Douala: A large number of folks continue to receive health, accommodation, dietary and fiscal help from Winner’s Chapel International.  Over a few weeks a large number of the people in Douala have received free health consultation, treatment and hospitalization whenever deemed necessary. This gesture is the result of an alliance between the Winner’s Chapel International, a Pentecostal church, and a neighborhood hospital. More than eighty five percent of patients that have benefited the medical aid happen to be non-Christians; about five per cent are Christians of other churches while Winners make up the rest. Pastor Triumphant Obamoh of the Winner’s Chapel International in Douala made the disclosure while speaking at a news conference at the Bali neighborhood on Saturday on the necessity of helping the less fortunate in society.

The pastor announced that the scheme, whose purpose is to help society develop to its full potential, is now opened to people with disabilities, widows and orphans. The spiritual event will mark the beginning of lasting collaboration with traditional chiefs, quarter heads, and hospitals through which the church will identify and carter to vulnerable people who happen to be at risk. what’s more is that other than nutrition and medication, the target group of people will be catered for in the area of lodging and education.

Already several millions have been spent according to the Cameroon news media. The church is also coming up with a proposal to take care of hospital bills of all persons injured in the course of accidents.. It should be noted that Winners Chapel International established in Cameroon in 1996 and within the past few years it has been involved in helping its communities.

In the latest Cameroon news, the world’s highest paid footballer, Samuel Eto’o, was unable to play against the Nzalang Nacional (Equatorial Guinea) during the friendly on Tuesday October 11 in Malabo due to injury.

International football player, Samuel Eto’o has been sidelined for the Guinea Equatorial v Cameroon friendly scheduled for Tuesday October 11 in Malabo, following an injury he picked up during the Indomitable Lions’ final African Cup of Nations qualifier against DR Congo in Kinshasa on Friday.

The-Indomitable-Lions, who failed to reach the finals of the 2012 Afcon, now look ahead to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in eight months and the 2013 Afcon, but it is still unclear whether coach Javier Clemente will stay on in his position. The Football Federation has denied speaking with the former French coach Raymond Domenech as a potential replacement for the Spaniard.

Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik commits to Cameroon

In more football news, Rennes defender Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik has pledged his international allegiance to Cameroon.

The 22 year old football player, who was born in France, turned down a call-up to the French squad, Les Bleus’ U-21 side, last year as he sought after to qualifying for the country where both his parents were born. He said that he has chosen Cameroon and there will be no going back and that he has given his word to the Cameroonian Federation.

He stated that Laurent Blanc would not change the squad who qualified for UEFA EURO 2012. He continued saying that “in Cameroon there is a real desire to see me play in the green shirt, a desire I have never felt in France”.

About the the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon

The national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables or the Indomitable Lions, is run by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa’s most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times, which happens to be more than any other African nation. The Cameroon football team was the first football team from Africa to reach the quarter-final of a World Cup tournament. The 1990 World Cup is remembered most of all for the emergence of African football and for the Indomitable Lions who stole the hearts of football fans around the globe with their enigmatic and artistic approach to football. Samuel Eto’o is the current captain of The Cameroon football team.

On September 12^th 2011, Sustainable Waste Management- Cameroon & PIA energy JVC has signed an agreement for developing about 100MW of energy from household and industrial waste collected in Cameroon, according to the Cameroon News media.

The board Chairman of PIA energy JVC, Jaime Palacios and Energy & Resource Minister, Michael Ngako Tomdio along with Adolfo Costa Sanchez, the Director General of PIA Cameroon signed an agreement on Monday, 12 Sept 2011 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The Director General of PIA Cameroon, Adolfo Costa Sanchez said while addressing a press conference that “the project in its first stage will target Yaoundé and Douala, the main cities of Cameroon. The main aim of the project is to produce 100MW of energy from the combustion of waste which will be collected from household and industries. The combustion of the wastes will be carried out at a high temperature of about 4,000 degrees using state-of-the-art technology”.

Cameroon’s National Hygiene and Sanitation Company (HYSACAM) will be working with the Spanish investor for collecting the household wastes & industrial wastes, Mr. Sanchez said.

