Cameroon: Moving Forward to 2011

By Tazoacha Asonganyi in Yaounde.

With all the distractions around us, like selective arrest of embezzlers of state funds, noises about impending big projects, pompous declarations about the food crisis and more, we should not lose sight of the momentous 2011 that is approaching at a gallop.It is of historical interest that once in a while, extraordinary human beings that stand out head and shoulders above all others appear on the scene. We all had this in mind when we embarked on the politics of change with the return of multi-party politics in the early ?90s.

This was especially so because experience from South East Asia had taught us that one commanding personality could change a country in a generation?Such a personality gets thrust up by forces under the surface and they alter the direction of the forces in their poor, underdeveloped countries and make their life a legend, like Mao, Park Chung Hee and others...It is true that the opposition figures that emerged on the stage in the early ?90s were products of different backgrounds: some were realists, others were idealists, but they seemed to be all aware of the weak foundation on which the country stood. They also seemed to be aware of the forces under the surface that had brought the country to its knees. All of them had one thing in common: each behaved like a star.

It was not long before we became aware of the dangers that had been cast on the struggle by these "shining" stars. Since great stars are only happy in their own unimpeded orbits, it was difficult to put them in one orbit! Each time they were "forced" together, it was more a partnership of circumstances and convenience, than of friendship and cooperation. And so under our eyes, the mission of the struggle whittled down and was departed from. In their dazzling, competitive orbits, they developed "strategies" that were more shell than kernel... As years went by, each developed the myopia of old men that it is difficult to imagine a satisfactory younger successor!So what was the challenge the emergent leaders were bound to meet? Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai has responded with a question: "...why is Africa one of the richest continents on the planet, endowed with oil, precious stones, forests, water, wildlife, soil, land, agricultural products, and millions
of women and men, and yet most of Africa?s people remain impoverished?" (seewww.project-syndicat.org/commentary/maathai1).

Thesimple reason is the lack of serious leaders with vision like Mao Tse-tung (for China) and Park Chung Hee (for South Korea) that truly emanate from within the society to create the appropriate environment for their countries to emerge from poverty, underdevelopment and helplessness. Africa?s false step was taken by the leaders that took over African countries following independence, because of their "limited and conditioned vision".

To paraphrase Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed), the perception of the leaders of the colonised people was impaired by their submersion in the reality of colonisation. They were so inside the system that they could not see themselves in the struggle to free their countries except in terms of raising themselves to the status of those who colonised them.

Although they were colonised and abused, they identified with the colonial forces that denied them what they dreamt to become.Since the coloniser had inspired "admiration", being like the coloniser would also inspire "admiration"!Consequently, the opportunity to rule was confused with oppression; they imitated the use of power and authority by colonisers and ruled their people in the manner of the colonialist they had just replaced.Unfortunately, those who succeeded to replace these "strongmen" or "fathers of the nation", continued in the imitation.

Therefore the mission that faced the "new" opposition parties that emerged in the early ?90s was to end this sterile imitation by providing appropriate leadership to lead our country out of the stalemate of underdevelopment and poverty. As would be realised later, the leaders did not seem to have a single grain of conviction, except in the hope that by some luck, they could grab the country and commandeer it in the image of those they were fighting to replace. Their political attitudes seemed to be dictated by opportunism, rather than by any coherent corpus of belief.

"Democracy" was always their pet slogan, and they invariably included it in the names of their parties, although they had very little idea of what it meant. It was like a password for self-preservation and self promotion?Most of the "leaders" spent precious time uprooting plants from the gardens of ideological certainties and replanting them in the gardens of the outfits they had set up as political parties; giving them funny names like rigour and moralisation, new deal, grands ambitions, power to the people, equal opportunity, republican ethics... and even creating "shadows" that fell into desuetude upon their creation... As expected, the gardens became more and more barren with passing years? and the hungry and expectant people became more and more restive!Although a politician should always be ready to prick the balloon of his own enthusiasm, none of ours allowed their balloons to be deflated.

Slowly, most of them came to believe in the illusion that the people can "rise up like one man" against injustice and frustration without nurture and prompting ... without professional managers of the emotion of change. What is difficult to understand is that although some of them led themselves up futile, blind alleys, they still seem to be persuaded that they are on the crest of a winning wave!After Ahidjo?s 22 years at the helm, it seems the only ambition of the present man at the top in our country is to be remembered for having blown out the highest number of candles in the presidential palace.

As we move forward to 2011, the various "stars" circling their individual orbits leave us only to hope that the year will mark our own "once in a while" when, from relative obscurity, an extraordinary human being with vision and patriotism will emerge on the scene.

Cameroon: Parliamentary Privilege, Proxies and Hate Politics

By Tazoacha Asonganyi.

Adama Modi, one of the parliamentarians of the National Assembly has openly expressed his disgust at the repeated preference of the CPDM party for Cavaye Yegui� Djbril, another MP, for the presidency of the national assembly.

History has it that in spite of his parliamentary immunity
defined by Ordinance No. 72-12 of 26 August 1972 which clearly states that Members of Parliament should not be questioned elsewhere for votes or debates in the National Assembly, he was questioned by a committee set up by the Head of State, President of the CPDM for opinions he expressed in parliament. This was nothing short of a breach of parliamentary privilege!

Further, although Chapter XIII (Articles 56-59) of the Standing Orders of the National Assembly clearlydefines the "delegation of voting rights" by a member of parliament, there has been much accusation and counter-accusation in the press about whether or not Paul Ayah, another MP left such a delegation in the assembly, which was used to vote on his behalf. The CPDM parliamentarian who voted on his behalf is most vulnerable to the line of attack opened by the press on this issue, whether she is guilty as charged or not, because it fits in with the general fraudulent character and behavior of barons of her party.

It is incredible that although the rules on the issue are very clear, she has not made any serious effort to convince us that she acted within the ambit of the rules when she voted on behalf of her colleague.To remain in a party and yet disagree with its leadership on central issues of the day is not a joke.Forcing members to vote against their convictions or drawing artificial lines to contain rebellion tocontentious issues are all familiar behavior in party politics.

In general, although a party member can speak for the party on public issues, the party cannot speak for its member on such issues! It is immoral for a party to force its member to violate his conscience or violate the national interest. Using fraud to obtain the consent of a member on an important societal issue can only be the handiwork of persons with the same morals as those daily exposed as embezzlers of public funds.

MPs are supposed to use the immense moral authority of their positions to offer leadership and inspiration?Interestingly, although article 15(2) of the constitution of Cameroon states that each member ofthe national assembly represents the entire nation; we are told that Chief Inoni (the Prime Minister)had to answer for the "negative" vote of an MP against the amendment of the constitution to give Paul Biya the latitude to rule for life! We are also told that he was not answering for it because he is the Prime Minister of the entire nation, but because he originates from the South West Province with the MP.

After all, by the constitution, you are either "autochtone" or "allog�ne"; native or stranger! One of the hallmarks of the "new deal" regime is duplicity: representing the whole nation while being native or stranger; professing "national unity" while institutionalizing divisiveness!Sometimes the expression of political opinion based on conscience can attract visceral dislike and cloud the political judgment of even one?s colleagues.

One may hate the guts of a colleague, but to extend the hatred to family, village and area of origin is a mark of the bankruptcy of politics in our country. Several weeks ago, Hon. Ayah brought the case of the ethnic conflict in Akwaya to public attention. No one seemed to listen except the press! Only recently did we learn that Manyu Chiefs met and decided to pay attention to the problem.
It is like the administrative authorities were saying that since the MP did not want their amendment to pass, they did not care what was happening in Akwaya, his place of origin.It is a good thing that the Manyu Chiefs have also drawn attention to the conflict. It is also a goodthing that Divine Ewane, NGO personnel recently highlighted the problem in a newspaper interview,although surprisingly, he failed to mention the MP even once!

We can only hope that the partisan administrative authorities will shed their hate politics, theirincredible intolerance and spite, and their insensitivity to the sufferings of citizens under their charge, and pay attention to the welfare of the people without any consideration for the political opinions of their leaders.

Cameroon :State Authority and The Rule of Law

By Tazoacha Asonganyi

All politics and the democratic processes that govern politics take place in society.
Carved out from society is a referee usually referred to as the state.Indeed, the state is the level at which all factionsin society meet. The state plays the noble role ofreferee and facilitator of political and democraticprocesses.

