Mayor Wasum Augustine of Balikumbat has been sentenced to eight years in prison for kidnapping, rape and other undisclosed related charges by the Court of First Instance in Ndop. Ever since he won a second mandate as mayor, Wasum Augustine has been at war with the CPDM Section President, Senator Dinga Ignatius. Cameroon Intelligence Report learnt that his first tenure was marred by mismanagement and misappropriation.

Augustine Wasum’s first arrest was on September 3, 2012. He was among the eight mayors arrested in the Northwest Region on charges of embezzlement of state funds.  The other mayors of councils that were arrested included; Stephen Tikanjo of Babessi (SDF) and Daniel Ntoh of Ndop Central (CPDM) Lawrence Tenoh  of Batibo, Johnny Agogho of Andek, George Tah of Mbengwi, Godwill Amahndong (1st Deputy) Mayor of Njinkwa and Godlove Awanakam, former Mayor of Andek.

By Cham Victor

Another tornado has struck the North region of Cameroon affecting the chief city of Garoua. It all started when a violent storm rocked the District of Mayo-Oulo claimed lives and caused serious damage to property. Cameroon government sources have been releasing contradictory tally on the death toll. It was announced immediately after the tornado that three persons were killed.

However, local newspaper reports in the North say 6 people lost their lives following the incident with several others seriously injured including a pregnant woman struggling with a broken right leg. In addition to human casualties, the command post of the 43^rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion based in Mayo- Oulo, has been completely destroyed. Cameroon Intelligence Report can now reveal that there are at least fifty destroyed private homes in Mayo-Oulo district.

CIR

Legal experts and few stakeholders in the legal system have begun reflecting on the implications of legal frameworks in the fight against terrorism. The three-day conference which started on the 8th of June 2016 is being chaired by Abane Ongolo on behalf of the Minister of Higher Education.

During the opening session, the Director of the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC), Pierre Emmanuel Tabi emphasized the need to re-examine laws governing the war on terrorism in order to make them more efficient.

The legal experts have made it public that they want to efficiently accompany those fighting terrorism. They shall henceforth exchange notes so as to pick out some of the limitations encountered as Cameroon continues to wage the war against Boko Haram terrorism. The forum was reportedly a waste of tax payers money

CRTV/CIR

As the second ordinary session of the National Assembly for the 2016 legislative year rolls on, the Ngoa-Ekelle Glass House is as busy as a bee hive. Conscious of the security context prevailing in the country faces at the moment from the Boko Haram terrorist sect, a series of preventive security measures have been put in place to pre-empt any nasty scenario.

As a sensible state institution, the National Assembly has within its premises a permanent detachment of the National Gendarmerie tasked with ensuring security of both the personnel and property. In the case of an event like parliamentary sessions, security measures are further beefed up given that it attract people across the board, including Members of Parliament, cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and the general public.

Within the context of the ongoing parliamentary session, the Secretary General of the National Assembly, Victor YeneOssomba, signed an internal communiqué (posted on the notice board of the National Assembly) with specific security measures to be observed by everyone.

The systematic check of persons and vehicles is a condition sin quo-non forentryto the premises of the National Assembly. Not only has the entrance from the Lycée Bilingued’Application (LBA) end been temporarily closed, but there is a considerable limitation of the number of visitors to Glass House. The measures also include the prohibition of dressing that does not allow immediate identification as well as gatherings within the precincts of the institution.

Cameroon Tribune

In prelude to the 2016 World Blood Donor Day to be commemorated on June 14, this year, the National Blood Transfusion Program on June 7, 2016 in Yaounde organised a session to train some 20 media practitioners on the right information to diffuse to the public as far as blood donation is concerned. During the training, it was revealed that blood donation is a voluntary act that should be practiced by everybody.

The Permanent Secretary for the National Blood Transfusion Program, Dr Appolonie Noah Owona  said when listening to the radio as well as reading newspapers, one gets the impression that media practitioners do not have sufficient knowledge on blood donation which is different from blood transfusion. In Cameroon, Dr Noah Owona explained, the first problem of blood transfusion is blood donation. She stressed that there is need for all stakeholders to know that they have to sensitise the population to know that their blood is needed.

Besides an equipped infrastructure for blood transfusion, she said there is need for blood which should come from people in the society. That is why the media is important in letting the population know that they need to donate their blood. She stressed that blood is not sold in Cameroon. But for blood to be qualified for transfusion, that blood needs to be tested. As such, the money people give to have blood transfusion is that which is used to qualify the blood for transfusion.

She argued that this money is quite minimal as compared to that which is given in developed countries. An administrator at the National Blood Transfusion Program, Stephan Assako said the problem of blood transfusion is serious as some 400,000 blood banks are needed each year in the country and few people are ready to give their blood. Thus, the program needs to organise its system through a special communication strategy which will encourage citizens to cultivate the habit of freely donating their blood after every three months.

