Economy Archives - THE SUN NEWSPAPER CAMEROON

Child Labour reaches worrisome levels in Kumba

Eyong Kevin — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 11:10:09 +0000

Despite government effort to protect the right of the child against harsh and inhuman treatments such as child labour and child exploitation a high degree of child exploitation, still exist in most of the towns and cities in the country especially, Kumba, the chief town of Meme Division.
It is customary in Kumba, to see children below the age of 14 hocking the on streets carrying various items such as groundnuts, snails, boiled eggs, cold water, ‘bitter cola’ and a host of others for sale. This situation is even worst during the months of June to September when these children are on long holidays and are even found during the late hours of the day in bars and the streets carrying items that are times are more than their capacity.
A one-on-one interview with some of these children revealed that most of them are being compelled to sell these items by their guardians or relatives who in one way or the other help in their education as well as their well-being and few by their biological parents. Most of them selling during the late hours of the day said they are compelled to finish selling everything before coming to the house if not they will be well beating.
In an exclusive interview with The SUN, on June 9, 2016 the Meme Divisional Delegate Social Affairs, Edouard Kengue stated that the laws of Cameroon protect the child below 14years against child labour and exploitation.
He added that 70percent of children exposed to this treatment either leave with their step parents or distant relative while the remaining 30 percent leave with their biological parents. He however, mentioned that child labour and exploitation in our country can be viewed positively in the domain of socialization and to teach the child the need to struggle but becomes a problem when the time factor is not respected since these children are not protected when they are on the streets and the quantity of goods they carry to sell impinges on their health and growth.
Talking about the measures put in place against child labour and exploitation, the delegate mentioned that at the international level
the United Nations Convention of the right of the child, the protection of the African Child, the 2011 law on child trafficking and the Cameroonian constitution and penal code at the national level. In 2014, the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Meme Koulbout Aman David issued a decision banning minors from hawking around the streets especially during the late hours of the day, but the project later died down because there was no multi-disciplinary approach to it, since one ministerial department cannot fight against child labour and exploitation. The multi-disciplinary team should involve the forces of law and order, the administration, technical department which include the Divisional Delegations of Labour and Social Security, Women Empowerment and the Family, Youth and Civic Education, the State Counsel, the media as well as the general public.

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Cameroon Bar Association seeks stronger role in development

Eyong Kevin — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 10:57:30 +0000

The twin ordinary and extraordinary Session of the General Assembly of the BAR Association held Saturday May 21 at the Castel Hall, in Douala. This meeting among other objectives is as a result of the last which did not have a quorum. The attendance this time was massive so issues related to their profession, the practice of law in Cameroon like organic law, projects like the land acquired for a multipurpose secretariat, the peace fullness of the Bar its sustainability, and the budget were to be discussed.
In the presence of the direct representative of the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals the Procuror-General of the Littoral Region, Mr. Awana, the President of the Bar and other legal minds, the President of the General Assembly NICO Halle in an emotional speech started by thanking God for those who were in attendance stating that their presence was an eloquent testimony of their attachment to the Bar Association. He added that for them to have given time and sacrificed their resources to be present, was heart-warming.
He went on to say that a nation is built by a few who sacrifice, for if you wait for others the desired goals will be a failure. Nico Halle cited President Kennedy during his swearing in occasion on February 20, 1961 where he said a citizen should not ask what the country has done for him or her but rather what he or she will contribute for the nation. So, he urged everyone to contribute financially and other wise towards the growth of the profession.
The president of the General Assembly observed in concrete terms that in Cameroon, a lawyer’s role has been reduced to going to court but now let the lawyer now start by socializing occasionally to have some relaxation from a very excruciating profession, in order to inculcate the spirit of brotherhood. A lawyer, he went on is supposed to be an indispensible part of the development process of the nation or its very foundation. “Take away the lawyer; there will be no justice no law, no harmony and no development”.
He praised government for having organized the just ended Cameroon Investment Forum through the initiative of the Head of state but politely criticized the fact that lawyers who are key to explain to foreign investors that their business will be very secure, explain the investment charter, and other rights and obligations, were not invited, for example. Like a teacher, he said that 80% of the parliament in the UK or the congress in America is made of lawyers. So lawyers in Cameroon should be given the opportunity to contribute to nation-building. He emphasized that there is no component in this nation that does not require lawyers so lawyers should be at the forefront of investment issues in the country, because lawyers have to present to investors the legal framework. Nico Halle then called on lawyers once more to start speaking freely and directly and not indirectly. He called on the Minister’s representative to take this message to him.
To his colleagues he said that to fulfill these roles, lawyers need to be an example in society. He clarified that one who has studied law up to the level of PHD or Doctorate and does not practice is not a lawyer. So, he called on lawyers who derail from their ethics to build credibility and integrity by avoiding shady deals, backstabbing, defamation, blackmailing and hatred. He invoked the Holy Spirit to help them abandon this behavior. He said they have to be accountable and transparent to each other and in whatever they are doing. The President of the General Assembly asked everyone to embrace diplomacy instead of confrontation.
Some of the projects he listed were that to edify the Bar , land has been acquired in Yaoundé where a multipurpose centre for the Bar will be constructed instead of renting places. Nico Halle recognized the efforts of colleagues like Monte, Chingam and Eta Bisong for grooming advocates into the profession. He also recognized the efforts of all those who have been instrumental in proposing ideas which will help to strengthen the growth and image of the profession.
In his speech, the representative of the of the Minister encouraged lawyers to go into such projects that will change opinions to show that the profession is getting serious and advised lawyers to live according to their ethics or imitate proper role models.

