US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will not attend one of America’s most prestigious art awards, the annual Kennedy Center Honors, the White House has announced.

“The President and First Lady have decided not to participate in this year’s activities to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction,” a statement from the White House read.

The announcement came a day after members of Trump’s Committee on Arts and Humanities unanimously resigned to protest his refusal to condemn last week’s racist rallies in Virginia. Several honorees said they would boycott a White House reception for the awards.

Trump was widely criticized for blaming “both sides” for the deadly violence that erupted at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.

Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein and President Deborah F. Rutter released a statement welcoming Trump’s decision to skip the ceremony.

“In choosing not to participate in this year’s Honors activities, the Administration has graciously signaled its respect for the Kennedy Center and ensures the Honors gala remains a deservingly special moment for the Honorees. We are grateful for this gesture.”

The Kennedy Center also said that the traditional pre-ceremony reception at the White House was cancelled this year.

Trump’s exceptionally turbulent week was capped by his Friday firing of chief strategist Steve Bannon, the latest in a series of high-profile West Wing exits in recent months. Bannon is closely associated with the white nationalism of the “alt-right” movement.

The president also stayed away from the annual White House correspondents’ dinner in April, with then-press secretary Sean Spicer citing Trump’s strained relations with the news media.

Source: Presstv

Patience Lobe Ondoua, wife of the late Makossa star Guy Lobe is no more. The late singer’s wife died on Tuesday August 15, 2017 at the General Hospital in Douala.

Reacting to news of her sudden disappearance, Makossa legend, Sam Mbende said he was very touched by the death of Patience Lobe Ondoua, a well-known woman in the world of show bizz and wife of the late Guy Lobe. We understand, Sam Mbende is very close to the Guy Lobe family.

Patience Ondoua was reportedly ill in November 2016 and was admitted at the General Hospital in Douala. She is originally from the Lekie Division in the Central Region. Her husband, the famous Guy Lobe, died on March 16, 2015 at the Yaoundé General Hospital following an illness.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

Afro-pop and sensational artist, Mr Leo is back again, this time around with a hit song, “Partout”, dedicated to his fans for their support and continuous presence in his career.

The release comes barely four months after the artist and song writer made public a video music “C’est Faux”, a powerful vocal that denounces gossip and jealousy. The young Cameroonian superstar and brand ambassador settled for a rather slow but authoritative music clip.

State radio and television, CRTV reported that in just four days, the video has registered an impressive impact on the social media. Its YouTube has recorded over 121.679 views. The melody has been appreciated by many of his fans who say the song is a perfect blend of rap and afro beats.

Most of the shots were taken in Buea and featured Salatiel, Blaise B, Askia and Makon. Mr. Leo, one of the new generation artists, from Anglophone Cameroon is presently one of the most popular and successful artist on the African continent.

He signed to a local music production, Alpha Better Records and has some popular hits like “E go betta”, “Jamais Jamais”, “On va gérer” and “Kemayo”.

Source: CRTV

He spoke of his deep remorse after it emerged he had shied away from a live television broadcast in Cameroon. And yesterday Petit Pays aka Rabbi Rabba took a further step to rebuild his international image by revealing that Peur dans la cite would have a prominent place on his latest tour.

From his headquarters in the US, Petit Pays and Les Sans Visas announced the dates of their greatest comeback tour that could earn them millions of US dollars. Turbo announced earlier today that he will be on stage in the US, Canada and Europe in a tour that will feature all his hits plus songs and that of Les Sans Visas.

But it was the revelation that the Les Sans Visas will be travelling with him that raised eyebrows at yesterday’s press briefing with the Cameroon Concord News Group. Attached here is Petit Pays’s schedule for the “Greatest Comeback Tour” that involves a presentation in Cameroon:

JULY 22nd, 2017: ATLANTA – BUI FAMILY UNION CONVENTION
JULY 29TH, 2017: TORONTO, Canada
August the 5TH: Bafoussam, Cameroon
August the 12th: ESSEN, GERMANY (Live Band)
August the 19TH: CALGARY, CANADA
August the 26th: Ottawa, Canada
September, Saturday the 16TH: MONTREAL, CANADA (Live Band)

By Soter Tarh Agabw-Ebai
Cameroon Concord News

Richard Bona, the famous Cameroonian singer and guitarist has accused the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime of misusing his image. After he was refused a visa to travel home for the funeral rites of his mother who passed away recently, Richard Bona opined that the use of his image in a commercial in Cameroon was a deliberate action orchestrated by President Biya and his gang.