He also added further that, this project will help in shaping a right and healthy future for the people of Cameroon and also cameroon tourism as it will help in the cleanliness of the cities. Also this project will support the employment of large no of people as it will create around 300 direct jobs and 1500 indirect jobs.

The project cost is estimated to be approximately FCFA 245 billion which will be financed by PIA ENERGY JVC and HYSACAM.  “The project falls in line with our policy to diversify sources of energy supply,” Energy and Water Minister Ngako Tomdio said.

He also mentioned that if the pilot testing of the project goes well then the foundation stone of the project will be laid down within 18 months.

The Spanish investor PIA Energy JVC group was created in the year of 1978 and has its presence in all continents except Australia. This investment group has been mainly working in the field like Sustainable Waste Management and renewable energy, public works, construction, petroleum exploitation and civil engineering.

The list of candidates that have qualified for the Cameroon presidential election to be held on 9th Oct 2011, had finally been declared by the electoral body of Cameroon, which is also known as ELECAM. Out of the 52 candidates who applied for the election campaign, only 21 candidates had been initially selected for 2011 Cameroon presidential election.

The chairman of the board of ELECAM, Dr Fonkam Samuel Azu’u declared the list of the qualified candidates during a press briefing with the Cameroon news media in Yaoundé. He said that all the applications were examined meticulously and it was found that out of the 52 applications, only 21 applications had met the legal requisite. According to the latest Cameroon news, the reasons for rejecting the applications were that a few documents lacked legalized signatures while in other cases candidates had not deposited the necessary amount.

After the final list of candidates was released, the disgruntled hopefuls staged a mild protest outside the electoral commission office in the capital, Yaoundé. The disqualified candidates also threatened to disrupt the upcoming elections

Cameroon presidential election candidates appeal to supreme court

The disqualified candidates then appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court stood-in as the Constitutional Council, in a public hearing on September 20, 2011 in Yaoundé, accepted the candidacies of Anicet Ekane, candidate of the MANIDEM party and Daniel Soh Fone, candidate of the Unified Socialist Party. The Constitutional Council accepted Anicet Ekané’s candidacy because ELECAM insisted that all candidates standing for the Cameroon presidential election should submit a tax certificate but according the law only candidates doing remunerative work must furnish the tax certificates and Anicet Ekané does not hold such a job.

Time mismanagement concern for Cameroon presidential election

According to the Cameroon news media, some people have shown concern over the time mismanagement by the election commission, ELECAM. They think that there is less time left between the end of the voter registration process in late August and the October Cameroon presidential election poll.

Dr. Fonkam said that he is well prepared for the October poll and that the issue of time mismanagement is not true. In fact he has assured to the citizen of Cameroon that the vote will be conducted in a fair, free and transparent manner.

The Cameroon presidential election 2011 will be held as scheduled on the 9th of October 2011.

The Messis and the Ronaldos of the football world can eat their hearts out; according to reports in the Cameroon news media, as also sports journals the world over, Cameroonian international Samuel Eto’o has signed a deal with Russian soccer club Anzhi Makhachkala that will propel him to the top of the list of the world’s highest paid footballers.

A recent statement on the club’s website states that an agreement has been reached between Anzhi and Inter Milan — the club that Eto’o currently plays for — and that the terms have been worked over to amply suit all involved parties.

The superlative striker has been formally awarded a three-year contract after he successfully cleared a routine medical checkup.
Reports state that Eto’o stands to earn a net amount of €20 million (US $29 million) net per season, eclipsing the estimated €12 million that Real Madrid pays to Cristiano Ronaldo and pushing Lionel Messi’s €10.5 million annual purse at Barcelona to third place.

As Inter Milan’s contract with Eto’o hasn’t expired yet, Anzhi would also have to pay a transfer fees of nearly €27 million, a sum fixed after negotiations that lasted nearly a week.

Anzhi state that Eto’o will join the clun ASAP to prepare for the match against rival club FC Rostov.

The club is owned by billionaire oil magnate Suleiman Kerimov and is located in the southern Russian province of Dagestan.
For Eto’o, this opportunity means more than mere riches; after having been a part of a Champion League side on three occasions — twice at Barcelona and once at Inter — he’s getting a chance to build a possible success story in the cash-rich but still fledgling Russian League.

