Town crier No 321

Country people

There is fire on the mountain. Do  you hear? Real fire on the mountain. First Nkwenti dies. Now Fon Doh kicks the bucket, sorry disappeared. But what is really preoccupying is the upheaval at the top. Mama Chantoux abasence and Yang’s purported resignation which he denies. The case of Popoula nd Mama Chantoux when the BBC takes interest inshuch a stor abasence and Yang’s purported resignation which he denies. The case of Popoul and Mama Chantoux.  When the BBC takes interest in such a story like the Popoul Mama Chantoux controversy then the matter is serious. If focused on it a fortnight ago. Popoul immediately swung into action and sent a message of condolence on behalf of himself and Mama Chantoux to the family of an obscure female cleric AU in a bid to show that there is no strain in their relationship. Ask why people are so interested in the privacy of a head of state? Because the state of his mind can affect the decision he takes. Now the case of Yang. The matter is hot. So hot that his equally crafty chief of cabinet went to Ndop fire fighting. He held a meeting with Ngoketunjia fons to vulgarize the story carried by the press that Yang didn’t resign. He doesn’t know that by talking so much and often about it, he is helping to propagate and strengthen the rumour. But if I were Yang, I would accept it and make a name. Don’t be surprised Yang sponsored that publication the way Popoul did that of his own death so that he could emerge strong. But if he quits, what legacy will he leave behind. I have bankrolled the Epervier newspaper to use it as an excuse to fire Yang.

But why all this cacophony about tight fisted old men. Schools have just started. And all this cacophony, (sorry I use this word too often) about PTA levies and registration fees. Why claim government schools don’t pay fees when so much money is extorted from parents? Then there is this phenomenon of sectoral conferences during which school principals, mayors etc pay levies. That is another extortionist agenda. CONAC should visit basic and secondary education delegation. The frequent change of syllabus makes second hand books useless. There is however, one reason to celebrate. The University of Bamenda is becoming a reality. The entrance examination to select students for admission there has been launched. After ENS, ENSET and school of medicine, we expect the popular side law, letters, histoire geo etc to start. Professor Edokat is a strategist. He calculates before taking each step. This is very unlike our high profile prisoners; Marafa and Yves Michel Fotso. Fotso married in prison. Marafa wrote or teleguided the writing of letters from Kondengui. There was excitement. Now is pay back time. They are sure to be given life jail sentences. On Thursday and Friday, their counsels have to plead to defend why they shouldn’t serve life jail terms. Pure anti heroism. Why start a war you know you can’t win? This is why I like Anglophones. Inoni has been silent since his arrest. I won’t be surprised if he is discharged and acquitted like Kevin Walls on the Albatross affair. The upcoming reunification celebration is a point in his favor. Popoul would like a hitch free celebration with the active participation of south west chiefs one of whom is Inoni. I only hope peace reigns after Marafa’s jailing. Popoul does not care about the tracts circulating. Tracts are circulated by cowards. But we should not ignore them. What I like about Popoul is his courage.

But courage is not always a positive thing. When you are foolishly courageous you pave the way for your own destruction. Look at what is happening in the Presbyterian Church. People invading church premises and murdering pastors and lecturers. I am talking about Rev Kenji, Professor McMoli and Eric de Putter murders in God’s house like the famous murder in The Cathedral Sacrilege. Poor Rev. Anyambod. I hope he survives the guillotine following the death of Eric de Putter. A frog loves water. But not when the water is boiling. Rev Anyambod has quit power which was already a hot potato in his mouth. But that surely didn’t give him peace. Unlike Sama Francis. He has begun exercising his powers. He announced Rtd Justice Nyo Wakai’s death and appointed his regional representatives. His strong friend, Bonu, Innocent is Batonnier’s representative for south west. I admire him because Batonier Sama is ‘S’ and is proud of it. Batonnier’s conduct is highly commendable so if we embrace Dante’s philosophy that the hottest part of hell is reserved for those who in the heat of a political controversy, pretend to be neutral. In short, when you embrace a political philosophy, stand on it.

