race between our development and our population growth. By this, I meant that there should be a correlation between wealth generation in our economy and our population growth such that the first may not only meet the needs of our compatriots, but also improve their living standards progressively.
Indeed, it does not suffice to undo the damage caused by successive crises – which is what we are doing - but to give a fresh impetus to our economic activity to attain the status of an emerging country, which is what we have embarked on.

Senegal music star Ndour makes bid for presidency

By SADIBOU MARONE

FILE- In this Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010 file photo, Senegalese pop star Youssou Ndour, …

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — World music icon Youssou Ndour says he plans to run in Senegal's presidential election next month, challenging an 85-year-old incumbent whose plans to seek a third term have sparked violent protests.

Africa lies naked to euro-American military offensive

Glen Ford http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/78866

their grip on Africa, following the seizure of Libya and its vast oil fields, most of the continent’s leadership seems to welcome re-absorption into empire. “Africa is the most vulnerable region in America’s warpath, a continent ripe for the plucking due to the multitudinous entanglements of Africa’s political and military classes with imperialism.” AFRICOM is already in the cat-bird seat, placed there by Africans, themselves.

UNCANNY ACTS OF A ZOMBIE PRESIDENT

EXCLUSIVE!!! Paul Biya Appoints a ‘DEAD MAN’ as SDO of North Makombe

January 28th, 2011  

Paul Biya. Time to go and rest now Popol.

According to the newspaper La Nouvelle Expression (Cameroon), on the 18th Jan 2011, president Paul Biya signed a decree appointing Senior Divisional Officers (SDO) for some 370 subdivisions in Cameroon. The appointments were however read on the 24th January and to the horror of some members of the public, the deceased Njutapmwoui Ousmanou was among those appointed. Reports show that the late Njutapmwoui Ousmanou who was 2nd Assistant at the Bagangte Mayor’s office passed away on the 11th of May 2010 and had since been buried in his native village of Massagam in the Western province. Yet our president went ahead to appoint him as SDO of Manjo sub-division in the Mungo.

For more on the story, click here

Paul Biya’s Rogue Governance of Cameroon: Open Sore of a Nation

By Dr. Peter Wuteh Vakunta

 

It's often said that people deserve their leaders. Can anyone in their right frame of mind honestly deny the fact that Cameroonians deserve Mr. Paul Barthélemy Biya Bi Mvondo? There is a generation of Cameroonians who have not known another president but Paul Biya.  And they will never know another leader but Paul Biya because by the time Paul Biya has completed his godly task of messing up Cameroon and ready to give up the ghost these poor souls would be in the Never Land. Be it as it may, let it be known to these unfortunate souls that Cameroon has known its heydays. Cameroon has not always been this forsaken wasteland that has been transformed into a “corrupt club of banditti masquerading as leaders.”[1] The majority of Cameroonians born during this current dispensation of social and moral degeneracy have never known a police force that was not prone to corruption and dereliction of duty.  They have never known an armed force that was not half-educated and uncivil.

The vast majority of young adults in Cameroon are unaware of the fact that once upon a time a person went to prison for giving a bounced check. The generality of Cameroonians born under Paul Biya cannot fathom that there was a time when fraudulent acts such as procuring bogus diplomas, fraudulently obtaining a driver’s license, tinkering with marriage and birth certificates, transplanting visas into passports, fabricating counterfeit banknotes, enriching oneself as a conman,  and more were considered  felonies. To this generation, therefore, supposedly the future of this blighted nation the end justifies the means. As Doh would have it, “all they … think they need is a job and some money to keep finding their way through the maze of sleaze and professional ethical squalor that marks social life in Cameroon”[2] .