Cameroon Concord News learnt that a strong reaction from the singer prompted the Yaoundé authorities to remove the image. Richard Bona who hails from Minta in the Central region of Cameroon was quoted as having written these lines to the CPDM government: “To Mr BIYA and his government, please immediately remove my image from your video. The law prohibits that! And it’s always you who start again. Encore and Encore.”

By Fru James
Camcordnew Desk

The Grand Chancellor of the National Orders and senior politician in the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime has infuriated many Southern Cameroonians in the poverty-stricken South West region by throwing a shockingly extravagant wedding.

The former Prime Minister got married to Mrs Mbangue, who moonlights as deputy general manager of the Conference Center in Yaoundé. The extravagant bash is thought to have cost the ex-CPDM Senator and current Chairman of the so-called Commission on Bilingualism and Multiculturalism huge amount of money. We are yet to establish the cost of bride Mbangue’s jewelry for the wedding.

Guests were invited to the wedding based on their loyalty to the ruling CPDM crime syndicate. Musonge and his wife were filmed lip-syncing to a song that was composed specifically for the nuptials. The lavish wedding was also an opportunity to show case the rich Bakweri culture.

By Rita Akana
Cameroon Concord News

New officials have been appointed at the Cameroon Radio and Television following the successful holding the extraordinary session of the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday June 29, 2017 in Yaoundé.

The appointments were made in the Radio and TV departments including those at the regional stations and CRTV FM channels. Some former officials such as Ibrahim Cherif, the director of TV and Alain Belibi head of the radio were retained.

Of vital significance was the dismissal of Adelè Mballa as Director of TV News, as well as Jean Marie Nka sacked from his position as Editor-in-Chief. Cameroon Intelligence Report understands the two were fired as a consequence of a costly mistake on the formation of the new French government under Emmanuel Macron.

By Rita Akana
Cameroon Concord News

Large differences among ekpe members from Manyu Division based in the United Kingdom which led to sharp debates and cultural schisms, and the famous Pa Tanyi’s public denunciation of Sesekou Ralph Tanyi shows how extensive the feuding in UK ekpe lodge has become and how remote the prospects of unity are among the Manyu ekpe citizens.
It were for these reasons that the first ever ekpe extraordinary session in Great Britain held on Saturday the 17th of June 2017 at the residence of His Royal Highness Chief Sampson Abangma who also moonlights as the supreme leader of the Bache kingdom.

Opening the session, Chief Abangma observed that Manyu ekpe members must return to the hallowed values lay down by the ancestors that for decade after decade, sought to bring about really meaningful peace and decorum in the Manyu nation. The singing was amazing and led by Nfor Ngbe Nelson Agbortoko of Besongabang.

The Manyu title holders reportedly examined the main issues confronting the ekpe community in the UK including an investigation opened in Cameroon by Pa Sampson Tanyi against the award of a Sesekou title to a senior Manyu elite in the UK, Ralph Tanyi. Cameroon Concord News understands the so-called Manyu Ekpe Supreme Council wrote a letter to Pa Tanyi in which the body noted that Ralph Tanyi had breached ekpe rules and should not be recognized as a Sesekou.

By some strange happenstance, the document was forwarded to various Manyu groups and other Cameroonian cultural associations in the UK and Northern Ireland. The UK ekpe lodge after a thorough examination of the letter and backed by the fact that the Manyu Chiefs Conference had distanced itself from the said document, resolved that Ralph Tanyi of Kembong village was a recognized Manyu title holder and a Sesekou.
The UK ekpe lodge also advised Sessekou Pa Sampson Tanyi to stop posing as a traditional ruler mindful of the fact that he is a quarter-head in his native Tayor village. The Manyu elders further pointed out that there is no organization known as Manyu Mgbe Britain and that the Mamfe ekpe lodge should be made to understand the structure of ekpe in the UK.