Away from law, let us look at mobile communication. I am pleased to learn that 7 new companies are vying to join MTN and Orange. But I am afraid Eto’o’s Set Mobile may fail following his decision not to play with the lions. But does he care? FECAFOOT can frustrate his international soccer biddings, but he is already a billionaire. He who has gombo has everything. Because of gombo people are worshipped as demi-gods and for the same reason can descend into hell. I am talking about the arrested mayors whose replacement are just days away. I hear elections have been programmed to replace the mayors of Batibo, Andek, Mbengwi and Babessi. That of Balikumbat escaped detention, but I hear he may soon go in. the law shouldn’t be a respecter of persons. That however, is not the case in Cameroon. In a country where the reigning philosophy is ‘every man for himself” things don’t happen the way they should. Everybody to be equal before the law. Anglophones are not equal to francophones. In a midst of the confusion some people who shouldn’t benefit while those who should suffer. For this reason your town crier is pleased to have passed the MINFI GCE in which some papers were selected to publish a special message. Just read this edition to know what I am talking of. Because your town crier knew he was a ‘successful candidate’, for the above selection test, he didn’t really care about the segregatory attitude of Nganou Djoumessi who brought ‘frog’ journalists from Yaounde to cover his Bamenda visit, sidelining Abakwa papers. But harsh as we are treated we of Abakwa are better than many frogs. You know about the slums of Douala and Yaounde. The floods of Garoua recently left many magidas homeless. SED Yaounde where Marafa and Yves Michel Fotso are incarcerated water invaded the cells and birds were made to swim. You see how imprisonment can degrade the human person. You know SED is built in a swampy area. God knows ho we suffer under these ‘frogs’. What pains me is the fact that they are given most attention in the face of disasters. For instance, the Nsam fire disaster petrol thieves were compensated while victims of the 1992 post-election violence who voted Popoul are still crying in the rain. Recently there was another petrol theft when a tanker carrying 35.000 litres of fuel capsized. Thank God nobody died. But I can’t swear that there will be no disaster preceding the burial of Ntumkwifon Simon Nkwenti next Friday. I hear an ambulance and four doctors will be on standby in case of collapse.  Your town crier Is one of the people to watch because of his excessive affection for Ntumkwifon. The funeral is sure to be a crowd puller. I expect people like Bapes Bapes, Joseph Owona and even John Ntarinkon there. While I grieve that Ntumkwifon died leaving his parents, let me not forget that Christ did same. Nkwenti died at 49 but Christ had died at 33 so what matters is not for how long you live. It is important what you achieve. You will agree with me that a whole encyclopedia could be filled with Ntumkwifon’s achievements. He truly earned his honour, unlike  Yah Judith Achidi Achu, wife of the old fox crowned ‘mafor’ by NOWEFU. That was a silent overthrow of Ama Muna. But what is awkward about it is that the same fons in connivance with the old fox crowned Catherine Abena mafor at Rock farm. She was at least member of government if indeed, that is an achievement. She could have achieved something even in her area of origin. But what has Judith Achidi done to deserve the mafor title?

Farewell Rtd Justice Nyo Wakai, the level headed. You used yor legal expertise to help put in place ‘S’ from which John Ntarinkon is today feeding fat. Shame on the Ntarinkon lion! Nyo Wakai was a calm, pious man. Whenever he went out with John Ntarinkon and gombo was given the Ntarinkon Japanese hand brakes gave him chick feed. I wonder where Justice Wakai who was above 70 will be buried. And when it is done I hope he will be left to rest in peace. I am saying so because a French court has opened investigations on the death of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, in a French hospital in 2004. His wife believes he may have been poisoned as traces of a radio active element were fond in his clothing. These oyibos are expert at doing ridiculous things. Tests will be conducted on his decomposed body by a Swiss  laboratory. Not long ago the tomb of Garibaldi  who played an important part in the fight for the unification was opened just to assure his family he is the one buried there and nobody else. Arafat died in a French military hospital. There is so much fuss over Arafat because he was a personality. Nobody in the west bothers to know even the names of the 34 miners killed by south American police recently. Surprisingly, the protesting miners are the ones to be charge to court for the murder of their colleagues at Maricana, South Africa instead of the police that shot them. Julius Mulema, the ousted ANC youth leader has questioned why the defaulting policemen have not been arrested too. Jacob Zuma should be living his own hell on earth as a result of this disturbing incident. Not less than Obama, yankee president who risked being beaten at the polls by republican candidate Mitt Romney. Romney was nominated by his republican party during the party’s convention in Florida as its presidential candidate to challenge Obama in November. The convention ended prematurely because of the threats of Hurricane Isaac. Paul Ryod is Romney’s running mate. This means that in the event of a Romney victory he will be vice president.