To play these roles well, the state should be non-partisan.Early thinkers who created the concept of the state knew that humans are not angels; that they can be both good and evil. They can usually be blinded by theirpassions and self-interests. This is why it is the duty of the state to produce laws, rules and regulations to guide the actions of both rulers andthe ruled in society.Many of such laws, rules and regulations exist inCameroon.

On paper, most of them are reasonable, but in practice they are usually ignored to the benefit of individuals or partisan groups like political parties,especially the ruling party! Most agents of the state are known to treat laws as if they are informal rules that they can obey or disobey at their discretion!
Therefore one of the main problems with the rule oflaw in Cameroon lies with people who implement laws.

In fact, it is the generalised disregard for the lawby state officials that has bred the culture of corruption that is the main challenge to governance inCameroon today.Since 20th May 2008, a drama has been played out in Menji Local Council in Lebialem Division, South WestProvince, out of the knowledge of the press thatusually highlights such events! On 20 May just beforethe start of the march past at the Menji Municipal Stadium, the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) of Lebialem moved to the front of the grandstand and solemnly announced that he had suspended the Mayor indefinitely on the frivolous charge of "unpatrioticattitude"!

By this he meant that the Mayor refused togive out the council vehicle at his behest, even ifthe mayor had explained that the vehicle was not ingood mechanical condition. Then the SDO proceeded tofloat the usual information peddled by over-zealous administrators to gain support for their wrong decisions, or by political misfits to put down theirpolitical rivals - that the mayor is a closet SCNC militant!

Although law no.2004/17 of 22 July 2004 on orientationof decentralisation, and law no. 2004/18 of 22 July2004 to lay down rules applicable to councils, both ofwhich are in force today, do not give such powers tothe "the representatives of the state" who is the SDO,he actually proceeded to seal the office of the Majoras a sign of the effectiveness of the suspension!

For those who may not be aware of the provisions of the new laws, section 94 of law no. 2004/18 of 22 July2004 to lay down rules applicable to councils states unequivocally that "In case of infringement of the law and regulations in force, or of serious misconduct,mayors and deputy mayors may be suspended by order ofthe Minister in charge of regional and local authorities for a maximum period of three months after hearing them or requesting them to furnish written explanations on acts for which they are accused. After such period, they shall either be rehabilitated or dismissed? by decree of the President of theRepublic;...the suspension orders and dismissal shall give reasons thereof..."

The law is therefore clear on the duties of the"representative of the state" (the SDO) and on that ofthe minister in charge of local and regional authorities. Representatives of the state wherever they may be are supposed to be symbols of facilitationand leadership, not vessels of power. In a council,power has been devolved to the mayors; they are theones supposed to get things done. It is not the dutyof the state to remove the sense of pride and personal responsibility from mayors in councils. There is no use deceiving ourselves by producing documents and making official pronouncements that assure outsiders that there is the rule of law on decentralization inCameroon, as was the case last week during the African Ministerial Conference on Decentralisation (AMCOD),while the reality is different.

For the good of society, laws are supposed to bedecisive moral arbiters. Obedience of a law should be non negotiable. The law is not secure if representatives of the state behave as if they are the law, and infringe it as they see fit.

The act of the SDO of Lebialem is nothing short of sabotage of thelaw, especially as his action was a deliberate,skilfully executed plot to stir up protest during the20 May celebrations so as to impute the disturbances on a supposed lack of patriotism of the people! His assault on the law was not for the good of society but for his personal good.It is the insecurity dictated by human nature that propelled human societies to allow their lives to be governed by the state. The state provides laws, rules and regulations to govern activities in society.

A law is therefore not something that a representative ofthe state should feel that he is doing somebody afavour by obeying it. It is unfair, unjust and disruptive of council activities if the new laws on decentralisation are not obeyed by all stakeholders. A decision to disobey the law should be considered personal and should not engage the state, at the riskof discrediting the authority of the state.

It isincumbent on the state to build trust, confidence and respect for the role of the state by regularly disciplining its representatives who show disrespect for the rule of law.

"Cameroon is now a high risk investment country and is not attracting any more foreign investors" says A. S. Ngwana, Chairman, Cardinal Democratic Pa

"Cameroon is now a high risk investment country and is not attracting any more foreign investors"
says A. S. Ngwana, Chairman, Cardinal Democratic Party.

After the shameful and disgraceful unconstitutional and illegal amendment of the Constitution in April this year, Cameroon is now going through a dangerous period of uncertainty and apprehension which calls for prayers to avoid catastrophe, calamity and complete chaos.
However we must tackle some urgent matters which affect our standards of living, growth and economic development. The economy is terribly affected, our standards of living are falling, and Cameroon is regressing instead of progressing

Corruption and Embezzlement Of Funds.

In 1987, the President of the Cameroon Democratic Party, (now Cardinal Democratic Party) CDP, in his address to the Cameroon community in London sounded the alarm that the economy was getting into serious trouble. In that address, he highlighted the following reasons for the economic malaise:

?Institutionalized corruption and embezzlement of public funds,
gross mismanagement of the economy and global fall in prices of raw material?. (Note that crude oil was then $14 per barrel, now it is more than $200 per barrel)
In 1999, The Prime Minister, Mr. Peter Mafany Musonge on National Television said ?the government is corrupt from top to bottom?
Again on March 12, 2000 The Herald News paper reported that the Chief Justice of the North West Province, Justice Tengen Pius admitted that some magistrates in the region are so corrupt that their professional malpractice not only marred the image of the judiciary but was also responsible for the increasing loss of confidence in the courts. ?We are aware of the situation where some magistrates have transformed their chambers into business premises where justice is sold for money instead of applying the law as it should be? he said

We are appalled that for more than 20 years today since the alarm was raised in London, President Biya has made no concrete move to stop corruption. The excuse he gave was that there was NO EVIDENCE.
Thank God, today America and other foreign countries have provided EVIDENCE of the accounts of some Cameroonians with huge balances of laundry money.

According to reliable information, there are nearly 50 Cameroonians, civil servants and Directors of public corporations who have the equivalent of more than 3 billion francs in their accounts and assets.
These figures are staggering and frightening, because none of these people could have this money if they did not steal it.

Since last year only a few people have been arrested and only a few of the arrested ones have been tried and convicted and none of the embezzled money or properties have been recovered.

The pace at which the investigations are taking place, is too slow. Most of these criminals will cover up their loot before they are caught.

1. We suggest that a special Task Force should be set up immediately to investigate all suspected cases of corruption, bribery, embezzlement and stealing of government, corporations and parastatals, funds.

2. This Task Force should be made up of security personal, government auditors, and accountants and external auditors from reputable private firms or companies.

3. It shall be the duty and responsibility of every Cameroonian to report to this Task Force in writing or by word of mouth any suspected cases of bribery and corruption, fraud, stealing or embezzlement. All cases so reported must be investigated immediately by the Task Force and suspected culprits brought to court. Any persons reporting to the Task Force shall be protected by immunity from liability of defamation or libel.

4.
Special Tribunals headed by Judges of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal are to be set up to try with dispatch all cases forwarded to them by the Task Force.

5. Only in very special cases should appeals be granted and bail only granted if twice the amount involved has been deposited in cash to the Court. We are fighting a war against hardened and merciless criminals.
6. If found guilty, the accused is to be given a maximum penalty ranging from 30 years to life imprisonment, all the monies recovered, and all properties acquired before and after the crime most be confiscated and forfeited to the State.

7. In this exercise, there shall be no ?regional balancing? because the criminals never thought of ?regional balancing? when they where stealing.

8. The President, Prime Minister, Parliamentarians, Judges, Heads of Government Departments, Army and Police Chiefs, Directors and Chief executives of corporations and parastatals, must declare their assets on joining and leaving the service. Any unaccounted assets or money must be forfeited to the State.

9. Cameroon is going through the worst period of its history.
We must declare war on corruption and prosecute it seriously.
The thieves are occupying very high positions in Cameroon, but our collective effort will bring all of them down.