Family photo at Castel HallPress briefing with General Assembly President

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Decentralising powers, withholding money

thesuncameroon — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 08:44:45 +0000

– Local government officials say Decentralisation is loud-sounding empty-talk, slow in implementation
BY ATILARIOUS AZOHNWI
Senior Divisional Officers, Government Delegates, Mayors, Municipal Treasurers and Secretaries-General of Council, and Local Stakeholders charged with implementing the Decentralisation process in the South West and North West Regions are attending a three-day Regional Training and Capacity Building Workshop at the National Social Insurance Fund, CNPS Hall in Buea.
The workshop is in line with a national framework to assess the progress made so far as regards decentralisation and the promotion of local development.
After Yaoundé on May 12 – for the Centre and South Regions, Douala on May 23 – for the Littoral and West Regions, stakeholders in the decentralisation process from the North West and South West are holding in-depth discussions on the path covered by the decentralisation drive since 2010 – when the effective transfer of special powers and appropriate resources by the state to councils and city councils started.

Staggering decentralisation
Opening the workshop, Tuesday, May 24, Jules Doret Ndongo, Minister Delegate in charge of Decentralisation at the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation said since the enactment by the President of the Republic of the 2004 decentralisation laws, all powers as prescribed by the law have been transferred to councils and city councils, alongside huge funds.
In a rather sharp contradiction of his earlier statement, Minister Doret Ndongo said there are innumerable speed brakes in the implementation of the decentralisation process.
Hear him: “Just like any human endeavour, the implementation of decentralisation and the promotion of local development also face challenges and six of these risk factors are worth mentioning here, namely: the way council organs and services function; collaboration between state de-concentrated services and local authorities; council governance; the pooling of resources through inter-council cooperation; decentralised cooperation, and the funding of decentralisation and local development.”
Minister Doret Ndongo however admitted that if these risk factors are not properly managed, they can negatively impact the functioning of councils. He observed that impediments to decentralisation include the non-involvement of deputy mayors in the management of the council, conflicting relationship between the state and de-concentrated services and the local authorities in some councils.