At 30, it seems that Eto’o is yet to reach his peak. He led the scoring tables for Inter by scoring 37 goals in all competitions last season, having eclipsed Milito as the club’s most prolific goal artist. He played a key role in Inter’s victorious Champions League in 2010, often putting team before self by accepting an attacking midfield or defensive role for erstwhile coach Jose Mourinho.

His stint at Inter, beginning in 2009, followed what had been a career-defining five year stint at Barcelona, which saw him being a part of the Champions League winning side on two occasions. Not only that, he scored in the final games on both instances, against Arsenal and Manchester United.

Anzhi boasts of another living legend in its ranks: its captain is 38-year-old former Brazilian team left-back Roberto Carlos, he of the phenomenal banana kick and rock solid defence.

That the Russian club could afford to spend on a heavy hitter like Eto’o should come as no surprise, as Forbes magazine’s latest list on the world’s wealthiest people places club owner Kerimov at the 118th position, tying with Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.

A club spokesman commented, “He’s a good player so of course he costs good money. Of course it’s a very good deal for our club. Samuel is very well known all over the world.”

After achieving several milestones in a distinguished club-football career, Samuel Eto’o has once again given Cameroon football and his countrymen a lot to be proud about.
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The Republic of Rwanda was widely known as ‘a tropical Switzerland in the heart of Africa’.

The high grounds of Rwanda and Burundi, just over a 1000 miles from Cameroon are the last parts of Africa to be reached by Europeans in the colonial growth in late 19th century. . Prior to that local folklore tells of several centuries for the duration of which the Tutsi, a tall cattle-rearing people most likely from the upper reaches of the Nile, penetrate the area and gain power over the Hutu, already in residence and farming for a living. Another official description of the Hutu-Tutsi divide is by profession and by class. The upper class consisted of the Tutsi who were herdsmen by profession. The lower class consisted of the Hutus and their occupation happened to be farming.

Subsequent to the 1885 Berlin Conference, Rwanda went on to become a German colony; still, it would be a very long time before a steady German presence was known there. Rwanda was mandated to Belgium in 1918; Belgium practiced a method of meandering rule that amplified the then present partition between Tutsi and Hutu. This thoughtless introduction of class consciousness disturbed the equilibrium of Rwandan society. The majority of Tutsis actually had begun to act like the aristocracy, and a political separation was born. This Belgian approach, of support to one of the two groups, primed the ground for violence in the future.

Later on the colonials from Europe introduced new methods of fighting as well as modern weaponry into the mix. The Hutus then began to feel that they had no choice but to put up an armed resistance. Then later in 1959 the Hutus gained power and started stripping the Tutsis off their land. Rwanda had become dangerous for the Tutsis and they began to flee Rwanda seek refuge in neighboring lands, where they formed a resistance group called the (RPF), Rwandan Patriotic Front. They trained their militia, and bided their time. The Tutsi resistance was relentless and getting bigger, and in 1990, The RPF militia attacked and the war began.

After numerous attacks in August of 1993, and months of trying to find middle ground, a peace pact was signed between the Hutu president Juvénal Habyarimana and the RPF. After that on the 6th of April in 1994 an anti aircraft rocket, almost unquestionably fired by Hutu extremists, brought down a plane ferrying president Habyarimana. Even if clandestinely contrived by extremist Hutus, This news spread like wildfire and the killing of president Habyarimana becomes the instant excuse for mass bloodshed in the days and weeks to come. This genocide was carried out wholly by hand, often using machetes and clubs, on a very large scale. These men who had been trained to accomplish mass execution were constituents of a civilian death squad known as “ Interahamwe”.

Local officials helped in gathering together victims and making appropriate places accessible for their massacre. Men women and children belonging to the Tutsi, were executed in droves, sometimes even in schools or churches and other such places. Terror was what the Hutu government sought after: the Interahamwe were not driven by alcohol or drugs but by, fanatic devotion to a political foundation backed by senseless bloodshed. The genocide in Rwanda resulted in the organized massacre of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and neutral Hutus in less than a hundred days days without the use of modern-day artillery used for mass destruction. These actions took place whilst the worldwide community kept its eyes closed; desperate appeals for help went unheeded.