If these monies were not stolen, we would have moved from the World Bank?s ranking of ?middle income? category of developing countries, in 1987, to the ?rich? category of developed countries today. In 1987 our GDP per capita was $1,262 but by 2000 it had dropped to $580 per capita. We have fallen to be among the poorest countries of the world and are happy to have our loans and debts written off. We should bury our heads in shame. We most stop this downward slide into chaos. Every year billions of francs CFA, are voted for roads, schools, hospitals etc, but the situation gets worse. Our standards of living keep falling, our country keeps growing poorer every year. The government is selling all government corporations and parastalals, liquidating some and creating unprecedented joblessness in the country. These thieves are killing us and they should be treated as ? armed robbers?.
Cameroon is now a high risk investment country and is not attracting any more foreign investors.
If we do not fight corruption seriously we shall remain poor for ever.
The window-dressing exercise going on now to impress the International Community that we are fighting corruption is not enough, we have to show that we mean business to fight corruption. If we don?t, the International Community should bring pressure to bear on the government as it did to force the CPDM government in 1990 to allow multi-party politics in Cameroon. We again appeal to lovers of democracy, to the International Community, and friends of Cameroon, to come to our assistance. Economic and diplomatic pressure should be brought to bear on President Paul Biya and his government to relent in their negative ways, to practice democratic principles and good governance. As in 1990, all aid, grants and loans to the Biya Government should be linked or tied to the observance of human rights, democratic principles and accountability, to ensure that the monies do not end up in foreign private bank accounts.

The Common Wealth should be ashamed that it is now a ?toothless bull dog?, unable to enforce even minimum standards of good governance, among its members, impotent to intervene in the gross violation of its principles, and blind to the cronyism that have robbed it of any political or moral weight. The Common Wealth has become a caricature of its own powerlessness; hence the Cameroon Government can treat it with scorn and contempt, ignoring all its pleas.

Yet another smoke-screen anticorruption charade designed by Paul Biya solely to deceive western diplomats and the Cameroon people

After a long history of failed promises to improve on governance, the latest promise to accelerate anti-corruption arrests was not nearly so inspiring

By Ndien Eric in Yaounde

In a surprise move the government summoned diplomats from Western countries and multilateral institutions to announce its decision to accelerate its anti-corruption campaign. The campaign of arrests of senior public officials believed to have embezzled public funds has so far been on a stop-and-go basis to the utter disappointment of Western diplomats

The government used the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni to flatter the diplomats by giving the impression that the new accelerated programme was based on a programme proposed one year ago by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
and that they were all partners in its anti-corruption campaign. The programme goes by the ear-catching name of CHOC, “change habits, oppose corruption.”

Commentators are unanimous in believing that the government had used the opportunity to try to warm up its relationship with Western diplomats after the unpopular amendment of the constitution which was opposed by Western countries. They further observed that the UNDP anti-corruption programme was proposed since a year ago and the government had only turned to
it now to give the impression that it was responding to Western concerns on corruption.

But many Western diplomats who attended Wednesday’s meeting did not appear to be much impressed by this new development. Television cameras showed many countenances in doubt and in a wait-and-see mood.

The relationship between Western diplomats and the Biya regime is distinctly one of love-lost because the government has a history of reluctance in adopting good governance reforms.

A year ago, the government summoned a similar meeting of Western diplomats and vowed that for once it would conduct transparent and credible elections. But it failed to do so. The legislative elections of last year turned out to be such a horrible mess that Western embassies who had been promised a change issued a statement to denounce the exercise as a missed opportunity for democratic advance in Cameroon.

President Paul Biya has not shown a strong political will to punish culprits and discourage corruption in Cameroon. Instead, the president has used corruption arrests more as a political expedient.

In February 2006 he held and imprisoned a handful of senior public officials to strengthen the government’s application for debt cancellation under the HIPC initiative. He since resisted public clamour to continue with more arrests. He resumed the arrests, which usually spark public enthusiasm, last March just prior to the highly controversial and unpopular amendment of the constitution.

After that, the president has been interrogating more suspects to change the public mood after the unpopular constitutional amendment. And also, it is believed, to prepare the public for what is believed to be important dismissals in the much- expected government change.
It is, in fact, believed that there will be more interrogations and arrests in the days ahead, but it
is not known if the campaign will be sustained.

The president’s uncertain and unsystematic handling of the war against corruption has been so disappointing to Western diplomats that Sophie de Caen, the UN system representative who left Cameroon a few months ago, became inhabitually cynical. The UN diplomat who was otherwise principled and respectful openly dismissed existing public anti-corruption structures as being non-efficacious. She expressed the view that without a political will, the multiplication of structures will not solve the problem of corruption in Cameroon.

It is difficult for anybody to tell what the president is up to with the announcement of a change of gears. That is why Western diplomats as much as the wide public remain sceptical.

National Day: Tracking the road to 20 May re-unification

Ahidjo advanced many reasons for the establishment of a unitary system of government

By Elangwe Esino Evaristus, Yaounde

When on 11 February 1961, the former British Southern Cameroonians voted in a plebiscite in favour of the independent Republic of Cameroon against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it was clear indication of their commitment to the idea of a Cameroon nation as it existed under German rule, astonishing the British authorities and the northern regional government in Kaduna.

A federal system of government was born after the two entities came together. Unfortunately, this federation lasted only 10 years 8 months. For, from the creation of the Cameroon federation, late President Ahmadou Ahidjo was never a federalist. He found all means and ways to dismantle the federal system.

In 1961, he carved out six inspectorates for the Cameroon Federation to be manned by inspectors who were direct representatives of the federal president. He went on to facilitate the formation of a unitary State by the merger of all political parties in 1966 to form the Cameroon National Union party (CNU).

On 9 May 1972, Ahidjo informed an emergency session of the Federal National Assembly of his plan to ask Cameroonians whether they approved or rejected the institution of a one and indivisible United Republic of Cameroon.

The intensive campaigns in both West and East Cameroon resulted in an overwhelming vote in support of the creation of a unitary State. The reasons put up by Ahidjo for the dismantling of the federal system of government were convincing and the unitary constitution had numerous effects.

The people of Cameroon had to maintain four Assemblies, namely the Federal Assembly, the East Cameroon Assembly, the West Cameroon Assembly and the West Cameroon house of chiefs. The maintaince of the posts of president, vice president and two State prime
ministers. To Ahidjo this drained billions of FCFA, which could be channeled to other developmental programmes, from the country’s coffers.

From the issue to consolidate national unity, to the inability of the state of West Cameroon to balance its budget, Ahidjo had the desire to assimilate the Anglophones whose Anglo-Saxon democratic tendencies were a nuisance to his desired centralised system of government. He was afraid that West Cameroon might follow the attempt of the Biafrans to secede since a number of West Cameroonians sympathized with the Biafran cowrse. It was also feared that West Cameroon would secede from the federation since huge oil reserves were discovered in the area, which pointed to the viability of the area to stand on its own.

The date therefore for the referendum was 20 May 1972. The electorate had to vote “Yes” or “No” to the question:

“Do you approve, with a view to consolidating national unity and accelerating the economic, social and cultural development of the nation, the draft constitution submitted to the people of Cameroon by the president of the Federal Republic of Cameroon and instituting a republic, one and indivisible to be styled the United Republic of Cameroon?”

The above question is clearly lopsided. The merits of the federal system of government were not proposed. Again, time was not given for Cameroonians to discuss the advantages and disadvantages. Many Cameroonians voted without knowing the political implications of
the change of system of government.

However, there is no turning back. The next National Day is just around the corner. Speeches will be made but the dichotomy of Anglophone and Francophone, South West and North West, first class and second class citizens, Christians and Moslems, Oroko, Bulu, Maka, Bakweri or Meta difference remains. The question of who is more Cameroonian follows us daily. Happy Nation
Day 2008!

Celebrating 20th May

Despite everything, the union of the two Cameroons has made history for the last 47 years. Such history is only useful when it teaches lessons. Therefore, as we celebrate 20 May this year, it is useful to look at some signposts in the road that lies behind us, in the hope of building on our post

By Tazoacha Asonganyi, Yaounde

May 20 is an anniversary date shrouded by cynicism. It is the handiwork of Ahidjo for whom “democracy” was anathema and “national unity” a prize he sought greedily. He can be said to have decreed 20 May as a national day single-handedly, without due consideration for the complete history of the entire Cameroon. In the landscape of the united country that was born following the UN supervised plebiscite of 11 February 1961, 20 May 1972 like 4 February 1984, fall in the constellation of the conceit of nationalists of the “Republic of Cameroon” that formed the union with Southern Cameroons.

