SDF Sues Marafa, CRTV, Tribune, Mfoundi Elite

By Ernest Sumelong

Territorial Administration and Decentralisation Minister, Mafara Hamidou Yaya, Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, and the bilingual daily, Cameroon Tribune will April 29, appear in the Yaounde Central Magistrate Court to answer charges of defamation, The Post has learned.

The Social Democratic Front, SDF, is suing, following an apparent public statement made by the Marafa to the effect that the National Chairman of the SDF, John Fru Ndi, was seen with a convict in his car during the recent nationwide upheaval.

The party is also suing the Publisher of Cameroon Tribune, Marie Claire Nana, and a journalist of the daily tabloid, Mondo Bakoa Josue, the writer of the article that imputed allegations of abetting violence against the SDF leader.

The Post learned that the various parties involved in the matter have been served with summonses.After the recent national unrest, Minister Marafa, in a public statement over the government controlled medium, CRTV, blamed the SDF for the upheavals, alleging that Fru Ndi was seen with a convict during the protest.

On his part, Fru had said during a press conference recently in Yaounde that the statement was meant to sully his image and that of the party. He had challenged the government to arrest him if the claim was credible. He also vowed to drag the Minister to court for defamation. But ever since the allegations were made, the Minister has neither eaten his words nor even slightly budged from his position.

An SDF Counsel, Barrister Boniface Mbah Ndam, told The Post they are suing Cameroon Tribune for publishing an article, which carried what his party sees as the Minister's false claims, and CRTV, the medium used for the said remarks.

The Minister's linking and chiding the SDF for the nationwide unrest seemed to have been government's position on the issue, given that President Biya, in his address to the nation on February 27, insinuated that "certain opposition forces" were seeking power through violent methods, having failed to do so democratically. But many have suggested that the Minister's statements, linking Fru Ndi with a convict, embarrassed even the government.

Meantime, the party also sued elite of Mfoundi Division of the Centre Province, reportedly for inciting hatred and ethnic cleansing, The Post gathered. After the February violence, Mfoundi elite, among them serving and former Ministers, issued a declaration dubbed "The Mfoundi Declaration", calling for war against those they termed ungrateful trouble making strangers.

They claimed the "strangers" had caused violence on their land and that they were advocating "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" action against the "ingrates". But not long after the declaration, some of the supposed signatories, one of them, the Government Delegate to the Yaounde City Council, began distancing themselves from it, claiming that the said explosive document was signed in error.

It is worth noting that it is about the first time the SDF or any opposition party in the country is suing a minister, in spite of several threats. But fears are rife that the action of the party might come to nought, since it is believed that the judiciary is a mere toy in the hands of the administration.

On how far the SDF would go with the case, Barrister Mbah Ndam said it is an ordinary case of defamation, which the Minister and others would have to answer. He elected to say little on the case but confirmed that the parties in the case have been served and are expected to appear in court on April 29.

Comments

[Ma Mary]

Win $1000 : Our Own Name

[NFU]

Ma Mary,
I beg to differ here. Once we have a restoration Government as an umbrella organization, no other lateral bodies should initiate actions "in collaboration" with the government. Any other bodies should be executing the program of the government under its direction. I really think we should stop this confusion in the minds of Southern Cameroonians. Let us send the message once and for all so everybody should know who is in control.

[TAGRO]

MFU:

I could not agree with you more.
This is an effectual remedy that counts for naught. So we re-name the place, then what? One can think of more important things to accomplish with a thousand bucks.

[TAGRO]

I meant to write an "ineffectual remedy".

[Paa Ngembus]

Will you jerks leave Ma Mary alone.

Why don't you take your own money and do other things with.

This is her own way to fight to restore Southern Cameroons statehood.

I have been told hundreds are sending submissions to the competion already.

I bet you whoever wins the 500,000FCFA prize will put it to very good use, given the poverty and dependency rate back in the territory.

Ma Mary thank you. You are a genius in this struggle for suggesting this name competition, or is it the Forward Network.

Soon no one will be confusing our country The Southern Cameroons with the South Province of La Republique anymore.

Thank you Ma Mary and the Forward Network.

If you don't like it, offer your own $1000.00 to someone to do the contrary and stop whinning.

especially the filthy little sewer rat USOfMinnesotta.

