Biya's 2019 Address to the Nation that Never Met with the Expectipns & Wishes of Suffering Anglophones in the North West & South West Regions of Cameroon

Fellow Cameroonians,
My dear compatriots,
The seven-year term that has just begun should be decisive for our country. It could even be one of the most defining moments of our post-independence history.
Let me explain.
During the past half-century that has just ended, we progressively established democratic institutions. We strove to maintain security throughout our territory. We made every effort to switch from an obsolete economic model to a more modern system that is more consistent with our national interest.
Of course, this was a long haul. Some objectives, such as the establishment of democracy, were achieved. Those related to security were only partly achieved, due to serious internal and external threats. Lastly, others, the most ambitious ones which aimed to transform our society, were implemented patiently.
Unforeseen difficulties compounded our task. In the 1980s, the sharp deterioration of terms of trade jeopardized our progress. Ten years later, the global economic and financial crisis put a stop to our momentum and slowed down our growth. More recently, falling oil and commodity prices had the same impact.
However, we did not give up. In the face of adversity, we designed a three-phase development strategy: greater achievements, major accomplishments and great opportunities. We hope that this last phase will steer us to the threshold of emergence.
It is perhaps not futile to clarify what we mean by emergence. Generally, the term refers to an improvement in a situation. As commonly understood, it means the transition from an underdeveloped to a developed country. This is our meaning of the term and that is why I instructed that it should be considered as a “national cause”.
I believe that the coming years will be decisive regarding the achievement of this objective. To that end, we will have to get down to three key tasks, namely restore security, enhance our economic growth and significantly improve the living conditions of Cameroonians.
    Considering that SECURITY is a sine qua non for civil peace and economic and social progress, it should be prioritized.
Given that the situation in the Far-North has been stabilized and on our eastern border brought under control, I will focus on the situation in the North-West and South-West Regions.
Recently, I had the opportunity to express myself regarding the issues concerning them. I stated and I reaffirm my deepest concern for the populations of these two regions. I am very sensitive to their worries about their safety and their aspirations for a return to calm and normal social life.
If my appeal to warmongers to lay down their weapons remains unheeded, the Defence and Security Forces will be instructed to neutralize them. I am well aware of the distress these rebels are causing the populations of these regions. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.
In a spirit of national harmony, I decided to set up a “National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Committee” to avoid the use of extreme measures. The duties of this body, which is under the authority of the Prime Minister, are to organize, supervise and manage the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants of Boko Haram and armed groups in the North-West and South-West Regions willing to respond favourably to the hand of peace extended to them.
I wish to emphasize that this initiative provides a dignified way out for ex-combatants and prospects for social reintegration, and should pave the way for a return to calm and normalcy.
On the other hand, measures will be taken as soon as possible to give the local communities of our country the powers that would enable them to play a greater role in the management of local affairs. At the same time, the promotion of bilingualism and multiculturalism will be fast-tracked.
Furthermore, I intend to continue the dialogue initiated with people of good-will to bring about lasting peace.
Paradoxically, one of the effects of the unfortunate events that have been affecting social life in the North-West and South-West Regions for months now may surprise many of us. The populations of these two regions have noticed the sincerity of the intentions of authorities concerning the new powers delegated to local communities and the solidarity of the rest of the Nation towards them. My wish is that, eventually, national unity will be strengthened.
           It will also be necessary to accelerate the GROWTH RATE of our economy.
Earlier on, I mentioned the external factors that slowed down our economic growth. Our economy is gradually recovering thanks to the measures we have taken. However, we will have to redouble our efforts to stay on the path of emergence.