Another critique of Paul Biya’s lame duck government has the following harsh words to say: “Dans ce Cameroun, qui semble naviguer sans tête et sans but, les jeunes, soit la moitié de la population, ne parviennent plus à s’imaginer un avenir.”[3][In Cameroon, a country that seems to have lost it head and sense of direction, the youths that constitute half of the population, are unable to fathom a future for themselves]. Anyone who has had the misfortune of navigating the bureaucratic labyrinth of the public service in Yaoundé and other capital cities in Cameroon knows exactly what Pigeaud is talking and need not be lectured on the ethical squalor and mental retardation that have become the hallmarks of Cameroonian ‘civil’ servants.

The idea that propelled me into crafting this article is to let Cameroonians at home and in the Diaspora know that there could be a better Cameroon; that there had been a better Cameroon, and that bribery and corruption, white collar thievery, brazen impunity, and the rape of officialdom need not be the modus operandi in our beloved homeland. There is no gainsaying the fact that in a corrupt society, only few—the conniving and the powerful—continue to enrich themselves.[4] On the contrary, in a morally sane, law-abiding nation, all who can afford to discipline themselves and work hard can make it to the top. The reason is that everyone benefits from social, economic and political stability, all ingredients that fertilize the environment and occasion blissful existence in lieu of the dire straits in which the majority of Cameroonians now live under Paul Biya’s government; a rogue regime that is fashioned, guided and run by a bunch of unpatriotic morally bankrupt grave-diggers parading as God’s ordained leaders of the nation.  The stinking Beti-led oligarchy in Yaoundé is the open sore of our nation.

The ramifications of the governmental hold-up masterminded by a bunch of cocky Betis at the helm in Cameroon are legion. I will limit myself to a discussion of the most salient ones on account of the scope of this write-up. Brain drain, the flight of human capital from the homeland to countries overseas, is real and hurtful. Brain drain has deleterious consequences for the growth of the nation’s economy. As a matter of fact, most Cameroonians are faced with two unpleasant choices: resistance or flight to unknown lands.  Pigeaud maintains that “Le président et son mode de governance sont  souvent présentés comme la cause principale des départs [Those who leave often point to the head of State and his style of government as the major reasons they are leaving.][5] She cites the lamentation of a young Cameroonian immigrant she interviewed to buttress her point: “Si je reste au Cameroun, ma vie est foutue. Rien n’est fait pour encourager les jeunes alors que notre pays est riche.”[6] [If I stay in Cameroon, my life will be fucked up. Nothing has been done to encourage the youths although our country is rich.] This should sound like a familiar song to most Cameroonians residing abroad.

Institutions of higher learning in the Western world are replete with talented Cameroonian intellectuals who have made their mark in all walks of life but dare not return home for fear of being “fucked up” by a regime that has lost its bearings. Medical institutions the world over are teeming with gifted Cameroonian medics who cannot entertain the thought of returning home on account of the skeletal nature of our impoverished hospitals at home. The crème de la crème of our legal practitioners are hibernating in nations in the West, torn between the fate of staying put to face incisive racism and the temptation to return home to be subjected to home-bred apartheid. Here is what a literati living abroad told Pigeaud: “J’ai grandi dans le quartier d’Essos à Yaoundé: sur les cinquante copains de mon enfance, il n’en reste aucun au Cameroun. Certains sont au Bengladesh, au Népal. Voilà où finit une grande partie de la jeunesse camerounaise.”[7][I grew up in the Essos neighborhood in Yaoundé:  not one of the fifty childhood friends that I had is still here in Cameroon. Some are in Bangladesh in Nepal. That’s where the majority of Cameroonian youths end up.]

