By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Real business has resumed in Cameroon’s Parliament despite government’s announced restriction of any gathering of more than 50 people in the country following the detection of more positive cases of Coronavirus. History has recorded that despite government’s restriction of gatherings of more than 50 people, the 167 MPs, government officials at the head of which is the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute and other invitees converged on the Ngoa Ekelle Glass House last March 20, 2020 to attend the official opening ceremony of the March session. A similar scenario was observed at the Upper House of Parliament where close to a hundred Senators, members of government and other invitees converged on the Yaounde Conference Centre to attend the official opening ceremony.
National Assembly suspends media coverage till further notice
The March 2020 Ordinary session of Parliament at the Lower House opened in the nation’s capital last March 20, 2020 with reporters prohibited from covering deliberations throughout the session. Reporters duly accredited to cover the session were notified of the prohibition barely few hours to the official opening plenary at the National Assembly.
Though no reason was advanced for the suspension of media coverage of activities at the National Assembly, keen observers allege that the re-elected House Speaker, Hon Cavaye Yeguie Djibril seems embarrassed by media reports stating that he violated quarantine orders from the Minister of Public Health to attend the first session as of right of the newly elected 167 Members of the Lower House of Parliament.