The President of the Cameroon Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o, has won a case at the Cameroon National Communication Council, NCC.
Eto’o had dragged to the NCC a radio station called ‘Jambo FM 91′, its station manager, and Ikoul Migne Alain Denis, the host of a program called ‘Le Onze Entrant’, at that radio.
Eto’o accused the radio of airing, on February 15, 2024, unfounded statements that accused him of imposing his line-up on the coaching staff of the male national football squad of Cameroon.
This was during a training session held on the eve of the match between Cameroon and Nigeria at the 34th African Cup of Nations.
So, the NCC, on Wednesday, May 29, during its 42nd ordinary session, scrutinised the issue and found the radio at fault.
“The Council, after deliberating on the responsibility of the organ in question for airing unfounded information that does not comply with the professional requirements of the investigation, cross-checking, and balance in the information made available to the public, decides to address a warning to both Mr. Lemogo Antoine Landry, Station Manager of ‘Jambo FM 91’ and Mr. IKOUL MIGNE Alain Denis, a journalist at the said organ,” read a document signed by NCC’s President, Joseph Chebongkeng.
The NCC ruling favoring Eto’o comes amid an ongoing conflict between the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, and the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education.
Samuel Eto’o, President of FECAFOOT, has been trending on the media for the past weeks for challenging MINSEP and the “high instructions” of President Paul Biya over the appointment of the coaching staff for the men’s national team.
After rejecting the coach appointed by MIMSEP, Eto’o’s FECAFOOT recently dismissed the Belgian coach and appointed a Cameroonian as interim.
Aside from the case filed by Samuel Eto’o, the NCC also ruled on a number of other cases brought against media organisations and journalists.
One of the cases was dismissed, while journalists were issued warnings in three other cases, with an online news channel suspended in another case.
The NCC itself also filed a complaint against Vision 4 television and Boni Menyene Philippe, a journalist at the broadcast organ.
The NCC filed a complaint against Vision 4 for broadcasting comments on an ongoing judicial proceeding during a programme dubbed ‘Club d’Elites’ on March 3, 2024. It was hosted by Bori Meyene Philippe.
“The Council, after ascertaining the nuance, on the one hand, between judicial chronology and some authorised report on the judge’s role in a matter brought to his attention, and on the other hand, flagrant commentary on an ongoing court trial, which is forbidden by law, has found Mr. Boni Menyene Philippe liable on the said matter for professional misconduct and decides to send a warning to Mr. Boni Menyene Philippe, a journalist at ‘VISION 4’,” the NCC said.
One of the cases also examined was the case of Professor Zo’o Zame Philémon, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (TRB), against the publisher of L’Independant Economie newspaper, and journalist Arsène Ndzana of this organ.
On April 22, 2024, the professor filed a complaint about an article bearing allegedly unfounded accusations, likely to tarnish his image and reputation, blaming him for embezzling the performance bonuses of some TRB staff.
“The Council, following the Publisher of ‘L’Independant Economie’s refusal to honour the NCC’s summons, despite having been notified by the bailiff, decides: on the one hand, to suspend Mr. Max Mpandjo, Publisher of print media organ ‘L’independent Economy’, from his duty as Publisher and practicing journalism in Cameroon for one (1) month for refusing to honour the NCC’s summons,” the NCC said.
The NCC has been noted for sanctioning media organs and journalists in Cameroon but has, however, done little follow-up to implement the sanctions.
