The Entrepreneur - Cameroon's Premier Economic & Business Journal

Call for Nominations: Muammar Gaddafi African Economic Journalist Award 2012

The Muammar Gaddafi African Economic Journalist [MG-AEJ] Award 2012 is open to online and print journalists in Africa who, through their work, contribute to a better public understanding of the value and benefits of economic freedom and the fight against economic apartheid in the last ten years. Nominations - together with two samples of work previously published should be emailed to cidrcam@gmail.com. All material should be received by Saturday, 30 June 2012. Eligible candidates may nominate themselves, while third-party nominations are also permitted. All entries will be judged by a panel of academics, journalists and business experts. The winner will receive a plaque and a cheque (in an African currency denomination) worth US$ 5,000 which will be donated on his/her behalf to any institution or charity of his/her choice. The MG-AEJ Award for Journalism will be presented at The Entrepreneur Business Week 2012 closing ngala, on 15 December 2012. For submissions and enquiries: cidrcam@gmail.com.

New Year Wishes and Work: Pursuing and Practicing Peace

By Maulana Karenga

The end and beginning of the years always find us in a critical period of transition in which, responding to the mandates of our moral tradition and the human urgencies of our history, we are compelled to continue forward and turn our best New Year wishes into our most committed work. And we must continue to move forward without surrendering the achieved good of our past, misreading the meaning and tasks of our present or sacrificing the possibilities and promise of our future. In the tradition of the ancestors, we must engage in a reaffirming and re-enforcing process and practice of remembrance, reflection and recommitment to our central mission to bring, increase and sustain good in the world and enjoy the peace and prosperity central to this. Indeed, the Odu Ifa says, we must “Think deeply about things, cultivate character, acquire wisdom and come forth and sacrifice so that you may have peace inside and out.”

The Entrepreneur NewsOnline Book Club: Book of the Month for January, 2012

Africa: Continent of Economic Opportunity
By David Fick
[512 pages, Publisher: Real African Publishers, 2007; ISBN-13: 978-1919855592]

David Fick's "Africa: Continent of Economic Opportunity" reads like a "Who is Who" list of hard-nosed African entrepreneurs who have fished in life's dustbins and weathered the elements with astounding results. The 512-page volume is based on his belief that the second largest continent has immense potential that only waits to be tapped, and his confidence in her citizens' creativity, resilience and industry. "While many write off Africa as the continent of despair, other enterprising individuals and organisations have recognized the huge, untapped potential of Africa and are actively pursuing business ventures across the continent," says the book. The book features brief descriptions of these successful entrepreneurs and their ongoing enterprises in Africa. Each story captures the spirit behind these successes and highlights how they are not only creating countless job opportunities in 53 African countries but also bringing immeasurable improvement to the quality of life in African communities...

President Paul Biya of Cameroon End of Year Address 2011

Fellow Cameroonians,

My dear compatriots,

Here we are on the threshold of the first phase of our “long march” towards becoming an emerging country.

The recent presidential election has laid a solid foundation for this purpose. You voted for stability and peace, thus confirming your sound judgement and sense of responsibility. No matter what some people might have said, the poll was fair and reflected the will of the majority of our people who - I must emphasize – refused to heed calls for street protests. I take this opportunity to reaffirm that the dysfunctions noted and which, anyway, were not likely to cast doubt over the outcome of the election, will be corrected before the next election.

As I promised, the period now beginning will essentially be devoted to the stimulation of growth. By the way, we have no choice. Either we move on and have reason for hope, or we mark time and our problems will only worsen. Indeed, it should be realized that, like most African countries, we are caught in a pursuit race between our development and our population growth. To win the race, we must implement the “new impetus” I proposed during the election campaign. [French Version]

2011 YEAR of the DUPE: One Year into the Engineered "Arab Spring," One Step Closer to Global Hegemony

Timeline and History

By Tony Cartalucci

December 24, 2011 - In January of 2011, we were told that "spontaneous," "indigenous" uprising had begun sweeping North Africa and the Middle East in what was hailed as the "Arab Spring." It would be almost four months before the corporate-media would admit that the US had been behind the uprisings and that they were anything but "spontaneous," or "indigenous."....

The year 2011 was surely the year of the dupe. Youth enamored with lofty, naive notions of "freedom" sold to them by corporate-fascist funded NGOs were brought into the streets to create chaos and division which was then capitalized on by covert political and even military maneuvering by the West and its proxy forces. In Egypt the nation is teetering on the edge of being fully integrated into the Wall Street/London international order, while a big-oil representative is enjoying his new position as prime minister of Libya. In Tunisia a life-long stooge of Western machinations is now president, and an alarming campaign of NATO-backed violence and terrorism is gripping Syria....