Corruption has crippled our national economy. Moses Timah Njei makes heartrending remarks about the State of Cameroon and corrupt practices which I am citing at length:

"Corruption has brought our beloved country to her knees and exposed us to international ridicule. Our country has held the first position as the most corrupt nation on earth and it is on record that those governing us actually lobbied that the country be classified as one of the poorest highly indebted nations on earth! One really needs to be courageous and shame-proof to make a request like this for such an apparently rich nation. This act alone qualifies us to be in the hall of fame of corruption. The issue of corruption in Cameroon has gone past the level that can be described only as a social ill. It has effectively become part of our national culture. Corruption is embedded in every facet of our national life and it has effectively thwarted and dislocated our path to nationhood for generations to come."[8]

This explains the consternation of Cameroonian sociologist, Jean –Marc Ela: “Le Cameroun semble échapper à toute catégorie de l’entendement. Ce qui arrive à ce pays relève de l’inimaginable, de l’incroyable et de l’impossible. Tout ce passe , en définitive, comme si, sous le règne de M. Paul Biya, le Cameroun tout entier avait basculé dans le hors-norme, la déraison ou la folie.”[9][It would appear that the case of Cameroon defies all attempts at comprehension.  What has happened to this country seems unimaginable, unbelievable, and impossible. In sum, it seems as if under Paul Biya Cameroon has plunged into illegality, irrationality, and insanity.]  

In my hometown, it is said that the ‘baby’ cow watches its mother eat and then later it will begin to mimic her when its turn to eat comes. The majority of Cameroonians have learned to ape their corrupt leaders. Why would Cameroonians not be terribly corrupt when their Head of State and his ministers are all corrupt to the marrow?  Nurses in hospitals and clinics have learned to misappropriate medicines, injections, and other medical supplies.  Some doctors have learned to charge illegal fees. Policemen have learned to take infinitesimal sums of money in the form of bribes from taxi drivers, bendskin drivers[10], sauveteurs[11] and bayam sellam[12]  in broad daylight! Corruption is so endemic in Cameroon that the few decent citizens who refuse to engage in it are either ridiculed or coerced into the practice. Pigeaud notes: “On peut donc parler d’une ré-institutionnalisation de la corruption sous le parapluie de l’Etat. Au Cameroun, on a même corrupu la corruption.”[13] [We could refer to this practice as the re-institutionalization of corruption with the blessing of the State. In Cameroon, the notion of corruption itself has been corrupted.] In Cameroon, if you are not corruptible, people think you are stupid. They will mock you and try to inveigle you into the rotten game. Cameroon’s brand of corruption is contagious.

It is not just corruption that has become the stock in trade of all Cameroonian leaders; impunity is another canker that has eaten deeply into the fabric of the government. That is why Pigeaud can afford to say: “La société camerounaise, sans plus de repères, multiplie ainsi les incongruités et semble souvent marcher sur la tête.” [14][The Cameroonian society, having lost its bearings, continues to commit multiple incongruities and seems to walk on its head.]  Impunity knows no bounds in Cameroon. Informed Cameroonians would remember that in 2007, a member of the presidential guard shot and killed a young man who had tried to cross the street a little too early in the wake of a motorcade escorting the first lady. No one bat an eyelid after this incident occurred. Paranoia or apathy? Your guess is as good as mine.

Outspoken Cameroonian Cardinal, Christian Tumi, wondered aloud that same year whether or not he should be held accountable for flouting laws voted by deputies who have fraudulently made their way into the National Assembly: “Parfois je me demande moi-même, si je suis obligé d’obéir aux lois de ce pays, quand on sait que les députés qui les votent n’ont pas gagné les élections. Qui représentent-ils?”[15] [Sometimes, I ask myself whether I should be held accountable for not obeying laws in this country, when I know that the deputies who voted these bills into law did not win the elections that brought them into the House. Who do they represent?] He further reiterates that in Cameroon, “la justice s’achète, se vend” [16][justice is bought and sold.]

As the foregoing discourse clearly indicates, the death knell of the Republic of Cameroon has been sounded under Paul Biya’s cavalier regime. His government is, indeed, an open sore that defies all treatments; it is the shame of the nation. Adulated in the past for its talented soccer players, well-mannered citizens, robust economy, and status as Africa in miniature; Cameroon has ended up in the trashcan of history!  The misdeeds of our leaders have transformed our fatherland into the laughing stock of Africa. Ndifor’s narrative says it all:  “Ah! “Your country recently held a presidential election. How did it go this time?” the officer from Botswana, with a smirk on his face, asked. Even before I could answer, these men, all from African countries that have experienced smooth transitions of one government after another since their respective independence, jointly said that Cameroonians have lost their “dignity” as a people and should consider the consequences.” [17] Roger that!

