‘Assou-Ekotto wants to be a pornstar’—Birmingham City manager says

Birmingham City manager Harry Redknapp has played down talk of reconnecting with former Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto, claiming that the defender "wants to be a pornstar" instead of a footballer.

The former Spurs boss has managed the left-back twice before, but made a shocking revelation when asked would he sign him for Birmingham City.

Redknapp managed the Cameroon international at White Hart Lane before bringing him to QPR on loan when he took the Rangers job after moving on from Spurs.

Assou-Ekotto currently plays with French Ligue 1 club Metz, but has been linked with a move back to England to link up with Redknapp for a third time.

Despite the speculation, Redknapp was quick to play down a move for the 33-year-old, joking that the left-back has other things on his mind away from football.

"He was mad, Benoit, but do you know what? I think I’m mad as well," Redknapp joked on the Spurs Show Podcast .

"I got a phone call - it’s the gospel truth. I agreed I might go to Birmingham and suddenly I get a phone call from this guy.

"‘Oh Mr Redknapp, I’ve got a fantastic player for you’. Oh yes? ‘One of your old players’. Yes?  'Benoit'. No! But seriously you know what? I’m thinking: 'Yeah!' Somewhere inside I’m thinking I can get him going again.

"The only trouble is that he’s admitted he wants to be a pornstar. Maybe I can get another year out of him before he decides to do that.

"What a good player. He could well end up in the Birmingham colours next year, Benoit."

Culled from goal.com

20th May: Nkambe defies “unpatriotic boycott calls,” celebrates in pomp

Nkambe—“In defiance of unpatriotic calls for a boycott,” the people of Nkambe central subdivision in the Donga Mantung Division of the North West region joined the rest of the country in commemorative activities marking the 45^th National Day on Saturday May 20.

Chaired by the Senior Divisional Officer for Donga Mantung, Ngone Nodemessappe Bernard, the activities at the Nkambe municipal grandstand featured a military and civilian past.

Commanded by Captain Bamu, the military march past which preceded that of civilians was led by troops of the 25^th Motorised Infantry Battalion (BIM) that is lodged in the town.

Government Francophone Practising School Nkambe and her thrilling majorette led the parade of educational institutions after the Red Cross and Boys Scouts.

Among other educational institutions that took part in the march past were Government Bilingual High School (GBHS), Government Technical High School (GTHS), Government Teachers Training College (GTTC) and Christ the King Teachers Training College, all of Nkambe.

Conspicuous among the many socio-cultural, economic groups and associations that took part in the National Day parade was the female football team of Bang Bullet FC of Nkambe who received thunderous applauds from the tribune.

Three political parties—including the Social Democratic Front (SDF) of Ni John Fru Ndi were shortlisted for the parade in Nkambe but it boycotted.

Led by the section president, Ngala Gerard the ruling Cameroon People Democratic Movement (CPDM) largely dominated the march past with the presence of about 2,000 militants with some carrying posters displaying messages like “the Donga Mantung I section of the CPDM says yes to social peace and national unity.”

The UDP of Alaji Bako sealed the march past which also marked the end activities that lasted for over two hours.

Speaking to reporters after the march past, the SDO for Donga Mantung said though the usual numbers recorded in previous celebrations was not there this year, “you’ll agree with me that the quality was there.”

“We’ve witnessed a very qualitative march past and I take this opportunity to congratulate all those who participated in one way or the other to bring about the success of today’s celebrations. Here, I am thinking of the various committees, the schools, the political parties—particularly the CPDM that mobilised their militants and they came out in their numbers,” Ngone Ndodemesssappe Bernard said.

 “I also wish to thank the population of Donga Mantung and Nkambe in particular who have come out in their numbers in defiance of the unpatriotic calls for people to stay at home,” the senior administrative officer said further.

The 2017 national Day was celebrated under the theme, “Army and the nation in full synergy for a Cameroon, united in its diversity and devoted to its ideals of peace, stability and prosperity.”

By Ndi Eugene Ndi in Nkambe

‘Warriors’ join CPDM anti-ghost town march in Nkambe

Nkambe—Members of the ‘the Mfuh’ (society of warriors) joined militants of the ruling CPDM party in an anti-ghost town march on Friday May 19.

Holding banners with inscriptions like “CPDM Donga Mantung I says no to ghost towns,” the about 2,000 militants marched from the Nkambe community hall to the municipal grandstand of the town where preparations for the celebration of the National Day were being finalised.

The walk was the hallmark of a joint section conference of militants of the three wings of the CPDM in the Donga Mantung I section, Nkambe.

Speaking during the conference that rallied hundreds of militants, supporters and sympathisers of the ruling party, Donga Mantung I section president, Ngala Gerard said the conference was in line with the party’s statutes which requires that sections hold such twice annually.

Holding on the eve of the celebration of the National Day, the section president said it was “strategically scheduled as a billed up to the day.”

Ngala Gerard told attendees that the head of state, chairman of the CPDM party had understood the grievances posed by lawyers and teachers which are being “properly addressed.”

Enumerating some of the moves to address the grievances, he said government announced the special recruitment of 1,000 science and technical teachers and a FCFA 2 billion as special subsidy for lay private and confessional schools in the country.

Ngala Gerard reminded CPDM militants that the Head of State has ordered a yearly integration exercise for contract Basic Education teachers into the public service, while the ministry of Secondary Education has since been redeploying teachers according to their linguistic and educational system training.

The Donga Mantung I CPDM section president said after the creation of a common law bench at the Supreme Court and a similar department at ENAM as requested by lawyers, the government recently launched an entrance examination for Anglophones into the school among others.

Ngala Gerard however regretted that while the striking professionals were exercising their fundamental rights, recognised by the law of Cameroon, some individuals stepped-in and orchestrated violence.

 “Nobody has the monopoly of violence, but we in the CPDM we believe in peace, reason why we have not relent our efforts in calling for peace,” he said.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi in Nkambe

MTN Business broadens its range of products and services with Office 365 by Microsoft

George Mpoudi, General Manager MTN Business, MTN Cameroon/Courtesy

Douala, Cameroon—The leader of telecommunications in Cameroon, MTN and Microsoft, announce the commercialisation of Office 365 services for enterprises through MTN Business, the telecom giant’s entity dedicated to companies.

Office 365 is a service that enables to use the latest Microsoft Office version (PC or Mac installation and mobile devices) and a set of Cloud services such as OneDrive, Exchange Online, Skype Enterprise, SharePoint Online, Yammer... through monthly or yearly subscription unlike is the case with classical Office Suite licences.

Office 365 is a set of products and services that ease the production of content, sharing, team work and communication in real time between colleagues or groups from fixed or mobile terminals through Cloud Computing.   

MTN Business, thanks to its capacity as Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider in the Central and West African zone, can therefore sell the Office 365 suite and propose value added mobile solutions.

The availability of this new offer in Cameroon through MTN Business is the fruit of a strategic partnership signed between the MTN Group and Microsoft in 2015 in order to provide clients in Africa with Cloud Solutions.

“These solutions notably target small and medium enterprises in need of affordable, efficient and collaborative productivity solutions. These SMEs can therefore focus on their core business while we provide them the necessary local assistance”, declared Georges Mpoudi, General Manager, MTN Business at MTN Cameroon.

He later added that, “Office 365 is just the beginning. The partnership with Microsoft shall in future enable to provide other propositions of innovative value”.