With the encirclement of Russia and China, these dupes have witlessly brought the world to the edge of World War III, and clearly done nothing at all to improve their own state of being. As their nations fall under the control of increasing Western influence, the resources once used to placate them and defend their nationalism will now be diverted into the bottomless maw of the parasitic banking combines that are currently destroying both North America and Europe....More

The WTO has Failed Developing Nations

Ten years after the adoption of the Doha Declaration, the "development" round of trade negotiations has merely offered empty promises. In this short op-ed, Aurelie Walker of the Fairtrade Foundation sums up ten ways in which the WTO membership has failed the world's poor. Overtly biased "trade-related issues" such as rich-country subsidies and the ambiguity of trade rules, have been ignored or intensified by the powerful countries. Furthermore, specifically "pro-development" policies such as special treatment and improved access to vital medicines have been deliberately neglected. Even if international trade could indeed be part of an effort to combat poverty, a model of trade that is based on global competitiveness instead of cooperation is certain to fail, Walker argues...More

“My music hunts change” - Akere-Maimo, multi-talented artist, communicator

The first thing an Akere-Maimo aide would tell you is that they enjoy the soft-spoken nature of the young communicator. Others have described him as a gentleman who is intimately attached to whatever job he is doing. His glittering smile quickly attracts attention, but his intellectual strength puts this lover of arts on the rails of the communication profession Akere has chosen. Even at the Yaounde-based Malaria Consortium-Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (MC-CCAM) organization where he is Advocacy and Communication Officer, colleagues would confirm Akere breeds ingenuity. Yet, fewer know the Health Communication specialist is a talented singer, who is soon emerging with a maiden album. He can occasionally be caught at a Yaounde Monte Juvence recording studio packaging what will be an explosive LB in the coming months. TIPTOPSTARS’ editor Ernest Kanjo strolled into Akere’s career to find out more about his project. The chat with the Sacred Heart College Mankon SHC old boy was exciting...More

The War on Terror is a Fraud

A decade of war started, and both fueled & fought by the same corporate-financier interests.

By Tony Cartalucci

From the beginning, even for those wanting to believe the fairy tale that 9/11 was carried out by cave dwellers carrying box cutters directed by Osama Bin Laden, who by all accounts was dying or already dead from kidney failure in 2001 - "unfortunate blunders" in US foreign policy can still be blamed for the creation and perpetuation of the ubiquitous, unceasing terror organization known as Al Qaeda. However, in light of recent events in Libya, Syria, Iran, and Algeria, there is exposed a truth, many have known for over 10 years, and many more are catching onto now - that the "War on Terror" is an absolute fraud, started, fueled and simultaneously fought against by the same handful of corporate-financier interests for the sole purpose of spreading Wall Street and London's hegemony across the globe.

If Bush, Obama, and Perry are not making decisions, who is? Who are the chief proponents of this "War on Terror," who are the architects behind the policy and who is bankrolling them? More importantly, how can they have spent the last 10 years sending American kids to fight Al Qaeda and now are overtly handing them the nation of Libya?

President Paul Biya of Cameroon appoints new cabinet

President Paul Biya of Cameroon appointed new ministers after his reelection in the October 9, 2011 presidential election. Mr Philemon Yang was unexpectedly retained as Prime Minister and Head of Government after Mr Biya received less than fifty percent of votes in his home region. The new cabinet is the 34th in Mr Biya's 29-year rule. The new government has 37 ministries, up from 35. The two newly created ministries are: the Ministry of Public Contracts and the Ministry of Ex-servicemen and War Veterans. The Complete list of Ministers and their deputies is as follows:

Buying Cheap Isn't Always Best for Development

Public procurement is often portrayed as a technical, accounting issue instead of as a source of revenue for local industries and government. It can also be a tool for development, says lecturer Michael Jennings. In numerous cases, donors have pressured African countries into making public tenders open to international competition. Donors, argues Jennings, have either self-interested reasons, such as the protection of their own national "strategic" industries, or humanitarian ones, insisting, for instance, that cheaper foreign mosquito nets are preferable over more expensive locally produced mosquito nets because they can save more lives. In both cases, however, the key roles that monetary value and markets play in donor approaches to procurement obscure the further roles it can play. According to Jennings, humanitarian ends should certainly prevail, but approaches to procurement must not obscure the goal of supporting African solutions for African problems...More