About the author

Dr Vakunta is professor of modern languages at the US Department Defense Language Institute in California. He is the author of numerous books including Cry My Beloved Africa: Essays on the Postcolonial Aura in Africa’(2007), No Love Lost (2008), Ntarikon (2009) ,Martyrdom (2010)Indigenization of Language in the Francophone Novel of Africa: A New Literary Canon’ (2011 and more). He blogs at http://www.vakunta.blogspot.com

---

[1] Emmanuel  Doh, Africa’s Political Wastelands: The Bastardization of Cameroon, Langaa Research  & Publishing  CIG, Bamenda, 2008, p.vii.

[2]  Ibid, vii.

[3] Fanny Pigeaud, Au Cameroun de Paul Biya, Editions Karthala, Paris, 2011, p.7.

[4]  Ibid,vii

[5]  Ibid, 224.

[6] Ibid, 224.

[7]  Ibid, 225.

[8] Moses Timah Njei, “Cameroon and Corruption”, culled from http://www.njeitimah-outlook.com/articles/article/2076046/31946.htm

 [9]  Jean-Marc Ela.  Innovations sociales et renaissance de l’Afrique noire, L’Harmattan, Paris, 1998

[10]  Motorcycle commuters

[11] Hawkers

[12]  Retail traders

[13] Pigeaud,202

[14] Ibid, 208.

[15]  Ibid, 207

[16]  Ibid, 193.

[17]  Joseph, M. Ndifor, “Our Collective Shame”, originally published at http://www.postnewsline.com/2011/11/-our-collective-shame.html

 

150 Southern Cameroons Activists Arraigned in Buea

The 150 Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) militants-activists who were arrested and detained at the Buea Police Mobile-Rapid Interventioan Unit last Saturday, October 1, 2011 appeared before the Buea court of First Instance to hear the charges brought against them by local authorities. They were arrested while trying to commemorate the 50th anniversary of unification of the British Southern Cameroons and the French Cameroons

According to Solomon Amabo of Equinox TV, the activist have been charged with preparing and holding an illegal meeting are gaining their freedom. The case has been postponed to December 2011.

Here are first images from Buea courtesy of Patrick Sianne.

 

Outside the Buea Court of First Instance

  
Still defiant: Activists inside the court house

Memorandum from Southern Cameroons Activists Detained in Buea

By Patrick Sianne after he was released by security forces in Buea

Here attached is the memo of the SCNC Group of 150 that I helped, as ad-hoc consultant and co-detainee, to draft for world-wide publicity of their stay in jail on a day they wanted to come out as one and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Southern Cameroons and the La Republic du Cameroun.
 
SCNC Militants singing liberation songs while in detention in Buea (c) Patrick Sianne

MEMORANDUM FROM SOUTHERN CAMEROONIAN DETAINEES ARRESTED ON 1ST OCTOBER 2011 AND HELD AT GMI N0 5 (MOBILE INTERVENTION UNIT N0 5) AT GREAT SOPPO, BUEA.

We, the 150 some Southern Cameroonian detainees arbitrarily arrested, starved, tortured, and subjected to various forms of Human Rights abuses, do hereby submit this Memorandum from detention to whom it may concern, do hereby express our unreserved commitment to the Southern Cameroonian cause, for which we have been detained.

