SDF Reverts Refugee Supplies To IDPs In NW, SW

                         Mayor Balick Fidelis Chairman of Distribution Commission

Failure to secure a permit from the High Commissioner, to cross over to Nigeria and visit the over 50.000 refugees from Cameroon in Nigeria with supplies, Social Democratic Front party SDF headed by Chairman Fru Ndi resolved at a National Executive Committee meeting that held recently in Bamenda, to rather reach out to the internally displaced persons in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. The managing Commission head charged with distribution, Balick Awah Fidelis Mayor of Bamenda II, told pressmen that the resolve was welcomed by NEC members and surely it would be appreciated by the general public.

Mayor Balick said the reverting is because of the numerous speed brakes mounted by some regime Barons stopping the SDF as a party through their National Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi from travelling to Nigeria, does not in any way means that the refugees in Nigeria have been abandoned and forgotten. He made allusion to the probability of getting SDF militants in Nigeria to pay them a visit with the necessary supplies. These supplies are said to have been donated by just everybody for the party to meet with the brothers and sisters running away from restive areas.

Pressmen were ushered in to the store room where the supplies had been piled in heaps for almost a year now. The consignment consist of bags of rice, maize, beans, oil, blankets, some medication, clothes, utensils, shoes  and hygienic female pad. These supplies would go to savage the already precarious situation and it is hoped that by the time the supplies are getting finished, solution to the crisis would have been sought. Some families in Bamenda and environs are hosting 15 to 20 IDPs in their homes and have been feeding them for months  which is not an easy feat given the very tight finances.

To benefit from this gesture, victims are advised to meet any Mayor of the SDF party within Mezam and register his or her name and the supplies would be delivered to them where they are hosted just to ensure that they are not collected by the wrong people and later sold. The supply destined for Southwest region shall be channeled through the party’s representation. The Mayor prides self that SDF is people oriented reason why the supplies were contributed by the common man. Typical of the SDF, Mayor Balick blasted government initiative to what is now referred to as emergency humanitarian relief plan budgeted at FCFA 12.7 Billion, saying that the money is being contributed by the very Rich for reasons beyond giving assistance to IDPs and refugees. To him, one of those Rich people can even manage the IDPs and Refugees from his pocket but are seen pretending to contribute a few millions from the lot that they have amassed at the detriment of the people through tax evasion. According to Mayor Balick, the speed brakes were political given that those who masterminded the speed brakes at the level of Nigerian High Commissioner know very well that if SDF moves to meet Refugees in Nigeria, it would score the party more points national and internationally.

By Ignatius Nji

Over 500 Government Soldiers En-route To Re-Conquer Njikwa, Ngie From Ambazonia Freedom Fighters

                                Azah Nancy Chief of Njaah Etu Health Center Tied and Shot

Mbengwi headquarter of Momo Division has since Saturday August 11 has been inundated with military presence in war gear. Inhabitants of that Town are all indoors given that two civilians, a man and his wife have already been killed in the course of a cross fire around Tad market near Mbengwi.

The duo, Njong Paddisco and Azah Nancy, were head of two different health posts in Kob and Njaah Etu. Many houses have gone up in smoke as many unarmed civilians now flee in to the bushes as the frightful looking soldiers marshal on towards Njikwa and Ngie in a bid to redeem these areas from the grip of the Ambazonia fighters who have been in control for almost three months now. Some people have received beatings to near death from government soldiers who suspect anybody in the area as an Ambazonia freedom fighter. The victims of military brutality are presently receiving treatment at the Mbengwi health center. A source hinted Eden by phone.

The soldiers would have to do most of the movement by foot given that the Ambazonia freedom fighters had dug trenches on the road and burnt down a bridge over a river around Acha Tugi, which makes it impossible for vehicles or the military trucks to move across. The soldiers on Sunday midday were already at mile 90 marching on towards Njikwa and Ngie and the confrontation ahead would be bloody as Ambazonia fighters are said to have erected three camps in the area in readiness to face the approaching Soldiers who are well armed to the teeth.

The area is almost deserted as the greater part of the population has relocated out of the Subdivisions and some of them are hiding in the bushes. The worse hit by the military in the area are said to be  families with relations abroad who are branded as those facilitating sponsorship to fund activities of the Ambazonia freedom fighters in the area.

