HIV/AIDS Prevalence In the North West jump down Tremendously

The North West region, which for some years had topped the chart as far as the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Cameroon is concern, is witnessing a steady decline as far as new cases of infection and transmission especially from mother to child is concerned.

       According to the project manager of HIV-Free North West Project supervised by Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS), Kuni Esther Bonje during a press briefing, said, “before the HIV-Free North West Region started, the prevalence rate was stood about 8% amongst the general population and after three years getting to four years of the project, the trends have slump to about 6.3.”  This drop, she said is because of sensitization and the creating of awareness that has led to many people opting for voluntary testing and taking the necessary precaution depending on their status she also revealed that although the general prevalence rate was 8% amongst the general population, it was higher in pregnant women. The good news being that at moment, the prevalence rate in pregnant women has reduced to the same level of 6.3%. She said, this was also due to vigorous campaign and sensitization for pregnant women to attend antenatal clinic in order to know their status and take necessary precautions. This trends also holds the same in the transmission rate from mother to child which has dropped from about 8% to 2%.

       The international AIDS day is celebrated, she said, to give honor to those who has passed on because of the disease and other related complications. It is an opportunity to raise awareness and to ensure that those who are not yet infected take precautions and to protect their lives and those who are already infected follow directives, take their anti retroviral drugs in order to live healthy lives without stigma and discrimination.  

       To commemorate this day, the CBCHS has planned activities within its nine coordination areas to make the day a successful one. There will be free outreach voluntary testing and counseling in the various coordinating areas. There would also be a grand match past to create awareness, give health talks and in Nkwen at mile III there would be a football match pitting the CBCHS and St Mary Clinic here in Bamenda.

       This year’s World AIDS day is commemorated under the theme, “Getting to Zero,” that is zero new infections zero stigma and zero AIDS related deaths. The CBCHS as declared by the Manager has been doing a lot to ensure that everybody knows his status in order to better combat the disease. By ensuring, persuading and pushing men to accompany their wives for ANC, and testing themselves for HIV/AIDS, accepting their status and taking medication was a surer way of driving toward zero infection, zero stigma and zero related deaths. 

       Also by ensuring a better distribution network of the HIV/AIDs medication throughout the region and the numerous training seminars or workshops to train stakeholders in the fight against the pandemic, the CBCHS was obviously gearing towards “Getting to Zero.” This is why, according to Madam kuni, the objectives of the project has been attained to over 80% though without challenges due to rough terrain and the remoteness of certain areas.

       Madam Kuni also called on those living with HIV/AIDS not to live in despair but with hope for there is life beyond the pandemic. According to her, the major problem which is even more dangerous now is self stigma. That is resigning to fate and thinking that all has been lost. Those living with the various must overcome self stigma, live a normal live because with option B+ many challenges have been overcome.

As Young Nannies Leave Workforce to Attend School, More Cameroonian Mothers Are Taking Their Babies to Work

By Comfort Mussa

As a result of a nationwide campaign to end child labor, many Cameroonian girls who used to work as nannies now go to school. Lacking affordable childcare, working mothers increasingly take their babies to their workplaces. While some employers do not object to the practice, others forbid it on grounds that it lowers productivity.

Figure 1 Brenda Kiven Nurses her baby while animating radio show

BAMENDA, CAMEROON – It’s a Friday morning and Brenda Kiven has much to do: care for her 17-month-old baby, wash his clothes, clean their apartment, and prepare food. 

A journalist and chief of news at Radio Hot Cocoa in Bamenda, the capital of Cameroon’s Northwest region, she also must get to work in time for the news organization’s weekly editorial meeting at 9 a.m.

Kiven does laundry, cleans the apartment and rushes to bathe before her son, David Achu, wakes up. By the time she steps out of her bath, David is awake. She bathes and nurses him. 

It is already 8:30 a.m. Kiven has not completed all of her morning chores, but she cannot afford to be late for the meeting. She adjusts her schedule and dashes to work with her baby. 

When she arrives in the meeting room, her colleagues inform her the meeting has been canceled. It’s a busy news day, and reporters have been dispatched to cover breaking news events. 

