Indigenous People Want Appointment in to the Senate

Mbororos depend on their livestock for livelihood

Representatives of the Upper House of Parliament in Cameroon will soon be completed in the days ahead with the appointment of the remaining thirty senators by the president of the Republic, Paul Biya.

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.

Since the proclamation of the April 14, first ever election of Senators in camerooon by the Supreme Court acting in lieu of the constitutional council on Monday April 29, 2013, all eyes and ears are now at the presidency for the appointment of the remaining 30 senators according to the law.

According to some two Indigenous Peoples’ Rights activists, constitutional prerogative allows the Head of State to correct any imbalances from the polls by appointing representatives from groups that have been excluded from the Upper House by the rigors of the polls.

In letter addressed to the President of the Republic of Cameroon and jointly signed by Samuel Nguiffo of CED and Victor Amougou Amougou of CEFAID, “the act of "correction" assigned to the process of appointing some members of the Senate is a boon to minorities which our country abounds, and could allow the expression of groups that no representative would likely be found in elected current conditions of the election” the letter reads.

They thus draw the attention of the President of the Republic to the indigenous people of the forest communities of Cameroon; (the Bakas South and East regions, Bagyeli of the Southern Region and the Bedzang of the Centre Region) and Mbororos (scattered allover the country), which according to the activists “is an essential element of diversity and cultural wealth that are the pride of our country”

Amongst other things, the indigenous peoples’ rights defenders are basing their arguments on article five of the United Nations Declaration on indigenous people which states "Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions distinct, while retaining the right, if they so choose, to participate fully in political, economic, social and cultural life of the State".

Thus, “it is obvious today that Aboriginal people want to participate very strongly in the political life of the nation” the letter reads further.

The indigenous peoples’ rights defenders have also outlined three reasons why aboriginal people could not be elected amongst the 70 senators; amongst which they note that the CFA 1.000.000 Frs is beyond their financial reach.

Therefore, “the only remaining option is the appointment”, the letter reads. Drawing on the experience of some African countries, as in Burundi, where the Venerable Liberate Nicahenzi, leader of the Twa people is in the Senate since 1998, while the Twa are less than 1% of the people of Burundi.

“That's why we ask you to the appointment at least two representatives of indigenous peoples respectively from each group; the Mbororos, "pygmies" Baka, Bagyeli or Bedzang populations in to the senate” the activists tell President Paul Biya.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi

“We need to hold our government accountable for governance within the mining sector”- Richard Tantoh

Ndi Richard Tantoh

The Director of the Ecumenical Service for Peace (SeP), Member of the Mining Best Practices Consortium says Cameroonians need to hold government accountable for governance in the mining sector. The Yaounde based Peace and Governance Consultant spoke to NewsWatch’s Editor-in-Chief, Ndi Eugene Ndi, excerpts.

NewsWatch:MrNdi RichardTantoh you are the focal person of a consortium that deals with best practices in the mining sector, can you tell us more about this consortium?

Richard: The consortium Mining Best Practices, Cameroon was formed in June 2012 by ten organizations most of which are members of the EITI committee. This core group intends to get the idea of focusing on mining to other civil society actors so that we can build a strong advocacy around mining in the country considering that we know the importance our government attaches to mining with regards to the 2035 vision.

NewsWatch: We learn you will be organizing a reflexion workshop on the extractive industry sector in Cameroon. Can you brief us more about the workshop in view?

Richard: Our intension is to bring stakeholders together to reflect on the mining strategy and to see whether it is feasible and can contribute to vision 2035. You know the mining sector is for now contributing only 1% and government is paying a lot of attention to it as can be seen through the organization of two Mining Forums. The mining code, the gas code, petroleum code are all very attractive codes to boast investment in the mining sector. We are thinking that since this sector is going to contribute largely to vision 2035, there is need for the civil society to monitor government commitment in the sector and make informed contribution so that the mining sector contributes to improving livelihoods in Cameroon. At a time when the government is talking about fighting corruption, it is regrettable to note that highly politicized projects like Memvele and LomPangar topped the corruption chart in CONAC’s most recent report. If close follow up is not done, we might as well miss meeting the 2035 vision as we missed meeting the 2015 MDGs.

NewsWatch: When you talk one is left with the impression that there is no difference between the Consortium and EITI, what is the difference?

Richard: EITI is an International Norm for transparency in the extractive industries. It has a tripartite composition of Government, companies and civil society. The consortium is focusing on mining because we know Cameroon is very rich in solid mines, so our focus is on mines and you know that our government is basing vision 2035 on mining. We are civil society organization concerned about making our resources have an impact on our development. We want to get involved, get our contributions across so that we make resources that we have in abundance relevant to the development of the Cameroonian people. This is because when you look at the past, you realize that we have petroleum resources, yet the government of Cameroon subsidizes the prices of petrol. So the question is, how can we have petrol and the prices of petroleum products are being subsidized. We need to ask these questions and see whether there is nothing wrong with the way we are managing our resources. As Cameroonians we need to hold our government accountable for governance within the mining sector so that we attain vision 2035. So we think that as civil society we have a contribution and as a consortium we want to put all the civil society actors together to reflect and bring up advocacy strategies that would touch those in decision making positions so that they can make for the needed change that will move Cameroon to the 2035 vision.

