By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Members of the recently created Government-Bar Council joint work group have begun work barely 9 days after Bar Council requested government to create the work group, tasked to list down all grievances of lawyers and propose solutions to the raised concerns.
Opening the first session of the joint work group last September 13, 2019 at the conference hall of the Ministry of Justice, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice, Jean De Dieu Momo after listing financial and other assistance from President Paul Biya and the government for the Cameroon Bar Council, called on the Bar to take its responsibility.
“Shall we continue to cut the branch on which we are seated?” The Minister gave a rhetorical question to the Cameroon Bar Council.
“It is abnormal that the Bar Council should be a counter power when in effect, it is a branch of the judicial power”, the Minister Delegate stated before warning that “The Bar Council should not therefore even be dreamt of, suspected or seen as generating ill luck in the country.”
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso who is on leave, Jean De Dieu Momo congratulated the Minister of Defence and the Delegate General for National Security for promptly reacting to the creation of a joint work group between government and the Bar Council through the appointment of their representatives.
Members of the Bar Council in the work group are; former Bar Council President, Batonnier Charles Tchougang, President of General Assembly, Barrister Morfaw Evaristus, Barrister Emmanuel Tang, Barrister Michel Atangana Ayissi, Barrister Claire Atangana Bikouna, Barrister Zacharie Woappi, Barrister Concilia Anchang and Barrister Mbah Eric Mbah.
The Ministry of Justice is represented by some senior officials, the Ministry of Defence by the Director of Military Justice etc while the General Delegation of National Security is represented by the Director of General Inquiries and the Director of Legal Affairs.
Batonnier Charles Tchougang revealed that the Bar Council meets in a General Assembly on Sunday September 15, 2019 to see if they will resolve to lift their announced strike action or not.