By Ignatius Nji

Administrators Scared Of Amba Fighters, Population Running Away From Trigger Happy Soldiers

                                 Military Expedition in Tugi enroute to Njikwa

Momo Division in the Northwest region is the only Division where all five Subdivisions have been hit by the Anglophone crisis recording several deaths and property lost to fire. A larger portion of population of this Division is practically on the run for safety either in neighboring towns or in to the bushes. Extrajudicial killings are on the rise with cases of missing relatives abound and most often than not dead bodies are discovered in the bushes already in advanced state of decomposition.

The case of a family of eight armless civilians in Tiben gruesomely killed in their home by the elite forces recently is still making news. Most civil servants in Batibo, Mbengwi, Njikwa, Ngie and Widikum have vacated residences and have relocated to Bamenda for fear of receiving stray bullets in case of crossfire between Ambazonia freedom fighters and the government forces. The exact number of Internally Displaced People IDPs cannot be ascertained.

Center for Human Rights and Democracy of Central Africa headed by Barrister Felix Agbor Balla had published a report on the extrajudicial killings and burning of more than 50 villages in the Northwest and the Southwest Regions.  In a bid to ascertain the gravity of the situation on the ground, Eden undertook a fact finding trip to Njikwa defying smoking guns of trigger happy soldiers. This reporter could not go further than Acha Tudig because of road blocks mounted by Ambazonia freedom fighters and a burnt bridge around Mbemi. A fleeing resident of Njikwa volunteered to narrate an ordeal they faced on May 22 in Oshie village in Njikwa. According to Mbah Austin in his mid-fifties, Soldiers raided Oshie village shooting at anything living thing. People were running from the shooting and two bike riders were killed and those caught were stripped naked, beaten and rubbed in mud. The raid was in retaliation of the assassination of Police Commissioner Aboubakaro and two other Police officers, a massacre allegedly carried out by the Ambazonia freedom fighters. Two Gendarmerie Officers are said to have been kidnapped on that same day May 16, 2018 and taken to an unknown destination. With the presence of the military that fateful day in Oshie, the market went up in flames reducing shops in to ashes. A prominent Businessman by name Ashime Charles recorded a loss of over  FCFA 11 million worth of goods to that fire. Ngwo village was also visited by the raiding soldiers and the market went up in flames.

The Divisional Officer of Njikwa, Numfor Canisius Shu and the Mayor Itambi  Andrew, are said to be living out of the Subdivision and the Deputy mayor of Njikwa Alhadji Adu Banu is accused of siding with the administration and the military to terrorize people taking advantage of the chaos. One of his victims, Basic education Inspectorate staff for Njikwa whose name Eden got as Nestor Nyambi Ombaku, like many others, is presently on the run because he is said to have rebuked the Deputy Mayor against the habit of setting people up against  the ruthless forces. Before Nestor knew it, he was listed by the security operatives in Njikwa as one of those who have been facilitating sponsorship from abroad to fund activities of the Ambazonia freedom fighters in the area. This story was buttressed by the fact that Nestor Nyambi has about four direct relations abroad and is probably acting as a liason officer channeling funds from abroad. The Deputy Mayor is said to boast that anybody with links to the Ambazonia freedom fighters would not have peace and says he has the names of Momo sons and daughters who are fronting the crisis from abroad.  He recites names like Nyamusa Terence, Mercy Ombaku (USA) and Asaah Martin, Wilson Nyambo, Ombaku Rabben (UK) as those practically financing the action of Ambazonia freedom fighters in Momo Division and Njikwa in particular. According to Deputy Mayor, he alleges to have personally watched these guys partake in the several demonstration marches against the government of Cameroon in the US and UK. A regime lackey and ardent CPDM militant, he, Adu Banu is said to have sworn with his life that he cannot sit back and watch the country and Njikwa in particular being destroyed by a ban of senseless youths. It was days after, one Achamba Dieudonne, a commercial bike rider was found lifeless with bullet wounds. The owner of the commercial bike who happens to be Nestor Nyambi Ombaku, it was alleged the military had targeted and shot the wrong person in his place.

Over 200 IDPs from Njikwa and Ngie are hosted by relatives at Musang quarter in Bamenda and amongs those from Njikwa is Nestor’s mother who is groaning for her children’s safety. Felix Teche Nyamusa, a Politician and Elite of the area went visiting Njikwa to get acquainted with what happened in that subdivision. He was confronted and molested by the military and forced to rub self in mud and his cellphone and money seized. Embittered Nyamusa says this government must be held responsible for the carnage going on in the two Anglophone Regions.

By Ignatius Nji

Bees And Nectar Kamerun: Youths To Challenge Presidential Candidates To fac...