Kiven settles in the conference room with her baby and goes over scripts for a show that starts at 10 a.m. All the while, she also attends to David, feeding him and trying to keep his hands off of her papers.Most of her workdays begin this way, she says.“I come with my baby to work and go to press conferences with him,” she says. “I love my son and family as well as my job, and I have to keep both.”She has searched for a baby sitter for six months and has yet to find one, she says. 

The number of mothers taking their babies to work in Bamenda has increased because of a deepening shortage of nannies, working mothers report. Many school-age girls who used to care for children now attend school, thanks to an effective campaign against child labor.While some employers say they do not mind mothers bringing their babies to work, others say they cannot allow the practice because it lowers mothers’ productivity. In response, one local nonprofit organization urges employers to give mothers the full maternity leave they are legally entitled to and to create rooms in workplaces where mothers can care for their babies.  

In Cameroon, most nannies are children ages 5 to 14. According to a 2012 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, 36.5 percent of Cameroonian children in that age range were wage earners.

All child labor, including domestic work, is illegal in Cameroon. Under the Labour Code, young people cannot enter employment before age 14.  

However, poverty compels many families to arrange for their children to work in spite of the law. 

In addition, many Cameroonians are unaware of the rights of children, and the child labor ban is inconsistently enforced, says Joseph Chongsi Ayeah, executive director of the Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy, a nongovernmental organization working to stop child trafficking and illegal domestic labor.In the past year, however, heightened campaigns against child labor and trafficking have reduced the number of girls employed as nannies.  

All over the country, the government is carrying out campaigns encouraging parents to send their children to school, says George Kisob, an officer of Child Protection Services at the Mezam divisional delegation of the Ministry of Social Affairs. 

“As a result, many girls who could have been employed as nannies are going to school,” Kisob says. 

The government has not yet obtained regional statistics on the number of girls who have left domestic service to attend school, he says. 

A 2012 study by the Cameroon Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family found that 85 girls attended school for every 100 boys. That ratio has been relatively consistent for more than a decade, according to UNICEF. 

Advocates of children’s rights say they expect to see girls’ enrollment figures rise in the coming years.

 Before the anti-child labor campaigns started, many girls from rural Cameroon worked as domestic servants in urban areas.

“A simple phone call could get someone in the city a domestic servant,” says Jamils Richard Achunji Anguaseh, the director of Global Welfare Association, a nonprofit organization that fights human trafficking in Cameroon’s Northwest region. 

“But now, with much education and sensitization, people can’t find domestic servants or nannies from the villages even after months of searching,” he says.The girls used to work long hours for little pay, some as little as 5,000 francs ($9.40) per month, he says. 

As more school-age girls pursue their education, mothers have less access to child care. Many struggle to do their jobs while caring for their babies. 

Kiven’s situation is a constant challenge, she says. She has trouble living up to the demands of her position, ensuring that her organization is the first to break news in the city. 

“The baby cries during staff meetings, and I have to excuse myself to attend to him,” she says. “Sometimes the baby cries when I’m on air, disrupting my show.”Sometimes she is unable to meet her deadlines because taking breaks to attend to David slows her down, she says. 

Women who bring their babies to work are less productive than their colleagues, says Pierre Anoufack, manager in charge of commercial services at Radio Hot Cocoa.They cover fewer news events than journalists who are not tending to babies, he says.The colleagues of working mothers often lend a hand. Jude Muma, a DJ at Radio Hot Cocoa, sometimes plays with David while Kiven is on the air. 

“I help when I can,” he says. “I carry the baby and stroll around with him. Brenda is like many women in Bamenda who will not let bearing and nursing their children stand in the way of their work. Walk on the streets or visit offices and you will see many women taking their babies to work.”

Marriatta Akougu, a primary school teacher in Bamenda, takes her baby to work too. Like Kiven, she can’t find a nanny or a baby sitter.For as long as she can remember, Cameroonian women have been taking their babies to work, she says.In the villages, women who can't find or afford nannies take their babies to the farm, Akougu says. In urban areas, working mothers take their babies to their offices and shops. 

“There is even a local saying which, when translated to English, means that having a baby is no excuse for a woman not to move forward in her career and in life,” she says.Self-employed mothers also carry their babies to their shops. 

Sheila Fobusi, a mother of two who runs a beauty shop in the city’s main market, takes her daughter to the shop. She says she has no alternative.“It is very difficult to find a baby sitter, and day care centers in town are far from where I live,” she says.  