Cameroon Tribune

Health authorities in Yaounde the nation’s capital have banned the sale of roast chicken following the outbreak of bird flu at the Mvog Betsi district. The decision prohibiting the sale was made public on May the 26^th 2016 by the Prefect of Mfoundi.

Unconfirmed reports say several grilled chicken traders had their goods seized by a special force under the direct supervision of the prefect of Mfoundi as part of the fight against the bird flu. We gathered that some petty traders witnessed the seizure of up to 300 chickens by the Sub-Prefect of the Yaounde II district.

Cameroon-info.net

4 people were killed on Monday June 6, 2016 following a violent storm that rocked the Mayo- Oulo district in the Mayo- Louti Division headquartered in Guider in the North Region.

Strong winds followed by a heavy down pour hit the city and caused extensive damage. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered that the storm greatly shattered the sub-prefecture and the gendarmerie post including several houses in the Mayo – Oulo.

CIR

Samuel Lifanda and co-accused paid the amounts they were accused of embezzling before the matter came to court. The former Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council, Samuel Ebiama Lifanda, reportedly a Pentecostal church pastor, is once more enjoying the air of freedom following his release on May 27, 2016, from detention in the Kondengui-Yaounde Maximum Security Prison by a decision of the Special Criminal Court, SCC. Lifanda was set free alongside Casimir Nyime Lyonga, the then Technical Head for Urban Affairs and Priso Simon Mokosa, ex-Service Head for Urban Affairs – all with the Limbe City Council.

Attempts on June 4, 2016, to reach Samuel Lifanda on phone were cut short by the wife who said he was not ready to talk to the media. Entreated to say when she thought her husband could be available, she retorted that she did not know and quickly hung up. Another family member would not say if Lifanda was now back with the family in Limbe or was still in Yaounde as rumoured. According to a source at the Yaounde-based Special Criminal Court, Lifanda and the two others were jointly accused of embezzling about 67 million FCFA, being funds from undue waivers he granted for building permits.

The former Government Delegate was responsible for most of the sum, with Nyime and Mokosa accused of embezzling relatively smaller amounts. The SCC judicial source said the three suspects were released in accordance with the presidential decree setting up the SCC, with the approval of the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals before the matter got to court. The advantage at this level, our source pointed out, is that the offence will not be entered into Lifanda’s criminal records; unlike those who are charged to court and later released after reimbursing the amounts they embezzled.

Samuel Ebiama Lifanda, Casimir Nyime Lyonga and Priso Simon Mokosa, were on June 10, 2015, remanded in prison custody after appearing before an SCC Examining Magistrate on charges of embezzlement and mismanagement. The former Government Delegate was on February 6, 2009 replaced by Andrew Motanga Monjimba. He was appointed to the position in 1998, replacing the late Henry Njalla Quan, the pioneer Government Delegate to the then Limbe Urban Council.

Cameroon Tribune

The former Deputy Secretary-General at the Presidency was decorated posthumously with the medal of National Order of Valour before being interred in his native Ndekwai village on June 4, 2016. All roads led to Mamfe, Manyu Division of the South West Region over the weekend as the nation paid last tribute to one of its illustrious sons, Prof. Peter Agbor Tabi who died on 26 April, 2016 in Paris, France. Not even the scorching sun could deter thousands of mourners from all the corners of the country to converge on the ceremonial ground in Mamfe for the official burial of the late Minister, Deputy Secretary-General at the Presidency of the Republic.

Present and former cabinet ministers, members of the Senate and National Assembly, South West Administration, ministers of God, traditional rulers, CERAC women, CPDM party supporters and the general public witnessed the official burial ordered by the Head of State in honour of his former close aide.  The official ceremony began with the arrival of the representative of the President of the Republic, Minister, Secretary-General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh at the Mamfe ceremonial ground. The casket bearing the mortal remains of Prof. Agbor Tabi was thus brought in by Police officers draped in the national colours amidst solemn music from the military band. A college of clergymen officiated the ecumenical service during which they prayed for the repose of the soul of late Prof.

Agbor Tabi and implored God to comfort the bereaved family. The four eulogies that marked the funeral ceremony delivered by the family head, the South West Chiefs’ Conference, the deceased son and the representative of the Secretary General of the CPDM Central Committee, all attested to the sterling qualities of devotedness, humility, loyalty, hardworking and love for his community.

In a highly emotional speech, the representative of the Head of State described Prof. Agbor Tabi (his former teacher at IRIC) as a man of conviction, values and responsibility who served his nation with diligence and commitment. “In him, we have lost a prominent figure in Cameroon administration, a senior statesman and a patriot,” Ngoh Ngoh stated while adding that the Head of State held Prof. Agbor Tabi in a very high esteem and was deeply touched by his demise. He recounted efforts by the President of the Republic to save his life.

On behalf of the President of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh posthumously decorated the late former Director of IRIC, Rector of University of Yaounde I, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Deputy Secretary General at the Presidency with the medal of National Order of Valour. Meanwhile the Head of State’s condolence message was read and handed to the family by the Senior Divisional Officer of Manyu, Peter Tieh Ndeh.

Cameroon Tribune