Without going into details of our projects which I talked about recently, I would like to simply recall that one of our priorities should be the modernization of our agriculture by meeting its production and diversification targets, and providing it with the required technical resources. The broad outline of this “agricultural revolution” was defined at the Ebolowa Agricultural Show and is still relevant.
The same is true for our major industrialization project which should be implemented in line with the orientations of our Master Plan. Its priority should be the processing of our agricultural commodities to give them value added and reduce our imports of goods and services.
We will continue to provide our country with energy infrastructure to meet the needs of our agro-industry and various industrial sectors, as well as the demands of our people. In addition to hydroelectric dams, solar energy plants will be constructed for rural electrification.
The remarkable efforts that have already been made to develop our transport infrastructure (roads, motorways, ports and airports) will be continued to boost our economy and ease the mobility of our compatriots.
Furthermore, by concluding an economic and financial arrangement with the International Monetary Fund in 2017 under the “Extended Credit Facility”, we undertook to pursue the implementation of our structural reforms, maintain our fiscal balance and ensure the sustainability of our external debt.
It is against this backdrop that we will have to finance our major projects. To that end, we will need to increasingly resort to financial institutions that apply more accessible concessional lending rates. It is inadmissible that our projects should take much more time to mature than in countries of a comparable level of development. Maturation periods of time should be reduced.
Some of our problems stem from the fact that the structures of our economy make us to depend heavily on the external world, especially the prices of our commodities. I have often said that we are in a position to produce most of what we import, be it agricultural or industrial products. It is absolutely necessary to take this into account. We have no choice in the face of growing protectionism.
In the same vein, it is necessary for us to do more to incorporate digital progress into the functioning of our public services and our economy. The developing digital society will not wait for laggards.
    Once our security is restored and our growth revived, we have to give our democracy the SOCIAL DIMENSION it deserves.
Significant progress has already been made in that connection over the past decades. More effort will be  required to build a society that ensures equal opportunity and decent living conditions for the entire population.
We will therefore continue to:
- extend a system of quality education at all levels by focusing on professionalization;
- build more health centres, extend our network of referral hospitals and finance our social security scheme;
- solve the nagging problem of low-cost housing;
- further improve access to drinking water and electricity, including in rural areas;
- and, lastly, promote the role of women and youths in our society.
In so doing, we will eventually roll back poverty which is the source of the diverse exclusions still existing in our country.
A problem of particular concern to me is still to be addressed. I am referring to unemployment, especially among youths. Naturally, the government services responsible for addressing the issue will do what is expected of them. However, it should be acknowledged that this social ill which is affecting most countries on the planet is closely linked to the level of economic activity, in other words growth.
That is why we will do all we can to encourage and boost the growth rebound we are currently experiencing.
Fellow Cameroonians,
My dear compatriots,
That is the triple challenge we are facing. I have no doubt that we will overcome it if we remain united, supportive and committed.
As you are aware, our country was poised to host the great African football jamboree in 2019. Based on certain information, the African Football Confederation decided that the date should be shifted. We have taken note of the decision. As I have already said, all investments relating to the organization of AFCON will be carried out. I avail myself of this opportunity to urge you to remain mobilized to ensure the eventual construction of our road, railway, hospital and sports infrastructure for this major event: our country deserves it indeed.
My dear compatriots,
Believe me, in these difficult moments, I am devoting all my energy and all my experience to ensuring peace, unity and progress in our beloved and beautiful country.
I count on each and every one of you to help me in this endeavour.
I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2019.
Long live the Republic!
Long live Cameroon!
Yaounde, 31 December 2018

