Town Crier No 311

Country people

I never believed it; surely you too when I was told the world was coming to an end. Welcome to strange times. Last Friday afternoon and even in the night there were no TV and radio signals in Abakwa even CRTV Abakwa and BBC. Why was North West cut off from the rest of the world, if I may ask? The occurrence brought back frightful memories of the April 6, 1984 coup attempt. I almost thought Marafa’s men were already in action. Talking about Marafa. You surely heard Popoul when he said he was not replying to Marafa’s commentaries. That is how he described the letters that have been giving him nightmares. He added that justice will take its course. You know Popoul is like Louis XVI. L’état c’est moi (I am the state) or ‘The thing is legal because I have said so. Marafa has clearly not learnt from history. Titus Edzoa, Yves Michel Fotso, Atangana Mebara, Etonde Ekotto all wrote from prison. Nothing changed. When Popoul says justice will take its course, he means one thing: that Marafa will die in prison or can only be released if he (Popoul) is no longer in power.  Se what has happened to Abah Abah: jailed for six months for attempt to escape from prison. So what happens to his 264 witnesses? And the sentence came even before his trial actually kicks off. If there were something longer than life jail, I am sure that is the sentence that will be slammed on him. As for Marafa treason will come in plot to overthrow the government. That is what I mean. His government published by l’Anecdote last week sold like hot cake. Just as everything Marafa does, especially is letters. Marafa’s list of ministers would have been alright if he didn’t include names like Fai Yengo and Baba Danpullo. That is a sure way of exposing them to the guillotine. What would Danpullo, a successful business man gain by becoming minister of mines? The case of Fai Yengo is equally disturbing. This is somebody who is quietly enjoying his retirement at Abakwa. His name already features in the list of ‘Marafa’s men’. A list prepared by his detractors so he could be hanged by Popoul. Why should Marafa, knowing this include his name in his ‘government’?

Let us leave these disturbing Marafa matters and look at something more concrete. Did you know that Dr. Fonkam is back from Germany where he went to verify electoral material? This means the idea of biometric registration has actually taken foot. Hail the anti-corruption commission, CONAC. Keep up the spirit. 3 or 4 of their members were recently sworn in at the Supreme Court. Apart from ELECAM and CONAC, another Popoul created institutions I cherish is the University of Bamenda, UBa of Bambili as some overzealous elite think. I am talking here about Peter Alange Abety. I hear he led a delegation of Fons to Yaounde. They were Tubah Fons. Abety was going to explain that there is enough land to host UBa. As if he owns the land. The next thing he will do is to ask for gombo to compensate victims even after claiming there is enough land just to chop the gomgo. I am happy he returned with a flea in his ear and warned against entering UBa head office. He is the very antithesis of his idol, Yang Philemon. Yang will clock 3 years at the Star Building. How time passes! Those who thought he would be dumped in 6 months after appointment are in for a surprise. He will not only be maintained, I hear he is the one Popoul is grooming as his successor, not Rene Emmanuel Sadi. Those who say Yang has achieved nothing for the North West are grossly mistaken. He is the one who sourced for funding for the ring road. You know that where a road passes, development follows. But unlike other lousy achievers, he kept it a secret. Your town crier was smart enough to learn of it. Can we say North West is blessed? I am talking about the fact Lele Lafrique, Abakar Ahamat is going on his familiarization tour of the region. He was in Nkambe and Bui last week. He will be in Ndop and Wum this week. The week after, he will be in Mbengwi, Fundong and Abakwa. In Nkambe Tamfu was remembered. In Kumbo Njong Donatus reminded Oku people that they are not populated enough to think they can secede from Bui. Njong is a very hard working and outspoken mayor. Just as our darling Ntumfor Nico Halle who controls the tenders’ board for market construction 10 billion FCFA has been set aside for the construction of three markets Ndogpassi, Bonamoussadi and Congo. Ntumfor who controls the award of contracts has vowed that everything will be done in total transparency meaning that only those who qualify will be given the contracts. Hence no corruption. In fact, anybody who attempts to oil his lips will be instantly arrested. Trust Ntumfor. He means every word he says. How I wish other Cameroonians could emulate his sound example. Jean Tabi Manga, Jean Jacques Ndoudoumou and Samuel Lifanda would not be in the mess in which they are today if they were incorruptible like Ntumfor. Students of the University of Yaounde II (Soa) have called on Jean Tabi Manga who was indicted and told to refund 65 million FCFA to resign and save the face of the institution. When we consider the humiliation suffered by holder of big posts  I am glad that I am not a civil servant. But at least, your town crier has some fallouts from state coffers. He was among the first to be chosen. But Tchiroma misbehaved by dishing out subvention to foreign media. How can you take corn meant for domestic fowls and give to bush fowls? In matters like this charity should begin and end at home, not abroad. All the same, I promise each of you a booze any time you meet and ask me. Remember what the Holy Book says. Ask and you shall be given. Lest I forget, did Tchiroma swindle part of the subvention gombo? How come he brought out the list of those who won last year and proceeded to read? Hilton journalists were fast to notice it and drew his attention to it. He then brought out the right list. Thanks to him but I have profound words of consolation for the children of Lycée de Mora. Their BEPC scripts were ravished by fire. 2411 candidates suffered. I hear rewrite had been scheduled for July 4.