Fobusi has been running her business while caring for her children for six years.“I have to blend my work with caring for my kids because I can’t quit to be a stay-at-home mom,” she says. 

Quinta Gakwi, the head teacher at Good Shepherd Bilingual Nursery and Primary School Banja in Bamenda, says she allows mothers to bring their babies to work because she understands their situation.However, she requires mothers to ensure that caring for their babies does not affect their work, she says.

Not all employers allow mothers to bring their babies to work. Emmanuel Kiven, the coordinator of the North West Association of Development Organisations, an association of nongovernmental organizations that work in the Northwest region, says he does not allow mothers to bring their babies to the office because it diminishes their productivity.Mothers cannot fully concentrate on their work when their babies are around, he says. 

“I encourage mothers to take their children to a place where they can be taken care of against some pay,” he says.  

Emmanuel Kiven and Brenda Kiven are not related.Cameroonian law does not guarantee mothers a right to bring their babies to work, says Elvis Ngala, the director of Prime Lactation Center, an organization that counsels mothers and provides a forum for them to interact. However, the country’s Labour Code does guarantee every working woman 14 weeks of maternity leave starting four weeks before her due date.

When a mother returns to work, she has a right to take nursing breaks for 15 months after giving birth. Under the law, the total duration of a worker’s nursing breaks cannot exceed one hour per workday.Employers found guilty of violating these provisions of the code face stiff penalties ranging from 200,000 Central African francs ($380) to 1.5 million francs ($2,850) and including prison terms of up to six months. 

The extent to which employers honor the rights of working mothers varies widely by sector. In Bamenda, only women who work in the public sector trust that their rights will be honored, according to a 2013 report by the Prime Lactation Center. 

In a survey of 1,500 female workers of child-bearing age, all of the public sector employees reported they were confident of their job security while pregnant, on leave and while breastfeeding.  

Among private sector workers, only 80 percent reported having job security of one form or another; the other 20 percent said they had either no job security or high job insecurity, according to the 2013 report. 

Private sector workers also report being less able to nurse in the workplace. Only 20 percent said they were allowed to take breaks and did so while breastfeeding; 80 percent said nursing breaks were unavailable or unused in their workplaces. 

In the report, the Prime Lactation Center urges employers to create spaces to accommodate breastfeeding workers. 

“There is a need for sensitization and awareness campaigns on the possibility of creating standard breastfeeding corners in companies, public breastfeeding spots,” the report says.

Some employers do not consider such amenities a priority. Emmanuel Kiven, for example, says his organization has no plans to provide such facilities. Ngala and the Prime Lactation Center also call on private employers to grant mothers the full maternity leave guaranteed by law. 

Government employees get full, paid maternity leave. However, in some private companies, maternity leaves are short or nonexistent and often are unpaid, says Samuel Mokosso Ekema, chief of the Labor Inspection Brigade for the Northwest regional delegation of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.As a result, many mothers start taking their babies to work shortly after they deliver, he says. 

Brenda Kiven too calls on private organizations to give mothers full maternity leave so they have enough time to take care of their babies and work out child care plans before returning to work.She took 10 weeks of maternity leave – four weeks before delivery and six after. 

Brenda Kiven plans to start dropping off her son at her mother’s home on workdays. Working while caring for David is wearing her out, she says. 

“Usually women have to choose between being mothers or career women,” she says. “I have chosen to be both.”

At NtamCCUL’s Head Office Edifice Inauguration -DO B’da II Pledges Support RECCU-CAM, Marvels at Achievements

         One of the fastest growing credit unions in Cameroon, Ntambeng Cooperative Credit Union LTD- NtamCCUL now has a magnificent head office. Located at Ntambeng-Mankon, the structure described by many as a gem is a two story structure ornamented with ceramic tiles. It is made up of beautiful modern offices, a conference room, beautiful water system modern toilets and an access way for those with special needs.