Political powers without financial power
Local government officials who spoke to The SUN on the sidelines of the Buea meeting said the government has been quick to announce the transfer of political and administrative powers, but is yet to decentralise financial powers to the council.
Asked what is impeding the decentralisation process, Mayor Nkeng Michael Akamin of the CPDM-run Muyuka Council said: “there is no money. People don’t want to send money to the grassroots for development to take place. What do you want us to do? If you give somebody too much money, he will know what to do with it.”
He said the law should be clear on what percentage of investment funds should be sent to the local councils without which decentralisation will remain loud in tone, but slow in implementation.
On what he expects will change after the workshop, he was rather pessimistic.
“What do you want me to expect? That from the blues the situation will change? So long as the laws are not there, we will still be where we are.”
Mayor Mbongo Alfred Ngoe of Ekonko Titi towed the same line with his Muyuka peer. “The speed brakes include inadequate (financial) means and the haphazard selection of decentralisation projects,” he said.
Chief Moukondo Daniel Ngande, Mayor of the SDF-run Tiko Council and Mayor Mbongo of the CPDM-led Ekondo Titi Council are all agreed that the mayors are said to be vote holders, but the selection of projects to be funded still remains the preserve of the ministries concerned.
“Yaoundé just imposes to an extent where you realise that a school which has over five classrooms is given more, while that without a single classroom is left with nothing. People may not even understand. Because you are the vote-holder, they may think that it is you who is taking all projects to one place,” Mbongo told The SUN.
Mayor Moukondo chimed in to say that most projects are dropped from space, which projects are not people oriented. “You may be given a health centre near an already existing one. They should give us the money, let us identify and implement the projects.”
Mayors complain that some administrators in the decentralisation chain have a rubber-stamp approach to handling issues, such that change is near impossible.
“We have realised that the central government is still dragging its feet in devolving financial resources to accompany the decentralisation process,” Mayor Cletus Fongu of the SDF-run Bamenda III Sub-divisional Council lamented.
Mayor Moukondo was however optimistic when he said that though the decentralisation process is slow better days lie ahead.
“Decentralisation is a gradual process. Perhaps with time, things will get better. The ministry of public works started with FCFA 13 million, they’ve moved to FCFA 27 million and perhaps the other ministries will evolve same,” Chief Moukondo said.
But while they hope for other ministries to open up, the Ministry of Arts and Culture is said to be making decentralisation a near myth. It occupies the last position on the decentralisation index, while the Ministry of Basic Education stands tall.

Corruption thwarting decentralisation
According to some local government authorities, some corrupt officials are mounting roadblocks on the decentralisation pathway.
“There is no uniformity in the allocation of resources to the local councils,” Mayor Mbongo of Ekondo Titi said, adding that “While a certain council has over FCFA 100 million for investments from the decentralisation credits, another may just have only one classroom or a road. Anyway, we can’t argue because some people have their persons in those ministries that allocate the resources. There is need for uniformity so that the councils can choose priority projects.”
Asked if they are compelled to grease the palms of Yaoundé officials or lobby to get funding for projects, Mayor Fongu of Bamenda III responded that “Les Cameroun c’est le Cameroun” (Cameroon is Cameroon), apparently referring to the unending corruption known to be retarding the country’s growth.
He said mayors have so many projects but after following the laid down procedures to get funding, very little is gotten.

Debts choking councils
Mayor Ducan Molindo of Limbe II Sub-divisional Council says they are barely surviving, after borrowing hundreds of millions to fund development projects. His words: “In my council, I think I have borrowed enough money from FEICOM. I’ve borrowed over FCFA 500 million to construct my council chambers. I borrowed over FCFA 135 million to put water in Mukunda Village; I borrowed FCFA 160 million to put water in Mukundange Village. I think I have borrowed enough money for the council.”
Quizzed whether the council is surviving despite the huge debts, Mayor Molindo hesitated, but said he doesn’t think so.
“These are social debts and we are paying them already,” he responded, stating that “The decentralisation process is so timid in the sense that we are not able to follow up even projects that have been put in place. Again, we are having problems getting the expected subventions from the state.”
He said sub-divisional councils are normally supposed to have their taxes directly from the companies operating within their municipalities, but that is not the case. “Everything goes to the city council. We have practically nothing.”

Overbearing supervisory authorities
Some mayors who sued for anonymity said some Senior Divisional Officers, SDOs, are overbearing.
“The SDOs think that the mayors are their stooges. They think they can just call you and ask for money at will. They ask for money before signing our documents, which money cannot be accounted for. This is certainly why some of them are hindering the decentralisation process,” a mayor said.
“You can’t imagine that an SDO will go and drink in a bar and call you the mayor to go and pay. We are really having hard times as mayors. Every small thing, they come asking for money,” another angered mayor bemoaned.
Mayors without salary 8-montsh after Biya decree
Last September 16, 2015 the Head of State decreed remuneration for Mayors and their deputies, government delegates and their deputies.
Eight months after, Minister Jules Doret Ndongo says legal provisions have been laid down so as to ensure the remuneration of municipal authorities and their assistants.
Last January 26, 2016 the Prime Minister and Head of Government, Philemon Yang ordered that remuneration to municipal executives will be paid from the FCFA 10 billion decentralization fund.
Mayors have expressed anger regarding the delay, barely falling short of taking to the streets.
“We are not even sure the salaries will be paid any time soon because that has been said many a time. We started hearing about salaries for mayors in 2010. Up to this moment, nothing has been paid. The mayors are composed people. Otherwise, there would have been a reaction. Mayors are not as poor as you may think. We still live on our allowances,” mayor Molindo of Limbe II said.
Mayor Mbongo of Ekondo-Titi told The SUN that: “It is not today the presidential decree was signed. But I think that the salaries will be paid when the necessary means are there. We know that government machinery grinds slowly but surely. It will eventually come.”
Muyuka’s Mayor Nkeng said he has been waiting for his account to be credited with his salary as decreed by President Biya. “If I had my salary already, I would have already announced to you,” Nkeng said.
Simon Sona Makia, Municipal Treasurer of Nguti and Joseph Ewome Njie, Secretary General of the Buea Council said mayors are supposed to wield political and administrative powers, along with financial powers without which their power is meaningless.
Challenges hindering decentralisation
Experts say there is the need to ensure balanced and harmonious development. Most frontier councils are left to themselves in terms of development.
Inadequate human and financial resources are put at the disposals of the councils. Only 4% of state revenue is transferred to councils, far below the African average of 8%. Credits are delegated, not transferred; funds are disbursed late and mayors barely have the capacity to manage the funds put at their disposal.
There is the absence of a complete legal framework for decentralisation. The putting in place of a National Decentralisation Strategy is necessary if at all decentralisation must blossom.
It is also very difficult to measure the rate of implementation of decentralisation given the absence of a decentralisation index.
While there is the need for a statute to be adopted for council workers, the Local Government Training Centre (CEFAM) needs to be overhauled and reformed to provide training that fits the needs of decentralisation.

