Hydrocarbons: First English Speaking Cameroonian Takes over CSPH

Paul Elung Che, 45, native of Tombel in the Kupe Muanenguba Division of the South West Region of Cameroon is the new General Manager of Cameroon’s Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund (CSPH).

Appointed by a presidential decree on Friday April 26, 2013, the new GM of CSPH was officially installed into his functions on Friday May 3, 2013 by Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, president of the Board of Directors of CSPH, also Minister of Commerce.

Commissioning Elung Paul Che into his function, Luc Magloir Mbarga Atangana called for hard work and vigilance in the follow up of prices of hydrocarbons in the country at a time the prices of crude oil are very volatile in the world market.

Elung Paul Che would also be faced with the challenge of ensuring that the prices of hydrocarbon products especially methane (cooking gas) and kerosene are unique everywhere in the country.

Elung Paul Che who is the first English Speaking Cameroonian to be appointed to that position replaces Ibrahim Talba Mala who headed the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund for over two decades before being appointed GM of Cameroon’s National Refinery, SONARA last February.

In his congratulatory message to his successor, Ibrahim Talba Mala revealed that he is leaving CSPH in good health; financially and human resource wise. He encouraged the personnel of CSPH to give total support to their news boss.

Talking to the media after his installation, Elung Paul Che said “my first action is to consolidate all the achievements of my predecessor”. The new CSPH GM however would not only consolidate what his predecessor has achieved, “then do everything to ameliorate through innovation to make the corporation better”, the new GM said.

After serving as Paymaster-General for the Northwest and Southwest Regions for over six years, Elung Paul Che, Senior Treasury Inspector was the pioneer General Manager of Treasury, Financial and Monetary Cooperation in the Ministry of Finance in Cameroon. He was sacked on February 19, 2009 barely after 13 months in office.

A graduate of Harvard University, in the USA with a Masters in Public Administration and financial management, Elung Che, after his first degree from the University of Yaoundé enrolled into ENAM (National School of Administration and Magistracy) Yaounde, graduating two years later as Senior Treasury Inspector.

Senate to extend mandate of MPs

Rt Hon. Cavaye Yegui Djibril

MPs of the 8^th legislature of the lower hose of parliament, the national assembly of Cameroon have urged to remain exemplary in the discharge of their duties which is their main duty.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Cavaye Yegui Djibril made the clarion call in Yaounde on Thursday May 2, 2013 at the opening of an extra ordinary session of the national assembly.

The extra ordinary session the National Assembly speaker said is to discuss a bill to extend the term of office of the current members of the house.

Elected in July 2007 for a period of five years, the term of office of parliamentarians of the 8^th legislature was due to expire on August 21, 2012. Prior to this date, their mandate was extended first by a period of six months and secondly by three months. Thus, following the two extensions, their mandate was due to expire on May 21, 2013.

With another extra ordinary session dedicated to the examination of a bill to extend their mandates for the third time, it is expected that the MPs would be given another two months of ‘grace’ to remain at the glass house.

According to provisions in the constitution, the senate cannot meet without the national assembly. Therefore, with putting in place of the senate, it is necessary to extend the mandate of parliamentarians so they could meet in an ordinary session in June, when senators would be meeting in their first ordinary session.

The extension of the mandates of parliamentarians thus has been necessitated by the senate.

However, Cameroonians have been expressing mixed feelings about the legitimacy of their parliamentarians. Some Cameroonians say the MPs are not longer enjoying the legitimacy of those who elected them.

Some MPs too have been wondering why their mandates were not extended by one year at once. Hon Jean Jacques Ekindi of the Progressive Movement Party “… first it was six months, then three and now may be two months. Why could it not have been one year so that everybody organizes himself” the MP questioned. The MP described the extensions as a disorder that does not suit an institution like the National assembly.

But Hon Foju Bernard of the ruling Cameroon’s People Democratic Movement, the CPDM party thinks that “the extension is just to respect the constitution; we cannot have a senate without the national assembly”.