          Welcoming members, sister credit union exco members, RECCU-Cam executive and the Divisional Officer for Mezam, the president of NtamCCUL, Mumandam Valentine Che recounted a brief history of the union. According to him, NtamCCUL was created some 47 years ago by reasonable people like Pa Adey, Pa Ngu, Pa Atanga and Pa Jacob etc as a loan scheme, “the scheme today known as Ntambeng Cooperative Credit Union LTD has gained its foundation from these people”

          NtamCCUL affiliated to the most trust worthy, reliable and fastest growing networks in the Anglophone region has of recent “developed in activity, personnel…and infrastructure,” the manager observed. It nurturing activities and projects aimed at empowering its members and the youths in general in the domains of information technology, education, agriculture, construction and business has earned the union the nickname “BABYSITTERS.”

          The president emphasized on the fact that Ntambeng operates within the framework of a new vision-a vision which is centered on the people which “seeks to provide a self reliant and economic stable environment for many Cameroonians.” The products and services of the union are geared towards poverty alleviation, thereby reducing the gap existing linking the have-nots and the haves.  NTamCCUl, the president said, has as a new slogan “We Grow With Our Members.”

Enter The President Of RECCU-Cam

          Anye Judith, a woman who has defied all odds to put sanity in the credit union movement which has been transformed into an elitist movement by some power hungry and unscrupulous people and who today is the president of the Renaissance Cooperative Credit Unions in Cameroon, RECCU-cam told the population that the network is waxing strong and growing from strength to strength. She said despite all propaganda and machinations employed by detractors of the network, she was happy to tell the people that the LORD has done and would still do it for the Network and its members.

          While corroborating the President, the General Manager of RECCU-CAM, Mr. Sounjo disclosed that the structure was constructed under the supervision of RECCU-Cam and should serve only as the Head office of NtamCCUL.

          He further was unequivocal by declaring that those who still think that at this moment in time and in a free market as we do have today, they can still practice monopoly are living in a dream world. According to him, competition in the credit union movement can only benefit its members and so RECCU-Cam has come to stay. RECCU-Cam within the the one year six months of its existence has grown in leaps and bounds with an increase in its shares and savings from FCFA 27billion to FCFA 30billion.

Enter the Management of NtamCCUL

          The General Manager of NtamCCUL, Mr Glynn Mokum and his assistant while elaborating on doing business with NtamCCUL, beckoned on the public to massively open up account with the union because of the numerous benefits they stand to gain. Apart from acquiring low interest rate loans at 1.3%, sponsoring and financing of projects, savings and others, they also presented two new products offered by the union. These included NtamCCUL/Voila Digital Inclusion Program (NVDP), which enable members to have access to ICT gadgets and Rise to Inspire, Develop and Excel (RISE) which makes available FCFA100000 each to one hundred recipients yearly as startup capital for any good projects. 

Enters the DO for Bamenda II

          The Divisional Officer for Bamenda II while congratulating the NtamCCUL for the realization of the magnificent building and a job well done said the structure should be judiciously used and taken care of. According to him, the construction of such a structure was indicative that the NtamCCUL is heeding to the clarion call by the Head of state President Paul Biya for people to be innovative, dynamic and visionary so that 2035 would not be a mirage. The structure, he said was a public show of patriotism by the management and the Board of Directors of NtamCCUL. In this regard, he also called on the people of Mankon to collectively carry out business ventures that would lead to the development of the village.

          Praising and declaring his support for RECCU-Cam, the DO said with such a litany of achievements which is indicative of proper management and probity it will take only a fool not to belong to such an umbrella organization. While describing RECC-Cam as a “winning” Team, he beckoned on other credit unions that are hesitant to join the network to do so as better days are ahead.

          Apart from the dancing and jubilation that characterize the inauguration event, the build was blessed by the Rev. Father of Ntambeng Catholic Mission and the traditional authorities of mankon. They all asked God not only to preserve the structure, but also the management and members of NtamCCUL

 

Bafut Mayor, Five Other Dragged To Court

Benjamin Ngah in Bafut

         The Mayor of Bafut, Langsi Abel Ngwasoh and some of his close collaborators including the 4^th Deputy Mayor and three council workers have been dragged to court by an Elite of the area whose names The Times Journal is holding back on sensitive grounds. He is charging them for the destruction of a band of foodstuffs and the disturbance of his quiet enjoyment over a piece of land marked down by the council to host the Bafut cattle market. The Mayor and co have already appeared in court for preliminary investigations and the case postponed for the 28^th of October, 2014 The issue was avidly discussed by councilors during the 3^rd ordinary session of the Bafut Council aimed at deliberations bearing on the addition of credits from the Public Investment Budget (PIB) and the transfer of some credits from one budget head to another.