In spite of everything, the union of the two Cameroons has made history for the last 47 years. Such history is only useful when it teaches lessons. Therefore, as we celebrate 20 May this year, it is useful to look at some signposts in the road that lies behind us, in the hope of building on our past.

One-man rule in a one-party regime has characterised the united country for the better part of its life. Whether the side of the party coin was named CNU or CPDM, the party usurped the authority of the State. Indeed, the party has been more harmful to the country than useful. The arrest and detention of barons of the party for embezzling huge sums of public money is testimony of the conspiracy of the leadership of the party against the State!

The suspects being arrested and thrown into jail are hard-core party barons and strong believers in the new deal regime, like many others, who profited from a long history of impunity of party barons and confused State coffers for their purse. The regime allowed corruption to become so entrenched that, in the present clash with the formidable network, the regime consciously makes it impossible to find the truth, and extremely dangerous to seek it. The “truth” lies with shady documents mounted against the chosen few from the sea of heads in the corruption fraternity. What we are witnessing is not a fight against corruption but a struggle to acquire window blinds to provide shade for the entrenched fraternity. Whatever the case, the pressure has been unleashed and the tide could become so strong that it overcomes even the worried circle of men who hold court in the new deal...

Many people are applauding, not so much for any effort to fight corruption as for the reality of the saying that what goes up must come down. By their applause, they are comforting themselves that all of them without exception will eventually come down in one way or the other. They are sending the clear message to the regime that it shall not be allowed to go away with half measures on corruption.

Unfortunately, it is clear that in much of what the regime is doing, it is placing perception ahead of
reality. Lack of seriousness can be judged from the refusal to apply article 66 of the constitution on the declaration of assets. It can also be judged from the weak and confused law no. 2003/005 of 21 April 2003 laying down conditions for the organisation and functioning of the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court that is supposed to keep watch over public funds.

If history means anything, the regime would have borrowed from the past in this fight against
corruption. Indeed, it is history that in Southern Cameroons as far back as 1958, a Commission of Inquiry Ordinance (Cap 36 of the 1958 law) existed and empowered the prime minister to appoint commissions of inquiry to publicly investigate wrongdoing in any department of government. In turning a blind eye to present and past frameworks for checking corruption, the regime has refused to depersonalise and depoliticise the fight, and so allowed continuing, persistent and serious breaches of the public trust across all arms of government.

Further, the regime has failed to pay enough attention to the “small” thieves that populate our ministries, like in Public Service and Finance. Instead of undercover police agents going around and listening to the small talk of citizens in bars, the regime would have mounted and introduced “documents” into the system for the agents to “follow” for purposes of identifying and dismantling the “spiders” in the cobwebs of fraud, bribery and corruption that entangle operations in the ministries and frustrate citizens daily.

As the barons of the regime join in the celebration of 20 May this year, they should not only think about these issues of corruption. They should also remember that Southern Cameroons experienced a democratic change of government as far back as 1959 with Foncha taking over from Endeley; and that unification-citizens of Cameroon have never experienced a change of government leaders based on individual choice, since 1961.

Our union is already 47 years old. Forty and over is a time for reflection. It is the duty of the regime that has governed us in different shades since 1961 to create the appropriate environment for serious reflection on the future of the united Cameroon.

Mbanga Pongo crash: Kenya Airways anxious to know crash cause

Airliner officials have begun urging the Kenyan and US governments to mount
pressure on Yaounde authorities to release a report on the cause of the crash

By Ntaryike Divine, Jr. in Douala

Almost a year since a Kenya Airways plane hurtled into jungle marshes at Mbanga Pongo seconds after take-off from the Douala airport, protracting information blackout on the exact cause of the crash has compelled the airliner to direct pressure on Cameroon authorities.

Kenya Airways CEO, Titus Naikuni, said earlier this week that his company was seeking the intervention of the Kenyan and US governments to oblige Yaounde authorities to release the report. All 114 passengers and crew members aboard perished when KQ flight 507
nosed-dived amidst violent nocturnal storms last 5 May.

A flurry of aviation experts from within and without Cameroon attempted hypothetical explanations on the cause of the crash in the weeks that followed. Some blamed Cameroon for her blatant lack of flight control radars that stalled a search and rescue operation for over 48 hours. Others pinned blame for the disaster on violent night storms.

At term, the wrecked craft’s black boxes were retrieved from the marshy crash site after days of a
daunting search and ferried to Canada for analyses. Cameroon authorities announced amidst sweeping grief at home and abroad that the crash cause report would be available in a year. In the interlude, Kenya Airways began paying indemnities to kin of deceased passengers, as DNA tests conducted at a Bosnian laboratory enabled the identification and restitution of corpses [mostly as body parts] to relatives.

Kenya Airways officials have said the crash significantly burdened the national carrier which has
been grappling to regain its once enviable poise in air transport in Africa. Speaking recently at the
carrier’s headquarters in Embakasi , Kenya , CEO Titus Naikuni said Kenya Airways is facing huge challenges in the aftermath of the disaster. He named shortage of aircraft following the loss of the Boeing 767-800 in the Douala crash and the ongoing unparalleled hikes in fuel prices as major sources of concern.

He however said Kenya Airways is acquiring more planes to inter alia, fill the shortfall from the Douala crash, but also noted that the delivery of new craft had been delayed by Boeing manufacturers for reasons he did not state. He even hinted that the airliner may be obliged to raise fares in two months time, in order to cater for unprecedented increase in fuel prices and
the continued weakening of the dollar that has continued to eat into its profits.

Fear of another uprising: Biya orders Russian helicopters to shoot demonstrators, rioters!

The government is deeply apprehensive of the state of national security. The unpopularity of the recent amendment of the constitution and the ever-rising prices of food and essential commodities have combined to create a sense of nervousness among the masses which could easily find expression in a popular uprising. Rather than address the issues, Paul Biya has opted for the use of brutality

By Ntaryike Divine Jr. in Douala

President Paul Biya seems determined to have his way at all cost; and to use as much brutality as is necessary which is already the hallmark of his 25-year regime. To cope with the simmering tension in Cameroon following popular disapproval of the recent amendment of the constitution permitting him to stay in office beyond 2011, the government has placed armed troops across towns in Cameroon.

This is to forestall a poplar uprising similar if not worse than that of February.
Apart from popular anger over the amendment of the constitution, the hardship of the masses caused by ever-increasing food prices provides yet another reason for a real possibility of problems for the authorities.

Intelligence sources have told The Herald that the government is not taking the situation lying low.

In addition to the already announced intention of the government to recruit at least a thousand more hands
into the army, The Herald has learned that Russian war helicopters are on order to strengthen the government’s already heavy hand in dealing with any possible uprising.

The helicopters which are said to be nine in number and ordered through a private Swiss supplier will be used to shoot gatherings of rioters, our sources say.

The government’s fear of a possible uprising is so real that a fortnight ago President Paul Biya called off a journey abroad at the last minute.

A government decision last month to reduce the price of foodstuffs and essential commodities which received wide public approval has proved a failure. Not only is the public disenchanted, retailers are gradually being turned against the government because of the hard measures of authorities of the Ministry of Trade which
include locking up shops, seizing wares of recalcitrant traders and forcing down unacceptable
reductions on retailers.

These developments only add to the existing state of mass youth unemployment, which prepare the ground for a possible people’s uprising.

The civil society has also warned the government to try to act quickly and adequately to provide solutions to the crisis in which people live.

Closing a recent meeting of the Catholic Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Samuel Kleda who chaired the meeting warned the government that unless it acted in time it should be ready for another uprising which will embrace the whole of Cameroon and render last February’s riots a child’s play.

The government appears rather to be preparing for the use of brutal and excessive force instead of turning
the same resources towards lasting solutions.

86bn French debt relief funds lying fallow at BEAC!

