Stern security checks for persons leaving, coming into the North West region

Adolphe Lele Lafrique, Governor of the North West Region

The Governor of the North West Region Adolphe Lele Lafrique has said people leaving or getting into the region will be subjected to stern security checks in conformity with the 1990 law on the maintenance of law and order.

In a press release dated September 14, the North West chief executive announced that the stricter security checks follow instructions from the Head of State that more measures be employed by the government to guarantee the collective safety and security of persons in the region following growing acts of killing, kidnappings for ransom, looting of property, destruction of personal documents and generalized vandalism perpetrated against pupils, students, teachers, innocent civilians and the military.  

The governor’s release further stated that during regular search operations at the different check points recently, some persons were found in possession of short guns, cartridges, locally fabricated explosives, drugs and other compromising objects leaving government with the impression that activists are trying to increase violence in the region or extend beyond.

Administrative authorities, Security and Defense forces as well as managers of transport agencies have been charged with the responsibility to implement these measures.

Governor Lele Lafrique warned that private individuals, commercial vehicles or motor bikes caught in the act of transporting terrorists or compromising materials and / or facilitating such transactions shall be taken and treated as terrorists.

The release challenged parents, guardians and family members to convince their  brothers and sisters  enrolled by secessionists and misled to take up arms against the government to surrender their weapons to the nearest administrative, traditional, municipal or religious authority,  promising psychological and logistical support for their eventual reintegration into society.

Those based in the Diaspora were called upon to redirect their resources to socio-economic development and education which the governor said they themselves benefited from, instead of manipulating the population and sponsoring socio-economic hardship and illiteracy.

The Governor extended an invitation to them to join the government in Nation building as true and committed patriots. He reassured the population of their safety while asking civil servants to return to their work places, teachers and pupils to be in school and business people to go about their economic activities.

This press release comes a week after the governor signed a communiqué instituting a dusk-to-dawn curfew for the entire North West Region after some unidentified men dug the road at mile 8 Akum.

By Wanchia Cynthia in Bamenda

2018 presidential election: Five candidates reject code of good conduct

During the 7th national consultation forum in Yaounde last Thursday September 6, 2018 between Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) and other stakeholders of the electoral process, some participants refused to endorse the revised code of good conduct used in 2011.

Although the majority of participants in the meeting adopted the 21-point binding rules to guarantee a smooth electoral process for the October 7 vote, there were some agitations particularly among representatives of some presidential candidates who argued that the document was yet another attempt by the Biya regime to muzzle opposition candidates and prevent them from challenging electoral fraud in the name of "peace".

Representatives of five of the nine candidates running for the October 7 election angrily left the meeting hall at the Yaounde conference centre on Thursday without endorsing the code.

Social Democratic Front (SDF) secretary general, Senator Jean Tsomelou who represented the leading opposition’s flag bearer at the consultation forum together with the representatives of Akere Muna, Maurice Kamto, Ndifor Afanwi Frankline (Prophet Frank) and Cabral Libii all rejected the document.

According to Lasha Kingsley, Prophet Frank's Communication and Press Manager, the presidential candidate’s representative at the forum could not endorse the document because ELECAM introduced the G20 which is a group of twenty opposition party leaders supporting CPDM presidential candidate, Paul Biya. Lasha said their representative like others who also brushed off the code saw that “there was something fishy with the document”.

But ELECAM chairman, Enow Abrams Egbe said the code of conduct is document meant to implemented in order to give the election

“We are not working particular political party. We are working for the electoral process of our country. The ambition of Elections Cameroon is to give credibility to our electoral process and we think that when we take an act, we try to see how it can accommodate all interests,” Enow Abrams said.

During the one day forum, members of the Electoral Board of ELECAM exchanged views with some 500 stakeholders including of the electoral process including legalized political parties, candidates for presidential election, civil society organizations, private and public media under the theme “The role of election stakeholders for a successful election”.

The holding of Consultations between ELECAM and other stakeholders of the electoral process is provided for by Section 11 (2) of Law No.2012/001 of 19 April 2012 relating to the Electoral Code.

According to ELECAM, the 7th National Consultation Forum had as main objective to appease the socio-political climate on the eve of the presidential election, by consolidating democratic principles and dialogue between stakeholders of the electoral process, while improving their competence and performance for a better appropriation and a harmonised comprehension of texts and practices, during and after the vote.

At press time, the final document which is a revised edition of the code of good conduct used during the 2011 presidential election was not yet accessible to the media. The communication unit of ELECAM promised to send us a once available.
By Ndi Eugene Ndi