By Doh James Sonkey
The Station Manager of RIS Radio in Yaounde, Sismondi Barlev Bidjocka has been suspended for 6 months from practising the journalism profession in Cameroon and the duties of Station Manager of RIS Radio for professional misconduct. He was suspended by the National Communication Council and he was also blamed for airing unfounded, abusive and offensive statements against the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Minister of State, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.
The verdict was passed recently by the President of the National Communication Council, Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubsu at the end of the 43rd ordinary session of the council held at its Bastos roundabout neighbourhoods in the nation’s capital.
NCC President added that, “the Council draws the offender’s attention to the repeated professional misconduct committed in his media and urges him to be more professional, otherwise the Council will be obliged to take more severe or permanent regulatory measures where necessary.”
He disclosed that the Council equally “suspended for one month the Publisher of Premiere Heure Newspaper, Alain Balomlog from practising journalism in Cameroon, for publishing unfounded and non-contradictory statements after he was heard on the case of the Littoral Regional Delegate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Konde Jean Claude.”
The National Communication Council also suspended for one month Gnakwa Fangwa Duval for practising journalism in Cameroon for failing to cross-check and ensure balance while handling the information made available to the public in the programme, Droit de Response on Equinoxe TV against the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuinte. Members of the Council also suspended the programme “Droit de Reponse” on Equinoxe TV and warned the General Manager of Equinoxe TV and confirmed the suspension of the offending journalist, Gnakwa Fangwa Duval for one month for repeated professional misconduct, resulting from failure to moderate, which led to the broadcast of unfounded, insinuating and offensive statements.
Other media women such as journalist with CAM10 TV, Nkono Mobe Claudia Chimene and journalist with Canal 2 International TV, Ngo Bitjaga Albertine received serious warnings for professional lapses in moderating their programmes.