The Senate was created in 1996 after an amendment to the constitution created the upper chamber. However, power to convene the Electoral College and call elections for the Senate remained with the President. President Biya chose not to do so until he signed decree 2013/056 on 27 February 2013, which set April 14, 2013 as the election date.

CPJ calls on African Union to uphold press freedom

May 2, 2013
H.E. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
Chairperson of the African Union
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Via fax and email
Dear Chairperson Zuma:
We ask that you mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2013, by calling for the release of all journalists imprisoned in Africa and appealing for justice in the murders of journalists killed in the line of duty.
At least 41 African journalists will spend World Press Freedom Day imprisoned in direct reprisal for their work, according to CPJ research. It is particularly disturbing that Ethiopia and the Gambia, which host offices of the African Union, are among the nations holding journalists in jail. These imprisonments have silenced important voices, often in contravention of regional and international rulings.
Among the seven journalists imprisoned in Ethiopia is Reeyot Alemu, who is serving a five-year term at Kality Prison on baseless terrorism charges lodged after she wrote columns critical of the government. Reeyot was honored in 2013 with the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize, and in 2012 with the Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, among other international institutions, have censured Ethiopia for the imprisonment of Reeyot and other journalists under the country's overly broad anti-terrorism law. Eskinder Nega, a 2012 laureate of PEN American Center's Freedom to Write Award, has been imprisoned since September 2011 on fabricated terrorism charges after writing columns discussing the domestic implications of the Arab Spring. The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that Ethiopia has violated international law by imprisoning Eskinder for the "peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression." He is serving an 18-year term in prison. The Gambia, home to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, is in violation of rulings by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States and the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in connection with the 2007 arrest of journalist Ebrima "Chief" Manneh. These entities found Manneh's detention to be unlawful, and they called for his immediate release. Alarmingly, Gambian authorities cannot account for Manneh's whereabouts, and over the years have given evasive and inconsistent responses to regional and international inquiries.
More than 80 journalist murders have gone unsolved in Africa since 1992, according to CPJ research. Nigeria and Somalia are among the worst nations in the world in combating deadly, anti-press violence, our 2013 Impunity Index has found. Five journalists have been killed with impunity in Nigeria since 2009. In Somalia, more than 20 murders have gone unsolved over the past decade. These killings are often politically motivated.
Madame chair, critical journalists are not criminals, traitors, or terrorists. Beyond supporting African journalists with training, the African Union should create an open political space that allows news media to report on issues of public interest. Vibrant, independent media that hold government leaders to account are a valuable ally in the pursuit of development and good governance. We urge you to use your office to persuade member states to comply with the letter and spirit of conventions they have signed that uphold press freedom.
Yours sincerely,
Joel Simon
Executive Director

"I cannot accept President Biya's appointment as Senator"-Fru Ndi

SDF Chieftain, Ni John Fru Ndi

When the Supreme Court declared the CPDM senatorial victory in the North West on Monday, everyone knew that Fru Ndi’s senatorial bid was now at President Biya’s mercy as the SDF chairman could only now go to the senate through appointment not the ballot.

Surprisingly, according to The Sun Newspaper of Wednesday May 1, 2013, after the proclamation of the results, the much more relaxed SDF chairman who contested but did not succeed to become senator said "I am a politician and I have to go to the Senate by election and not by President Biya’s appointment”

Though the SDF chieftain will not accept President Biya’s appointment, Fru ndi in The Post Newspaper of Monday, April 29, 2013 had declared that he has proposed a list of senators to be appointed by Mr Biya.

"I have prepared the list of SDF militants we have proposed for the president to appoint as senators. In as much as I prefer elections to appointments, there is a list I have sent for appointments in which I am not included. Apart from a ministerial post, I could consider some other appointment” Fru Ndi is quoted to have told The Post Newspaper in Bamenda.

