By Peterkins Manyong
The United Nations Fund for Women, UNIFEM, Friday, March 2, at Ayaba Hotel,
Bamenda, launched the UN Trust Fund to end violence against women.
Speaking at the occasion, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, representative of the UN Coordinator in Cameroon, said violence against women should be fought with more collegial and strategic efforts.
Violence against women, she said, is responsible for rapid HIV/AIDS spread, feminisation of poverty and under-representation of women in decision making at all levels.
Mrs. Ekoue also said it restricts economic growth and undermines development because of the misery caused by gender-based violence.
She said the UN established the Trust Fund in 1996.
The Director of Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy, CHRAPA, one of the NGOs that won the competitive Trust Fund Award, Joseph Chongsi, described violence against women as a disgraceful human rights violation that needs collective efforts.
He attributed violence against women to cultural practices, gross illiteracy and ignorance coupled with some aspects of legislation, which are discriminatory against women.
Chongsi said violence against women takes place both in public, and in private homes. These include battery, rape, isolation, abusive widowhood rites, insults, breast ironing, female genital mutilation, intimidation, insults and economic violence.
Most victims, he said, don't disclose this either out of shame or fear of what the abuser would do next.Violence against women, Chongsi said, is also born out of the belief in most cultures that men are superior to women.
He regretted that the enactment of a Family Code that should contain sufficient provision to sanction the perpetrators of violence against women is still pending adoption since 1998.
He called on Government to listen to the cries of the women and put in place a judicial structure to combat the ill.
The representative of the Northwest Governor, Koumpa Issa, at the occasion, regretted that women who are the source of men's comfort and pleasure are often the victims of violence.
The launching of the Trust Fund coincided with a three-day seminar on violence against women, which drew women participants from the Northwest, Southwest and Centre Provinces.
ALPHONSE SIYAM SIWE NAMES NAMES.
...Biya escapes the long arm of the law by the skin of the teeth.
...Vice Prime minister, Ahmadou Ali may find himself in Kongdengui including some world bank officials, if Cameroon is truly a land of the law.
...this information filtered out from an unquestionably reliable source.
Lawyers for Former Douala Ports Authority General Manager, Alphonse Siyam Siwe and Board Chairman, Edouard Etonde Ekotto now standing trial for the embezzlement of 42 billion francs have raked up a list of some 100 personalities and institutions whom they claim are also involved in the scam and should mount the witness box. The list released in two parts contains names of serving and former paliamentarians, ministers, and foreign firms. Even some World Bank officials have been cited in the very explosive document.Prominent among those cited are the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and keeper of the Seals, Amadou Ali, Minister of State incharge of Territorial Administration, Marafat Amidou Yaya, Minister of Commerce , Luc Magloire Atangana and Former Communication Minister Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo.
At the time of printing some 100 personalities had been implicated. The matter which came up for hearing last Tuesday and Wednesday is being bogged down over procedurial objections being raised by the defence and was adjourned to March 6. It should be noted that on Tuesday the Court Registrar collapsed when the matter was called up. Some top officials of the World Bank and foreign companies have been implicated in the financial scandal at the Douala Autonomous Port as a new list of suspects has been established bringing the number of suspects to 51. The head of the World Bank mission to Cameroon , Madam Florence Charlier and an expert with the Bank, Koyasse Faustin have been cited by judicial sources as potential suspects.
Five foreign companies have also been cited for investigations. Among them is the notorious French company Group Boller? whose founder is highly blamed for provoking the civil war in Ivory Coast. He is accused of signing non-tenable contracts to clear the bed of the dockyard. A Dutch naional Renier Vanherel is also expected to answer questions
related to the role of his company, Damen Shipyard Rotterdam in the scandal.
Three Japanese companies, including the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), Mitsui and Co LTD, 2-1, OTHEMCHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA, TOKYO , Ocean Consulting Japan (OJC). All these companies are suspected of trafficking money.The sources say most of the new suspects (40) are likely to end up in jail giving the compelling incriminating evidence against them.
The list which The Sun got, also contained the names of former ministers, serving
parliamentarians, highly placed business persons, foreigners, and banking institutions as well individuals of high standing, including the president of the Bar Council Barrister Charles Tchoungang, who will bear testimony to a colleague's involvement in the scam. A former minister likely to be jailed in the long run, is Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo who The Sun was told got his hands soiled while signing a contract, at the time he was Chief of Cabinet in the Prime Minister's office with a Japanese company, METSUI to clear the bed of the dockyard. It is alleged Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo made kick backs and render the contract fishy. Christopher Nsahlai, one time Minister for Transport, and currently board chair of the Douala autonomous port, is also suspected of shady deals with Siyam Siewe the detained former Managing Director of the port. Another outstanding revelation was the involvement of one of the Deputy Speakers of the national assembly, Jacob Fosi who is CPDM Member of Parliament for the Menoua, in the west province. As manager of SAFRIC, a company involved in clearing the bed of the dockyard, he is thought to have signed out unjustified sums of money. Another MP, Bernard Forju of the Lebialem constituency will also answer charges.
One of the suspects Zibi Frank Martin was arrested recently with several millions of francs cfa on him. He is even said to have stocked some of the money in his pants. Officials of the World Bank are also being sited in the scandal. Sources close to the dossier did not say when the new suspects will be heard. But it is highly expected that Cameroonian authorities would seek help from the international community to bring those of them who are abroad to answer the charges at the Wouri High Court.
We shall get you posted as development unfolds.
The worried Son!
Posted by: Akoson | Thursday, 08 March 2007 at 03:52 AM