Biya's 2018 Purported Facebook Gov't N02

Premier ministre, chef du gouvernement : Paul Elung Che
 Ministre d’Etat, ministre délégué à la Présidence chargé de la Défense
 :  Joseph Béti Assomo
 Ministre d’Etat, ministre de la Culture : Bello Bouba Maigari
 Ministre des Finances : Modeste Mopa Fatouing
 Ministre de l’Economie, de la Planification et de l’Aménagement du
 Territoire : Paul Tazong Ndukong
 Ministre de la Justice : Eyebe Ayissi
 Ministre des Travaux publics : Alamine Ousmane Mey
 Ministre de la Santé publique : Joseph Anderson Le
 Ministre de l’Agriculture : Bayero Mohamadou Bounou
 Ministre des Enseignements secondaires : Mme Nalova Lyonga Pauline
 Ministre de la Décentralisation et du Développement local : Georges Elanga Obam
 Ministre de l’Education de Base : Pr Kabeyene Beyala Véronique
 Ministre des Relations Extérieures : René Emmanuel Sadi
 Ministre de l’Administration territoriale : Paul Atanga Nji
 Ministre des Transports : Hamadou Sali
 Ministre de la Jeunesse et des sports : Mounouna Foutsou
 Ministre de l’Eau et de l’Energie : Manaouda Malachie
 Ministre des Postes et Télécommunications : Gaston Eloundou Essomba
 Ministre du Travail et de la Prévoyance Sociale : Joseph Ngo
 Ministre des Enseignements secondaires : Madame Nalova Lyonga
 Ministre de la jeunesse et de l’Education civique : Ali Bachir Hamadou
 Ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur : Pr Mouelle Kombi
 Ministre de la Fonction publique : Fru Jonathan
 Ministre de la Communication : Mme Marie Claire Nana
 Ministre des Mines, de l’Industries et du Développement technologique
 : Ibrahim Talba Malla
 Ministre de la Recherche scientifique et de l’Innovation : Mme Djuidjeu Marie
 Ministre des Forêts et de la Faune: Jules Doret Ndongo
 Ministre du Développement urbain et de l’Habitat : Tchoffo Jean
 Ministre des Affaires sociales : Mme Dibong née Biyong Marie Rose
 Ministre des Petites et Moyennes entreprises, de l’Artisanat et de
 l’économie sociale : Auguste Mbappe Mpenda
 Ministre de l’Environnement et de la protection de la nature : Rassaf Danavou
 Ministre des Domaines, du Cadastre et des Affaires foncières Laurent
 Serge Etoundi Ngoa
 Ministre du Tourisme et des Loisirs : Njifenji Kouotouo Louis Georges
 Ministre du Commerce : Mme Libom Li Likeng
 Ministre de l’Elevage, des Pêches et des industries animales : Denis
 Koulagna Koutou
 Ministre de la Promotion de la femme et de la famille : Mme Abena
 Ondoa née Obama Marie Thérèse
 Ministre de l’Emploi et de la Formation professionnelle : Grégoire Owona
 Délégué général à la Sûreté nationale : Léopold Maxime Eko Eko
 Ministre délégué à la Présidence de la République en charge des
 Marchés publics : Fritz Ntone Ntone
 Ministre délégué à la Présidence de la République en charge des
 Relations avec le Parlement : Issa Tchiroma Bakary
 Ministre délégué à la Présidence en charge du Contrôle supérieur de
 l’Etat : Mme Mba Acha Rose
 Ministres chargés de Mission
 Laurent Esso
 Mengot Victor Arrey
 Mme Djamila Babale
 Philippe Mbarga Mboa
 Ministre, Secrétaire général de la présidence de la République : Louis
 Paul Motaze
 Ministre, Secrétaire général adjoint N°1 de la Présidence de la
 République : Fonye Francis
 Ministre, Secrétaire général adjoint N°2 de la Présidence de la
 République : Jean Pierre Fogui
 Ministre, Secrétaire général des services du Premier ministre : Saïd
 Kamssouloum
 Ministre, secrétaire général adjoint des services du Premier ministre
 : Nkot Fabien
 Autres décrets attendus :
 Grand chancelier des Ordres nationaux : Yang Philémon
 Ambassadeurs itinérants : Martin Belinga Eboutou, Jacques Fame Ndongo,
 Hamadou Moustapha, Amadou Ali, Alim Hayatou, Issa Hayatou
 Directeur général de la DGRE : Colonel Emile Bankoui
 Secrétaire général adjoint N°1 du Comité central du Rdpc : Jacques Fame Ndongo
 Secrétaire général adjoint N°2 du comité central du Rdpc : Zacharie Perevet

UK defense could face £15bn budget shortfall in 10 years

A news report has projected that Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) could face a gap of £15 billion (less than $20 billion) in a matter of a decade if it fails to prioritize its programs for production of modern military equipment.

The National Audit Office (NAO) published a report on Monday suggesting that the MoD would be short of £7 billion in the next 10 years as the ministry’s forecast costs exceed its budget of £186.4.

The NAO said the black hole could be expanded to reach the whopping figure of 14.8 billion if all sorts of identified risks occur and the MoD fails to decide which program to defer or drop as soon as possible.

The report said the MoD had incurred huge costs on taxpayers by postponing projects that should not have been deferred, adding that there will be a “real danger” for the ministry in the next 10 years to waste more taxpayers’ money.

“These [deferred projects] included delaying by two years its program to introduce new remotely piloted aircraft (Protector), resulting in an estimated £160mn cost increase, and delaying some Typhoon training by one year, which increased costs by £6 million,” it said.

The NAO said the British government’s last week budget announcement which gave an extra £1 billion to the defense sector failed to consider the real gaps in the MoD budget in the upcoming years.

“The announcement in the budget of an extra £1bn for defense doesn’t deal with the gap in the MoD’s budget,” it said.

Defense authorities in Britain have already indicated that they are spending around four percent more than what has been allowed in the budget. The country is a key military power in NATO and still contributes to the risky missions in Afghanistan and in the Baltics where the Western military alliance is allegedly confronting Russia.

Britain is also a major arms manufacturer and sells billions of pounds worth of military equipment to countries in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Europe Mobilize against Trump’s Diplomatic Excesses

“Europe must unite against Trump’s policies” German Foreign Minister

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday urged European countries to respond to US President Donald Trump's protectionist economic policies and unilateralist diplomacy with "Europe United".

"We must find an answer to the motto 'America First' on this side of the Atlantic and to me and to us, it's clear that the response can only be 'Europe United’,” Maas told reporters in Berlin, referring to Trump’s most famous catchphrase all along his campaign trail.