Cameroon’s media watchdog bans several FM Radio, TV programs and presenters

NATIONAL COMMUNICATION COUNCIL

PRESS RELEASE

Bishop Befe Ateba

The National Communication Council held an ordinary session Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th March, 2013 under the chairmanship of Bishop BEFE ATEBA and in the presence of all its members, in accordance with Article 11(1) of the Decree of January 23, 2012 on the reorganization of the NCC, which states that “the council shall seat permanently during the election campaign in order to ensure compliance with laws, the principle of fair and equal access of political parties, candidates or their representatives in the public media”.

The Secretary General of the NCC assured the secretary of the session with an agenda focused on the preparation of activities related to the conduct of the election of senators on April 14, 2013. The debates centered on the procedures of reviewing drafts of orders on the allocation of airtime to political parties in the public service audiovisual media expected from the Minister of Communications; the holding of a seminar on the capacity building of editors through a bilingual guide for journalists during an electoral period; the deployment of members of the Board in the ten regions of Cameroon in order to ensure compliance by the public and private media with the principles of transparency, pluralism and balance, and also control of the content of the media.

On this last point, the council adopted the following resolutions which bounded on three points:

First, the council, having noted with recurrence of broadcast on the following TV channels namely NEW TV, VISION 4, ARIANE TV, GOLDEN HOUSE, LTM and DBS on drug adverts, addresses a firm warning to the aforementioned media organs and requests owners to take immediate action to stop the broadcasting of such programs as proscribed by the law, in articles 24, 26, 27, 42 and 43 of Law N° 2006/018 of 29 December 2006 governing advertising in Cameroon, which states that “the advertising favouring health facilities and medical practices is prohibited through the press, radio and television… or by any other means of communication directed to the general public”.

This measure, which is consequent to several warnings of the Minister of Communication, the Cameroonian Medical Association and press releases issued by the President of the National Communication Council January 26, June 22, 2012 and March 8, 2013, aims to stop any media action which consist in undermining public health by exploitation of naivity and vulnerability of a certain social strata.

Secondly, the council based on a constant drift observed in the broadcast by Canal 2 International and LTM of programs entitled “Canal Detective” and “IPP News” that was projected on March 21 and March 27, 2013 large extracts of multilated and decaying bodies; violent and indecent images, definitively suspends the above referred programs, and temporarily suspends their presenters of every media talk shows.

The duration of the suspension, which takes effect as from the date of signature of the present resolution, is 06 months for AWILO, and 03 months for Mr. Ruben MALICK.

This measure is based on the provision of Article 32 of Decree N° 2000/158 of April 03, 2000 laying down the conditions and modalities for the establishment and operation of private audiovisual organs; and Article 9(2) of Decree N° 92/313/PM of September 24, 1992 enforcing the Code of ethics of journalists which states on the one hand that “the audiovisual communication enterprise must refrain from broadcasting scenes that undermine morality”, and secondly that the journalist “should not publish photographs of individuals outside public events without the consent of the latter”.

Thirdly, the council, speaking on violations of ethics and professional conduct perpetrated in daily programs broadcast by radio stations YOUTH FM, AMPLITUDE FM and SKY ONE RADIO respectively entitled Déballage, la viox des sans voix, Surface de Vérité, indefinitively bans the programs mentioned above and temporarily suspends their presenters from every media talk shows.

The duration of the suspension, which takes effect as from the date of signature of the present resolution, is 06 months for Mr. Duval EBALLE and 03 months for Messrs. Jean Jacques OLA BEBE, Claude YONG, Aimé Césaire ZAMBO, Hervé MFOULA.

Based on the aforementioned, the council addresses a special warning to the television channel Canal 2 International, following its consistent broadcast of violent and indecent programs.

Generally, the council cautions strongly all print, broadcast and online media against any such practice.

The council states, however, that the above control measures are not intended to undermine its function of promoting pluralistic and contradictory expression of a free press, which respects professional canons and ethical requirements.