         Councilors who unanimously expressed bitterness, dismay and anger regarding the behavior of such an individual requested the SDO to hasten the planting of pillars in the area to demarcate the Bafut cattle Market. They questioned why the individual instead of taking the council to court rather chose the Mayor and five others as individuals. This according to them was not short of witching.

          In a related development, Mayor Langsi told councilors that the appeal against the court ruling in the matter between the Council and Ivan Emmanuel on the issue of a building permit at Agyati Market Square has been ruled in favor of the Council. As per the ruling, the previous court ruling asking the Council to issue a building permit to Ivan has been declared null and void.

         Another delicate issue which came up and should not be under looked by the authorities else it could escalate was the Land crisis between Bafut and Nkwen over Nforya.  According to the Mayor, “the construction of market sheds in Nforya finally started off on a different piece of land and not at the Nforya market Square as initially earmarked due to the dispute raised by the Fon of Nkwen.” This he said was done in order to safeguard the credits allocated for the project and put it into use while the land crisis is being looked into.

         Despite the numerous problems facing the council including the drop in sand revenue because of the prohibition by the Governor of the North West Region on vehicle weighing above 3.5tones to ply the Bafut –Befang road, the reduction of global tax in the transport sector as one of the measures to tackle adverse effect of fuel price hikes and the difficulties in tax collection in general, the Council performance was impressive as several projects earmarked were realized and many ongoing.

         Some of the project realized ranged from the construction and equipping of classrooms, equipping of health centers, construction of market sheds, building of culverts, work at the Bafut municipal stadium which is ongoing, the acquisition of a 20ton truck, the award of scholarship to over eighty four students worth FCFA1, 680,000 and 229 students benefitting from a total of FCFA3, 000,000 as remuneration for taking part in holiday jobs offered by the council.

PIB Mezam: Snarl-up at Douala Port Blamed For Low Realization Rate

Benjamin Ngah in Bamenda

Problems rocking the Douala Seaport ranging from bottleneck to inertia which has resulted into the blockage of the port is causing untold hardship not only to the individual business men, but to the community at large.

This is exactly the case with Public Investment Projects (PIB) in Mezam whose low realization rate has been blamed amongst other things on the inability of some constructors to clear their goods for supplies. The revelation was made in Mulang- Bamenda during the Third Quarterly Follow Up Committee Meeting which took place at the conference Hall of the Divisional Delegation on Friday 10^th October, 2014.

Frowning at the low realization rate and calling on stakeholders especially contractors and some vote holders who seem to be snarling the pace of realization of some of the projects in the division for no good reason, the chairperson of the follow up committee represented by Rev. Talikong Amos Nfor appealed to consciences for the effective take off of the projects. Though citing the problems at the Douala Port and the heavy rains as some of the hindrances hindering the execution of some of the projects, he said contractors needed to have understood that rain is a natural phenomenon and hasten up in the realization of the projects.

With barely two months to go to the end of the year, the Divisional Delegate for Economy, Planning and Regional Development warned contractors who would fail to realize projects awarded them of the impending sanctions. According to him, “there are long term and short term strategies put in place to make sure that the projects are realized before the end of the years. In the short term by next week we would be hammering at those who are dealing with projects below FCFA5000000 and would take the recalcitrant ones to hierarchy for sanctions. For projects like road rehabilitation and other constructions, we are waiting for the rains to subside so that we also put pressure on the contractors to do their job.”

Despite the low execution rate of the Public Investment Projects in Mezam, a video projection indicated some of the projects were being well carried out and already received in some areas. Some of these projects included the construction of two classrooms in GBHS Bayelle, the Special Branch in Baligham, Home Economic Centre in Bamendakwe and the rehabilitation work at the Divisional Delegation of Public Works etc.

Exams Marshals Challenged to Probe the GCE Board

Benjamin Ngah

        Celebrations marking the 21^st edition of the World Teachers’ Day in the North West Region were characterized by despair, fury and threats by teachers to rock the boat if dues own them by the GCE Board after the marking exercise for 2014 marking session are not paid with promptitude.

