As Anglophone crisis deepens: CDC to lay-off workers in crisis-hit estates

 But staff representatives oppose, write to Biya to salvage company

BY ATIA TILARIOUS AZOHNWI

The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) is contemplating laying off thousands of workers as the socio-political unrest in the North West and South West Regions deepens.

During a meeting, Friday, June 8, 2018 at the Senior Service (SS) Club Bota chaired by CDC General Manager, Franklin Njie, staff representatives were told that the corporation plans to lay-off workers in estates badly affected by the civil unrest.

Going by a report presented on May 8, 2018 during a meeting attended by 17 persons including CDC management staff, labour administrators and trade union leaders, “the crisis is taking a toll on the socio-economic situation of workers as several establishments are no longer in operation given that workers, out of fear and threats on their lives no longer go to work”.

In the document forwarded to government, attendees of the May 8 meeting agreed that many CDC camps have been deserted by the workers.

The social partners of the CDC meeting in the May 8, 2018 Extra-Ordinary Joint Industrial Council were mindful of the existence of about twenty thousand contracts of employment and the related monthly wage bill of about FCFA 2.5 billion.

“Considering the fact that production activities have ceased in many of the estates and industrial units; taking into account the likely deterioration of the existing socio-economic situation;” the CDC social partners recommended that “the government should take hasty measures to redress this situation so that social peace and economic revival be restored in CDC establishments.”

Gabriel Mbene Vefonge, President of the Divisional Syndicate of Agricultural Workers in Fako, DISAWOFA, who attended both meetings (on May 8 and June 8, 2018) told The SUN that the move to lay off thousands of workers in about nine CDC estates is in line with a ministerial order that spells out how workers who are victims of a prolonged force majeure can be indemnified and laid off.

“If such a force majeure goes for up to six months, then the contract will have to be terminated. In the course of the discussions and debates, the workers felt that it was an unhealthy situation – one which is sensitive and has to do with almost the whole of CDC. This may throw CDC in total confusion, which means that the social climate in the North West and South West Regions is going to aggravate if CDC workers are thrown into the streets,” Mbene said by telephone.

He said the General Manager gave a rundown which shows that nine estates were already affected by the crisis as at June 7, 2018. They include Mondoni Estate, Meanja Estate, Malende Estate, Moungo Palms Estate, Mokonje Estate, Tombel Estate, Mbonge Estate, the Boa Palms Project, Illoani Estate and the Illoani Oil Mill.

Mbene estimates that “we may be talking about laying-off between 4,000 and 5,000 workers. The danger is that the situation may soon affect all the workers given that the crisis is growing like magma, moving from one estate to another.”

The staff representatives told management that they are not comfortable that the law be applied as it is, given that the situation is very sensitive and the outcome may not be too good for government to manage.

The SUN learnt that the staff representatives have addressed a memo to the Head of State, President Paul Biya, calling on him to take urgent measures to rescue the situation.

They want the state to take its responsibility as owner of 100 percent shares of the corporation, which responsibility includes and is not limited to providing money for the payment of salaries and seeking measures to resolve the current crisis.

The Communications and Public Relations Manager of the CDC, Manyanye Ikome was not immediately available to react, despite calls placed to his line.

First published in The SUN Newspaper No. 0494 of Monday, June 11, 2018

Panic, tension grips Buea: Muea police commissioner kidnapped

-         Soldiers raid Wotutu

-         Heavy gunfire exchanges rock Tombel, Banga Bakundu

BY ATIA TILARIOUS AZOHNWI

As we went to press, news reaching our newsroom indicated that the escalating war between government and separatist forces took another dangerous twist with the kidnapping of a police officer in Mile 16, Buea. Reports have it that the said officer, Christopher Tazisong is commissioner of the third district police station in Muea.  We, however, could not independently confirm the exact identity of the police officer in question.

Elsewhere, it seems Buea subdivision is gradually sliding into a risky territory as soldiers descended on a village in the subdivision, Wotutu in an early morning raid. Unconfirmed reports say houses were ransacked and scores of able-bodied boys arrested.

It should be recalled that Geogiana Enanga, principal of GHS Mile 16 was abducted weeks back and later released. Several other persons including journalists and administrators live under fear of a similar fate befalling them.

In a separate development, heavy gunfire between soldiers and separatist fighters was reported in Tombel and Banga Bakundu. The Banga Bakundu shootings is said to have been followed by an arson attack.