The funds accruing from debt relief granted Cameroon in 2006 by the French government, following the attainment of the HIPC completion point, are intended to finance development projects in the country

By Ojong Steven Ayuk in Yaounde

The funds already accruing from debt relief following Cameroons attainment of the completion point of the HIPC initiative are quite enormous and are destined for the financing of urgent development projects in the country.

But in spite of the market under-development of the country and the abject poverty to which the masses have been subjected over the past two decades, government still seems short of ideas as to what viable projects could consume the money and better the lives of Cameroonians.

And because of this, over 86 billion FCFA of the nearly 160 billion FCFA so far deposited in accounts at the Central Bank, BEAC, thanks to debt relief granted Cameroon by the French government following a contract signed between the two countries on 22 June 2006, is still waiting to be used, and this until the government presents viable projects.

So far the government has only been able to withdraw close to 80 billion FCFA to finance mostly
rehabilitation works in Yaounde and Douala, and a smaller part to pay salaries of contract teachers. In fact, over 11 billion FCFA (8 billion in 2007 and 3 billion in the first half of 2008) has been used for payment of contract teachers’ salaries.

Following the 2006 contract for debt relief with the French government, money intended for servicing of debts owed France is deposited in two accounts at BEAC. This money is ploughed back into the economy to finance development projects under the HIPC-C2D programme.
At a press briefing here on 15 April, the Director of the French Development Agency, Pascal Collange, said that by the end of the first part of the C2D programme that ends in 2011, Cameroon would have benefited some 352 billion FCFA from France.

Pascal Collange said Cameroon has so far respected deadlines for the servicing of her debts, to the tune of 70 billion FCFA a year.

He said through an agreement between the two governments, the civil society has been brought in to contribute in the follow-up of the execution of projects under the C2D programme. This to ensure adequate use of the funds and proper execution of projects.

According to Marc Bikoko, president of the syndicate of public servants (CSP), the role of the civil
society is to identify problems with the execution of the projects and ensure that corrective measures are taken.

'The Nation's' Transparency Awards honors politicians and government managers in Cameroon!

By - Harry Ndienla Yemti

Professor Vincent P.K .Titanji, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of University of Buea (UB), otherwise known as “The Place to be”, and managers of some state corporations have been honored for their stringent and transparent management by 'The Nation', a Yaoundé Based News magazine, through its program, dubbed, “The Nation Transparency Awards”. Other winners of the award include: Henry Njalla Quan, general manger of Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), Sama Ignatius, general manager of Cameroon Civil Aviation (CCAA) Obi Optun Wanobi Osang, general manager of PAMOL Plantations Plc; Richard Tita Fombon,Mayor of Tiko ; Daniel Matute,Mayor of Limbe 1 and Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle,Northwest Representative at the National Elections Observatory (NEO).

Speaking during the award ceremony which took place last 4th April, 2008, at the Fakoship Plaza, in Buea, and chaired by Barrister Dang Alias, the initiator of the award, Asong Ndifor, who doubles as Editor of The Nation Magazine, made it clear that the yearly event is intended to encourage stringent management and
transparency in Cameroon, a country which has been ranked at least twice as the most corrupt nation in the world by Transparency International, a Berlin-based good governance watchdog.

Though the government of Cameroon has in the past few years been involved fighting corruption through arrests and jailing of some corrupt officials, Asong Ndifor belives “fighting corruption is not only prosecuting the culprits but also recognizing those who are promoting integrity and transparent management in the organizations they manage”. On this score, he made it clear that winners were selected from many nominations by a committee of people of integrity, based on objective criteria.

In his keynote address on the theme: “Transparency”, Ntumfor Nico Halle, himself a laureate, underscored the fact that "Transparency is instituted as a means of holding people in public offices or institutions accountable and it is also a big tool to fight corruption”. To him transparency equally ensures that; state action, budget and financial statements may be open and reviewed by everyone, and that enactment,
rules and decisions are open to discussions

While noting that transparency help to promote good governance and that good governance is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, the learned Barrister says Transparency ought to be the affaire of every Cameroonian. Though Cameroon is widely believe to be a very rich nation in both natural and human resources, Ntumfor Nico Halle expressed regret that the country is still plague by poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment, HIV/AIDS, crime wave and banditry among many social ills just because some Cameroonians continue to loot, plunder, pillage, and pilfer the nation’s patrimony. While commending government in the fight against corruption, the Ntumfor call on all Cameroonians to join in the fight to make it more effective.

Concerning the award, Ntumfor emphasized that awards in themselves are good as they encourage hard work but that they would be meaningless if they were negotiated or done in anticipation for money and material consideration. “I opine that it is owing to the integrity of The Nation Magazine which it has built for itself over the years, that has moved this large crowd of celebrated personalities to this hall”.
He also used the occasion to laud the Cameroonian press for its continued fight against corruption and embezzlement as well as the struggle for the strengthening of democracy in the country. “Though not a journalist, I know that the press is a formidable force to reckon with”, Ntumfor told the crowd.

On his part the chairman of the occasion, Barrister Dang, congratulated the laureates and urged them to continue to be management models, so that others can learn from them.

Meanwhile, On April 17, Christopher Ambe Shu, publisher of The Recorder Newspaper and special envoy of the award organizers led a two-man delegation that included Harry McYemti Ndienla(journalist of The Guardian Post) to the University of Buea to hand the Transparency Award to the Vice-chancellor who was conspicuously absent on the 4th April, 2008, due to other state matters out of the province.

Warmly received by the vice-chancellor, Christopher Ambe Shu then briefed Professor Titanji on the relevance of the award, handed it and urged him to keep up the spirit.

In response, the Vice –Chancellor said, "I feel greatly honored and I accept this award with all humility, knowing that the work of human beings can always be improved on. I will do my best to live up to the ideals of this award" The Vice-Chancellor appealed to other holders of public offices to be patriotic and put the common interest first in discharging their various duties. "I think it is very easy to work in the public sector because the rules and regulations are very clearly written down. All we need to do is, follow them intelligently and you have little or no problem"

Professor Titanji, who has been Vice-chancellor of University of Buea for less than two years, is one of few managers of public and private institutions in Cameroon identified by The Nation as laureates of The Nation 2007 Transparency Award.

FEICOM case appeal: Ondo Ndong now to serve 20 years after Biya pardons 30

Using his overwhelming powers that put the courts under his control, Paul Biya reconsidered the
punishment meted out to his friend and ally who claimed that it was Biya who ordered him to abuse
FEICOM’s funds

By Roland Akong Wuwih in Yaounde

After much consideration President Paul Biya has softened towards Emmanuel Gérard Ondo Ndong, a close
ally and former FEICOM general manager who was given a 50-year jail sentence a year ago.

When the case came up on appeal, the president instructed the court to knock off 30 years. Ondo Ndong
will now serve only 20.

The former FEICOM GM will also pay 25.8 billion FCFA along with several other colleagues of his who were
jailed.

Ondo Ndong had given evidence during his High Court trial that much of the 52 billion FCFA that he was
accused of both embezzling and misappropriating had, in fact, been the result of telephone directives by
the Head of State, Paul Biya, as well as generous contributions to the CPDM and friends of the party
some of whom were directed to him by Paul Biya.

While on preventive detention during the trial that lasted about a year, Ondo Ndong often questioned in
shock if indeed Paul Biya knew of his arrest and trial.

It seems that Biya had now acted in due recognition of the many unwritten directives to spend FEICOM’s funds
abusively.

As a prisoner of the president, the courts normally refer their decisions to the president to obtain
approval before applying them.

The constitution forbids any clemency or other pardon even by the president to prisoners serving corruption
terms. Ondon Ndong who had been sure to end the rest of his life in prison now has hopes to be out in his
mid 70s given Paul Biya’s 30-year pardon.

13 suspects jailed, 4 acquitted

The Yaounde Appeal Court passed its verdict on Wednesday after a seven-month long hearing

It was a big surprise to many at the Yaounde Appeal Court Wednesday, 16 April when the presiding judge of
the Special Support Fund (FEICOM) declared some 13 suspects who were earlier freed by the Mfoundi High
Court in June 2007 guilty, and sentenced them to various jail terms.

They were involved, according to the court verdict, in the embezzlement of 29 billion FCFA at FEICOM during
the management of former FEICOM general manager, Emmanuel Gérard Ondo Ndong, whose prison term was
dropped from 50 to 20 years. According to the judgement some of his confiscated properties will be
refunded including two houses, jewelleries he bought for his wives, amongst others.