           In a strongly worded speech, the president of Teachers’ Association of Cameroon (TAC), Ninjo Paul echoed a forewarning note to the regime in place to make sure dues owed teachers who marked the GCE 2014 session are paid without any further delay. According to him, the nonpayment of GCE markers was “a clear case of discrimination, and an unwarranted abuse of Anglophone teachers because of whom they are.”

         He further warned that the none-respect of this alert and the “non-payment of teachers’ GCE marking allowances is the ultimate provocation – a gun-powder keg that some other nondescript tin-god has chosen to toy with around the fire-place.

        He questioned why markers of “office du Bac” (Baccalaureate Examination Board) were promptly paid and done with while those of the GCE Board are still languishing after spending several days out of their comfort zones marking the GCE. Here him,” We are reliably informed that the Minister of Financc chose to honour MINESEC subvention to the Office de Bac but refused to do same for that to the Cameroon GCE Board.”

       Other teachers’ trade unions also blamed the powers that be for slowly and surely destroying the Anglo-Saxon system of education by bringing cosmetic changes and refusing to honor its engagement toward the GCE Board in order to frustrate Anglophone teachers.

      One sticky point that resonated throughout some of the speeches was the GCE Baord saga. They called on the authorities at the GCE Board to clear the air on accusations levied on them which have greatly tarnished the image of the Board and for “supervisory authorities in the educational realm as well as on NGOs like Exam Ethics Marshals International (EEMI) to probe and either vitiate or establish the veracity of allegations concerning the trading of certificates at the Cameroon GCE Board. To us they remain allegations because a thorough probe must be carried out before anything concrete can be concluded. The authorities who run the GCE Board are, from known indicators, persons of tested integrity so we imagine that there might just be some error somewhere. Since the rumours hang, with a foul redolence, steps must be taken to lay them to rest before confidence can return in full armour.”

To all these, the governor of the region reiterated government’s determination to see that teachers are better treated and that progressively the government is actually investing in teachers for a better future. He further congratulated the teachers and praised them for their sense of understanding.

Despite the obvious mountain of obstacles faced by teachers, many of them, this reporter spoke to, promised to do their job with abnegation, courage and determination until the regime finally fails them; reason why some of them went wild feasting and drinking from one bar to the other.

EX- CRTV Journalist, Charles Sama X-rays the profession, Castigates Regime

Interviewed by Benjamin Ngah

Around the Ghana Street neighborhood of Bamenda The Times Journal spotted one of the most venerated Journalists whose voice on CRTV kept everyone fascinated; a man whose wittiness and demeanor pulled everyone who came into contact with him even for the first time to like him and sought to have a chart with him. Though on a deserved retirement, his views of life and his frankness on issues ranging from journalism to politics are quite exciting, thrilling and stimulating. For 15minutes, he granted this heart breaking interview which everyone should read. Excerpts 

Who is Charles Sama?

               First of all, I will like to thank you for having be a guest in your credible newspaper the Times Journal. I will like to appreciate the job you guys are doing in the Times Journal in terms of layout, language and the quality of news. In fact your paper is an incarnation of good journalism. I would also like to say kudos to someone like John Mbah Akuroh who also contributes in the paper. He is that kind of journalist we need for vision 2035. That said, Charles Sama is a gentleman who hails from Oku in Bui Division. I am a journalist who got retired about three years ago on the 31^st of December 2010. I worked with CRTV which is a public media for twenty nine years and I now try my hands in the private media. I work with NDEFCAM radio where I am a consultant though I also go on the air, I present news and I do just what journalism entails. That is just what I am now. I am well married with three children.

Comparatively what do you think are the difference between practicing as a worker in the public media and in the private media? What are some of the challenges?

As a matter of fact there is a big difference. For example, CRTV as a public outfit is being sponsored by government but here in the private sector, you have to look for the money from adverts else you cannot survive. If you do not look for adverts, you cannot pay your staff and the business will crumble. I am a journalist, I was not used to go and scout for adverts or things like that. People who did marketing or advertisement are better placed to do that, but in the private sector you are tempted to do all. I have had occasions to tell my boss that you cannot use everybody to go look for adverts because not everybody has the knowledge and expertise to do so. The challenges are that in the private sector, you must work very hard else you will not get a stipend. I use to call it pocket money and in my life time I was not use to spend small money but now with five thousand in pocket, it looks like gold.