We Need a Third Way, Now

Globalization has often been accused of handing over power to the financial markets, depriving democracy of all substance and bringing about the current global economic instabilities. Therefore, a debate has arisen over its opposite: deglobalization. In order to face crises such as the one in Greece, Portugal or Spain, the deglobalization movement proposes to reconstitute national sovereignty. In this piece of le Monde diplomatique, Jean-Marie Harribey argues that, although globalization has brought about economic disaster, deglobalization is not the answer either. The global crisis is more than the sum of national crises and thus, no national solution will ever manage to tackle current problems. The struggle against climate change is only one of the many issues illustrating this. What is needed is a form of "alter-globalization," which, while scrutinizing globalization, does not advocate its direct opposite...More

Cameroon OIC Graduates 501 Trainees

By Stephen Njumbe Sako

The twenty-first batch of students of the Cameroon Opportunities Industrialization Centre - COIC - Buea have been called upon to be good ambassadors of the institution. The call was made on Thursday, December 8, 2011 by the Secretary General to the Governor of the Southwest Region Mr Handeson Ketong during the graduation ceremony. "Be true ambassadors of your institution and create jobs rather than remain perpetual job seekers,"he stressed. According to Mr Ketong, the COIC is very instrumental in the country as its objectives are geared towards the policy of Greater Realisation of the Head of State, President Paul Biya, which is that of creating employment and reducing poverty in a programme of actions to make Cameroon an emerging economy by 2035.

The Ten Commandments of Entrepreneurial “Suicide”

To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be extremely passionate about your dream. Passion is what makes you persevere long enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Doing the right things may ensure that you fare well. What if we slip and are unable to recognize the Judases? Or we just take things for granted and drift away from reality? So, for a change lets look at the factors that will kill our dream. Hopefully if we learn to avoid these pitfalls like the pestilence then we will be on the way to an exciting business life...Ten Commandments

Capitalism vs. the Climate

The US political right has campaigned fervently and, according to polls, successfully, to frame climate change as an anti-capitalist conspiracy that will lead to economic self-destruction. The right-wing's nefarious success, notes author Naomi Klein, is ultimately not based on the exploitation of feigned scientific disagreement, but on the image of impending economic doom. The populist strategy's success contains the unintended, yet valuable, lesson that climate change is not really about nature in the first place. It is rather about "the central fiction on which our economic model is based: that nature is limitless." According to Klein, "the climate movement" should now take advantage of the globally vehement questioning of capitalism. We must develop a new "civilizational paradigm" that looks beyond "green products" and market-led solutions...More

''Cameroon's Mining code is generous and friendly to foreign investors'', David Makongo

During His inaugural speech November 3rd, 2011 as, president-elect of the Republic of Cameroon on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony before the National Assembly, President Biya placed his new seven years mandate under the banner of “major accomplishments.” The Entrepreneur NewsOnline [TENO] caught up with Dr David Makongo  President of Makongo & African Partners LLC who are Experts in Africa Mining and Oil and Gas Issues, to find out more on Cameroon's economic development strategies, especially the Mining Sector which the government expects to reap revenue to fund planned programmes:

The Entrepreneur NewsOnline [TENO]: Does this mean President Paul Biya will have to change the mining law and policy of Cameroon so in order to realize his “major accomplishments”?

David Makongo: In the1980s and 1990s most African nations reviewed their mining codes to benefit from globalization and privatization. Though Cameroon also hinted a possible review of the 1964 post-colonial mining code, this never happened till 2001. So, I will say Cameroon did not take immediate advantage of the wind of change that was blowing in Africa mining regimes so it stayed a step behind other African nations with equal mining potential.

Farmers Mobilise to Find Solutions Against Land Grabbing

More than 250 small farmers and representatives of farmers' organizations from over 30 countries participated in the first International Farmers' Conference to Stop Land Grabbing from November 17 to 20 in Southern Mali. Participants at the conference shared testimonials of local struggles and discussed solutions to the global land rush. The conference proposed replicating a program in Senegal that would monitor land grabbing cases and then alert journalists, NGOs and policy makers...More

The Entrepreneur NewsOnline Book Club: Book of the Month for December, 2011

The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again

By Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols

Hardcover: 352 pages; Publisher: Nation Books; 1 edition (January 5, 2010); Language: English; ISBN-10: 1568586051

"...This is another in a long line of enlightening and valuable studies by the authors pertaining the role of big business in the demise of American news media in the name of profit. It is required reading for anyone concerned with the loss of the democratic values that once served as the foundation of journalistic enterprise..."

"....Not only is this book not radical, it is intelligently written, well-researched, timely, and important. A functional democracy requires a healthy press, and clearly the US press is suffering under the influence of private capital. (Fox News is the poster child of our moribund press, but it is not alone). Public investment in journalism is a refreshing idea and one that should be take seriously...."

