National and International News Roundup: Wednesday 04 December 2019

Christian Cardinal Tumi and Bishop Andrew Nkea say the people of the North West and South West Regions want peace after three years of war. In an audience today with PM Joseph Dion Ngute, Cardinal Tumi described the mission of the post-national dialogue caravan as “successful but not perfect”. To him, the worry of the people is to know the content of the special status.

Common law lawyers in Bamenda say they are keeping a close watch on activities at the National Assembly as lawmakers debate a bill that seeks to promote the two official languages. The lawyers staged a strike today in Bamenda boycotting court sessions in the town. They say the bill seeks to suppress the English language in Cameroon.

The Examination of the Bill on the promotion of Official languages has been suspended at the National Assembly, following internal pressure and resistance from Cameroonians. Common law lawyers today took to the streets of Bamenda in the North West region protesting a possible adoption of the Bill. They say that Bill will permit the dominance of French over English in courts in the North West and South West regions.

The Port Authority of Douala will have to relaunch the international call to tender for the management of the container terminal of the Douala seaport. The decision was taken today by the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court. The contract for the management of the container terminal of the Douala seaport officially ends on December 31st, and a new company must be found before then to fill the vacuum, port officials say.

The passports of some 05 (five) top officials are said to have been seized by elements of the special unit of the directorate-general for National security under instructions from the president of the Republic of Cameroon Paul Biya. According to unconfirmed social media reports, the government ministers include, Louis Paul Motaze, Joseph Vest, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, Magloire Seraphin, Ismael and Pierre Bidoung.

The late Mayor of The Buea Council, Ekema Patrick Esunge will be buried on Saturday, December 14th, 2019. According to a Tentative Funeral program circulating on social media, his mortal remains will be removed from the Douala regional hospital mortuary on Friday, December 13, 2019, and taken directly to Buea for Burial on Saturday

A National vaccination against measles and rubella was launched in Cameroon today. Children aged 9 to 59 months old will be vaccinated for five days. 14 children have died of measles in Cameroon since January this year.

Customary values have been said to be partly responsible for the illegal exploitation of natural resources in Cameroon. To curb this, traditional rulers have been educated on the sustainable use of natural resources.  An official of the ministry of forestry and wildlife explained the need for traditional rulers to get involved in the sensitisation.

Workers of Edea 1 council have decried an attack on some offices by suspected bandits. The bandits according to council workers made away with laptops and an undisclosed sum of money. The said thieves, six in number molested the night watchman before breaking into the council.

It is not known when the Malian consulate in Douala will be reopened. The consulate situated in Bonapriso was shut down on Monday this week for security reasons. This came at the back of a string of attacks by boys from Nkomondo quarter, targeting Malian establishment. The boys were out to avenge the alleged killing of a girl by a Malian.

The MA60 plane of the Cameroon airline company CAMAIR.CO that was attached last Sunday in Bamenda, North West region of Cameroon has landed at the company’s maintenance facility in Douala. The CEO, Mr Louis Georges Njipendi Kuotu welcomed the crew on arrival. He once again appreciated their exceptional professionalism and bravery.

Family members of a 1-year old girl in Ezeka, Nyong and Kelle Center Region of Cameroon are accusing some medical staff of the Ezeka District hospital of killing their daughter. The one-year-old, family members say, was brought to the Ezeka District hospital on Sunday for treatment after some health complications.  While in the hospital, she was placed on oxygen and later administered the wrong medication that caused her death. According to family members the hospital is said to have admitted the error.

A person, whose identity has been withheld, is currently being treated for monkeypox in England, following a visit to Nigeria. According to England’s Public Health authorities, monkeypox is a rare viral infection similar to the eradicated disease smallpox. Public Health England (PHE) has allayed fears by confirming that monkeypox is not very transmissible and the patient is not considered a risk to other people. As a precautionary measure, all persons who came in contact with the patient, including those who travelled with them in the same flight, are being contacted.

The body of a 19-year-old has been retrieved from a river in Kenya by rescuers. She is reported to have drowned while trying to save a man who had gotten into trouble as he was attempting to cross a swollen river. The victim, Anna Nduku, 19, who drowned in the Kandisi river near Ongata Rongai, on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday, is one of more than 130 people who have died as a result of the flooding resulting from the heavy rains that have been falling since October. Her sister has blamed the authorities for their negligence in constructing the bridge. As more rain is forecast to hit the country in the days ahead, the government has been advising that anyone who lives in areas that are expected to be badly affected should move to a safer place.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has confirmed he will be seeking re-election in the upcoming presidential polls. The statement was made as campaigning for next December’s ballot gets underway in the West African nation. President Akufo-Addo, 75, speaking to broadcaster Citi FM confirmed that he is seeking a second four-year term to enable him to continue “all the strong work that is going into reconstructing our economy and laying the foundation for agriculture and for industry.”

South Africa’s economy is reported to have contracted in the third quarter, increasing the pressures on President Cyril Ramaphosa. This is contrary to the forecast of economists who had predicted a rise of 0.1 per cent. The disappointment following the bad news had a negative impact on the rand, which fell by nearly 1 per cent against the US dollar.

Results of the 11th day of play in the National League 1 Championship In Cameroon. AS FORTUNA vs DRAGON =1-2; TKC vs EDING =1-0; APEJES vs CANON =1-0; AVION vs FOVU; UMS vs FEUTCHEU = 0-1; STADE vs COLOMBE =3-1; PWD vs USD = 1-0; YOSA vs PANTHERE =2-2; Tomorrow 05/12/19 COTTON vs BAMOUTOS