Bees And Nectar Kamerun: Youths To Challenge Presidential Candidates To fac...:                                    Internet Freedom Rights Festival Mobile Press Conference Youths who had found solace on the interne...

Youths To Challenge Presidential Candidates To factor In Internet Rights In Manifesto

                                   Internet Freedom Rights Festival Mobile Press Conference

Youths who had found solace on the internet are mobilizing to challenge all the candidates gunning for the top job of the country come October 7, to factor in internet rights in their manifesto. This debate on the need to advocate for protection of internet rights, was borne out of the use of Social Media by politicians especially candidates for Presidential election, to reach out to users mostly young people. Young people who are virtually deprived of civic space for debates in the ordinary world have embraced the civic space provided for them by the internet. With over 3 million users of social media in Cameroon, the youth population constitutes over 80% and has been using this forum to tilt supporting debates on issues that requires government attention. This paradigm shift has attracted Politicians and policy makers to equally monitor what the youths are saying reason why Candidate Paul Biya decided to announce his bid for re-election via his twitter account, come October 7. Other Candidates aiming for the top job have created many social media accounts to garner support from users especially the youths.

It was in this light to protect users rights that Internet right advocate Gwain Colbert under an NGO he heads, The Common Future Organization, launch an advocacy trend dubbed Internet Freedom Festival as part of the annual Bamenda Human Rights Film and Arts Festival that has been organized since 2011. This is for users to ensure that internet rights which is a human rights, is factored in the manifesto of all the Candidates seeking the top job and casting a vote for a candidate is against the assurance that once in office the candidate would sponsor a digital Rights Bill for Cameroon Internet users, given that the Internet provides unprecedented opportunities for the realization of human potential. In a bid to ensure that Politicians do not make use of the internet and block it after achieving their objectives, voters must take them to task this moment to ensure that it becomes policy not to at any moment try to deprive users of this facility as was the case sometimes in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. The launching of this advocacy package in a mobile conference in Bamenda on Tuesday July 31, Internet Rights advocate Gwain Colbert said that the advocacy which is on several from shall run up to December 2018.Other aspect of the advocacy campaign is to get more women to be aware of the several advantages found online beyond the use of social Media. The festival is organized under the theme curbing violence against women online. Through this, it is intended to encourage and increase more women and girls online without harassment. Gwain Colbert stressed that Internet Freedom festival (IFF) is an innovative and practical way of challenging Women’s exclusion from online space and bolster women’s rights to freedom of expression. The project seeks to promote a feminist Internet where women’s voice are not only heard but respected neither void of any fear of threats nor bullying from the male folks. IFF_Cameroon would this year have advocacy work for a safe Internet while raising awareness of digital security and censorship issues.

Statistics have shown that women online make up only 20 to 25% of the online community are faced with bullying, revenge porn, blackmail, impersonation, non-consensual usage of personal information, privacy violation, sexual harassment, stalking and other forms of harassment. If every youth online stakes his/her vote to any candidate depending on the interest and clear commitment they make to promoting Internet access, free speech online, privacy and date protection, then the campaign would have achieved much in terms of issues driven campaign.

By Ignatius Nji

Internally Displaced Women Graduate From Craft Center With exhibition in Bamenda

                                Madam Yenjong Rita Buriya Ceo BURITA Beads Center

As creative as Bamenda people can be, since the advent of the ongoing Anglophone crisis that has resulted to people escaping from restive areas in to safer grounds, this borne the idea of how to empower those internally displaced.  These Internally Displaced Persons IDPs particularly women who have of recent been receiving training in income generating activities from the founder of Burita Beads have exhibited their products in Bamenda. The exhibition event Saturday July 28, marked the end of three months training which the IDP women were trained in income generating activities.

  The Founder of Burita Beads, Madam Yenjong Rita Buriya, intimated that the three months free training program for IDPs was inspired by the increasing presence of IDP women in Bamenda. In her own words, “So many people have been giving them food, clothes and others but it’s not sustainable because you give today, you have to give tomorrow and so we of Burita Beads thought of coming up with something different and the only idea that came to mind was something to empower these women to be able to feed themselves; to provide these things that people are giving them by themselves." 

The first batch of 35 women received free training in activities like beads production, production of detergents, production of body lotions and coconut oil which according to Burita Beads founder will be accompanied with some startup capital.