A+

Paa Ngembus
THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS SHALL BE DECOLONIZED BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

[Atangha]

Paa Ngembus, Ma Mary & USAfrica,
Please you all should tune down! I know everyone has his or her own way to "paradise", which is always the best? Not all will follow the "right" way to "paradise". Now, can we concentrate and focus on the roads to paradise? If not, we won't even see the said "paradise" for our enemies will use "Mukete" and some new "Muketes" to puncture our way to paradise.

A word to a wise is for the enough?

Cheers,

Atangha

[Paa Ngembus]

USOfMinnesotta,

I am disappointed to realize you are actually more of an IDIOT than I initially believed.

Ask yourself why Americans spend money in their politics despite the fact that all Americans believe in democracy.

Just where did you go to School my little imp? In Monsanto Community College?

BTW, who are you to tell us what how to "make good use of our resources", you fool.

You think we will let you know if and when we are "purchasing weapons, diplomatic travels, creating an intelligence unit, organizing strikes, sensitization campaigns, business ventures".

You must be kidding. Clip those chips off your shoulders you filthy sewer rat.

The reason you are so scared is because you know we are winning.

The Southern Cameroons will be liberated and THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING you can do to stop it.

Filthy little pig.

A+

Paa Ngembus
THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS SHALL BE DECOLONIZED BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

[Paa Ngembus]

USOfMinnesotta,

I am disappointed to realize you are actually more of an IDIOT than I initially believed.

Ask yourself why Americans spend money in their politics despite the fact that all Americans believe in democracy.

Just where did you go to School my little imp? In Monsanto Community College?

BTW, who are you to tell us what how to "make good use of our resources", you fool.

You think we will let you know if and when we are "purchasing weapons, diplomatic travels, creating an intelligence unit, organizing strikes, sensitization campaigns, business ventures".

You must be kidding. Clip those chips off your shoulders you filthy sewer rat.

The reason you are so scared is because you know we are winning.

The Southern Cameroons will be liberated and THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING you can do to stop it.

Filthy little pig.

A+

Paa Ngembus
THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS SHALL BE DECOLONIZED BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

[simplice]

Pa Ngembus, I've read with utter dismay and unprecedented disbelief that response of yours that leaves nothing to be desired of your so called SCNC strategies and hostile propagandistic quibbles:aimed at masking your patriotic deficiency.
You qualify USAfrica an idiot and further substantiate his idiocy(according to you) with insults and lampoons on his person. How often, have we professed herein that, you cannot get the better of this forum with such rude appraoaches and hostile debating tactics?.
I completely condon USAfrica's stance on this scamming stuff. Has the SCNC suddenly become numbed in sense and blurred in sight to the extend to vividly manisfesting such misplaced priorities on the face of forum of this calibre?. Who ever told Ma Mary, the masses for whom she's fighting even visit the internet to benefit by the scam?. I think, as you indulge in a conspiracy of silence and keep on endorsing anything an SCNC advocate professes herein;you sink into the category of a "Selective Memory Deciple". Keep on accepting any mess, uttered here in the name of SCNC and then we'll see if "monkeys or donkeys" follow you.

[simplice]

That was perfect USAfrica:absolutely brilliant

[Danny Boy]

US of Africa,
however sympathetic to your views above, I fail to see how this competition is a scam. As a matter of fact I would submit an entry if and when the prize money is doubled i.e £1000.00. That will be worth taxing my brains for!
Ha ha ha.

[simplice]

Danny Boy, I understand you're indirectly congratulating Ma Mary and cohorts for misplacing their priorities and recoursing to speculative agendas. Why should the SCNC start working on probabilistic factors: the sum and substance of this is scam. Anything based on probablility and subjective speculative is scam.

[simplice]

and subjective speculation is scam

[Kumbaboy]

The SDF needs to be impartial by extending the legal dragnet to capture all the officials responsible.

For example, Mr. Peter Mabu of SOPECAM is an anglophone and deputy to Ms Nana Marie Claire. It is no point being a deputy if he has no editorial role over the French daily Cameroon Tribune.

This defamation case illustrates the subservient role played by many Anglophones intellectuals under Francophones with poor judgment.

Marie Claire Nana who is a lighweight by any measure but of the same ethnic group as President Biya rules over her superiors at SOPECAM like a forest chieftain. This is the tribalism of the State under Paul Biya and a contributing factor to both political and financial corruption.

[rexon]

Simplice the loon,

It is nice to know that you have been having sleepless nights because of the activities of the SCNC and all their sister organisations.