Talking about Hurricane Isaac. It threatens the Louisiana west court and head of New Orleans. But its effects are not as devastating as those of Hurricane Rita some 7 years back. Thousands of people have fled new Orleans. Those who stayed were locked and blocked. I wonder how people can spend several days, weeks or months indoors. A dusk-to dawn curfew was declared over New Orleans as Hurricane Isaac took over, more than 300.000 people were left without power and 8000 guard on standby. I wonder what guards can do to stop the wind. Country people I wonder what the rationale is behind this yankee habit of naming hurricanes after human beings. In the case of Rita and Katrina I thought the idea was to ridicule kofngoms for their tempers or violence, with men as the victims. But now Hurricane Isaac. Did women protest? I leave that to feminists and proceed to close this chapter on the Yankees with 3 significant gists. Mitt Romney who on his visit to Israel promised God’s chosen people he would help them attack Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, has also nailed Obama. He told fellow republican conventionists that Obama didn’t live up to his campaign promise of change. Yankees with self aggrandizement. A yankee who took part in the raid that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, has written a book about that mission. This brings to mind the yankee poet, Watt Whitman, poet who authored the famous song of myself. Neil Armstrong the celebrated astronaut, the first to set foot on the moon has died at the age of 82. He landed on the moon in July 1969. Those who were adults or still growing up at that time surely still remember the film on Apollo 11. Apollo 11 was the name of the mission. Obama paid homage to the fallen hero just as your town crier will do this Friday. It is great to achieve and die honourably. I have no sympathy for those who snuff out the lives of others. When i heard that Gambia’s president Yahgah  Jahmeh wanted to execute 47 people who were on the death roll I thought they had murdered others. I didn’t know it was for attempting to overthrow him. That is why I agree with Senegal’s strongman, Macky Sall that the punishment is too harsh. The Gambian ambassador to Senegal has been summoned by the Senegalese leader with threats of expulsion. 47 people to face the firing squad? That is a massacre. But if it comes to killing a Boko Haram killer I may raise no objection, but he must be proven guilty first. boko haram which means ‘western education is forbin’ has been  invited for negotiations by Nigerian president Badluck Jonathan. I sympathize with him because no strong leader negotiates with terrorists. George Bush vowed never to and succeeded. But then Boko haram has killed over 2000 people, mostly in the north of the country and there is no stopping the terrorists sect. surprisingly Boko haram doesn’t exist in the list of yankee indicted terrorist organizations. I really hate terrorists. That is why I hate Iran and other rogue regimes who have power without responsibility. I am therefore of the same opinion as newly sworn-in Egyptian president, Mohamed Mursi who has condemned Syrian leader, president Assad for oppressing his own people. The Egyptian strongman spoke during the meeting of the non-alligned movement that held in Iran recently. The statement which caused the Syrian delegation to withdraw in shame or protest, was also an indictment of Iran for supporting president Assad against the Syrian people. Shame to you President Assad for telling Syrians to prepare for a long war. But I am angry that the Egyptian president is preparing to visit China, another dictatorial regime supporting Syria, before visiting yankeeland, Britain and France. This is proof of China’s growing influence. But I hate the Hi Hongs. Their goods don’t last though cheap. They also export dullness to other nations through okadas. The recklessness of okada riders here confirms this.

The British that opposed Assad’s government are preferable to the Hi Hongs, but I am not pleased with them for openly supporting the Yankees to invade Iraq. I am with you, therefore, Desmond Tutu, for withdrawing from a leadership forum because former British PM, Tony Blaire was in attendance. My heart is with the Australians in total sympathy following the drowning of a boat carrying 159 immigrants. (asylum seekers) only 6 survived. My condolence to the bereaved families. But I advise people not to engage on escape hardship at home that death by water is not less painful than death by fire. I begin my sports gist on an advising note. Let me advise that you try to keep your head. Don’t be carried away by fact that you are rich. I am talking about Eto’o Fils who just rejected an invitation to return and play for the lions. An invitation which ends his suspension. Denis Lavagne is a 3^rd rate coach, but he is couch all the same. Eto’o is right to condemn corruption in FECAFOOT, but he could better make the point by first returning to defend the national colours. Laurent Kweku has been invited to fill his place. What a golden opportunity created by Eto’o’s obstinacy. Eto’o risks being banned from playing. Goodluck to you Issa Hayatou. However you may be, you are a Cameroonian and should beat your Ivorian challenger in the September 3 (today’s) election for the CAF presidency. Use your power of incumbency. After winning, at the extraordinary general assembly where the election will take place enforce the ban on the use of witchcraft already in existence. Witchcraft is archaic, primitive and unsavoury. I end here with warm greetings to Queen Elizabeth who opened the para Olympics in London the biggest in the event’s history on the theme “enlightenment”