Country people, have you ever heard of the decentralization council? It held its first session sic months after cabinet shake-up. Members acquainted themselves with transfer system to councils. If there is anything I admire about the Popoul regime it is its creativity but while I praise Popoul, I have no kind words for the Tutu woman who has since sidelined North West artistes. There was a free concert at Franco-Cameroon Alliance. But one could see misery on the faces of musicians. People like the General Manager of Africa Julius Musi are fortunate that they are civil servants. Piracy is killing music in Cameroon. But musicians are not as miserable as inhabitants of some parts of Yaounde where water is as scarce as dog’s tears. People defecate in wrapping pay and dump in trash cans. Why won’t cholera go on rampage? To intensify misery of the Yaounde city dweller here comes coffin carrying Tsimi Evouna. This devil incarnate thinks that to modernize Yaounde, war must be intensified on struggling hawkers. Otherwise, why this transformation of Mokolo market into a war zone? There you see all kinds of military weapons to intensify the ‘ghost towns’ operation there. This is the most sublime of cronies. In the 90s when the opposition embarked on the ‘ghost towns’ operation the Biya regime assembled it armada of military weapons to fight it. Today, it is the regime promoting it. Strangely enough, Popoul is backing Tsimi Evouna in his Boko Haramic war on innocent Yaounde hawkers this leads me to another gist. Why have the Yankees not included Boko Haram in the list of terrorist groupings? It recognizes only four of them. Is it because Boko Haram has not stricken like Al Qaeda? President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked his Defence Minister surely because of his inability to contain the sect. I hear people are no longer attending church services in Maiduguai where the attacks on churches are most rampant. Just as in areas wehre book Haram is wrecking havoc tension is brewing between Turkey and Syria following the shooting down of a Turkish military aircraft by Syrian forces which complain the plane was flying at very low attitude. Turkey has since called on Syria’s President Assad to step down. I don’t know what is wrong with these Arabs. They love bloodshed just too much. We are talking about Syria. Will Egypt ever know peace? Thousands of protesters stormed Tarhir square the scene of the Egyptian revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarack. They were not at all bothered that their former leader had had a stroke and was transferred from the prison to the military hospital which could better handle his failing health. From all indications, mere trouble is brewing as Ahmed Shafit, a former PM under Mubarack and Ahmed Mursi, the candidate of the Moslem brotherhood are both claiming victory. To worsen matters, the Egyptian military is far from willing to give up any of their privileges. The supreme council of the military dissolved parliament and withheld the results of the presidential results. The military seems intent on clinging to power. Popoul should learn from this fact that when you draw the military close to power and worse still share power with soldiers you are doomed. You will never be able to contain these zombies. Supporters of the Moslem brotherhood have vowed to engage in nonstop protest sittings. They are determined to confront even the military junta. Welcome on board the ICJ, Louis Morino Ocampo. He replaces Fatou Bensouda of Gambian nationality. The new ICJ judge is only 51 and will serve a 9-year term. Lucky boy! You need to hear the pay package. I hear our Ephraim Ngwafor is also fine. But whereas people replaced generally enjoy their retirement it has not always been the case with French leaders. Remember Jacque Chirac had to stand trial for embezzlement charges while mayor of Paris. That was after he quit power. He went away with a suspended sentence meaning that if he commits another crime, he will serve the first jail term before the second is even judged. Nicholas Sarkozy’s presidential immunity has been lifted to face several legal situations – one in the funding of his party, the other about the Betancourt who reportedly also used gargantuan sums of money to Sarkozy during his 2004 presidential campaigns. Sarkozy’s lawyers are producing details of expenditure during the election. Sarkozy was Bulladur’s campaign manager in 2002. He is accused of illegally accessing the 2002 bombing in Karachi, Pakistan. Bravo Sun Sunchi, Burmese opposition leader. The female pro-democracy leader was given a standing ovation at London’s Westminster hall. She addressed both houses of parliament and asked for support in her determined and continuous quest for genuine democracy in Burma.

Country people, life is a bargain across the counter. I for once was made in the cheapest market and will dispose of myself only in the dearest. What do I mean here? Whenever I have the opportunity, I will strive to make money. I should not write or speak only for pleasure while others do so for gombo. That is why your town crier does not blame the organ dealing with ticket sales for London’s Olympics. They are in trouble after journalists exposed them for placing/selling tickets athletic tickets, especially in the black markets; tripling the amount. As if the journalists themselves would not make gombo if they had the opportunity. Gombo is sweet for everybody. This also is why I don’t blame Didier Drogba, Ivorian football superstar who has quit Chelsea for China to play for 300.000 US dollars per week. Drogba, like Eto’o has come to realize that there is no use playing for a popular team and earning less than playing for an unpopular one and earning more gombo. Eto’o quit Barca, Spain for a little known team in Russia but he earns about a billion francs a month. Milla played to thrill; reason why he is not rich today. If only he knew. So congrats Eto’o and Drogba. See you next week.