The prison terms of the other 12 FEICOM convicts were also reduced.

Four other suspects were found not guilty and acquitted.

The relatives and friends of the sentenced victims burst into tears when security operatives transported
them to the Kodengui Central Prison on Wednesday.

Those who had their prison sentences reduced expressed joy although their lawyers hinted of further appeals.

Yaounde Appeal court
Ondo Ndong – 50 years - 20 years
Moise Mbella – 48 years - 15 years
Dieudonne Nguema Ondong – 48 years - 15 years
Jean Bessala Nsana – 48 years - 15 years
Charles Ketchami – 35 years - 10 yrs
Roselyne-bi Ebanga – 20 years - 10 years
Justin Ze Ze – 30 years 10 years
Leonie Angue (on the run) – 25 years - 10 years
Oblavie Omballa – 10 years - 10 years
Eto’o Alain Monebam – 30 years - 10 years
Peh Daniel – 40 years - 10 years
Raymond Aaron – 20 years - 10 years
Bonaventure Ndema – 25 years - 10 years

Those acquitted earlier but condemned again
Grace Ellesa Soppo – 20 years
Laurentine Ngo Bayanak – 10 years
Berthe Kooh - 10 years
Ngot Cho Nyamsi - 10 years
Marie Carine Edjang - 10 years
Ruben Abel Ze - 10 years
Olinga Mvogo - 10 years
Venceslas Ndjomo - 10 years
Pierre Ndoukam - 10 years
Celestin Mibe - 10 years
Marie Gabrielle Etoga - 10 years
Ndode Jermiah - 10 years
Edmond Medjo - 10 years

Those freed
Tchuente Namtchueng
Janvier Onana
Evina Bidoung
Luc Albert Ekomessa

Cameron’s «Right Royal President»

Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for more than a quarter of a century is more of a «republican monarch»
than an elected leader

By Bangsi Daniel Song in Bamenda

Shortly before the 1997 presidential election, BCC Focus on Africa magazine published a two-page portrait
of Paul Biya titled, A Right Royal President. At the time, Paul Biya had ruled Cameroon for 15 years and
many Cameroonians did not expect him to last in power for much longer.

But the author of the article, Vincent T’sas, who had reported for the BBC in Yaounde for several years,
knew better and presented Paul Biya portrayed more in terms of a monarch than an elected leader.

Ten years after, Paul Biya has modified the constitution to clear his way for a life presidency
and granted himself immunity for any crimes he might have committed or might still commit while in office.

After reigning at that time for 15 years «only», the BBC reporter in Yaounde had seen President Biya behave
and rule like a monarch». In the portrait, Vincent T’sas stated that for 15 years, Biya had been a
«republican monarch», often mixing force and acumen.

T’sas saw in the president a «monarch», in the way he dressed, in the way he moved and waved at his subjects
and at his frequent use of the royal «we» even when he meant himself.

Another factor that made President Biya look like a «monarch» to the profiler was the fact that he was
always heavily guarded by ‘’Isreali-trained guards’’ since the abortive coup d’etat in 1984.

Quoting an unnamed Brazilian diplomat, the BBC reporter stated: «Even in Latin America, I have never
seen a president so heavily guarded».

With recent events in Cameroon, where every move by the opposition and civil society groups is ferociously
repressed (often with the deployment of trigger happy soldiers rather than the police), it has become clear
to many Cameroonians that they are living in a society where democracy is not yet a reality.

Some have even compared the situation to that in fondoms where the fon is always right and any attempts
to defy him often leads to reprisals by the ‘ngumbas’.

In many cases, monarchs resort to repression because of the absence of democracy and the fear of rebellion.
The monarchs are not accountable to anybody and often give themselves immunity for any crimes committed
against their people.

Similarly, the BBC profiler states that Paul Biya and allies were quick to blame the 1987 economic crisis on
falling prices of raw materials in the world market, rather than acknowledging that it was caused by
mismanagement, squandering of resources and a heavy bureaucracy.

After making empty promises to clampdown on corruption, Biya finally started taking action two
years ago, following pressure from international donors. Quite a few regime barons have been arrested
in the anti-corruption crackdown. But as laudable as the crackdown may be, the case files of the culprits
reveal that Biya tolerated or failed to notice massive embezzlement by his collaborators for years.
Like a «true monarch», President Paul Biya left his «nchindas» to their own devices for decades until
Cameroon was classified the most corrupt country by Transparency International several times.

Observers today say the scales have fallen from the eyes of those who could not see the «monarch» in Paul
Biya in 1997 when Vincent T’sas wrote the portrait. Even though there are purportedly three arms of
government, and hundreds of «opposition» political parties, all powers are in the hands of the «royal
president».

President Paul Biya is head of the executive, head of the judiciary and controls the legislature. Despite
his power over the legislature through carefully crafted laws, Biya has also given himself the liberty
of appointing 30 percent of senators.

At a seminar for ruling party MPs last year, CPDM secretary general, Rene Sadi, made it clear to the
supposed lawmakers that their major role was to support the policies of Paul Biya.

During the recent constitutional amendment session of the National Assembly, the president again
demonstrated that MPs are at his beck and all.

Although there are presidential «elections» every seven years, it has now become clear to most
Cameroonians that Biya would always «win». Long live the king!

Tension after constitutional revision: Are security services cashing in on public disapproval?

The Biya regime is not at ease with itself. Suspicious of enemy action, it has posted armed troops all over.
But where is the enemy? Is it not the security services creating the atmosphere of uncertainty in
order to milk the regime? That is what the government is tending to believe

By Roland Akong Wuwih in Yaounde

After last week’s assembly vote of the constitutional revision that keeps Biya in office after 2011, the
Yaounde authorities are gripped by fears of an uprising. This has led to the militarisation of the
main towns of the five provinces that participated in last February anti-government riots.

Government is so unsure of itself that a planned trip out of the country last Saturday by President Paul
Biya was canceled at the last minute.

After lengthy meetings the exact source of the tension does not seem to be clear to the government. On Monday afternoon however, the government began to work on the hypothesis that much of the tension was being created by security forces themselves, as a way of obtaining funds from the government.

Our sources say that this is a technique that has sometimes been used, and the government was working on
the possibility that, given the unpopular nature of the constitutional revision and the February uprising
to challenge it there couldn’t be a better time for security chiefs to rake in a huge financial haul.

But that was only one perspective of the present state of uncertainty.

A security commentator admitted that the placement of armed troops all the towns was itself tension
generating. In parts of the South West, the government is reported to have given orders to shoot on sight
anyone seen destroying anything or behaving unusually.

CAMAIR excluded from air transport association

The image-tarnishing ejection has been tagged to the ailing company’s lengthening failure to step up
security and allow independent operations auditing

By Ntaryike Divine, Jr. in Douala

Barely a month after new managers were designated at the befuddled national carrier CAMAIR, the company
that is yet to resume flights has been dealt a damaging blow. The International Air Transport Association, IATA, has excluded CAMAIR from its list of members.

Reasons for the image-tarnishing ejection pronounced last week have been hinged on prolonged security
lapses and other pitfalls in the administrative management of the ailing company. Concretely, IATA
blamed CAMAIR for the inexistence of viable accounts and reluctance to conduct an independent audit of its
operations over the last four years.

It also expressed worry over maintenance and the ageing nature of craft used by the company. The IATA
decision indicates the association is keen on shedding blame in the event of an accident suffered by CAMAIR.
The association advocates meticulous respect of air transport standards. Statistics hold that while air
transport in Africa represents a meagre 4 percent of worldwide figures, the continent.

In 2006, CAMAIR appeared on a blacklist of 92 airliners barred from European skies. Thanks to
vigorous negotiations, the government overturned the ban. But observers say last week’s ejection of CAMAIR
from the IATA membership list reiterates the lack of real political will to overhaul the carrier whose
planned privatization has snail-paced endlessly.

On the back of an IMF mission to Cameroon last month, CAMAIR’s three-year-serving provisional ambassador,
Paul Ngamo Hamani was fired in a terse presidential decree. The company activities were grounded for over
a week and upon his appointment as director-delegate, Adolphe Sammet Bell announced resumption of operations beginning with domestic flights two days later. But CAMAIR planes are yet to take to the air since
mid-March.

