Nso Fon's Royal Power

Fon of Nso

A Fon with a lot of dignity was Fon Shem Mbinglo I of Nso who traveled to eternity several years ago. In the mid 60s, Fon Shem Mbinglo I of Nso was amongst the members of the House of Chiefs of Southern Cameroons who went to Nigeria to received Queen Elizabeth of England on her first tour to Africa.

At the Lagos Ceremonial grounds, Fon Shem Mbinglo I was amongst the constituted authority placed on a line for the Queen to greet. As she greeted pass, the authorities, Queen Elizabeth was shocked when she got to the Fon of Nso. She offered her hand, but Fon Shem Mbinglo I refused to take and instead kept his behind on his waist. Government Officials of Nigeria became embarrassed and sent Fon Mbinglo back to Cameroon.

He returned happily to Southern Cameroons, but the press in Nigeria was awash with articles on the Fon of Nso. Most of the articles described the Fon of Nso as a made Fon from Southern Cameroons. But the Daily Times took exception and dispatched reporters to the Nso Palace where they met a rather serene Fon who gave the reporters a wonderful reception. The Fon of Nso had the following discussion with the Daily Times reporters.

Question: Your Highness, why did you refuse to greet the Queen?

Answer: Because she is a woman. We don’t greet women with our hands.

Question: But she is the ruler of England called Queen Elizabeth.

Answer: Yes, I also have many Queens in my Palace here. Moreover, I could not greet her because she is young and I did not know her state. I could greet her and instead destroy her by causing her to menstruate continuously.

After the publication of Daily Times the population was informed and many came to know that being a Fon was a powerful institution.

The same Fon Shem Mbinglo I performed another feat in the early 70s when President Amadou Alhidjo visited Nso. The ceremonial ground was in Tobin but Fon Shem Mbinglo I refused to go there saying he was waiting for Alhidjo in the Palace. The administration did all it could to persuade Fon Shem Mbinglo I leave his Palace for the ceremonial ground but the Fon refused. The administration only had to tell a lie to the President that the Fon was sick. Alhidjo coming from Garoua where tradition is highly respected decided to visit the Fon in his Palace. At the Palace he was shocked to notice that instead of seeing a sick Fon there was a wonderful reception prepared for him with food, drinks and traditional dances. The Fon of Nso told him “you are welcome to my Palace” and asked “how are you and your people”? Alhidjo replied that all was well and everybody was well. Many people did not understand what the Fon of Nso meant but the truth is that as a Fon he considered the Nso land as a separate entity from the Republic of Cameroon. And that Alhidjo was just a leader like himself leading the Nso people. That was real power manifested by the Fon of Nso.

Former PM, Senator Simon Achi Achu involved in Ghastly Motor Accident

Senator Simon Achidi Achu

The driver of the Senator’s car died on the spot. This occurred today along the Nkongsamba–Douala highway. A lady who sat in the front seat of the car lost one of her eyes. Pa Simon Achi Achu’s wife who sat with him at the back seat was rushed to the Manju hospital where she died a few minutes later.

Senator Simon Achi Achu’s life was saved by his airbag. He suffered from heart attack and when his temperature was taken, it rose close to 50^oc. after the accident, Pa regained himself and is reporting sound and fine. Two persons died in that accident. The Senator’s car got shattered  and we hope as Senator something would be done on the many potholes on that highway and most especially the Mbouda–Bamenda stretch.

This was reported by Massa talk talk in Douala.

Direct Foreign Scholarship Offers

While some 12 countries currently offer scholarships to Cameroonians through MINESUP, some 14 others offer theirs directly. That is, they advertise the scholarships, receive applications and do the selection of eligible candidates themselves. These scholarships are managed by the embassies of the concerned countries or their development/cooperation agencies. The other specificity about these scholarships is that they are often managed on the internet.

The awarding countries and institutions of such direct scholarships are France, Brazil, Israel, India, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, Japan and Turkey. Others are South Korea, Germany, UNESCO, and the Francophonie and Commonwealth study offers. Study areas include medicine, law, pharmacy, public policy, management, agriculture, telecommunications, computer science, economics, commerce, tourism, architecture, forestry, fisheries, communication and engineering.