"....American newspapers are dying at an alarming rate, killed off by a failing corporate model that puts profits before journalism and a reliance on advertisers who are flocking to the Internet. Respected journalists McChesney and Nichols offer historical perspective—how we got into this sorry state—and analysis from journalists, economists, and advocates on how we might be able to get out of it. They cite statistics, chronicling efforts to move newsgathering to the Internet and the success of many bloggers who rely on aggregated news from old media. Their bottom line: without some kind of government support, journalism as we know it will not survive...The authors argue passionately for radical solutions but also offer an exhilarating vision for the direction of American journalism..." - Vanessa Bush

Business Schools, Opportunities Rise in Africa

After spending more than a decade working in product development for Oceanic Bank in Nigeria, Henry Obike wanted to broaden his business skills and get an executive MBA in hopes of someday starting his own company. With few high-quality local options, Obike, 37, decided to apply to Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass, more than 5,000 miles from his job, wife, and four children.Then he heard about a new Executive MBA program set up in Accra, Ghana, by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS Full-Time MBA Profile), known as CEIBS, a top-ranked international business school whose main campus is in the Pudong district of Shanghai. The CEIBS Ghana program was an instant sell for Obike, who joined its first class in the spring of 2009. Every two months, he and nine Nigerian executives fly to Ghana for eight days of classes taught by CEIBS professors in a building on Independence Avenue, amid Accra's thriving central business district. Says Obike: "It's the Harvard of Africa. Me and other Nigerians are really trying hard to take advantage of this opportunity because there's no other school like it .....More

IMF Executive Board Consultation with Cameroon

....The economy continues to recover from the impact of the global crisis, and inflation remains low. Real GDP growth in 2010 is estimated at 3.2 percent, up from 2 percent in 2009, despite a drop of about 12 percent in oil output. Average annual inflation was contained at 1.3 percent, compared with 3 percent in 2009. Food price inflation was 1.2 percent in 2010, and the recent sharp increase in international commodity prices has so far had a limited impact. The external accounts have benefited from the global economic recovery. The current account deficit (including grants) declined to 2.8 percent of GDP, from 3.8 percent in 2009.

...The country remains dependent on commodities for export earnings and fiscal revenues and is thus vulnerable to external shocks, as seen during the recent global financial crisis...

...The fiscal accounts show a limited overall budget deficit in 2010. Total revenue was close to the supplementary budget target, because the oil revenue windfall generated by the recent oil price surge compensated for a shortfall in nonoil revenue. Nonetheless nonoil government revenue, as a ratio to nonoil GDP, remains among the lowest of sub-Saharan African oil exporters. Some efforts were made in 2010 in terms of arrears clearance to deal with the legacy of PFM problems incurred in 2009...More

Developing Countries to Receive Over $350 Billion in Remittances in 2011, Says World Bank Report

Remittance flows to developing countries are expected to total $351 billion this year, and worldwide remittances, including those to high-income countries, will reach $406 billion for the current calendar year, according to a newly updated World Bank brief on global migration and remittances. The top recipients of officially recorded remittances, estimated for 2011, are India ($58 billion), China ($57 billion), Mexico ($24 billion), and the Philippines ($23 billion). Other large recipients include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Vietnam, Egypt and Lebanon. While the economic slowdown is dampening employment prospects for migrant workers in some high-income countries, global remittances, nevertheless, are expected to stay on a growth path and, by 2014, are forecast to reach $515 billion. Of that, $441 billion will flow to developing countries, according to the latest issue of the Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, released today at the fifth meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Geneva...More

Scarcity and degradation of land and water: growing threat to food security

New FAO report profiles the state of the natural resource base upon which world food production depends

Widespread degradation and deepening scarcity of land and water resources have placed a number of key food production systems around the globe at risk, posing a profound challenge to the task of feeding a world population expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, according to a new FAO report. The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) notes that while the last 50 years witnessed a notable increase in food production, “in too many places, achievements have been associated with management practices that have degraded the land and water systems upon which food production depends.” Today a number of those systems “face the risk of progressive breakdown of their productive capacity under a combination of excessive demographic pressure and unsustainable agriculture use and practices,” the report says.