Buea: Journalists Brutalized, Confirm Arrest of Mola Njoh Litumbe

By Solomon Amabo A., Deputy Editor-in-Chief Equinox Radio/Television

a hurriedly written post pls

About five journalists have been brutalised

I write to confirm that Molah Njoh is under house arrest. It is infront of his residence that police men have just beaten me, seizing my id card. just few minutes ago. I was with Mua Paul another colleague. We went there to check whether Mola Njoh was still alive given the troops sorrounding his home.

Mola Njoh Litumbe Under House Arrest

The email below from Mola Njoh Litumbe is currently making rounds on Internet forums. Reuters has confirmed that SCNC activists have been arrested as they attempted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the reunification of British Southern Cameroons and The French republic of Cameroon:

Comrades

Having failed to locate my driver to take me to the Police Station where some of our compatriots are detained, or to the Nigerian Consulate where others are camped, I attempted to drive the car out myself and was met by a strong police contingent outside my gate who stopped me from leaving my premises, alleging that they were on orders to keep me under house arrest, on orders from the Governor of the South-West Region.. 

I have recoiled into my study and hereby  confirm my detention.  No reasons have been given, but this is the response of La Republique du Cameroun to resolve our differences peacefully and amicably, by brutalizing and preventing Southern Cameroonians from celebrating the anniversary of the 50th anniversary of the date which the United Nations named as the date they were to attain independence by joining La Republique du Cameroun, which they never did.

The struggle continues, but Southern Cameroons must be free.

Mola

CAMEROON: Mama Hates My Sprouting Breasts

Breast ironing, a violent attempt to prevent the sexual development of adolescent girls, has scarred the bodies and psyches of millions of girls in Cameroon. Chi Yvonne Leina reports.

"Think of a woman whose vagina is mutilated at the age of 9, whose breasts were ironed at the age of 10..."

In the privacy of homes, behind closed kitchen and bedroom doors, pubescent girls in Cameroon are being tortured by their own mothers. Using objects like grinding stones, mortar pestles, coconut shells, or hammers heated over hot coal, mothers massage their daughters' developing breasts to destroy any indication of emerging womanhood. War has been waged against womankind. Genitals are mutilated; breasts flattened; bodies battered; hair cut off for rituals; minds deprived of education.

The breast, a feminine symbol and the pride of womanhood, has become a target. The urge to protect their daughters from rape and premarital pregnancy has pushed mothers in Cameroon to deform the breasts of their daughters.

Click here to continue reading the article.

Popular Musician Elected President of Haiti: Any thoughts for Cameroonians?

By Dr. Peter Vakunta

 

Haïti : Michel Martelly, le président élu s'exprime sur RFI

© Jim Watson/AFP

Par RFI

Shortlisted Authors for 2011 EduART Awards for Cameroon Literature in English.

Having received quite a commendable number of submissions this year from Anglophone Cameroon writers living in Cameroon and the Diaspora, EduART Inc is pleased to announce the short listed authors for the second bi-annual EduART Literary Awards for Cameroon Literature in English.

These awards are intended to encourage not only the production of more creative writing but also to boost publishing in Cameroon.  These are “people's choice” awards which means the winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges drawn from a cross section of the Cameroon reading public not just literary experts.

6 Members of Cameroon Ô'Bosso Still in Detention

6 Members of Cameroon Ô'Bosso are being illegally detained for the last two days.

• Dinamou Moise
• Dorksidi Raphael
• Ekwa Essi Franck 
• Dadina Bazai
• Njengoue Kameni Joseph
• Mbondo

David Were members of the team organizing the protest in Douala on Wednesday, February 23rd.  The gendarmes descended upon them at about 8:00 a.m. before the protest had begun.  The gendarmes arrested our colleagues and seized the 200 t-shirts and 200 water sachets that they were carrying to give out to other protestors. 

Cameroon Ô’Bosso Press Release on the February 23 Protests in Cameroon

PRESS RELEASE
Africa is at a turning point, Cameroon as well.  50 years after obtaining administrative independence, Cameroonians are determined today to obtain true independence.