“We Europeans must cooperate even more closely which also means investing more into our own ability to act. That applies when it's about fighting back punitive tariffs and it applies to security issues or the fight against climate change,” he went on to say.

Maas also pointed to the US midterm elections, in which Democrats managed to take the House of Representatives from Republicans, and said he expected Democrats to use their newfound power to influence Trump's policies more heavily.

"We'll see to what extent that has an impact. We hope that this cooperation will be constructive and lead to constructive results in international politics. We will very intensively look to contact those who were newly elected," Maas noted.

The German foreign minister has time and again warned about the consequences of Trump’s unilateralist approaches toward other countries, urging fellow EU member states to unite against the US policies.

Trump’s decision to restrict imports from the European Union and his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, the Paris Climate Accord and the UN Commission on Human Rights, among others, have dealt a heavy blow to ties between Washington and European countries.

However, tensions escalated between the two sides after Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, but the EU announced it will preserve business with Iran and avoid renewed American sanctions.

In defiance of US policies, European countries have declared they would not cooperate with Washington on Iran sanctions, and promised to facilitate payments related to Iran’s exports as part of efforts to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after the US’ withdrawal.

MAITRE Honore Ngam Writes to Biya

Open letter to H.E Paul Biya, newly re-elected President of Cameroun

Your Excellency,

I followed your inaugural address on the 6 November 2018 with keen attention and with particular focus on your plan to end the raging war in the North West Region and South West Region. 

Your Excellency, permit me to recall that the conflict in the North West Region and South West Region is the outcome of long standing acrimony within the Anglophones over the abrogation of the two states federation in 1972 and the subsequent marginalization and  assimilation of Anglophones. The strike action of lawyers and teachers that began in 2016 merely constituted a milestone in Anglophone resistance to marginalization and subjugation. This explains why the sectoral demands of the lawyers and teachers quickly morphed into a political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis that has been escalating by the day.

As a consequence of the conflict, it is estimated that over 1000 lives have been lost, hundreds of thousands internally displaced, over 30 000 refugees, villages torched, over 1000 persons incarcerated, disruptive school attendance, livelihoods destroyed as a consequence of the breakdown of law and order in most almost all the towns and villages of these regions. 

In the light of the preceding,  a call to lay down arms will yield fruit if it is accompanied by a comprehensive peace plan that addresses the root causes of the conflict with a view to providing a lasting solution to grievances that span decades.

This conflict is a political conflict requiring a political settlement and not the use of force which so far has proven to be counter productive. The result of the military option has actually been an escalation of the conflict. 

It therefore behooves Your Excellency to review your plan for the resolution of the conflict in the North West Region and South West Region and seriously consider seeking a lasting political solution to the conflict as soon as possible.

Thank you for your kind attention. 

Respectfully,

Senator. Honoré NGAM 

North West Constituency

Ambazonian Defense Force Now after Teacher’s Trade Unionists; Sema Valentine CATTU Sectary General’s Wife & Child Kidnapped Last Sunday Freed

Ø  Tame Valentine of TAC, & Afuh Stephen of PIATTU’s Fate Yet to be Defined

The story about rampant and outright kidnaps in the English speaking part of the country is no longer news as it is taking completely a new dimension which is leaving many an ordinary man wandering if truly these atrocious acts are perpetrated by the very Ambazonian Defense Force (ADF) meant for the liberation of Southern Cameroon now after its very own and rending life more unsecured for them?

News of Sema Valentine president General of CATTU, Cameroon Teacher’s Trade Unions wife and child’s kidnap after Ayeah Emmanuel of BATTU suffered similar fate, caught the air wave early Sunday Morning of the 11 of November 2018 like wild bush fire and horror.

As many decry acts by individuals yet to be identified, others allege acts are committed by fake Amba boys while enemies celebrate that hunters are now hunted.

Caught up in the mix situation, the orchestrators of Sema’s wife and child kidnap suspected to be quarter boys in disguise demanded the sum of 20 millions, after sound negotiation amount dropped to 15 million, 10, to 5 and finally to 2 million frs cfa.

As we report exactly some weeks ago the President General of BATTU Ayeah Emmanuel was also abducted and freed on a ransom, Tame Valentine of TAC and Afuh Stephen of PIATTU lay in expectation of what fate awaits them as it is now crystal clear that they are next in line since the Ambazonian struggle has suddenly becoming a money making one.

News just in the wife and child kidnapped last Sunday 12 during the morning hours were freed yesterday Monday 12 November 2018.