The time did come when a small number of international leaders finally did voice their condemnation; then the genocidal establishment paid attention and altered their strategy. However, far from basis for contentment, this small accomplishment only highlights the catastrophe. If such negligible feeble protests shaped this kind of result in late April, envisage the result in mid April, had the entire world spoken out .

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Cameroon is divided into more than 200,000 high-yield crops of cocoa region in an attempt to increase production Mefou Afamba ingredient of chocolate, the government said.

Plants were delivered more than 15,000 farmers are expected to grow an additional 200 hectares (494 acres) for cultivation in 2015, Clémentine Ananga Messina, an Agriculture Ministry official said in an interview yesterday Mfou city about 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of the capital, Yaounde.

“It’s just the first step in the Government’s program of renewal of cocoa production in the country – Cameroon

Mefou Afamba area is 27 500 hectares of cocoa plantations to the annual average production of 2,000 tons of beans, Kidney Ntep, Department administrator, said in a separate interview.

Domestic production reached 222,200 tons in August, while production for the 2009-2010 seasons was 198,000 tons, according to cocoa and coffee.

Cameroon is a very prominent African nation also recognized as a powerful force in the world of football. The sport has been recognized as a significant part of nation building: nationalistic pride swelled when the national team, the Indomitable Lions, won the African Cup of Nations in 1984. It was the only the African team to reach the semi finals in the 2010 world cup.

Cameroon is very culturally rich and diverse. Economics wise Cameroon has seeing a generally upward trend since 2007. Cameroon is without a doubt gifted with rich natural and human resources. It is a constituent of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC). It has the leading as well as most stable economy in this region. Cameroon’s chief exports are crude oil and petroleum products, timber, cocoa, coffee, aluminum, and food crops.

There is a real shortage in conversion procedure from primary goods to secondary goods and the country exports most of its cocoa, coffee and rubber produce and imports their related finished products. In fact Cameroon is said to be the fifth largest cocoa grower in the world. The top three countries to which Cameroon exports goods, are EU, US & China . Cameroon’s Robusta coffee prices went up 4.2 percent in the week around the second week of December owing to good growing weather which improved bean quality. Overall Cameroon’s fiscal revenue increased 10.4 percent in the latter half of the year and on the downside Cameroon’s Arabica coffee prices declined by 1% towards the end of November.

Cameroon has one main railway line that was built during the colonial period, A group of south Korean companies are going to draw up a plan to expand the railway network and these plans should be complete ted sometime in the second quarter of nest year. The rail network is considered necessary to connect some major infrastructure projects located across the country.

Cameroon plans to splurge approximately $ 11.7 billion to raise electricity output from 1,000 MW to 3,000 MW by 2020. More than half of the premeditated increase in capacity depends on the building of the projected Lom Pangar dam to control the flow of the Sanaga River.

Initially the team consisted of more than 30 players, but was reduced to 24 after training camp lasted a month. Botswana is expected to play their first match against Senegal on Tuesday when the aircraft is scheduled for June 25.

National team coach Ivor Greaves said it was important for them to win both games. “Each game is a knockout and it determines which position you are going to end,” he said. The tournament will feature four countries, hosts Cameroon, Senegal, Zambia and Botswana. Last year Botswana finished last after losing the first two games.

Greaves, however, said this year their main objective is to develop and grow Botswana rugby. He said the tournament would also serve as a launchpad for future international fixtures. “Most of the team members have never been away from home for very long and this 10-day trip will be good for them,” he said. Greaves said the trip would also help improve the players’ mental abilities, as they would be under pressure to win once there.

“We will use the trip to also explore what Cameroon has to offer because we believe this will help keep the payers mentally and physically active throughout their stay.” He said a good performance at the tournament would see their current world and continental rankings upgraded. He said doing well would also bode well for them in the future and would ultimately show that Botswana rugby was moving in the right direction.

The team nonetheless leaves without Eddie Ernest and Munya Mhonda who are down with injuries and work commitments. Greaves said they would have no choice but work with the players they have and utilise them to their best.

He said the team consists of new exciting front row players like Shatiso Ntibi from the Hogs club and Oarabile Chiche from BDF Cheetahs. Greaves said the team also has Tyron Warburton and Lesedi Keekae, both experienced players who have been in the team for a while.