Key characteristics of Cameroon that are fuelling the current protests and demands:

• Cameroon has had only 2 presidents in the last 50 years.  The current president, Paul Biya has been in power for 28 years.
• After a return to multi-party politics in 1990 Cameroon has held 7 elections.  All have been considered extremely fraudulent and rigged in favour of the party in power
• Cameroon is an economic paradox with an incredible amount of natural resources including petroleum, timber, extremely favourable conditions for agriculture, mineral resources, etc.  Yet in this country, due to lack of structural economic reforms, widespread corruption and lack of a clear vision and development  strategy for the country:

The Ten Commandments of Protesters / Les Dix Commandements du Manifestant

 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS  OF PROTESTERS
 
 

1. Commit no violence.

2. Single out the violent, for they are saboteurs, but do nothing to them.

3. Always carry along the Green-Red-Yellow flag.

President Biya's Youth Day Message

President Paul BIYA addresses the youth

President Paul BIYA has called on the youths of Cameroon not to relent their efforts in the development of the country. He was speaking to the youths on the occasion of the national youth day, and announced the special employment of 25 000 university graduates into the Public Service. Here is a full text of the message of the Head of State to the Youths on 10 February 2011.

Focus on Africa Magazine (With Special Report on Cameroon) Now On Sale

The January-March 2011 issue of the BBC's Focus on Africa Magazine is now on sale worldwide.

 
This issue has a special report on Cameroon, which according to the magazine's Twitter page, covers issues such as the country's the current leadership, the fight against corruption, Pentecostal churches and how they are affected by Biya's leadership, etc. Among the articles in the magazine is one by Up Station contributor, Dibussi Tande, who writes about the government of Cameroon's reation to, and its attempts to control online dissent.

Get your copy now!

President Biya Announces the Creation of the University of Bamenda

Originally published on prc.cm

 The President of the Republic His Excellency Paul BIYA has announced the creation of the University of Bamenda and several other facilities for the North West Region and major improvements in the working condition of the military in his speech at the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the Armed Forces in Bamenda on Wednesday 8 December 2010.

 

The Head of State arrived Bamenda by helicopter at 11 am. On hand at the heliport to welcome President Paul BIYA and Madam Chantal BIYA were the Governor of the North West Region ABAKAR AHAMAT, the Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam and the Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council. He then drove to the Presidential Residence Up Station before proceeding to the grand stand.

BBC: Cameroon Army Prepares to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_impression?lid=41000000033977391&pubid=21000000000258567

Former boss of Cameroon Airlines arrested

By Agence France-Presse

Security forces in Cameroon have arrested the former head of state-owned Cameroon Airlines, Yves-Michel Fotso, and sent him to Yaounde's central prison, sources close to his family said Thursday.

Fotso, who headed the now grounded Camair from 2000 to 2003, "was taken to Kondengui (the central prison) during the night after seeing a state prosecutor," following his arrest on Wednesday, one source told AFP.

Several newspapers reported that Fotso had been interviewed at the Yaounde Court buildings before being jailed. The independent daily La Nouvelle Expression said that he had been visited by his family in prison.

However, no information was available from officials on the reasons for Fotso's imprisonment and possible charges against him.

A source close to the security services said that Fotso may be implicated for "complicity in the embezzlement of funds in the Albatross affair," which takes its name from a presidential plane that was bought even though it was in bad condition.

Police arrested Fotso in Douala, the economic capital in southern Cameroon, on Wednesday, before transferring him into the custody of Yaounde detectives in the afternoon.

Paul Ngamo Hamani, the last chief executive of Camair before the company ceased flight operations in 2008, has been behind bars since last year. He is being investigated for the alleged embezzlement of more than 180 million euros (237 million dollars).

Criminalizing Identities: Rights Abuses in Cameroon based on Sexual Orientation

"Lesbian, gays, and bisexuals in Cameroon are considered lower than dogs," said Sébastien Mandeng of l'Association pour la défense des droits des homosexuels. "They face great injustice because of homophobia."

