Headline News

12, July 2016

Celestin Monga is African Development Bank’s Vice President for Economic Governance ⁰

The African Development Bank (AfDB) announced on 10th July 2016, the appointment of Cameroonian economist Célestin Monga, to the position of Vice President in charge of the economic governance and knowledge management in this Pan African financial institution. Mr Monga was until now, and this since end 2014, Deputy Managing Director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

But, it was at the World Bank, where he spent about twenty years, that this Cameroonian economist began his career with international financial institutions. Prior to that, Célestin Monga worked in the banking sector in Cameroon, and was revealed to the general public through an open letter addressed to the public authorities, which resulted in some legal difficulties in 1990.

Exiled in the USA, Célestin Monga, who had previously studied in France, further expanded his curriculum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. Having authored several books and editor of economy section in the New Encyclopaedia of Africa (2007), Célestin Monga lectured at Boston University, USA and University of Bordeaux, in France.

Culled from Business in Cameroon

12, July 2016

Yaounde: Biya appoints technical advisers, 33 secretaries in the Prime Minister’s office ⁰

Prime Minister, Head of government, Philemon Yang, yesterday July 11, 2016, urged newly promoted personnel to be assiduous and expedient in carrying out their functions. The cabinet hall at the 6^th floor of the Star-Building hosted the ceremony to install newly appointed officials in the Prime Minister’s Office. The officials included 11 Technical Advisers, 33 secretaries, 47 roving officers known as attache, five Directors and their deputies, appointed both in the Cabinet and the General Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office on July 4 and 5, 2016 by the President of the Republic.

Commissioning the officials, the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, urged them to be assiduous, hardworking, determined and courageous as they carry on with their tasks. He reminded them of their role in assisting him achieve the mission entrusted by the Head of State. “We are there to help the President of the Republic in his mission”, he stated while exhorting the newly promoted officials to shun all that can tarnish the image of the country such as corruption.

The Premier said they must give their opinion on each file that is sent to them, while admonishing the senior officials not to keep files for too long. Philemon Yang insisted on hard-work, stating that they must show their know-how in order to merit the confidence of the Head of State. Their appointment, the Prime Minister remarked, comes within a particular context of the Emergence Plan put in place by the Head of State and the country’s hosting of the 2016 and 2019 African Cup of Nations tournaments.

With these important events, the Prime Minister told the promoted that the Head of State and the government count on them for the success of the plan and the hosting of the continent’s biggest football events. While the official phase of the commissioning was on in cabinet hall of the PM’s office, family members and dance groups thronged the parking lot of the main entrance of the office where they celebrated with their loved ones.

Cameroon Tribune

12, July 2016

South West mayors snub launching of PNDP phase 3 ⁰

Municipal officials in the South West region who were the main target of the National Community Driven Development Program, PNDP, a local state development outlet created by government have boycotted an event in Buea to inaugurate the third phase of the program.

Almost half of the over 200 capacity BUEA council hall was empty today considering the heavyweight nature of the event chaired by South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai in the Presence of the PNDP National coordinator, Mme Magdalene Nga who merely managed to address the scantily attended forum in English.

The spirit of today’s event was that of sleeping during speeches and it required an injunction from Governor Bernard Okalia for participants to wake up sleeping mates. The launching of the World Bank supported project was a disgrace and total fiasco.

More than 15 councils in the South West have been earmarked to benefit from the third phase of the project. Local development is expected to speed up in the South West region. David Nkem, Regional coordinator for PNDP South West says all have been set for the 3rd phase to kick off in the region.

Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)

12, July 2016

Buea: Mayor Ekema Patrick takes on Barrister Tambe Tiku, says the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedom is badly in need of a decent leader ⁰

The Mayor of the Buea city council Hon. Ekema Patrick has reacted to human rights violation claims made by the South West Regional Secretary of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedom. The outspoken mayor said in a letter addressed to the commission that its leader, Barrister Tambe Tiku has discredited the commission’s reputation established by President Biya as an institution for consultation, dialogue and concerted action as enshrined in law number 2004/016 of 22nd July, 2004.

Mayor Ekema Patrick opined that Tambe Tiku has been regularly misusing his office to ventilate personal issues and have minimized administrative processes and lacks professionalism. The allegations made by the human rights commission according to the development oriented mayor were not properly tabled by the Regional secretary. Mayor Ekema observed that a phone call should not have been the medium to contact his office.

“The offensive, abusive and arrogant public authority manifested by Tambe Tiku simply represents the small mindedness and narrow vision with which he handles complaints”. Mayor Ekema added that the Regional Secretary Barrister Tambe Tiku has the culture of talking low on public officials including highly respected Fako traditional authorities. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered that the Human Rights Commission is reportedly losing its credibility as it has unduly extended its function on the Bakweri Land matters which is completely out of focus.

The Buea mayor revealed that the South West region was badly in need of a decent man to run the secretariat of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedom. Tambe Tiku hinted Ekema Patrick is all over the place and has demonstrated a frightful and unloving attitude towards the respect and neutrality rule that binds ELECAM members. In an interview with Cameroon Intelligence Report which will be published later, the Mayor made it clear that Tambe Tiku should return to his native Manyu and practice party politics. Ekema Patrick also spoke of his commitment to implement every aspect of President Biya’s emergency program for Cameroon in 2035.

Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)

11, July 2016

Cameroon to deploy troops along the border with the Central African Republic ⁰

Cameroon government authorities have announced that security will be tightened security along the border with the Central African Republic. Jean Baptiste Bokam, the Secretary of State for Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, made the decision public over state radio and television without specifying the nature of such measures.

Cameroon Concord News understands the strengthening of security will dampen or limit multiple incursions from rebels in the Central Africa region which has culminated to deaths or kidnappings of many Cameroonians. A sister publication, Cameroon Intelligence Report revealed that in recent months, the rebels of the Seleka and anti Balaka groups have multiplied their incursions into Cameroonian territory.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

11, July 2016

UK to have another female Prime Minister ⁰

The race to lead the UK’s ruling Conservative Party has just become narrower, with Minister of State for Energy Andrea Leadsom and Home Secretary Theresa May now battling each other to become the country’s second-ever female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher. In the second round of the voting by MPs on Thursday, May won the support of 199 lawmakers, topping Leedsom with 84 votes.

The third contestant, Justice Secretary Michael Gove was knocked out from the race after only managing to gain 46 votes. May and Leadsom will now battle to take a position that Thatcher handed to fellow Tories in 1990. As the home secretary, May is known for her high experience and is viewed as the favorite candidate among the 150,000 Conservative voters who will decide the winner. She won the first round by 165 votes, more than all of her four rivals combined.

Leedsome, however, is no easy target according to her record as a former banker. She is also endorsed by former London mayor Boris Johnson who had to drop out of the race after being “backstabbed” by Gove. Johnson’s support for Leedsom is guaranteed to win her a firm standing among the candidate among his admirers. The race to succeed current UK PM David Cameron into office is expected to be heavily shadowed by the country’s departure from the European Union (EU), something that forced Cameron to resign from the job in the first place.

On June 23, nearly 52 percent of Britons who voted in an EU referendum opted to leave the union. Cameron, who was a firm pro-EU campaigner, stepped down the next day. May, who opposed the move, has called for a candidate that can reunite the nation in the wake of the decision. However, Leedsom says that only a pro-Brexit candidate can be trusted to seize the opportunities made available after the vote. The winner will be declared on September 9.

Presstv

11, July 2016

Portugal clinch first European football championship title ⁰

Despite losing captain Cristiano Ronaldo early in the match, an extra-time late solo by Portugal’s forward Eder against the host France saw Fernando Santos’s team clinch their first European football Championship title.

Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo holds his leg after being injured during the Euro 2016 final football match between Portugal and France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on July 10, 2016. (AFP)

Twenty-five minutes into the Sunday night match, Ronaldo left the pitch in tears after playing for eight minutes while he was suffering from a knee injury from a clash with France’s Dimitri Payet.

Portugal’s forward Eder shoots to score the team’s first goal during the Euro 2016 final football match between France and Portugal at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on July 10, 2016. (AFP)

France’s goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (L) fails to save a goal by Portugal’s forward Eder (2ndR) during the Euro 2016 final football match between Portugal and France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on July 10, 2016. (AFP)

The lackluster match was played out to a nil-nil stalemate until Portugal’s Eder (Éderzito António Macedo Lopes) picked up the ball in midfield and fired into the corner of the net with less than 10 minutes to the final whistle.

Portugal players celebrate their 1-0 win over France during the Euro 2016 final football match between France and Portugal at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on July 10, 2016. (AFP)

Presstv

10, July 2016

Mayor of Lagdo, 13 others freed ⁰

Mama Abakaï, Mayor of Lagdo in the north and 13 Cameroonian hostages have been released after negotiations that did involve the governments of Cameroon, Central African Republic, the UN peace keeping mission, Minusca and the Central African armed groups that carried out the kidnappings.

Cameroon Concord News learnt that they were freed two days. Our informant hinted that the mayor and his entourage were first handed over to the UN peace keepers before they started their journey home for Garoua –Boulaï. The 14 Cameroonian hostages were kidnapped on March 19, 2015 at Gbabio, a town in eastern Cameroon.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

10, July 2016

Minister Martin Belinga Eboutou travels to France for medical reasons ⁰

The Director of the Civil Cabinet at the Presidency of the Republic has reportedly traveled to France for medical reasons. Martin Belinga Eboutou, a long time acolyte of the Cameroonian dictator, President Biya, smuggled himself out of the country yesterday night.

Cameroon Concord News gathered from an authoritative source that Martin Belinga Eboutou walked through one of the tarmacs of the Nsimalen international airport incognito looking a very sick man and boarded an Air France flight to Paris.

10, July 2016

Black protest resumes in US ⁰

‘Black Lives Matter’ protests have resumed across the US with protesters demonstrating over the recent police killings of two African Americans.

On Tuesday, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was fatally shot by police in the southeastern city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and 32-year-old Philando Castile was shot dead Wednesday by a police officer near St. Paul, Minnesota. On Saturday, protesters held demonstrations in Baton Rouge and some of them were arrested by police in riot gear.

The protesters marched along the right lane of Airline Highway until police blocked all six lanes of traffic and began walking toward the demonstrators. They were chanting, “black power” and “no justice, no peace, no racist police.”

Presstv