Crocodile farming seen as new revenue stream for residents

“Crocodiles do not have a hard rule on maintenance and they can survive harsh conditions. If farmers realised that they can generate more income through the reptiles then they might change their perspective on them,” “Wildlife farming has the potential to enhance the livelihoods of poor farmers,”...The farmers can also export crocodile skin to lucrative markets like Europe where there used to make luxury products like handbags and belts...Commercial crocodile farming has been successful in countries like Australia, Thailand and Malaysia....More

L'Assemblée nationale du Cameroun adopte la loi des finances 2012

Le vote a eu lieu ce mercredi matin au terme d'une séance plénière ouverte mardi après midi à 16H. Sept autres projets de loi ont été adoptés au cours de la session parlementaire de novembre. Avant de passer au vote, les députés ont multiplié les questions autour la vie de la nation. Près de vingt ministres sont passés au perchoir pour repondre aux diverses interrogations. Le budget 2012 est donc arreté en recettes et en dépenses à la somme de 2800 milliards de francs Cfa. Le ministre des finances a confirmé que la dévaluation du franc Cfa n'était pas à l'ordre du jour.Il a estimé qu'il n'était pas compétent pour apporter des reponses sur l'importance du conseil économique et social. Le ministre de l'économie a montré que le choix de 2035 comme année de passage au statut de pays émergent était réaliste. Le ministre de l'agriculture a présenté les filières au bon potentiel de croissance dans le secteur agricole. D'autres membres du gouvernement ont repondu aux questions concernant leurs domaines respectifs. Il s'agit entre autres du ministre des sports, du ministre des travaux publics, du ministre de la communication.//CRTV......More

Douala Stock Exchange

Le Douala Stock Exchange (DSX) a terminé sa séance de cotation du 28 novembre 2011. Les valeurs SEMC, SAFACAM et SOCAPALM ont clôturé respectivement à 113 306 FCFA, à 54 107 FCFA et à 41 499 FCFA suivant un trend stable. En terme de physionomie de marché, le marché des actions a enregistré un chiffre d’affaires de 829 980 FCFA, correspondant à 20 titres SOCAPALM transigés. La capitalisation boursière se chiffre à présent à 96 540 147 145 FCFA. Pour le marché des obligations, les obligations « MOABI IFC 4,25% 2009 – 2014 », La valeur « ECMR 5,6% net 2010-2015 » et « BDEAC 5,5% net 2010-2017 » restent stables respectivement à 97%, 99.99% et à 100%, pied de coupon. Le marché obligataire n’a enregistré aucune transaction. La capitalisation du marché obligataire s’établit à 219 335 000 000 FCFA.

Cameroon, BEAC see no CFA franc devaluation

By Tansa Musa

Cameroon's finance minister and Central Africa's top central banker both said on Monday there would be no devaluation of the CFA franc currency used by 14 states in Africa, denying market rumours. The CFA franc is currently tied to the euro at a fixed exchange rate of one euro to 655.957 CFA francs, with the peg guaranteed by the French treasury. It was last devalued in 1994 -- at that time versus the French franc -- to allow the heavily indebted countries to export more. "As I am talking to you now, I, as minister of finance, I don't know where this rumour started. I only learnt about it on the Internet," Essimi Menye told reporters in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde.

Cameroon launches Sale of Treasury Bonds to Finance Infrastructure Projects

By Ben Nakomo and Sirri Alette Ngwa

The government of Cameroon has embarked on an operation to raise the sum of 50 billion francs CFA (about 120 Million USD) through the sale of treasury bonds. The proceed from the sale is expected to finance the first phase of major projects earmarked for the 2012 budgetary year. The operation was launched during a meeting that brought together the Minister of Finance and  officials of accredited banks in Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Gabon. The latest sale of treasury bonds by the government of Cameroon follows on the sales of 250 billion Francs CFA (about 600 million US dollars) almost a year ago. This was over subscribed, and the sale was over within seven business days beating  the expectations of government officials.

Cameroon eyes 50 percent hike in oil output in 2012

By Tansa Musa

Cameroon could produce some 36.5 million barrels of oil next year, the equivalent of 100,000 barrels a day and over 50 percent up on the "conservative" estimate of the central African state's 2012 budget, a state oil company official told Reuters. The senior National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH) official said two new wells were expected to go into production during the first quarter of 2012. "What you are seeing in the finance bill is just a very conservative estimate," said the official who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to reporters. "Two oil wells were supposed to have gone into production this year but were delayed for technical reasons. But I can assure (you) that all measures have been taken to make sure the two go operational in the first quarter of next year."

'Sushi king' Kunene's tribute to Muammar Gaddafi

Businessman Kenny Kunene's 40th birthday party caused uproar when he ate sushi off half-naked models. His 41st was no less colourful or provocative.