The IATA decision thus adds to customers’ waning confidence in the 37-year-old airliner drenched in
debts valued at over 70-billion-FCFA. The company that costs the state some 3 billion FCFA monthly to manage
also lacks craft of its own. It has still not cleared outstanding fuel debts valued at some 2 billion FCFA.
Only last February, Total Cameroun and Shell fuel suppliers refused to serve the company from unpaid
bills obliging the grounding of craft for several days.

Amending the constitution for one man!

Paul Biya has intimidated the people, who have clearly expressed their opposition to his life presidency scheme, in order to push through his selfish constitutional review project in parliament. But he should know that threat has always instilled obedience only temporarily

By Tazoacha Asonganyi in Yaounde

Following the recent upheavals in Cameroon, the regime got the people’s message very clearly: that the people do not want the constitution to be amended to give Paul Biya the chance to continue to hang on come 2011! The regime having got the message turned its repressive apparatus full gear. First, hundreds of those arrested during the upheavals were summarily tried and thrown in jail.

Second, the armed forces were poured into the towns and highways to harass and humiliate citizens on a daily basis to frighten them off any further prospect of open resistance.

Third, having locked up the media houses that usually allowed contrary views to be expressed, the government-controlled media were used to play the broken record of the regime that the point of view of barons of the CPDM on constitutional amendment is the point of view of all Cameroonians.

Fourth, the «ambitious» G11 was silenced through the so-called «operation epervier».

Fifth, on the same day that the government bill for the amendment of the constitution was sent to the assembly, the minister of justice held a press conference to drum up the dissuasive news that
hundreds of those who were arrested during the upheavals have since received heavy jail terms!

Following this intimidation of the population, the regime has hurried what it has been longing for to the National Assembly, so it is now sure that Article 6.2 of the constitution will be amended to remove term limits! The amendment is for the sake of one man: Paul Biya.

Since the will of the people has not been respected, the regime should know that threat has always instilled obedience only temporarily. Lasting authority only comes from respect: of the people’s will, of the people’s point of view, of the people’s aspirations. They have made it known that the way Paul Biya is going is not the way they want to go!

National and international opinion expected that the voices and counter voices we have heard about amending the constitution of Cameroon were calls for Paul Biya to step forward and provide a solid, firm and unshakeable foundation for our country and thus heal the rift over constitutionalism. He has failed to rise to the challenge. He has failed to put the interest of
the country before his personal interest. He has failed to realise that it is the collective interest
that is the national interest, not his personal interest… The people have recorded these failures as open provocation!

It is clear that Cameroonians are divided over the issue of the constitution. History will remember that during nearly three decades at the helm of state, Paul Biya refused to seek compromise - common ground on which monuments to progress in our country could be built.

In all of what is going on, he seems to give the impression that what happened to the first all
powerful president Ahmadou Ahidjo is haunting him. Having realised from the fate of Ahidjo that men are never anything but men, be they large or small, street sweepers or presidents, he is fully aware that he himself is only «powerful» because he is head of state, executive president and commander of the armed forces, not because of some supernatural force that he has.

He seems to be frightened with what he was capable of doing to Ahidjo, «father of the nation» whom he served so loyally. He knows that in our African jungle of power struggle, «loyalty» is a meaningless word! Anything can happen when the sources of power evaporate with quitting the presidency, so better to hang on!

In wishing to hang on, he has included a constitutional amendment that states that «acts
committed by the president of the republic in pursuance of articles 5, 8, 9 and 10 (of the
constitution) shall be covered by immunity and he shall not be accountable for them after the exercise of his functions»!

With what is going on with «operation epervier», this type of provision is frivolous to say the least.
Having taught us that the constitution of the country is a piece of paper that power mongers can toy around with at will, he knows that putting such a provision in the constitution can be a nullity. With the fate of articles like 6(2) and others, we now know that merely enumerating constitutional provisions on paper is not to guarantee them; they are not worth the parchment they are written on if they are so easily abrogated and unenforceable...

This other amendment to meet self-interest further undermines the power of the constitution in Cameroon, and so weakens the foundation on which the country is built. The constitution is supposed to be a binding force, a spring that provides life to the nation. The main challenge today is to ensure a stable future for Cameroon by completely changing the whole governance
system that makes the constitution vulnerable to abuses by governments and self-seekers. We need a constitution, a supreme law of the land that cannot be modified by factions according to their whims and caprices.

Following the departure of Paul Biya from the stage in 2011, we need to build a totally new foundation for Cameroon. Changing the political system and the institutional set-up he created to preserve his power will set the stage for a constitution based on the will of the people; this will release their talents and energies for the building of a strong and prosperous country.

Camair And The New Deal

Prof. Tazoacha Asonganyi, Yaounde

The fate of Cameroon Airlines (Camair) today reinforces the idea that ownership by the state is
ownership by an impersonal entity which amounts to control by politicians and civil servants.

The aim of the privatisation process started a long time ago was to sell off public enterprises in order to shift the balance from the inefficient, unaccountable state to the more efficient private
business.

It was supposed to introduce popular capitalism by ensuring the widest ownership of shares by members of the public, to reduce the power of the State and enhance the power of the people. In State-owned structures like Camair, targets are set, new management appointed, performance monitored, warnings given; but these never work like in private business because it is the State that accounts for weaknesses to the State, not management to shareholders.

Crony-run public corporations like Camair have since discredited the public sector that dominated left wing and third world economies, because they allowed too much borrowing and expansion without due regard for adequate returns. The corporations were bossed by inexperienced civil servants and shielded from the discipline of the market, so they were run on unprofitable bases and created no wealth.

This failure of State-run services contributed to the convergence of certain economic views between the socialists and capitalists and led to the resurrection of the market in all modern democracies - whether they were run by the left or the right.

This is why with the collapse of Soviet communism and the re-emergence of Russia, the Russian republic launched a grand privatisation programme. By the end of 1993, some 6.5 million State-owned apartments (about 20 percent of total) had been privatised.

By 1994, more than 139 million Russians had invested their government-issued privatisation vouchers, a participation rate of 94 percent; 70 percent of Russian industry (20.000 of the 28.000 large or medium sized industrial enterprises and 90.000 small firms) had been sold off.
Indeed, by July 1994, cash in-flow into Russia was around $500 million a month due to the explosive growth in stock prices!

Within this backdrop, how did Camair get to where it is today? Following the collapse of Air Afrique, Camair was established on July 26, 1971, as the national airline of Cameroon, a company owned by the Cameroon Government, 96.43 percent, and Air France, 3.57 percent.

In June 2000, probably to catch-up with new economic exigencies, Yves Fotso took up duties as
"Administrateur Directeur Général". He was later replaced by Dakayi Kamga, and then by Paul Ngamo Hamani who was appointed provisional administrator in February 2005 to prepare for
"privatisation/liquidation".

In 2006, the Cameroon government reached an agreement with SN Airholding, the mother company of SN Brussels Airlines to revive the airline, without much effect. Then a Presidential decree created a new company known as Cameroon Airlines Corporation, CAMAIR Co, to
replace Camair.

On 14 March 2008, government sacked Paul Ngamo Hamani and the Minister of Finance extended the mandate of the Liquidator of Camair by 12 months, with a co-liquidator, who would handle judicial matters about the privatisation...

To understand the present fate of Camair, it would be appropriate to examine the situation of other airlines related to it in one way or the other. Kenya Airways is said to have expressed interest in the privatisation of Camair. Kenya Airways was established in February 1977, after the demise of East African Airways and was wholly owned by the Kenyan government until April 1996.

As far back as 1986, the Kenyan government expressed the need to privatise the airline, "in line with the country's need for economic development and growth". The government named a Board Chairman in 1991 with specific orders to privatise the airline. In 1992, government set the privatisation of the airline as top priority.

In 1994 the International Financial Corporation (IFC) was appointed to provide assistance in the
privatisation process which ended in KLM buying 26 percent of the shares in 1997 and becoming the largest single shareholder. The shares were floated to the public and the airline started trading on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. Presently, it is owned by individual Kenyan shareholders (30.94 percent), KLM (now Air France-KLM) (26 percent), Kenyan government (23 percent), Kenyan institutional investorsCorporate-Governance-Ira-Millstein (14.2 percent), foreign institutional investors (4.47 percent) and individual foreign investors (1.39percent).