In a soul-searching speech, Sesekou Ralph Tanyi informed the forum that Pa Tanyi had conducted a 15 years inquiry on his person ever since he raised an alarm on the corruption practices in the Manyu Elements Cultural Association, MECA UK. Consequently, the house reached a unanimous decision that the obscure document was a fabrication aimed at tarnishing the hard earned reputation of Sesekou Ralph Tanyi. The Manyu traditionalists also stated that the Pa Tanyi letter was extremely lacking in ekpe finesse.

The UK ekpe lodge meeting was attended by HRH Sessekou Chief Sampson Abangma, Sesekou Augustine Tambekong of Bachou Ntai, Sessekou Thomas Tambe of Eyang Atem Ako, Sessekou Sampson Tanyi of Tayor, Sessekou Ralph Tanyi of Kembong, Osongoribo Samuel Akoegbe of Besongabang and Osongoribo Pius Mbi of Etoko.

By Eyong Peter

After a failed national day celebration in both French and Anglophone Cameroon, the Biya Francophone regime is now brandishing the names of cabinet ministers who are married to women from outside their regions of origin as a major achievement and a justification that the nation is one and indivisible.  , L’Œil du Sahel news paper reportedly having strong ties with the regime in Yaounde revealed that Ministers Amadou Ali, Louis Paul Motaze, Baba Hamadou,  and the disgraced Marafa Hamidou Yaya including many other highly placed government officials are married to women from other regions.

The paper observed that the Francophone political elites view national integration in Cameroon with passion of the mind. L’Œil du Sahel made an incursion into the private lives of certain senior Francophone members of government among them Ministers, MPs, Senators and general managers of state owned corporations  who are sharing their lives with women from other regions and cultures.

The report revealed that Amadou Ali, the Deputy Prime Minister, in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, is married to Agnes Françoise Ali, born in Moukouri in the Littoral region. Amadou Ali is a Kanuri Muslim who went to look for a woman in a non-Muslim family in the Littoral, more than 1000 km from place of birth in Kolofata.

In another case, Louis Paul Motaze, the current Minister of Economy and former Secretary General at the Prime Minister’s Office is married to Aïssa, an Haoussa from the Logone and Birni Division in the Far North region whom he met in 1985. To be sure, Louis Paul Motaze and Aïssa Motaze will be celebrating 33 years in matrimony this year.

Senator Baba Hamadou originally from Ngaoundéré got married to Françoise Hamadou an Ewondo from Ngoumou. The couples have been married for 27years now.  In the same vein, the former minister today in prison, Marafa Hamidou Yaya has bonded with Jeannette, a Sawa from Banassama while Sports Minister Bidoung Mpkatt has Habissou Bidoung from the North.

By Rita Akana

Cameroon Concord News

A man prevented his wife from boarding a flight to Paris at the Yaoundé Nsimalen airport last Thursday. The lady whose names we are withholding had gone through airport security and was waiting for the time to initiate the formalities for her boarding when her husband arrived and handed over their marriage certificate to the airport police officers who later denied the woman access to the plane.

The 32-year-old wife tried to leave her 39-year-old husband with their her 4 children and taking more than half of their family savings of over 2.5 million CFA francs from their credit union account. The husband, originally from the West region, is a taxi driver and the owner of several others. He was informed of the secret project by his wife’s best friend. Feeling betrayed, the husband hurried to Yaoundé Nsimalen airport on the day of the flight with their marriage certificate and managed to block his wife’s trip to Europe.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the lady, who hails from Douala in the Littoral reportedly, met a man via Face Book who had promised her a better life and marriage in Europe. After several virtual exchanges, the young lady decided to make the trip. After the drama last Thursday, the husband, decided to seek divorce. But the two families took steps to bring back the serenity and the idea of divorce has been dropped.

By Rita Akana

Cameroon Concord News