Life

Buea: Population rises against drug abuse

27, January 2023

Buea: Population rises against drug abuse 0

The use of hard drugs is gradually becoming a trend in Buea and many youths find it pleasing to get involved, but the older folks are against the spread of this dangerous weapon of mass destruction.

Recently, some residents in Bomaka, a neighborhood in Buea, took to the streets to protest against hard drugs which created many addicts in the area.

To demonstrate their seriousness, the angry protesters went into the various homes and hideouts of the addicts and brought them to the street where they were administered some public thrashing which has left many addicts thinking.

Since the area is not very populated, it was easy for them to be identified and following the public flogging, many addicts have relocated and the drug dealers are also leaving town, aware that the population might be cooking up something against them.

Talking to one of the protesters, he said that after consuming these substances, the addicts get involved in crimes and make the place unsafe for others, especially young people who are vulnerable and still struggling with identity issues.

According to sources in Bomaka, when these addicts are arrested by the security forces, they are released immediately upon bail and it has become a form of business between the two parties, a reason why the angry population took it upon itself to deal with the issue.

By Cecilia Manjang

Peace Corps Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Service in Cameroon

19, January 2023

Peace Corps Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Service in Cameroon 0

On Friday, January 13, Peace Corps celebrated 60 years of service in Cameroon in a ceremony at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé with the U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon Christopher J. Lamora, and the Peace Corps Country Director Kristina Nicole Séne.  As part of the 60th anniversary commemoration, the Ministers of Public Service and Administrative Reform Joseph Le, Secondary Education Pauline Nalova Lyonga, and the Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of relations with Commonwealth Felix Mbayu launched a photograph exhibition of Peace Corps’ 60 years of partnership with the Government of Cameroon.

The event also marked the return of Volunteers to Cameroon after nearly two and a half years of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Ambassador Lamora administered the oath of service to nine new Peace Corps Volunteers, stating that “Peace Corps embodies the best of America:  Service to others in the pursuit of peace and development.  The work you do is so very important and demonstrates the ongoing spirit of cooperation between the Cameroonian and American peoples.”  Since arriving in late October, the new volunteers have attended an intensive eleven-week cultural, language, and vocational training before being sworn in. Volunteers will work in health centers and with agricultural groups in the Center, Littoral, and South regions of Cameroon.

Distributed by APO Group

Agbor Clarisse Death: Studying in Ghana can be deadly

17, January 2023

Agbor Clarisse Death: Studying in Ghana can be deadly 0

When Agbor Clarisse Enoetie left her University hostel in Kumasi to Accra to attend a music concert, her mates knew it was business as usual. She reportedly disappeared on her way back to Kumasi.

Her family in Cameroon placed their faith in the Ghanaian police to find her. An investigation was opened and later it became a recovery mission!

It is extremely difficult to describe the pain Clarisse Enoetie’s family is suffering after the ex-Saker Baptist College jewel was murdered four academic years after arriving in Ghana to study medicine.

Students like Agbor Clarisse and her family aren’t being properly informed on the potential dangers they face before setting out on what should be life-enhancing journeys.

Clarisse Enoetie is known to always make good decisions! The trip to Accra wasn’t her’s! To be more accurate, it was unlike her.

Cameroon Concord News Group gathered that in Ghana, foreign students are regularly being targeted, drugged, kidnapped, killed, raped, taken to unsafe places, placed in unsafe homes, and placed in unsafe vehicles on unsafe roads.

We of the Concord Group have also discovered that there is no Cameroon government agency, credentialing organization, or institution attached to the Ministry of Higher Education that keeps track of deaths or injuries during study abroad.

With the number of Cameroonian students studying abroad growing every year, safeguards are now essential.

Cameroonian students are new to travel particularly to other African countries and they need to know that it’s a different world out there.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Zangaléwa: Founder and lead singer, dies at 71

17, January 2023

Zangaléwa: Founder and lead singer, dies at 71 0

Jean Paul Zé Bella from the Zangalewa group passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2023.

According to reports, Zangalewa’s group’s founder and leader, who is well known for the hit song “Zamina Mina Mina,” passed away from lung cancer. He was 71 years old.

Zé Bella died in the military hospital in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital.

Artist-musician Johnny Tezano claimed that Zé Bella had been battling lung cancer for several years. The news was also confirmed by various other artists online.

Who was Jean Paul Zé Bella

Ze Bella was the music artist of the band of the famous song Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)”. It is a 1986 hit song, sung by a Makossa group from Cameroon.

He was the famous author of Waka Waka. It was remixed by Shakira, the Waka Waka, the Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Song.