In Cameroon, prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is both very personal and very public.
 

The Cameroon Penal Code punishes “sexual relations with a person of the same sex” with a prison term and a fine. The relevant article, 347 bis, became law in 1972, and until five years ago, there was little information publicly available on its enforcement.

Strike Action by the Academic Staff (SYNES) at the University of Buea

The general public is informed that University of Buea academic staff declared a ONE WEEK (resumption of) STRIKE which takes effect from Monday November 1, 2010.

Reasons for the industrial action:
1. Subjective promotion criteria by CCIU (i.e. the promotion board)
2. Unfair integration rules of academic staff
3. Non-production of official documents in English
4. Unfair distribution and untimely payment of Research Modernisation Allowance
5. Failure to hold CCIU twice a year as stipulated
The above reasons have synegised into a very unfreindly work atmosphere at the UB

13 Cameroonian Officials Ordered to Refund Excess World Cup Bonuses

According to Cameroon Radio Television (CRVT) the Prime Minister of the Republic has ordered that 13 officials who were part of Cameroon's delegation to the ill-fated 2010 World Cup tournament to immediately refund the excess "participation bonuses" that they received from the national treasury. According to CRTV, the bonuses which total 235 Million FCFA were given to the following officials:

    * Iya Mohammed (President of Fecafoot): 45 Million FCFA
    * Paul Le Guen (ex-coach): 45 Million FCFA
    * Mme Cécile Betala (Director of High Level Sports Development): 35 Million FCFA
    * André Nguidjol (Administrative and Financial Director) : 35 Million FCFA
    * Pr. Raymond Mbede (psychologist) : 20 Million FCFA
    * Linus Pascal Fouda (Press Team Officer): 20 Million FCFA
    * Vouton Djoukong: 5 Million FCFA
    * Bienvenu Mbida: 5 Million FCFA
    * Martin Etongue (FECAFOOT Communications Officer): 5 Million FCFA
    * Elias Kalaguem (Physical Therapist): 5 Million FCFA
    * Daniel Teki Tcheufa (Physical Therapist): 5 Million FCFA
    * Boubakari (in charge of equipment): 5 Million FCFA
    * Mohamadou Laminou (in charge of equipment): 5 Million FCFA

Million dollar question: If these amounts are merely "excess bonuses", then how much exactly did each of these officials receive for their leisure trip to South Africa - paid for by the unsuspecting Cameroonian taxpayer?????

International Crisis Group : Cameroon: The Dangers of a Fracturing Regime

After 28 years of the Biya presidency, Cameroon faces potential instability in the run up to the presidential elections scheduled for late 2011. Constitutional and legal uncertainty; rivalries between the regime’s leading figures; the government’s attempts to control the electoral process; the rupture of the political contract between leaders and the population; widespread poverty and frustration; extensive corruption; and the frustration of a large part of the army all point to the possibility of a major crisis. 

To escape this Biya and his government must restore the independence of the body responsible for elections; institutionalise an impartial fight against corruption and ensure the military’s political neutrality. They must also urgently establish the institutions envisaged by the 1996 constitution, so that a power vacuum and the potential for violence can be avoided in the event of a transition, including an unexpected one such as the death of the 77-year-old president in office. 

Cameroon’s most influential partners, particularly France and the U.S., should actively support such measures to avoid unrest.

International Crisis Group : Cameroon: The Dangers of a Fracturing Regime.

International Crisis Group : Cameroon: The Dangers of a Fracturing Regime

the Catholic University of Buea Goes Operational in October 2010

The Catholic University of Buea, officially known as the University Institute of the Diocese of Buea (UIDB) will open its doors to its pioneer batch of students on Monday, October 4, 2010 - the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi - for all of our four schools: Engineering, Agriculture, Management Sciences, and Information Technology.

For more information, click here to visit the university's website.