National and International News Roundup – 15th March 2021

Cameroon has sent relief items to Equatorial Guinea, following deadly explosions in the country days ago. The humanitarian aid was delivered today, by Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji and Minister Delegate at the Presidency In Charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo.

A man is currently on the run in the Menoua Divison, west region of Cameroon, after beating his 12-year-old son to death for eating banana which he had kept as a bait to trap rats in his farm. According to the man’s neighbours, it’s a habitual thing for him to torture his children when they did something wrong. It is said that he once beat his twin children for the same reason till they got hospitalized.

The Paramount ruler of the Balongs and President of the Meme Chiefs Conference, Chief Ebanja Gabriel Ebonje has died. The proprietor of the Ebanja Clinic in Tiko, South West region of Cameroon died today in Buea after a brief illness. Plans for his final rest have not yet been set.

The National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) has ordered for its MPs to table the Anglophone petition for discussion to Parliament or withdraw their signatures from controversial letter sent to U.S Congress. Hon. Joshua Osih has fallen under immense pressure of recent for putting his signature to the controversial letter that has so far received massive backlash from Cameroonians.

The question of who can better lead the Social Democratic Front party in the absence of Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi has dominated political debate in Cameroon for a while now. Following the disagreement between SDF and it’s first Vice President Hon. Joshua Osih on a petition he signed to the US Congress, some pundits hold Hon. Joshua Osih may be losing the upper hand he had in getting the top party position.

Some Cameroonians have decried the fact that fake products manufactured at home and abroad have flooded the market with a lot of consequences on the health of consumers. Observing World Consumers Day today, they pointed accusing fingers at the Quality Regulatory Agency for failing to carry out its activities to guard against fake products.

Resit examination starts tomorrow at the University of Buea (UB) after the publication of the first semester examination results last week. Ahead of the session UB says compulsory COVID-19 tests will be obligatory for students, lecturers and other workers from the 26th of March when the second semester will start.

The Minister of Territorial Administration offered 2,000 face masks to traders at the Yaoundé Central Market today. Minister Paul Atanga Nji also called on traders and customers to strictly respect COVID-19 measures by constantly wearing face masks in public places.

Cardiologists from different countries in the world are in Douala brainstorming on better methods to properly treat patients. Among the cardiologists are nutritionists that are playing a role of educating the public on healthy feeding habits that reduce risks of heart diseases.

Prof. Gervais Mendoze is in a critical health condition contrary to rumours that he was no more. The former general manager of Cameroon Radio and Television is serving a prison term for the embezzlement of state funds.

There is scarcity of bread in shops across the East region of Cameroon today Monday. Most bakeries are threatening to increase the price of bread that will definitely have a spill over effect on final consumers to buy a loaf of bread for 125FCFA instead of 100FCFA.

Cameroonian football prodigy, Yousoufa Moukoko has reportedly rejected to represent the Indomitable Lions by accepting a call up to play for the German Under 20’s. Yousoufa Moukoko has been one of the most talked about names recently in European football due to his extraordinary footballing exploits and records. One of his most renowned is being the youngest ever player to play in German topflight league, Bundesliga.

Ugandan politician and former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has been arrested in the capital, Kampala. He was leading a team of MPs from his party, the National Unity Platform, in a protest against arrests and disappearances of supporters in the period leading up to, during, and after the highly contested January election.

The medical charity, MSF, says soldiers in the Ethiopian region of Tigray have launched deliberate and widespread attacks on healthcare facilities. The group says it has visited more than 100 medical sites since December and found that only 13% functioned normally. MSF observers in Tigray say most health centres were looted or vandalised and many remain occupied by soldiers.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga was on Sunday discharged from hospital in the capital, Nairobi, where he was being treated for Covid-19. “I’m glad to be back at home,” Mr Odinga posted on his Twitter page with a video of him stretching outside his house. “I’ll be strictly self-isolating until further notice,” he added.

Officials in Nigeria say security forces foiled another attempt to kidnap students during an overnight attack on Sunday in a school in Kaduna State. Thirty-nine students are still missing following a raid on a college in the same state on Thursday. An official in the Kaduna state government said thanks to swift intervention by the police and soldiers, the gunmen had been unable to seize any students from the secondary school on the outskirts of Ikara town.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni says he is still “looking at which of the vaccines” to go for, days after his government kicked off mass vaccination against Covid-19 using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Presidents across the continent have been publicly receiving the jabs to counter scepticism about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. In a televised address on Sunday night, President Museveni said he had not yet been vaccinated because he is “quite careful and well protected by the system”. He said the first lady, Janet Museveni, had also not been vaccinated.

Foreign news: BBC