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SONARA launches 11 million Wovia water project BY HONORINE NOMO

Eyong Kevin — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 10:14:46 +0000

The National Refinery Company, better known by its French acronym SONARA, under the auspices of General Manager Ibrahim Talba Mala, has launched a FCFA11,000,000 community water project in Wovia under Limbe municipality.
Wovia water project according to Nayelwa Mahaman, that is SONARA’s social responsibility in its citizen action, was launched last May, 17, 2016 at the Wovia Community hall.
Nayelwa Mahaman professed that his enterprise which is modern is working and complying with international rules and regulation as far as the environment is concerned insisting this action is considered very important the company’s image.
He averred that SONARA is very much concerned with social development of local communities in areas such as health and hygiene, sports and culture, creation of jobs and enhancement of skills etc. “SONARA intends to boost its image by promoting development and it is in that light that SONARA has taken up the challenge to launch the Wovia water project” he declared.
He promised that SONARA will not only launch the project but will be totally involved in sponsoring the project and monitoring it till Wovia community obtains flowing taps.

The Manager of the contracting enterprise GEOBASE, E. Tatianou, on his part, assured that in less than no time, Wovia village will be benefitting from the long awaited community water promising to train two villagers on the water maintenance.
He explained that his function is to build a water tank that will send water into the community system and henceforth flow in the various taps and he assured that the water will be of good quality as chlorine will be injected into the water to improve on the sanitation.
He however urged the local water committee that will be created to sensitize the population to endeavor long term maintenance on the project asking them to seek advice from other neighboring communities who are presently enjoying proper water management as this will go a long way to sustain the project for long as the village continues to exist.
The Regional Delegate for Water and Energy, Zaboya Baoua Adile, lauded the initiative of SONARA to have come to the assistance of the Wovia Community and pleaded that the benefitting community must treat the gift with a lot of caution for the benefit of the general population.
On behalf of the Chief who was unavoidably absent, the Chairperson of the village traditional Council, Engemise Mathias, thanked SONARA endlessly for the wonderful gift and promised that they will live no stone unturned to ensure that the project succeeds. “We will on our part ensure that water crisis which has been our greatest nightmare for the past 20 years will be a forgotten past” he added.
Mola Njie Henry, President of Limbe Indigenous Civil Society International Impact Follow up Association LICSEIFA declared to the press that his Association actually lobbied for the water project that Wovia is benefitting today and expressed satisfaction to have contributed in that light.
He however, pleaded that SONARA should not stop at that but continue to come to the aid of the different communities that surround the enterprise and insisted that SONARA should continue to open their doors whenever they come knocking in the future.
Contrary to what the Wovia population thought, Madam Gladys made the population understand that the water project is not the first gift that SONARA is donating to their communities in its neighborhood stating that the company has been coming to the aid of these communities in the past.
She further clarified that SONARA has been reaching out to these communities but has always done that in silence and has used this Wovia water launch to break that long silence and promised that for the records each time SONARA does something to the community, they will do all it takes to put the population in the know.

Representatives of the Wovia Community poses with SONARA representatives

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