Pioneer Limbum Dictionary Published

Yaounde, Cameroon—As part of efforts to promote the learning and standardization of the Limbum language, the “Limbum-English Dictionary and English-Limbum Index,” was published in 2015 by the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium. The author, Francis Wepngong Ndi, a linguist, studied at the then University of Yaounde and in The Netherlands.

The 418-page work contains about 6,083 main entries, an index of over 5,900 English items and 7,500 Limbum items. There is also a pronunciation guide, the Limbum alphabet, consonants, vowels and tones, and alphabetical order of tones and rare contour tones.

The dictionary entries include headwords, phonetic forms, source language, parts of speech, meaning, plural forms of nouns and noun class information. Others are verbal extensions, variant forms, homonyms, multiple senses, sub-entry, notes, example sentences and cross references.

There is also a rich bibliography and appendices on orthography and Mbum place names.

According to Francis Wepngong, earlier versions of Limbum dictionaries were lexicons, and thus not elaborate. There was therefore need to go deep, analyze Limbum grammar and set standards for reading and writing the language, he explained.

The “Limbum-English Dictionary and English-Limbum Index” is the first elaborate Limbum book with new grammar findings and pronominal uses, the author points out. Parts of speech have been covered and names of animals, trees and insects common in the Grassfields region of Cameroon have been included.

The writing of the dictionary lasted from 2002-2015, with eight Limbum native speakers providing their inputs. Francis Wepngong Ndi says the work is intended for Limbum learners and researchers and those interested in other Grassfield languages.

The dictionary which is the first elaborate work on the language costs 17,500 FCFA, but the plans to acquire reprinting rights from the Belgian publishers for the work to be reproduced locally at cheaper cost.

Limbum has more than 750,000 speakers, mostly in Ndu and Nkambe Subdivisions of Donga-Mantung Division in the North West Region. The language consists of three significant dialects, with the differences being mainly phonological, thus not affecting intelligibility.

Culled from Cameroon Tribune

WISU 2016 convention, a repeat of Ntumbaw/Rong “war”?

Yaounde, Cameroon—In accordance with Article VIII(3) of its constitution, the Wimbum Students’ Union (WISU) would organize its 2016 general congress (convention) in Rong village this summer.

Ngwan Derrick, WISU National President (FacebookPhoto)

In an enlarged executive meeting late last year in the village, WISU national exco and some representatives of Rong Development and Cultural Association (RODECA) unanimously declared the village “capable for the 2016 Convention.”

WISU national president, Ngwan Derrick Tawe Nyah who succeeded Nfor Dieudonne Nkeh during the 35^th convention in Bongom has come to the end of his first two years mandate.

Thus, besides the cultural jamboree will also feature elections which the outgoing president can still seek another term of office according to article XII of the association’s constitution.

However, observers are of the opinion that the 37^th convention may end in a deadlock as Ntumbaw youths have vowed not to take part; saying it [the convention] “has nothing to do with anyone from Ntumbaw.”

The youths claim the Ntumbaw branch of the association which has always attended all conventions had been denied the right to host, but “Rong just came up and was given to host a convention,” they said insisting “no student from Ntumbaw shall participate in the Rong convention.”

They have also promised to pull down any banners and disrupt any activity in their land relating to the event.

“No banner patterning to the convention shall be placed on Ntumbaw land and no WISU activity shall extend to Ntumbaw until the activities are over,” Ntumbaw youths said in a statement.

Yet, those who understand the geography of the area say it would be difficult for any event to hold in Rong without the inclusion of Ntumbaw.

The national executive board of WISU is however aware of the “threats from Ntumbaw.”

The president, Ngwan Derrick said he was aware and working to resolve it. “I will give the result as official information from my office,” he said.

Sources say the Ntumbaw chapter of the union that was headed by Nganjo Divine had been in shambles ever since the president went back to his native Rong village following the Ntumbaw/Rong land dispute.

The chapter our source explained had been benefitting from the largess of Massa Ernest, Ntumbaw village youth president who had been registering and paying members’ dues to ensure WISU Ntumbaw is always present at conventions.

Skeptics are therefore of the opinion that the convention could be a repeat of the Ntumbaw/Rong “war”. Affaire a suivre donc!  

By Ndi Eugene Ndi in Yaounde

Death snatches another CPDM MP on eve of session

Maroua, Cameroon—Hon Elias Gonji, CPDM Member of Parliament for the Mayo-Tsanaga in the Far North region is dead.

Family sources say the member of the production and exchange committee of the national assembly died on Monday afternoon in his native Zidim village. 

He will not take part in the second ordinary session of parliament that opens on Thursday June 2.

The late Hon Gonji was one of the ten representatives of the Mayo-Tsanaga division at the National Assembly.

Long serving speaker of the house, Hon Cavaye Yegui Djibril also hails from that division.

Cameroon Gov’t Bans Chicken Sale As Bird Flu Reappears

Yaounde,Cameroon—The government has banned chicken sale in the capital Yaounde and surrounding towns, following the resurgence of the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.

Chicken sellers  in Mvog-Ada Yaounde

On Sunday May 22, the epidemiological surveillance network of the Minister of Livestock Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA) an “abnormally high mortality rate” of birds in the government owned Mvog-Betsi poultry complex of Yaounde which is known in French as “Complexe Avicole de Mvog-Betsi”.

The National Veterinary Laboratory (LANAVET) annex of Yaounde later confirmed the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus strain killed 15,000 of the 33,000 fowls in the farm, MINEPIA boss, Dr Taiga told journalists at a press conference he jointly granted with his colleagues of Communication and Public Health in Yaounde.

Following news of the outbreak, Prime Minister Philemon Yang chaired an emergency meeting and instructed officials to strengthen surveillance and apply other measures to contain the outbreak, Issa Tchiroma said.

The ban last Thursday by the Minister of Livestock Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA) is a measure to protect both people and birds from further contamination.

Officials of the Ministry of Trade (Regional Delegation for the Center) were in the major poultry markets in Yaounde on Friday to ensure the ban is respected. They promised to punish defaulters of the ministerial order.

The government slaughtered the remaining birds on the farm and incinerated all carcasses as part of measures to prevent further contamination. It also banned unauthorized visits to poultry farms.

Dr Taiga said a team of veterinary staff and medical personnel has been dispatched to all regions of the country to check if there may be other cases. He also called on citizens-particularly poultry farmers and traders to report suspected cases.

“The government is calling on poultry farmers to be vigilant (and notify authorities) of any case of suspicious dead of birds,” Dr Taiga said.

The first outbreak of H5N1 bird flu was reported in Cameroon’s Far North region in February 2006. Nigeria, Egypt and Niger had already reported cases of the flu poultry flocks same year.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi

WWF Partners With Logging Company Destroying "Pygmy” Land--Rights Group

A French logging company and official partner of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is deforesting a huge area of rainforest in southeast Cameroon without the consent of local Baka “Pygmies” who have lived there and managed the land for generations, Survival International has learned.

Rougier has been clearing rainforest for construction of a dam

Rougier is described as an “integrated forest & trade company” and a large “forest operator” in a WWF press release and report. It is felling trees in an estimated 600,000 hectare area, which is more than is permitted under Cameroonian law.

Rougier has also been denounced by Friends of the Earth for its activities in Cameroon, which have included illegal price-fixing, illegal logging outside a concession, felling more trees than authorized, and illegally exporting rare timber.

WWF has stated that it would never partner with a company operating on indigenous land without the consent of the indigenous people. In entering this partnership with Rougier, it has violated its own policies on indigenous peoples.

Survival recently wrote to the CEO of Rougier asking whether he believed his company had acquired the Baka’s consent for the logging. In response Rougier simply said that: “Baka communities are aware of our existence and operation.”

Under Cameroonian law, the Baka are often criminalized as “poachers” when they hunt to feed their families. In a map produced by Rougier, all Baka forest camps within one concession are labelled as “poachers’ camps.”

In February, Survival filed an OECD complaint against WWF for funding abusive anti-poaching squads in Cameroon, who have used violence and intimidation to deny tribes people access to their land.

According to a recent report produced by the EU, not a single logging company is operating legally in Cameroon. Experts say that no logging activities are being carried out at sustainable levels.

Evidence shows that tribal peoples are the best conservationists and guardians of the natural world. Despite this, WWF has preferred to partner with international corporations that destroy the environment’s best allies – tribal peoples.

Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said: “If further proof were needed that WWF is more interested in securing corporate cash than really looking out for the environment, here it is. The absurd language it has used to try and hide this partnership with a logging firm – calling Rougier a “leading producer of certified African tropical timber” – should fool no-one, and reveals a lot about the nature of this partnership. It’s a con. And it’s harming conservation. Survival is fighting these abuses, for tribes, for nature, for all humanity. Conservation organizations should be partnering with tribal peoples to protect the environment, not the companies destroying it to make a quick buck.”

JCI Urges Cameroon Youths To Dream Big, Stop Blame Game

Buea, Cameroon—The 2016 president of Junior Chambers International, JCI Cameroon, Laye Mbunkur has called on the country’s young active citizens to stop the blame game and dream big while assuming their civic responsibilities.

Below is an address from the JCI Cameroon president to the youths on the occasion of the 44^th national unity day.

Laye Mbunkur

Dear JCI Cameroon Members, Dear Active Citizens,

It is with great honour that I extend my warmest wishes for a Happy National Day celebration as our beloved nation Cameroon celebrates her 44th National Day.

Yesterday I felt so reluctant delivering a message on our National Day as we were mourning the loss of the mother of my very good friend and brother Wegmuller Ikome. So within the day I decided to take some time off for retreat, research and reflections and came out with some interesting findings, conclusions and recommendations.

It is no news forty four (44) Years ago, the government of our great nation choose 20 May as Cameroon's National Day to commemorate the abolishment of the federal system of government and creation of a unitary COUNTRY. As such on this day we are celebrating unity and peace. Not just the unity based on mere tolerance of physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political, ideological or psychological differences but a more complex unity based on understanding and a sense of oneness.

With this in mind, during my retreat, I spent time reflecting, in my reflections, I saw a beautiful and blessed country Cameroon, my fatherland, full of potentials and opportunities: A rich country endowed with Natural Resources.

And also a country full of challenges. I will not want to talk about the 17 SDGs posing great challenges to us but limit to specific challenges well elaborated in our development agenda(vision 2035)amongst which are:

- National Unity(the essence of our celebration)

- Unemployment

- Population challenges

- Governance

What amazed me most is that in the midst of all these, everybody spends time pointing fingers of blames to others; the old say the youths are failing in their responsibilities, the youths say the old are greedy. Many blame the leaders of the nation to be failures, everybody is busy blaming the other rather than acting to address the challenge.

All this made me the more assured of the relevance of our organisation to this country.

We all got to assume responsibility, we often take the easy way out to blame others, but the question is what are we doing to address the situation? We the youths make up about almost 65% of the population yet we sit aside to blame. We have now resulted to survival strategies; many have loosed hope for a better Cameroon.

If we look at all those who fought for independence in our country, I don’t want to talk of Nigeria, Burkina faso, Ghana etc. They were youths, in the 20s and 30s. They had dreams bigger than them. They dreamt of a better world and believed in their dreams.

Here we are, what is our excuse, what are you doing?

Young Henry Gissienbier was 18, created this organisation in the midst of world war 1, he dreamt of an everlasting world peace, he believed young people can change the world, he challenged the young people of st Louis to assume responsibility. That is why we exist as an organisation.

That is the very core of our existence.

Understanding why we exist as an organisation is understanding your purpose for being a member, an active citizen.

JCI has never been this relevant to our communities, to our country, to our continent and to the world at large.

The blame must stop, we must assume responsibility, we must play our role, we must just ACT.

Dear friends, we are re-writing the history of our nation, we are creating a generation of young people who see the need and take the lead. We are creating Active Citizens, the greatest need of the world today. I want you to know that this is a noble course.

Every JCI member is a hero, if you are not please join. Our course is a noble one I repeat. We need to come together. There is no limit to what we can do together. This is what I call the POWER OF WE, our slogan for the year.

Dear Elected officers, I want you to know that you are not just a JCI leader but a community leader. Your role extends to uniting i.e bringing together JCI members and the business community, civil societies and government agencies to create positive change in our communities.

Do some of us know active citizens who are not JCI members? Invite them to be part of us, as active citizens, if we work in an isolated way we might not achieve much but if we come together our impact may be incredible..........that is the power of we........................

I write today to challenge somebody to assume responsibility, even if its just one person i will still be happy to have written this message.

Please if you are that one person, don’t worry if you if you see yourself not to have the necessary skills required. JCI has put every tool necessary. All you need to do is become an active member.

Look around you, do you see a challenge, JCI See’s an opportunity in that challenge. Talk to your local organisation about it, with appropriate stakeholders build up a project, partner with Government, businesses and other likeminded organisations and JUST ACT.

Dear Friends, we have a Nation to Build, a world to change be part of the move.

God bless you

Happy National Day to all Active citizens

GOD BLESS CAMEROON.

Laye MBUNKUR

2016 President

JCI Cameroon

Sisterspeak237 Rewards Budding Talents In Cameroon Journalism

Bamenda, Cameroon—Sisterspeak237, a blog born out of a desire to bring to an open space engaging discussions about women’s issues in Cameroon and Africa has rewarded some nine pupil journalists who emerged best in its pioneer national story telling contest.

Laureates pose with initiator, members of the jury

The award ceremony at the CBC Centre in Nkwen Bamenda on Friday May 6 was the culmination of activities by the blog and award concept owner, Comfort Mussa to mark the 2016 edition of the World Press Freedom.

Through the award which the initiator promised to make it an annual feature, Sisterspeak237 hopes to reignite the passion for journalism, encourage journalists to pursue stories that are not often told in mainstream media, “and most importantly, contribute to uplifting of professional and ethical standards of journalism in Cameroon.”

The jury had received over 35 entries from students who contested in three categories.

“We had to listen to, read, and watch the entries. Thematic focus for the contest included Women issues, Agriculture and Social Inclusion,” Omer Songwe, chairperson of the board of judges explained as he announced the nine best entries-three per category.

“Sisterspeak237 and its partners will mentor the winners and give feedback to all those who submitted articles,” he promised.

The Laureates

Described by organizers as the topmost award of the contest, Ngwe Bertine of the Higher Institute for Business and Management Sciences (HIBMS), Bamenda emerged first in the social inclusion category. She was followed by Teno Cynthia of National Polytechnic Bambui in the second place and Bafon Colette; a visually impaired student of HIBMS came third.

The initiator of the Story Telling Contest, Comfort Mussa said the social inclusion category was so dear to her, in part because she has close friends and family members who are persons with disabilities.

“Persons with disabilities are underrepresented in most spheres and their stories are rarely told. Even when their stories are told, often times the language used, stigmatizes the people with disabilities,” Mussa said.

In the Women’s issues category, Nformi Sandre of HIBMS Bamenda won the first prize and was respectively followed in the second and third positions by Awasiri Promise Forsuh and Atah Carol Moh of National Polytechnic Bambui.

Hon Lucas Tasi hands second prize to Atah Carol 

“I dedicate to award to all the women. Life holds more than what you see, so don’t give up,” Atah Carol said.

The winners Commy Mussa said will receive mentorship from Sisterspeak. “They will also have the opportunity to pitch and report stories for Tiptopstars.”

In the Agriculture category, Nsoseka Andrew of the University of Buea grabbed the first prize while Chrysantus Ndikum of HIBMS Bamenda and Num Rogers of National Polytechnic Bambui respectively won second and third prizes respectively.

Lifetime Achievement

The laureates in all categories backed home cash and material prizes from Sisterspeak237 and its partners.

Olive Shang's grand daughter, Ingrid (middle) receives her grand Ma's award

Winners of the social inclusion category were also offered one week internship with the Socio Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEP).

Retired veteran journalist, Olive Shang was recognized with a ‘Lifetime Achievement award.’ She has made an outstanding lifetime contribution to journalism in Cameroon and used the media to amplify the voices of the voiceless, the jury announced.

“It was a wonderful and enriching experience for me and jury members,” the chairperson of the jury said.

Report by Ndi Eugene Ndi, photos by Sisterspeak237