Flamboyant South African businessman Kenny Kunene celebrated by dressing up as one of his idols, Muammar Gaddafi, in a flowing cream robe. He surrounded himself with six models wearing camouflage-pattern bikinis and brandishing fake AK47 rifles – an apparent reference to Gaddafi's infamous "Amazonian guard". The multimillion-rand celebrations, held last week in Alexandra township in Johannesburg, also featured pictures of the deposed Libyan leader on huge TV screens. Kunene said he was inspired by Nelson Mandela's loyalty to Gaddafi as a supporter of the liberation struggle in Africa. "I'm very political," Kunene said. "I looked at what's happening in Libya and know Gaddafi was overthrown for oil by America and Britain. I felt that I wanted to celebrate Gaddafi as a living legend for contributing to the liberation we enjoy today. I was celebrating him as a father of the liberation struggle."...More

The Post Newspaper: Cameroon's Warmongering Partisan Attack Dog

 

 

 

 

 

It is an uphill task to extricate ill-educated Negro men like Azoro Opio - The Post Newspaper's some low level Editor' - from their natural habitat of small mindedness and their inherited ecosystem of Holocene primitivism.

That Mr Azoro Opio, who was not a panelist in the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV) Press Club of Saturday, November 5, 2011 in Buea, would seize the opportunity to publish in print malicious stuff: 'A Certain Frivolous Mole In The Press Club', on the Publisher of The Entrepreneur NewsOnline, Founder and Editor-in-Chief following his radio remarks on the observed below average trashy-partisan reporting that his paper has embraced, could be interpreted as the official position of the Buea based The Post newspaper, mindful that his write up of Monday, November 14, 2011, never carried a disclaimer ‘as his views only’. This therefore means that The Post newspaper, now a legitimate target for reprisal, from The Entrepreneur Newspaper, sanctioned a member of its troops of ill-educated roadside reporters to hound our reputation with their well-known intimidation and sully reporting tactics befitting a rural pornographic newsletter.

Cameroon: Africa's Unbridled Beauty and Continental Tourism Destination

By Stephen Njumbe Sako

Tourism might not be a money-spinning sector in Cameroon, yet the country's potentials clearly point to tourism as an important industry. Cameroon, known variously as"Africa in miniature, "Melting pot of Africa" and "Africa in microcosm" is endowed with rich attractive touristic potentials as it occupies an unenviable position of 148 out of 181 in world classifications, in terms of the relative contribution of tourism to national economy. Despite this low ranking, Cameroon is endowed with huge potentials from the peaks of Mount Cameroon an active volcano in the Southwest, to the underbelly of Lake Nyos in the Northwest, and from the beach shores of Kribi to the Kapsiki peaks in the northern parts of the country. Cameroon's eastern forest fringe being part of the Congo Basin Forest brings with it, unique natural ecological asset unrivaled in many parts of the world.

Dr. Ernest Molua: a CPDM Apostle and Intellectual Strategist

By Christopher Ambe Shu

People join the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) for various reasons-some even covert. Ambitious as youth are, some come on board in a bid to position themselves and get jobs. But once in and they can’t find the jobs or get their hidden motives satisfied, they quickly jump out and join the barking opposition in bashing the ruling party. Those who join the CPDM not out of conviction hardly argue cogently in defense of the party.Some of them even feel ashamed when dressed in the CPDM party attire and don’t hesitate to give you flimsy excuses for belonging to it. Others - especially those above the middle age believe whole-heartedly in the CPDM and are vocal in the defence of its ideals.It is in this category that Dr. Ernest Molua falls.

Charles Mbella Moki: 'Buea is Cameroon's Newest ''Grand Chantier Project'' of President Biya'

By Stephen Njumbe Sako

Charles  Mbella Moki, the Lord Mayor for Buea who also doubles as President of CPDM Fako III Section has stated that the town of Buea has been transformed into a huge construction site, even before being announced by the Head of State. He made this declaration recently in Buea at the Youth and Animation Centre while celebrating the 29th anniversary of Paul Biya to the Supreme Magistracy of the State. "Buea is a town that is permanently growing. Before the Head of State pronounced the transformation of the entire nation into a deep workshop, Buea had already engaged itself to that, "Mbella Moki remarked. He revealed that the Buea Council is at the moment executing some projects in its municipality, which fall within the framework to make Buea what he has often described as "Land of Legendary Hospitality."

MOTION OF CONGRATULATION AND SUPPORT TO HIS EXCELLENCY PAUL BIYA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON

We militants of the CPDM, WCPDM and YCPDM in Fako III (Buea) meeting on the occasion of the 29th Anniversary Celebration of President Paul Biya’s accession to the supreme magistracy of the State at the Youth and Animation Center in Buea on the 6th of November 2011, resolve as follows;

-   Considering the accession of H.E Paul Biya to power on the 6th of November 1982, in accordance with the constitution and his firm commitment on the same day to succeed in the mission assigned to him;

-  Considering the landslide victory recorded by H.E Paul Biya, CPDM candidate at the October 9 Presidential elections re-affirming the confidence and loyalty of Cameroonians of all persuasions as a confirmation of his status as the “People’s Choice”;