Finally, as directed by the council, the promoters of radio stations and television channels concerned must ensure strict implementation of the present resolution without which appropriate sanctions will be meted out.

Yaounde the 28^th of March 2013

The President of the National Communication Council

Bishop Joseph BEFE ATEBA

CFA 24 Million Frs embezzled each day at Yaounde weighing station

The National Anti Corruption Commission, CONAC has uncovered one of the biggest frauds in the country. About FCFA 24 million is reportedly being embezzled each day at a weighing station at Nkometou, a locality on the Yaounde-Bafoussam highway.

A trade unionist, News Watch is informed, was travelling from Yaounde to Bafoussam last October when after the weighing station, he saw some extremely overloaded lorries parked along the highway. He sought to know how they managed to get through the weighing station.

One of the truck drivers revealed to the trade unionist that they have an intermediary who “negotiates”. “He negotiates for F CFA150, 000 each and we wait here and leave from 10pm” the driver declared.

The trade unionist inquired their time of arrival and departure from the weighing station and tipped off the anti-graft body. Upon their arrival, CONAC officials couldn’t find anything but did not give up. But they realized that the weighing station could produce between FCFA 39 and 59 thousand daily.

News Watch is informed further that CONAC officials went back to the weighing station the following day. An insider at the commission hinted us that while at the weighing station; CONAC officials joined weighing station agents on duty to control all vehicles. But it took them some time to understand what was going on.

Weighing station agents manipulate the scale in such a way that just one side of the trucks pass on it, resulting in a reading of just the normal weight.

Given that physically on one would argue that the trucks were overloaded, CONAC officials had to dig deep and their efforts finally paid off. They (CONAC officials) proceeded to weighing the trucks themselves and fined many of them that were extremely overloaded.

More than F CFA 1,500,000 was collected as fines within one hour and that is how the ‘mafia’ at the weighing station was uncovered. Officials of CONAC then proceeded to the ‘arrest’ of the weighing station agents at work and the systematic verification of the documents in their possession.

With the above amount collected as fines in just one hour, the question many are asking is “how much do they make a day”? The answer certainly is, over F CFA 25 million.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi

Senatorial Results: Only two political parties at Cameroon’s Senate

 Paul Biya and Fru Ndi head the two parties; CPDM and SDF

Cameroonians now know 70 of their 100 pioneer senators. The Supreme Court acting in lieu of the yet to be created constitutional Council proclaimed the official results of the first ever election of Senators in Cameroon that took place on Sunday April 14, 2013.

Only two of the four political parties that contested the election will have elected representatives in the upper house of parliament.

The Senate which is the upper house of the Parliament of Cameroon has 100 seats, of which 70 are elected and 30 appointed by the President, with each region having 10 Senators.

According to the official results made public Monday April 29, the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) won 56 seats in eight regions: the Centre, East, Far North, Littoral, North, Northwest, South and Southwest while the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) won 14 seats in the West and Adamawa regions.

Thus, only these two political parties will have ELECTED senators in parliament.

The Cameroon Democratic Union-CDU that only contested in the West region and the NUDP that contested in four regions got no seats.

The two unfortunate political parties had petitioned the Supreme Court to cancel the vote in five regions where they said the election was marred by fraud. But the court judged the petitions as baseless.

Leaders of the political parties as well as their militants boycotted the proclamation of the official results by the Supreme Court on Monday.

The Senate was created in 1996 after an amendment to the constitution created the upper chamber. However, power to convene the Electoral College and call elections for the Senate remained with the President. President Biya chose not to do so until he signed decree 2013/056 on 27 February 2013, which set 14 April as the election date.

Following the proclamation of the results, the president of the Republic is thus going to appoint the remaining 30 senators in not more than 10 days. The President would appoint three each from the ten regions of Cameroon.

Both the 70 elected and 30 appointed senators will meet on the third Tuesday following the proclamation (Tuesday May 14, 2013) as of right according to provisions of Cameroon’s electoral code.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi