The Soil Is The Most Trusted Bank In The World-Senator Achidi Achu

By Louise Kuma

Senator Simon Achidi Achu, former Prime Minister and present Vice President of the House of Senate says the soil have proven to be the most trusted bank in the world after God. Being a celebrated farmer himself the Honourable member of the upper house revealed that he resigned as Minister of Justice to his farm and in a couple of years raise income capable of paying five ministers. With a practical illustration he said a grain of corn planted and nurtured can give two cops of maize meaning hundreds of grains in just three months. There is no bank in the world where one can save FCFA 1000 and in three months you make another FCFA 1000. He said.

 He was speaking recently in Bamenda to 160 graduates of the four agric schools in Mezam as they pick up their diplomas and farm tools at the Bamenda congress hall. He encouraged the young people not to stay in offices but to look for high offices in the soil. In order to emerge much faster than 2035, the Retired States man cum Senator reiterated to everybody that they should keep a goat or two in the villages and before long they would be owners of herds of goats.

The government delegate to the Bamenda city council, represented by the Secretary General of the City Council Victor Fomefret in a welcome address, thanked the government for creating agricultural institutions to Mezam. He also congratulated the ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for their relentless effort in Cameroon’s Agriculture. The students listened to an academic discourse presented by Mme Achia Miriam who reiterated that agriculture is and remains the pillar of development in Cameroon. She also added that, the agricultural sector in Cameroon is characterised by poor productivity and lack of developed equipments. According to her‘’ the millennium development goal is to eradicate poverty and hunger and this can only be done by improving agriculture with modern framing techniques.’’

The Secretary General at the Governor’s office Absalom Monono presiding over the occasion, in an address to the people, acknowledged the effort of the academic staff. He also made it known that, MINADER has as major objective to improve the agricultural sector in Cameroon and training of youths. Hear him talk to the students “you are reminded that we look forward to see you transform the diplomats given to you in the field. We also expect you to transform our present agricultural situation into second generation agriculture for us to be able to meet up with vision 2035.’’

Prizes were also awarded to some students who were outstanding. Eden talked to one of the best graduating students, Faji Nelson and he said ‘’I am very happy to be among the best students. I will also use the equipments given to me to exploit my talents in the field.’’ Another graduating student Janette Ngong also said ‘’ I encourage every student out there to work hard because the road to success is not easy.’’ The Regional Delegate of Agriculture Godfred Nutoto encouraged the graduating students to be more practical or else the training gotten would be under utilized. On his part he says government is making sure that second generation agriculture is a reality by putting in place all necessary infrastructure to enable proper training.

 The graduating students were drawn from the Regional Centre of Agriculture RCA Bambili, Technical School of Agriculture TSA Bambili, Committee Development Specialised Training School CDSTS Santa and National Cooperative College NCC Bamenda.

 Law Enforcement Officers Rough handled For Invading Neighborhood At Night

Ignatius Nji Reports

Some overzealous Gendarmerie officers were given the beating of their life which prompted them escape being lynched from irate Hausa boys in Misaje. The Gendarme officers who happened to be the Brigade Commander Enongene and his assistant are reported to have ran away after losing a shoe each to the maddening Hausa boys.

The Gendarmes are reported to have invaded the Hausa neighborhood in the middle of the night and forcefully break in to one Dangambo’s    house and accused him of smoking marijuana based on a tip off. The accused was rather embarrassed and got angry. The tip off turned out to be false given that the young man in question was deep asleep yet accused of smoking marijuana at that time. Dangambo raised an alarm and his brothers came out including neighbors to challenge the Gendarmerie officers.

The Commandant who is new to Misaje is reported to have wit out many criminal gangs but has also fallen prey to many unfounded accusations that have led to social unrest. Not long ago the motorbike riders stormed his office demanding his head over the transfer of a motorbike engine from an impounded motorbike in to another bike belonging to another gendarmerie officer. There was serious confrontation between bike riders and Gendarmerie officers. It took the intervention of the SDO for Donga Mantung to bring the matter to a halt.

Many had opted that he be transferred but he rushed to Yaounde and pleaded with Dr. Fuh Calistus Gentry, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Mines, Industries and Technological Development. On bended knees the Commandant was able to stay on as he himself boast about in Misaje. This recent incident may not speak well for him and his stay may be jeopardized by that move if powerful elite in the area see reason for him to go away.