Kenya Airways has won the 'African Airline of the Year' award five times in seven years. In 2007,
SkyTeam, the second-largest airline alliance in the world, welcomed Kenya Airways as one of the first official SkyTeam Associate Airlines.

What of Air France, a partner of Camair at birth? In September 2003, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines merged to form Air France-KLM. With the merger, Air France shareholders owned 81 percent of the new firm, (44 percent owned by the French State, 37 percent by private shareholders), former KLM shareholders the rest.

By reducing the French government shares from 54.4 percent to 44 of the newly created Air France-KLM Group, the airline was effectively privatised. In December 2004 the State sold 18.4 percent of its equity in Air France-KLM to own less than 20 percent of the shares. Air France-KLM is the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue and third-largest (largest in Europe) in passenger kilometres.

These are examples of success, while Camair moved from failure to failure. So, why have others worked these "miracles" of success while our own national airline continued to move from crisis to crisis? Why is the "transformative intelligence", other people use to bring prosperity to their countries, absent in Cameroon?

Why are others busy putting into practice the knowledge they got from the schools we all attended together while we in Cameroon are busy celebrating the certificates and bathing in cronyism, tribalism, corruption and other unpatriotic ills? Why is the government stock with the privatisation of Camair?

Central to using "transformative intelligence" to conquer underdevelopment and mass poverty and generate economic development is the ability of the individual citizen not only to form and hold conceptions of excellence but to realise them. This is only possible with "free", happy individuals! Such individuals are a product of the rule of law, checks and balances, strong social contracts and the attendant universal rights of the human being.

These concepts we parrot everyday were conquered through serious struggles in history to put the individual citizen as the centrepiece of the modern political and legal systems. The individual citizen is protected and glorified by the universal declaration of human rights and freedoms
and the African charter on human and peoples' rights, and highly valued and respected in their countries because all "transformative intelligence" is the product of the human mind.

Indeed, the material culture that defines much of what we call "development" flows from the minds of individual citizens. This is why it is usually said that the individual citizen represents the hen that lays the "golden egg" of development for a country, and so must be provided the environment to mature the eggs! The individual citizen has a lively, fertile mind full of ingenuity, imagination and creativity, but it all depends on nurture.

When the appropriate environment exists, the individual citizen meets the challenge of laying the
golden eggs everyday; when it is absent the eggs dry up! The chaos, injustice, corruption, favouritism, tribalism, immorality and deprivation in our society are the causes of the sickness that is weighing down Camair. Camair is a mirror that reflects the nakedness of the New Deal regime.

Catholic bishops warn Biya: Address youth problems quickly or face another strike!

Meeting for the first time since the social strike of February, the Catholic bishops took the opportunity to tell the president that the explosion of last February was the result of the failures of his polices. And it is in correcting them that he could avoid a repeat
experience

By Roland Akong Wuwih in Yaounde

A three-day meeting in Yaounde of the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, the executive organ of the Catholic Church in Cameroon, has called on President Paul Biya to pay even greater attention to the social problems of Cameroon and particularly of its youth.

A keynote address made at the opening of a three-day conference that ends in Yaounde today warned the president that unless he addresses these issues with a measure of urgency there would be another social crisis before long.

The speaker was Bishop Samuel Kleda, co-adjutor of the Douala diocese, who chaired the meeting as its vice president in the absence of Victor Tonye Bakot, the archbishop of Yaounde, who is in France for medical reasons.

During the meeting the bishops also discussed how to get the youths of Cameroon join in the world Catholic Youth Day.

It was disclosed that of 400 Catholic youths sent to participate in this event in Italy in 2002 only 30 returned to Cameroon, while the rest used the opportunity to migrate, one reason why the Catholic
Church is concerned about the government resolving the issue of youth unemployment.

Last February, a transporters’ strike instantly became a welcome opportunity for the wide public to express their dissatisfaction with the policies of President Paul Biya that have over the years visited poverty and other economic hardships on the people.

The strike was accompanied by rioting, looting and extensive damage of public and private properties.

More than 100 youths were killed, most of them by live bullets in clashes with armed law enforcement agents.

Empty Blood Bank in Cameroon Hospitals Health minister begs community for Donation

By Harry Ndienla Yemti

Though there has been persistent reports on acute shortages of blood in the banks of major hospitals in Cameroon; that of the Laquintinie hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in the country is today practically empty.

So empty that the country’s minister of health, Mama Fouda, was taken aback during a recent visit to the hospital. On this score, the minister who was on a field visit to evaluate the capacity of hospitals to intervene and handle emergency situations especially
those which did so during the recent upheaval in the country, launched a fervent appeal on the community to rescue the blood bank of hospitals and particularly that of Laquintinie

While emphasizing the importance of the Laquintinie hospital, which is situated in the heart of the economic capital of Douala, the minister said the emptiness of the blood bank calls for emergency reason why he called on the media to inform all and sundry to
save the situation of the hospital.

Situated in Douala, where the recent strike was violent the blood bank of Laquintinie hospital was unfilled by victims who suffered serious casualties and were rushed there

Unlike the Laquintinie hospital, the blood banks of other hospitals are being affected by donors’ inability to go for HIV/AIDS test before donation.

Minister Mama Fouda, also visited other hospitals which handle emergency cases like the Provincial Hospital of Nkongsamba, St. Jean de Malt hospital, which is located in an accident prone zone of Njombe, the Mbanga District Hospital, the CEBEC and Bonasama
Hospitals in Bonaberi-Douala.

At each of the Hospitals visited, the minister’s message was clear and simple; to better organize, encourage and empower staff, boost the capacity of hospitals in handling emergency cases such as road
accidents and epidemics amongst others.

He lauded the efforts of St. Jean de Malte hospital, in their handling of emergencies, particularly the October, 2007 accident along the Njombe-Penja high way which claimed 28 lives and other cases of epidemics like cholera outbreak. While commending the fruitful
relation between the Order of Malte and Cameroon, Minister Fouda, made it clear that his country has benefited enormously from the order in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Cancer in Children amongst others.

Meantime, as he made visits to the various services of the different hospitals the minister handed cartoons of consignment of drugs, an ambulance amongst others. He equally gave words of consolation to some of the strike victims who were still undergoing treatment.

As he sought to answer a few needs the minister also made promises like the recruitment of staff as well the creation of an emergency fund to handle emergency cases.

CEMAC call for modern and efficient services in Microfinance Only 677 of 1000 operate legally

By Harry Ndienla Yemti

The importance of the role of microfinance in the development
of the economies of Central African countries in particular and South Saharan countries in general need not be over emphasize. But unfortunately the sector is not properly organized. According to a study carried out by Central African Banking Commission (COBAC) in collaboration with the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), only 677 out 1000 microfinance establishments in the six countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) operate legally after having been assessed financially and institutionally.

In order to free the sector from previous scam and reshape its destiny, experts in the sector met in Yaounde, Cameroon, recently to discuss the future of Microfinance. For three days, the experts discussed ways on how to best canalize the activities of microfinance establishments through a legal framework that will enhance the environment for their continuous growth. Philibert Andzembe, Governor of BEAC, emphasized that “the putting in place of a legal framework and cleansing of the sector appears necessary for, this sector has registered very strong expansion in its
activities”. He said by the end of 2007, the number of clients served by Microfinance establishments rose to over 1.3 million against 445,000 previously.

Javier Puyol, head of the European Union to Cameroon, underscored the fact that microfinance sector remains a veritable instrument for the fight against poverty. Reason why he enjoined the BEAC governor in calling for the putting in place of a friendly environment for the development of the sector. Consequently the European Union, he said will continue to support all measures aimed at promoting the sector.

Essimi Menye, Cameroon’s minister of finance who presided at the expert meeting saw nothing less than microfinance sector being an indispensable instrument to stimulate the economies of the sub region. Like the head of the European Union to Cameroon, Essimi Menye, considers microfinance as one of the best channels through which countries of the sub-region can get out of poverty. The minister of finance made it clear that in Cameroon the sector was given and will continue to be given an important place in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.