“Warburton recently suffered from an injury but we expect him to be in good shape for the games,” he said. The team captain is Cheetahs’ Kabo Batsile with Bernie de Beer from Hogs as his assistant.

Greaves said the preparations continued until yesterday (Wednesday), went very well that the team was able to cover much ground in a short period of time. “We worked hard on the structures, because it is important to know the movement of the ball on the ground,” he said.

From a timid debut in 1985, television has transformed the media landscape but territorial coverage remains insufficient. Twenty five years are not 25 days, and this best sums the history of television in Cameroon. The debut, historically, was tardy cognizant of the great strides made in TV journalism in other African countries.

Down memory lane, the story of the small screen images (television) in Cameroon smacks of three episodes: the throttling beginning of the pioneer state-owned Cameroonian Television (CTV) as a “unit” in March 1985, sooner as an office, and later today’s CRTV.

It enjoyed absolute monopoly up to the year 2000 when a liberalisation decree by the President of the Republic opened up to private ownership. This was followed by the consequential TV boom with its attendant impact on the population.

To speak of TV’s beginning in Cameroon arouses a deep rooted nostalgia. Between 1985 and 2000, the state TV (CRTV) made a solo-journey in the TV landscape of Cameroon. Keen viewers would attest to the fact that for weeks running, except by “force majeure,” they stayed glued to their TV screens during all the hours of the programmes.

Eric Chinje, Akwanka Joe Ndifor, Charles Ndongo, Denise Epote, Julius Wamey, Willy Niba and Njovens Ben Berka were some of the household names on every lip and the faces in every eye. Millions of Cameroonians had not imagined what TV was all about.

The first neighbourhoods with a TV screen were always overcrowded. Many teenagers deserted their homes and abandoned their domestic chores to watch TV through the window panes of a neighbour. And the programmes were varied and entertaining such as “Minute by minute” , “Province à la une”, “Dynasty” or “Isaura”

During the monopoly, institutional news took pride of place on the screens. Politico-social authorities were bent on having their activities screened. There is this anecdote that even when the TV camera arrived late during official ceremonies or seminars, the event was replayed for the purpose of images.

The attention TV drew from the public remained concentrated in Cameroon’s major cities like Yaounde, Douala, Bafoussam, Buea, Garoua and Ngaoundere. The hinterland dwellers could only catch a glimpse of TV when they made a journey to cities. Screening of programmes was selective on special week days.

When the post monopoly period of TV in Cameroon checked in the year 2000 with a presidential decree that opened the floodgates to private ownership, a new image of TV emerged with Canal 2 and STV displaying their cameras to view the general landscape of Cameroon . Even without commentaries, it still attracted the viewers’ manifest attention.

Then, a new shift from elitism to popularism surfaced. More so, many Cameroonians identified themselves as well as their communities with the TV screen. The monopoly of inviting only CRTV to cover public events halted.

Many other TV varieties cropped up like Equinoxe, DBS, LTM and the like. Cable distributors also boosted the TV landscape with over 70 channels such as CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, TFI, CFI, France 24, NTA, etc.

But one major hurdle remains to surmount: territorial coverage. Although TV has impacted much in the light of fashion, culture, politics, business, sports and the psyche, territorial coverage remains insufficient.

The issue of lack of TV signals in the peripheries has raised dust in developmental circles. Politicians have once and again used the fact for political bargains. The youths have decried it as a pretext for rural exodus. And the general public feels that the powers that be have simply derided such areas or denied them an important tool of unity.

If areas in Idenau, Akwaya, Bakassi, Lebialem, Ndian and Kupe Muanenguba have been longing for TV signals, it becomes imperative that the greater the TV coverage is territorially satisfied, the better symbiosis the people enjoy.

The lack of national TV signals even in such sensitive areas of Cameroon as Bakassi or Idenau has not augured well for the inhabitants who rely on foreign stations for information.

In a nutshell, TV has the arousing power that serves as the mirror of Cameroon in its own right. The technical predication of the media is fulfilled with the radio announcing, the TV showing and the newspapers analysing. Only the three media arms can make society merit the term modern. And Cameroon is not an exception.