NewsWatch: Are you saying only the ten members of the consortium will take this decision?

Richard: The issues we are debating have been debated amongst the ten of us. But we want to take it out to the civil society and the public. That is why we want to invite major stakeholders in the sector like the Ministries of Mines, Finance, the World Bank and many other structures that are in mining in Cameroon. We also see the media as a partner in this effort to make our leaders accountable.

NewsWatch: What are you expecting to change in the mining sector after the workshop to be organized?

Richard: We are thinking that when we come up with informed proposals, we would move towards decision makers in the sector and discuss with them on the proposals that we are making as civil society. You know civil society is seen like the voice of the voiceless. In the past, civil society missed out on opportunities to engage government actors and bring onboard its contribution.  This time around, we want that these ideas which are put together by the civil society are taken onboard. We are critical no doubt about the strategies government is using. But we think that we are critical and we do make suggestions on how to improve on government action. That is the kind of engagement we need to make with government.

“Society is creating more barriers than bridges for persons with disabilities”- Grace Fomuluh

Grace Fomuluh is also a militant of the CPDM

The celebration of the 2012 edition of the International Day for people with disabilities was commemorated under the theme “removing barriers for an accessible and inclusive society for all.”

But this theme is fraught with barriers, according to a leading campaigner for the rights of physically challenged persons.

“When they talk of removing barriers, we have psychological, financial educational and environmental barriers,” Grace Fomuluh who is the Managing Director of the National Center for the Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities (CNRPH) said.

Fomuluh regretted that most people seem to ignore these and “society is creating more barriers than bridges for persons with disabilities to cross”

Fomuluh spoke to NewsWatch when she opened a one-day workshop on inclusive education for all at the National Center for the Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities (CNRPH) in Yaounde recently.

In Cameroon with a total population of about 20 million, people with disabilities constitute 15%; about three out of the twenty million Cameroonians.

If Cameroonians truly want an inclusive society in which physically challenged persons steer affairs that their fully fledged counterparts are given pride of place in, children with disabilities shouldn’t be locked away, Fomuluh explained.

She added “we just listened to the testimony of a mother of a child with disabilities who said she stigmatized herself. She chains her at home because wherever she goes with the child, she is seen as a nuisance to the public.”

Grace Fomuluh vehemently discourages such heinous and archaic practices. “For a person we are building an inclusive society for, that person does not deserve to be locked up in the room. So the first point is to sensitize the population on their attitude towards people with disabilities.”

Families that have members with disabilities should treat them like human beings, she advised.

“Look into their situation right from the very early ages, even from the time when the children are in the womb because the question we should be asking ourselves is: How do some of these disabilities come about?”, Fomuluh reiterated.

According to the Managing Director of CNRPH, “If you see a young girl who takes in and is unwilling to keep the pregnancy because it was unexpected, she will look for a means to remove the baby and when it doesn’t come out the next thing is that she could bring forth a child with disabilities”

“And when these children come out they are treated as though they chose to come out with those deficiencies.”

To policy makers, Grace Fomuluh also had a message: “we have realized even in Yaoundé that, there are institutions where our children are forced to stay in the same class after they are promoted from to the next class because the class to which he or she has been promoted to found upstairs and not accessible to the child because of his or her deficiency.”

“Everything should be done to give these kids access to education so they too should feel Cameroonians at all levels of their lives for they did not choose to be disabled”.

By organizing this round table, Fomuluh said, “we feel that by the end of the day the people who are here will serve as ambassadors to this institution and to many other institutions in Cameroon because we also have private welfare institutions that cater to the needs of children with disabilities. The founders of those institutions are here with us so that when they go back they will preach the same message to whoever they meet”.

Microfinance: Gov’t poised to improve grassroots financial services

Thinking up ways to reinforce the capacity of the micro banking sector to ensure lasting financial services, boost job creation and trim poverty nibbling away the lives of  a growing number of micro entrepreneurs was the core of a one-day workshop in Yaoundé recently.

The workshop that brought together stakeholders in the micro finance sector also sought to educate the public on the National Micro Finance Strategy.

The minister Finance Alamine Ousmane Mey said at the opening of the workshop that microfinance institutions would significantly cut poverty if they are well harnessed.

Micro finance establishments make it possible for those who are unable to get financial services through conventional banks to meet their needs, reason why a national strategy to check credible operations in the sector is essential, he added.

The Minister of Finance said based on the strategy, “we will be able to define each action in the different domains concerning this activity.

“Micro finance establishments are an extension of the banking sector which is not available in rural areas for instance, and we want to make sure our financial system is an inclusive one,” the minister said adding that all Cameroonians would have access to financial services wherever they are.

In view of moving on with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper adopted in 2009, Cameroon is poised to improve grass root financial services.

“We have to make sure that the people who are in charge of the operation are professionals and that they have the necessary equipment, sound organization, sound regulation and the financial assistance they need to deliver” minister Ousmane Mey said.

Experts say the economic progress in sub Saharan Africa for the past decades has been closely associated with their small scale savings and investments.

The development of the national strategy for microfinance with the inclusion of mainstream banking is championed by the Ministry of Finance in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Rural Micro Finance Support Development Project (PADMIR).  The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is throwing its weight behind the initiative by providing technical assistance.

Cameroon is home to over 500 micro finance establishments which serve more than 1.5million people.