Misaje since his coming as Brigade Commander the rate of cattle rustling has dropped and many other criminals have either moved away to other safe havens or have been arrested and are languishing at the waiting trial in Nkambe. People now dry cloths, shoes and other items without any fear of having them stolen. All these are thanks to Commandant Enongene and his team. The people should rather work with him given that his flaws are less than his strength.

Human Rights Actors, Stakeholders Drilled On Communication Skills With UN

Ignatius Nji Reports

Workshop Participants

Some 25 human rights actors and stakeholders drawn from across the country were from August 18-19 in Bamenda drilled on communication skills and reporting procedures to the United Nations. This training workshop organized by the United Nations Sub Regional Office for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa when it was identified that most civil society organizations and other stakeholders including government are not very grounded with reporting procedure on human rights reports to the UN.

According to the leader of the facilitators of the workshop, this training is to empower stakeholders of human rights on what is expected in their reports at the UN. Cameroon happens to be a signatory to so many human rights convention that warrant implementation by making sure that the terms of reference these conventions and other human rights instruments are domesticated. The organizers of the workshop had as objective to impart communication skills on how to report on human rights activities in the country and these reports should indicate seriousness acceptable at the United Nations. The different stakeholders shared experiences and exchanged notes that were deliberated upon and necessary rectifications perfected coming out with reporting modules as required by the United Nations.

One of the participants, Gwain Colbert a Journalist and Human Rights reporter who doubles as the executive director of A Common Future NGO, told Eden     that his expectations are on how they can partner with other stakeholders especially the government in the implementation of international conventions and their optional protocols on implementation of treaties that government has ratified at the regional, national and international level. Hear Him “we are talking here on how to assist government in the domestication of all those international conventions that have to do with human rights bodies. We are talking of torture, persons with disabilities, governance and all other aspects that have to do with human rights and human dignity.” As practicing journalist and reporting on human rights, Gwain Colbert elucidated that reporting in human rights to UN is a very tricky domain given that it is not like reporting for a newspaper or at local meetings. There is a procedure that one sends communications to the UN that can be taken seriously and Cameroon NGOs have not been grounded in this domain reasons why the workshop was organized to ensure appropriate and adequate reporting. He says there are procedures and mechanisms that one has to follow to do effective reporting to the United Nations body that can be taken seriously.

The Governor’s representative at the workshop who is the economic and cultural adviser, Mr. Joseph Nji said human rights and freedom is a continuous process. He pointed out that even the biggest democracies in the world are still on that process which Cameroon is no exception. He however acknowledged that there are some weaknesses and shortcomings either at the level of administration, institutions or persons and that despite these shortcomings Cameroon is at the verge of this process. This workshop he said came to complement that verge by building the capacity of stakeholders, indigenous persons and the administration on how to forge ahead in the implementation of the instruments to ensure and protect human rights and freedom in the country.

Far North Region, Rated highest Registered Voters, Inspite Presence Of Boko Haram Insurgents  

Ignatius Nji Reports

The Far North Region with 45000 new voters has been rated by ELECAM as first in voter registration in the ongoing recompilation of voters register taking place nationwide followed by North West with 25953. ELECAM officials are going about registration in the far North despite the presence of the dreaded insurgents of the Boko Haram sect. This revelation was made public in Bamenda by the President of Elections Cameroon Dr Samuel Fonkam Azu’u in a press briefing after carrying out an assessment in the field.

To meet up with the October 20 date required for a provisional list and record a reasonable number of registered new voters, Dr Fonkam says ELECAM offices shall hence open on Saturdays and Sundays. The provisional lists shall be pasted in all the council offices for correction and forwarding to the Divisional bureau for onward transmission to the Regional hub. By December 10 all on work on recompilation for 2014 must have been completed.

Talking on the importance of the frequent revision and update of the electoral register, ELECAM Boss explains that this exercise would avert any last minute rush in case of an election. As at now the President of the republic can for referendum where the people would vote an important decision on issue that touches on the life of the country. Cleaning the electoral register of names of dead people and also enlisting new electorates that have just attended the voting age is very primordial in the exercise. The President was on tour in the North West to ascertain that what is required of those carrying out registration in the field are doing just what is required of them. His observation as far as registration is concern in the region, Menchum Division is still very low in terms of voter registration with Mezam scoring highest followed by Donga Mantung. This depends on the methodology put in place by Elecam officials in the areas.