Ze Bella was the leader of the defunct group. He declared that while they were proud that a “world music icon” Shakira had remixed their song as the World Cup anthem, they nonetheless expected to be properly credited and adequately compensated.

Ze Bella Cause of Death

Ze Bella cause of death was lung cancer. Singer and drummer, Ze Bella who was born on 23 July 1952 in Sangmélima, Cameroon sadly passed away. He was a member of the Golden Sounds group.

Zamina mina (Zangaléwa) was the famous song released by Golden Sounds group. Following the widespread success, the group changed its name to Zangaléwa as a result of the song’s popularity.

During World War II, the majority of the band members served in the Cameroonian Army.

Source: Ngnews247

Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie, dead at 54

13, January 2023

Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie, dead at 54 0

Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley, died on Thursday after being rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital suffering from cardiac arrest, according to media reports.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” her mother, Priscilla Presley, said in a statement.

“She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss,” the statement added.

Lisa Marie Presley suffered cardiac arrest in her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, according to entertainment website TMZ. She was then taken to hospital on Thursday.

She attended the Golden Globes awards show in Beverly Hills earlier this week, where actor Austin Butler won the best actor award for portraying her father in the film “Elvis.” Butler paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley and her mother during his acceptance speech.

Elvis Presley died of cardiac arrest in August 1977 at the age of 42.

Lisa Marie Presley was born on Feb. 1, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee and became the owner of her father’s Graceland mansion a popular tourist attraction in the city. She was nine years old when Elvis died there.

Her own music career began with a 2003 debut album “To Whom It May Concern.” It was followed by 2005’s “Now What,” and both hit the top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart. A third album, “Storm and Grace,” was released in 2012.

She was married four times. She wed pop star Michael Jackson in 1994, just 20 days after her divorce from her first husband, musician Danny Keough.

The high-profile couple divorced in 1996 as Jackson was battling child molestation allegations.

Presley married actor Nicholas Cage, a huge fan of her father, in 2002. Cage filed for divorce four months later.

Her fourth marriage was to her guitarist and music producer Michael Lockwood. Their divorce was finalized in 2021.

She had four children. Her only son, Benjamin Keough, himself a musician, died in 2020 at age 27, a death ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County coroner. Daughter Riley Keough, 33, is an actress.

Her two other daughters are twins Harper and Finley Lockwood, 14.

Source: Reuters

Improper waste management is giving University of Buea a bad name

8, January 2023

Improper waste management is giving University of Buea a bad name 0

Waste disposal is a massive problem in Cameroon and this issue is gradually making its way into the University of Buea.

While the University of Buea authorities are doing their utmost to keep the university clean, those doing business around the university are not helping university authorities in their efforts.

Some of the suspects who are not playing by university cleanliness rules are some documentation business operators who dispose of wastes in an open space in the university of Buea campus because of the unavailability of trash cans.

Garbage, mostly paper and plastic, continues to accumulate around the UB campus, making the area a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a sore eye to students and visitors.

It has become a huge discomfort to many students who go there for the services of these business owners. Some students visiting the business locations reported that they had been bitten by mosquitoes when they went there to either print or photocopy their documents.

The University of Buea, which is a citadel of learning in Cameroon, is supposed to be a sight for sore eyes and an example to other institutions in country, but the irresponsible acts by people who do not care about the environment and human health are robbing the University of its Status as the beacon of hope and responsibility.

If due to financial constraints the university cannot provide these business operators with garbage bins, the university can oblige them to dispose of their garbage in the best possible way to spare the university the embarrassment it is being exposed to.

Keeping the university clean is a shared responsibility and students and those who operate businesses on and around the campus should pull their fair share of the weight when it comes to keeping the university clean.

A clean environment speaks well    of a university and it is incumbent upon the university community to make UB the real place to be.

By Cecilia Manjang

Penda Dalle makossa icon dies at 65 in Paris

27, December 2022

Penda Dalle makossa icon dies at 65 in Paris 0

Legendary makossa figure Penda Dalle has died, a family member confirmed on Monday. He was 65.

“We are devastated to share that Penda Dalle has passed away,” reads a statement released by his daughter in France. “Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace.”

Penda Dalle became revered in the 80s and 90s for his compositions. His music had spiritual, avant-garde melodies and drew upon a wide range of feelings – from peaceful to frantic.

According to some credible sources, the renowned artist was found dead in his apartment in Paris on Monday, December 26, 2022.

Penda recorded several successful hits including “BONADIBON” and concluded his career with a duet with the great Manu Dibango.