Another challenge is that those who own the enterprises are sometimes not honest. Their management is like opaque. At times they just tell you there is no money and yet you do not know what they mean by there is no money. They are so ambiguous and so ambivalent.  Here you see capitalism at work. One question how come you recruit people to work and yet you cannot pay them. So there is this element of dishonesty at the level of the private sector.

You never know what comes in and what goes out. But since you have to get yourself busy, you keep on while hoping. As I always say, when you work hard, you win the heart and mind of the population and you start having adverts. Challenges are in every domain but the bottom line is to work hard and be honest.

What would you be transferring to the young journalists that you have made here by first of all making an appraisal of what you know about them now and what they are up to?

I know that here, there are many young people who have the potentials. You know in journalism, you must have the potentials, the basic background knowledge and the skills. In journalism you have to go through stages and in life every stage takes you to the next stage and that is how you get experience. When you look at NDEFCAM radio for example, you find people there who have the enthusiasm and the skills and are ready to learn. They love the profession which is the basis because when you love something, you then put in an effort to improve. I am there to lay the foundation for the young people like we like saying in NDEFCAM radio “the Radio of the new generation.”

I know some people would be grumbling out there and saying, “That man left his mark at CRTV, why is he coming to take the chicken fee reserved for some young man.” But you must lay a solid foundation for the future. Journalism simply is educating the people, entertaining them giving them the opportunity to equivocally, precisely and clearly to understand issues happening in society and persuading them to change their bad habits.

In terms of relevance and news content, when you compare the public media and the private media, what would you say in the situation in the private media especially in the North West region?

In terms of content, I think the private media is doing a very commendable job. The news generally is weighty. It is not skeletal. It has flesh and contrary to what people might think make an extra effort to go and get the news from the source. So they contribute enormously to in the growth of the society. They speak the truth because if you do not speak the truth you lose credibility. So I think they are doing a commendable job despite the harsh conditions under which they work. Sometimes they even betray the tenets of the profession simply because they want to survive. I think they have to be motivated and motivation should not be misconstrued for bribery. You know there is what we call in journalistic parlance courtesy. That is giving someone a glass of water or bottle of beer to say “thank you.”

One of the trademarks of Charles Sama at both CRTV and NDEFCAM radio has been his voice. That is what carries the whole message across to the population and they describe you as the man with the golden voice and a media guru. Would you say, is the voice nature or nurtured?

Yes, you have nature and nurtured. They move hand in glove. You can have a good voice and do not know how to use it and the other has a bad voice and knows how to use it. They are many fellows at CRTV with a good voice but do not know how to use it. You must work on your voice. This must be a conscious effort. You must work on your articulation, pronunciation and eloquence. You must do some extra work. It can be argued that every voice is beautiful but it all depends on how you use it. Louis Armstrong, the famous musician adapted his music to the kind of voice that he had and went so far with it.

You have been in this system for long and reported event since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in Cameroon. How would you appreciate the political landscape of Cameroon at moment?

I am not very happy with it. Even though I would tell you that we enjoy peace in Cameroon, we do not really have peace. Can you have peace when you are unemployed? Can you have peace when you go hungry? When children leave school and spend five years, ten years without jobs and are always going back to beg for food from their parent, we can say they have peace. Peace does not necessarily mean lack of war, there is psychological peace. When you see stinking injustice, favoritism and tribalism, how can you talk of peace?

Did you vote in the last elections?

No, I would not waste my time voting when the results are known before hand. I last voted in the 1997 presidential election and after a while I realized that there was no objectivity in the political system. I do not trust it generally and I do not pretend. I would not waste my time voting because elections in this country are already a foregone conclusion. The powers that be do everything to frustrate free and fair elections. I am talking as somebody who have observed the system for thirty years and somebody who was there before Biya came to power. We have listened to his numerous promises but many of them have not been kept.

After Olympiades In Paris-France, Xmaleya In Bamenda-Cameroon

Benjamin Ngah

Momentum is being heightened in the city of Bamenda as music lovers and lovers of show-biz in general are on the alert to welcome some of the musical idols both national and international that have been thrilling the airwaves of recent. 