First published in The SUN Newspaper no. 0494 of Monday, June 11, 2018.

Buea Mayor and the “Anglophone Uprising”

BY ATIA TILARIOUS AZOHNWI

Convened by Buea Mayor, Ekema Patrick Esunge, the people gathered at the Buea Independence Square on November 30. They keenly listened to Mr. Lord Mayor and his associates.

The participants: taxi drivers, commercial motor bike riders, petty traders among others.

Dr. Ekema Patrick Esunge, Buea Mayor

Some journalists also answered present while police and gendarme officers stood at strategic places in case of any unforeseen.

Then Mr. Mayor dressed in a black suit mounted the rostrum to do what he knows to do best during political rallies. Cameras ran their lenses around the area and even Nokia touch phones had use.

Mr. Mayor spoke and spoke, then spoke again but the subject of his speech was only saluted with sighs and bored faces. At a certain moment, he said something which on a normal rally day would have received a standing ovation but to his greatest surprise just three people clapped - a certain president of an Okada union, one council police and another person whose identity was not important at that moment.

Mr. Mayor spoke about the over 100 bikes which were impounded by the Buea Council and said he has granted them amnesty. In addition, the Mayor promised to share 1000 reflective jackets to the motorcycle taxi riders in Buea municipality. These points received deafening plaudits.

Then he tried to penetrate through the teachers’ and lawyers’ ongoing strike action. He touched on the November 28 strike by students of the University of Buea and in general the Anglophone problem which I am not still convinced he admitted its existence.

According to Mr. Mayor, all had been put in place to ensure all the arrested UB students were freed and according to his initial plan were supposed to have been presented before the attendees of his rally.

On the strike action going on, the Mayor stated that violent demonstrations have been brought to the public place, and he was calling on people to return to their daily activities as before.

He further called on those he said were affected by the strike action to go to the social service of Council and be compensated. He asked for peace and requested everyone to return to their duties since peace will only reign if everyone went back to their duty posts.

Then Mr. Mayor said he had written a memorandum which was to be read before the number one authority of the Region at his office. From where I stood, I observed disappointment on the faces of those present and they kept on saying: "useless meeting”, “nonsense”, “bad luck”, “I dong waste my time for come here" etc. He ended his meeting by asking the gods of "Epasa Moto" instead of God Almighty to be with the people.

Following the Mayor's speech was a walk to the Southwest Governor's office. The Master of Ceremony mounted a mobile caravan and kept on praising the humility of Mr. "Lord" Mayor who had abandoned his air conditioned car to trek with the people for the second time as Mayor.

Then I turned behind and noted that the population had dropped by more than half and a hungry, desperate, and angry few still proceeded to Mr. Governor's office. At the Governor's office, the people gathered and waited for well over 15 minutes for Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai who appeared with his entourage and Mr. Mayor started his speech which was dominated by “Your Excellency" and "the people who voted me".

Mayor Ekema addresses “5,000 attendees” at a public talk 

I noticed he said before the Governor that his rally was attended by over 5,000 people of which I couldn't count up to that number.

Mayor Ekema Patrick Esunge presented an apology to the Governor’s office and begged for the release of University of Buea students arrested and detained as a result of a demonstration on November 28.

Ekema told Governor Okalia Bilai that he and his people had come to apologise on behalf of the population; where they went wrong, so that they should move into the festive season with purity. The festive season, he says, is a period for reconciliation and forgiveness – apparently why he shook hands with Chief (Councillor) Molinge Ikome David.

The Governor held the view that some individuals, identified and unidentified, decided to destabilise the town during the on-going 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations games.

On the teachers’ strike, Governor Okalia Bilai said some identified and unidentified people are preventing some teachers and children from going to school. He said it is criminal to prevent children from learning. “Let the children go to school,” he said.

On the way forward, the Governor agreed with Mr. Mayor that with the coming of December and Christmas, it is time for reconciliation and peace.

He assured the Mayor and his group that their memorandum and worries would be forwarded to the high quarters.

What was expected to be a memorandum became a letter to praise others. Then I couldn't continue listening since I could then agree with many other participants that the meeting was a useless one. The said meeting did not have those directly linked to the problem in attendance, it was just a way of drawing media attention, and it was politically motivated. This is where I ended my coverage of the rendezvous since I was highly provoked by the emptiness of the meeting. But I heard from an unconfirmed source that the meeting had "ngombo" which motivated some of its attendees - FCFA 1,000, they say.