- Considering the resounding victory of the CPDM Party in the Fako III Section as a mark of our unflinching support and belief in the distinguished leadership of H.E Paul Biya;

AN ADDRESS BY THE CPDM SECTION PRESIDENT FOR FAKO III, Charles Mbella Moki, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT PAUL BIYA’S ACCESSION TO THE SUPREME MAGISTRACY OF THE STATE

BUEA-NOVEMBER 6, 2011

-    YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR OF THE SOUTH WEST REGION,
-    THE VICE CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF BUEA
-    HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
-    THE LEADER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE DELEGATION
-    THE DIVISIONAL OFFICER, BUEA
-    ADMINISTRATIVE, TRADITIONAL AND RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES,
-    DEAR COMRADES,
-    DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

This  ceremony marking the  29th Anniversary  of  H.E  Paul Biya’s  accession  to the Supreme Magistracy  of  our  country  affords  us the  opportunity  to come  together  with  the  expressions  of  our  gratitude  and  congratulations  to  a President we love, a leader we admire  and  a  man the world respects.

Therefore, in welcoming all of you to this ceremonial ground on behalf of the people of Buea and the Fako III Section which I am privilege to lead, may I avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate each and every one of  you for the  role you  played  in  securing  a  most  cherish victory for the CPDM and its candidate at  the  last  Presidential  Elections of October 9, 2011.   By  voting  massively  for  H.E Paul  Biya,  you did not  only perform a civic duty but as  people of  Buea, you  made the  right  choice, a good  choice, a strategic  choice  and in fact, you   made the  best choice.   History will reward you and certainly God will bless you. As  your Section  President  and  Mayor of this  community, it is  true  that I led  you over this hurdle and challenge  in  achieving the  desired  results  but above all your resolve, your commitment and  your dedication made the  difference.

The Entrepreneur NewsOnline Book Club: Book of the Month for November, 2011

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

By John Perkins

Paperback: 303 pages; Publisher: Plume; First Thus edition (December 27, 2005); Language: English; ISBN-10: 0452287081

"...Perkins, a former chief economist at a Boston strategic-consulting firm, says he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. "Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars," Perkins writes..."

"...Perkins' story illuminates a larger picture in a way that more scholarly treatises cannot match. In this book...Perkins really does tell it like it is. This is the book I have been waiting for, the book that fills in the blanks left behind by the writers of global theories, the book that tells us how it really happens...(how)...the United States engineered ousters of democratically-elected leaders who did not do the bidding of our corporations..(and)...the actual steps that led to these actions...."

INAUGURAL SPEECH BY H.E. PAUL BIYA, October 4, 2011

INAUGURAL SPEECH BY H.E. PAUL BIYA, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON ON THE OCCASION OF THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY BEFORE THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The President of the National Assembly, The President of the Supreme Court, Honourable Members of Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen, My Dear Compatriots,

Allow me, first of all, to thank the President of the National Assembly for bidding me welcome and for his words of encouragement at the beginning of this new term of office.

In this Temple of democracy, I also wish to once again thank all Cameroonians for having renewed their trust in me. It goes without saying that such trust will be an invaluable moral support to me in the discharge of the heavy responsibilities awaiting me in the coming years.

The oath I have just taken before you, that is “before the Cameroonian people” in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of our Constitution, is, in my opinion, highly symbolic. It is an expression of absolute loyalty to the institutions of the Republic and a personal commitment to perform the duties of Head of State as set forth in our Constitution.

As in the past, I therefore personally and solemnly undertake to discharge these important responsibilities for the good of the Cameroonian people.

Pillars and Foundations of President Paul Biya’s Reelection

What the People of Cameroon Knew, that You Didn’t

By Ernest L. Molua*

About 77.99% of Cameroonians have a profound sense of justice. Voting in Pretoria, Libreville, Paris, Washington DC or Beijing; and trooping to voting centres from Widikum to Idenau, Mundemba to Yokaduma; and from Nkolandoum to Kouseri, Cameroonians have sent a loud and clear message that paves the path of their political and economic destiny. On October 9, 2011 they statistically and significantly voted for a President whom they wish will lead them into the promise land of human actualization. Presidential elections 2011 is somewhat a prophetic destiny on President Paul Biya’s reelection, which hinges on three foundations, ten pillars and the Biya welfarism which the people of Cameroon objectively assessed and gave to him their overt support.