One of them is the group Xmalaya who were in France of recent and played at the Olympiades; a place in the heart of Paris where very few musical icons have been.  They are according to the organizers of the International Music festival, Project New Bamenda ready and In The Move to be in Bamenda this week.

Petit Pay also known as Advocate for Women and the Number One on his part has vowed to come along with a battery of all his dancers and Les Sans Visa to put the city of Bamenda on “fire.” Other international icons would be coming from Nigeria and would be accompanied by local talents like Rchard kings, Bazor and a host of others.

Speaking during a press briefing, Ntumgia Walter the brain behind the project reiterated the need for budding talents in the region to be promoted and given the opportunity to excel. According to him, bringing in these superstars into the region entails a lot yet his vision as well as those partnering with him is to set the pace for others to copy. He hopes that by the time these stars come and leave Bamenda, many would have gained one or two things from them. Exposing budding stars to those who have already made it would serve as a stimulant to them and make them work harder to achieve their dreams, he observed.

One of the sponsors of the project, Ntambeng Cooperative Credit Union-NtamCCUL represented by the General Manager, Atanga Glynn also called on the youth who would be part of this musical jamboree to take the opportunity and benefit from one the newest products know as RIDE. RIDE according to him is designed for start-ups, providing the required capital to make the dreams of 100 youths come true by providing collateral free loans of up to FCFA100000 to each of the applicants.

The event described by many as one of its kind to be staged in a city considered to be the third in the country is expected to pull crowds not only from the city but from neighboring towns like Baffoussam, Mamfe and Kumbo.

The Bamenda Congress Hall is already undergoing serious renovation work in terms of electricity connections to ensure better lighting and the sound system. All this is to make sure that the event meets international standards.

Bamenda III Council Sprays Joy to the Underprivileged

Benjamin Ngah

            The children of MISSPA (Mission Internacional Santiponce-Sevilla Para Africa) a nongovernmental organization based here in Bamenda which caters for orphans were on Wednesday 24^th September, 2014 joyous recipients of goodies worth hundreds of FCFA from the Bamenda III council.

             While handing over the gift to more than 130 orphans drawn from across the country, the Mayor of Bamenda III, Fongu Cletus expressed joy to be with the children. He told them to be hard working, respectful and focused because as he put it, “ministers, governors, SDO and why not presidents would come from amongst them.” Thanking the founder and workers at MISSPA, the Mayor said their job was divine and only God can reward them. While declaring the doors of Bamenda III Council open to the organization in times of need, the mayor promised to grade the bumpy road leading as soon as the rains subside.

             Receiving the gifts which included clothing, “savon” and rice, the authorities of MISSPA thanked the Bamenda III Council and the mayor in particular for always coming to them in times of need. According to them, this was neither the first time nor the second that the mayor and his Council were making such humanitarian gestures to the orphanage.

              MISSPA located in Nkwen is a Spanish NGO which has as mission not only to lodge and feed the orphans from around the country but to train and educate them. The centre runs a school from primary up to secondary. This is done with the support of benefactors from Spain that contributes to make sure these children have a right to feeding, lodging and education. According to the authorities of the centre,” the challenges are enormous as the children grow and the number also increases. We need the help of people like you to help us move ahead with these children. The doors of MISSPA are open for whosoever that thinks he or she can help in one way or the other to do so. Noting is small or useless here” the matron observed.

               In a related development, the Bamenda III Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affair and as part of devolving powers to the council handed over white sticks and clutches to some physically challenged persons living in his municipality. While handing over the walking material, the mayor expressed appreciation to the government for thinking about the physically challenged. He told that the council was there for them and would do everything to make sure they live better lives.

                In the same vein, the Sub Divisional Delegate for Social Affairs said it was the responsibility of the government to cater for its citizens and hoped the material handed over to them would go a long way to help them. She lauded the transparency with which the distribution was done and said those who were not there to receive can later on come to her centre for collection.

                Speaking to one of the recipients, though he expressed joy, he wondered where the walking stick or clutches would lead them to. According to him, their plights go far beyond white sticks and clutches. Expressing joy that the mayor is always there for them, he called on the government to assist them more by training them how to run self reliant projects.