                         Graduating Trainees Display Products At Burita Beads Center

“I am here because there was war in my village; I could not stay; people were dying, with the military and some unknown men shooting so we had to escape to town. While in town we were stranded having nothing to do before I came in contact with Madam Rita who told me about her work and I had to bring some other people to the center. I have been here for one month but I intend to continue and graduate in the next badge because it’s very helpful.” Emmanuella one of the trainees said adding “the other things we know how to produce like the detergents; knowing how to produce it and with little money it helps the family because really leaving from the village (Belo) and coming to stay in town having nothing to do with the family and so many people around you other relatives it’s not easy.”  Sembo Cecilia from Batibo sees the program as not only occupying them both at the training center and at home but also empowering them to generate revenue for the family to reduce expenditure since some of the products like detergents will be used at home.

Another trainee, Cecilia a full time farmer in Batibo regrets that her food has been abandoned in the farms because of shootings every day. “We are here like this we are living in hunger. I have all those things; I was a farmer. All those things are left in the farm.  We don’t have food. This time we harvest beans, corn, yam and pumpkins. We are living in a house about 15 of us. … and we are renting two room house and we are living on buying, buying but since I came here and met Aunty Rita, she made me comfortable.” While hoping to get some form of assistance from any benevolent elite and the crisis ending, the duo have engaged their families in the production exercise with plans to make this trade a major income generating activity. At the close of the graduation ceremony of the first batch, Rita Buriya did announce the beginning of the next session to train the next batch of women and girls. 

Quizzed as how she came about this initiative and by what means has she been sustaining it financially. Madam Rita Buriya said though started as a family initiative, Burita Beads founder reiterated that she has received some assistance. Hear her, “We have been able to get assistance from a good number of persons; the humanitarian arm of the Now Movement led by Barrister Akere Muna. They have given us space, startup capital for some of the women and they have provided chairs for which we are very grateful. Others have been supporting with others in identifying some women and giving startup capital, we have had people who have assisted in form of training material so we have had a lot of assistance.”

Kids4Real Center To Accompany Child Education With Creative Digital Learning

                                   Dr Delphine Fanfon CEO ME4REAL International

Bamenda is host to a mind blowing new paradigm shift from the traditional cut and paste style of learning in schools and for which institutions keep churning out thousands of graduates who had spent time repeating the same lessons that have little or nothing to do with present day realities. Dr. Delphine Fanfon, Founder of an Organization, ME4REAL International, has in its tenth anniversary put in to motion a solid foundational learning Center dubbed Kids4Real that would accompany children’s education with a creative digital learning program which would enable the children to think independently and make informed choices.

Community challenges have been left unresolved despite the fact that thousands are graduating from high school every day. This is as a result of the type of education that does not address immediate needs of the communities. Dr. Fanfon intimated that the Politicians can make all the loud sounding promises of development projects in public but all those promises would remain only on paper because enough brains have not been developed to unravel the riddle behind the science of realizing these projects. To bridge that gap in the future, Dr. Fanfon said through digital learning the children at the center would be empowered to embrace a broader mindset as far as intellectual capacity is concern.

Throwing light on how this will work, the Founder said, the center would make available pre-installed software on ipads and each child would be tested by the software and the level would established and an account would for that child. Those who work at the center would not be teaching the children anything rather the materials that have been packaged by Google and Microsoft would be teaching each child. She calls this individualized learning because it will be adapted to each child’s level based on the test that they take and how they perform in that test. To incite creativity in the children, Kids4Real Center has set up a program for arts and craft, a fit that has disappeared from the regular schools and a playground to ensure the kids are never bored. With this well packaged digital learning program, children begin to choose and nurture their career from when they are still young so that when they grow older they would be masters of their own craft and able to create greater impact in the local communities and in the global space at large.

                                        Azenui Ngufor Quarter Head of Bayele In Nkwen

The Kids4Real Center would be inclusive given that children with special needs would not be excluded from digital learning and volunteers at the center, would be opportune to benefit from knowledge by exploring the rich library, on proper parenting and how to take care of children with special needs. Hinting on the motivational factor behind the project on Kids4Real Center, Dr. Fanfon said first of all schools in the Northwest are not yet digitalized and secondly children need space to play while they tickle their intellect. The other push factor for this project is that due to the circumstances in the Region with many children just roaming the streets and inculcating habits that would take a life to time to get rid of, this center would shield the children away from the exposure of such habits. The program at the center is tailored not to clash or interfere with the regular school program meaning beginning September classes at the center are held after school and on weekends but in Summer holidays there shall be all day learning and workshops to keep the children usefully busy. On his part the headquarter of Bayele, Azenui Ngufor, invoked God’s blessing to propel this initiative planted in his quarter.

By Ignatius Nji