His death comes shortly after those of Ekambi Brillant and Djene Djento, two other big names in Cameroonian music.

By Rita Akana

Congolese musician Tshala Muana will be buried tomorrow in Kinshasa

22, December 2022

Congolese musician Tshala Muana will be buried tomorrow in Kinshasa 0

Congolese musician Tshala Muana will be buried in Kinshasa Friday, December 23, four days after the internment of her counterpart, Kiamuangana Mateta Verckys.

Tshala, who was also popularly known as Mamu Nationale (Mother of the Nation) and the ‘Queen of Mutuashi’, died on December 10 after a long illness.

Just like Kiamuangana’s, her body is lying at the Hospital du Cinquantenaire in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital.

Verckys, who was a seasoned saxophonist, composer, band leader and musicians’ rights campaigner, died in October.

According to a tentative funeral programme released in Kinshasa on Tuesday, a two-day funeral vigil for Tshala was due to be held at the Maisha Park.

Funeral service

Fellow musicians, fans, and state officials were Thursday expected to converge on the Palais de People (People’s Palace) for a funeral service. 

Friday will mark Tshala’s final journey before she is laid rest at the Necropolis Cemetery on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

A service at the People’s Assembly was to pay a special tribute to her, as a former nominated Member of Parliament.

According to reports from Kinshasa, the government and the family agreed to have the funeral held before the Christmas weekend.

Hosting mourners

Her partner and music producer Claude Mashala has been hosting mourners at their residence since she died. They include former DR Congo first lady Olive Lembe Kabila.

Tshala, who started her entertainment career as a dancer and went on to become one of the leading Congolese female singers, will be remembered for having popularised her Tshiluba language from the country’s southern Kasai region.

Unlike other leading Congolese musicians who mainly sing in Lingala, one of the official languages, Tshala recorded most of her songs in Tshiluba.

She excelled at promoting the sexy traditional mutuashi cultural dance, expressing feminism.

Her hit songs from when she left DR Congo to hone her talent in West Africa, performing in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, and other cities, include, “Karibu Yangu”, “Tshibola, Kalume”, and the ever-green ballad “Vuluka Dilolo”.

Source: The East African

Another legendary Makossa singer Djene Djento dies suddenly of cardiac arrest

16, December 2022

Another legendary Makossa singer Djene Djento dies suddenly of cardiac arrest 0

Tributes have been pouring to Djene Djento who died suddenly of a suspected cardiac arrest in Dschang.

Djene Djento who rose to prominence in the early 80s with his popular song debroussailler travelled to the land of his ancestors on Wednesday, December 14, 2022.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the legendary Makossa singer and composer was attending a function in Dschang when he suffered a heart attack.

Djene Djento had a brilliant music career alongside some heavyweights like Manulo and Salle John.

His passing comes to further sadden the world of Cameroonian showbiz, which has already been scalded by the disappearance earlier this week of Ekambi Brillant.

By Rita Akana

Makossa: Ekambi Brillant is no more as cancer cuts his life short

14, December 2022

Makossa: Ekambi Brillant is no more as cancer cuts his life short 0

The renowned Makossa legend passed away on Monday, December 12, 2022 at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, aged 74.

Ekambi Louis Brillant succumbed to cancer after his return from a medical evacuation in Europe, according to sources close to his family.

Born on 18 June 1948, in Dibombari, a village near Douala, the Cameroonian international super star spent much of his childhood with his maternal grandparents in Djébalè (a suburb of Douala); it was there that his passion for music was born, listening to the pirogues singing on their way back from the sea.

In 1962, he passed the entrance exam and was accepted at the Lycée Général-Leclerc in Yaoundé and under the guidance of Mr. Zane Daniel – a French music teacher he learned how to play the guitar.

 In 1971, at the age of 23, he abandoned his studies to join Les crack’s as a guitarist. They performed in the nightclub Le Domino. He then entered the music competition launched by the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF) whose jury was composed, among others, of Manu Dibango and Francis Bebey. He won the competition and subsequently released his first single entitled “Jonguèlè la Ndolo”, which recorded 20,000 sales.

When he arrived in France in 1972, he signed with label Phonogram and released his second 45 rpm record which was also a success with 25,000 sales. In 1975, he broke his contract with Phonogram and joined Slim Pezin with whom he released the album Africa Oumba and the track “Elongui” which was later covered by several other African and European artists. This album recorded a record of about 4 million sales. This was followed by collaborations with Slim Pezin as producer for the tracks “Soul Castel” and “Musunguédi”.

By Rita Akana with additional files from Wikipedia

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