Paul Biya Wins Presidential Polls 2011

By Ben Nakomo

In a landslide victory, President Paul Biya of Cameroon has been reelected for another seven-year term in office. With more than 77 percent scored, and closest challenger Ni John Fru Ndi, recouped a disappointing 10 percent. Garga Haman Adji of the ADD party had a meager 3 percent score and Adamou Adamu Ndam Njoya a consoling 1 percent. The results highlight the regional, tribal and sectarian holdings of the key opposition parties. The people of the Northwest region voted 54.7 percent for Mr Ni John Fru Ndi, what some analysts are refering to as a calculated political suicide for the region in association to resource politics as espoused in political science theories on reward and punishment for constituencies. The solemnity in Cameroon's supreme Court sitting in for the Constitutional Council over eight hours of a laborious exercise, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Alexis Depanda Mouelle went through all 58 divisions of Cameroon and foreign constituencies where voting took place. Details of the number of registered voters, abstentions, empty ballots and the findings in percentages were read out before scores attributed to each of the 23 candidates were read...More Results

PAUL BIYA's MESSAGE TO THE NATION FOLLOWING THE PROCLAMATION OF ELECTION RESULTS

Cameroon Presidential Polls 2011

Dr Ernest Molua, CPDM campaign team member, Communications Officer and Lecturer, University of Buea, spoke to Recorder Editor Christopher Ambe after a village - to- village campaign in Buea subdivision for CPDM Candidate, Paul Biya, for the coming October 9 presidential poll. Below are excerpts:

Dr.Ernest Molua, you are member of the CPDM campaign teams in the Southwest region, especially Buea subdivision. Campaigns are almost coming to an end. What is your assessment of the general conduct of the exercise this far?

We of the CPDM believe very strongly that we have to take our campaign message right to the grassroots .So since the commencement of campaigns for the coming presidential election we have organized ourselves in such as way that, various parts of the regions have been divided into zones and resource persons have been assigned to these zones. And they have gone down to serious work. That means meeting family heads, grassroots militants and sympathizers and taking the message to them and also encouraging them to talk to their neighbors, friends, families, groups etc on the importance of re-electing President Paul Biya.

What particular message is the CPDM taking to the electorate?
First, the consolidation of peace in Cameroon. No prosperity can be achieved in war, and Mr. Biya since assuming office as president of Cameroon in 1982, has ensured that his primary focus on governance is peace. In addition to ensuring constant peace, he has put in place laws and policies that allow Cameroonians to freely express themselves.

So, there are two things we take to the people for them to be able to appreciate Cameroon vis-à-vis other countries in the sub-region: the peace that we have enjoyed in Cameroon that have allowed them to excel in what ever they are doing; the development that has taken place and the potentials Mr. Biya has to achieve more in the coming years.

"No One Wins An Election In Advance" -Peter Mafany Musonge

By Stephen Njumbe Sako

Peter Mafany Musonge,Southwest Regional Campaign team leader and Grand Chancellor of the National Order,has stated that no one ever wins an election in advance because certain forces can make it possible for one to fail. Musonge was speaking recently in Bokova,in one of a series of CPDM campaign tours, which brought together traditional rulers of the Bonavada area,Buea Divisional campaign team leaders, militants and sympathisers of CPDM. ''The only thing is that no one wins an election in advance because certain things can happen which can make it possible for one to fail,''Musonge stressed. He however enjoined the youths of the Bonavada community to direct the elderly persons in the community, on polling day, to be able to recognise the image of their candidate Paul Biya, and not to cast their votes to the wrong candidates.

Cameroon Presidential Polls 2011: Buea CPDM on aggressive door-to-door campaign to win votes for Paul Biya

By Chrsitopher Ambe Shu

Buea subdivision  with a population of about 200,000 people, is highly cosmopolitan and has various political parties functioning there ,with two having their headquarters there.They are the Social Liberal Congress (SLC) of Professor George Nyamndi and Liberal Democratic Alliance (LDA) of Mola Njoh Litumbe. But the ruling CPDM appears bent on projecting the subdivision as its bastion. Since the official launching of presidential campaigns last September 24, Buea CPDM officials and militants have embarked on a daily aggressive door-to door campaign, visiting all the nucks and crannies of the subdivision in a bid to win more - if not all registered voters  on the side of Presidential Candidate Paul Biya.

Frontline Buea CPDM campaigners include: Hon Emilia Lifaka Monjowa, Vice President of Cameroon's National Assembly, Hon Meoto Paul Njie, and former Director of Cabinet at the Prime Ministry; Mayor Charles Mbella Moki, Hannah Etonde Mbua, Buea WCPDM President; Mbome Motomby Emmanuel, Buea YCPDM president; Paramount Chief of Buea, SML Endeley, Dr. Amos Namanga Ngongi, and Dr. Ernest Molua, of the University of Buea.