These scholarships generally cover all expenses to ensure comfortable basic living by beneficiaries. Aspects covered include air fare, tuition, accommodation, monthly basic living allowance, research and field work. In order to ensure that scholarship beneficiaries return home after studies, candidates are in some cases made to sign prior engagements committing themselves not to remain in their host countries.

Commonwealth Scholarships

The Commonwealth Scholarships are intended for students from developing Commonwealth countries who want to pursue Master’s and PhD studies in the United Kingdom. They are funded by the UK Department for International Development, DFID. Candidates are requested to apply for a course of study in UK Universities. All subjects areas are eligible, although selection criteria give priority to those applications that demonstrate strong relevance to development. The annual deadline is December 3. Approximately 300 of these scholarships are awarded each year. To be eligible, candidates should be Commonwealth citizens, refugees, or British protected persons; be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country or be available to commence their academic studies in the UK by the start of the academic year in September/October 2015. They should also hold, by October 2015, a first degree of Upper Second Class Honours standard (or above); or a Second Class Degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification, which will normally be a Master’s degree. Details on Commonwealth scholarships are available at: http://www.csfp-online.org/countries.html

http://www.scholarships-bourses.gc.ca/scholarships-bourses/can/institutions/cclsp-pblcc.aspx?lang=eng

FRancophonie Scholarships, Internships

The International Organization of the Francophonie, IOF and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, have already advertised a series of opportunities for international scholarships, internships and project financing beginning this month and ending next April. With most of them postgraduate scholarships, they cover among others, fields such as microfinance, conservation and women’s studies. While the physically–challenged are particularly solicited in some instances, there are also openings for French Summer Schools. Detailed information on such offers is available at: http://www.jeunesse.francophonie.org/appels-et-concours

Don't Spoil Our System Of Education

Professor Lambip Cornelius was dismissed from the post of Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea because he refused corruption from hierarchy. He is now the Vice Chancellor of Sun Moon University South Korea.

Can other Anglophones copy this example?  A teacher of Geology in CCAST Bambili complained to me that francophone student teachers on teaching practice are a disgrace to Anglophone education.

Hear him “sweep the board” saying is the statement of a francophone student teacher to students in class. When I asked him what they have done as this is happening he said “we have complained to the principal of CCAST, the principal inturn has written to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Bamenda but the Vice Chancellor responded saying that nothing can be done”. “That is the system” said the Vice Chancellor my friend told me.

A one million dollar question is “how did these students write and pass the competitive entrance examination into HTTTC or HTTC of The University of Bamenda”?

My friend said in their class of thirty four, twenty four admitted were francophones. All of them do not know the basic language of instruction which is English.

I know vivid Gabriel Godwe and others were francophones from the north of Cameroon admitted into the Major Seminary Bambui. When they first made me during the time I was rendering them services, they were unable to express themselves in English as well. But after just three years in the seminary I was the one who typed their dissertations all in English which were perfect.

All of them after studying for the first three years in the seminary spoke and wrote very good English.

Now there were times in the seminary when students were defending their dissertations. Can you imagine that a seminarian who went through a catholic primary school, minor seminary and now third year in the seminary could not say and do the sign of the cross?.

An Anglophone student during such stressy periods of dissertation defence was not able to say and do the sign of the cross ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’.

When one is full of fear and stress because of an examination or defense, one can fail to do things rightly and this could be understandable.

But the many francophones entering the University of Bamenda and after postings to Anglophone schools teach in pidgin and some destroying the children with phrases like ‘sweep the board’, ‘writtam’ etc is something to be look keenly into.

Kings Move On Foot And Slaves Ride On Horses

Call On The Bank For International Settlements To Release Data On Tax Havens

Big banks. Tax avoidance. 
If you've seen the news in recent weeks then you're probably feeling pretty angry. I know I am.
Corruption, illegal tax evasion and money laundering cost developing countries billions of dollars each year; money that could be used to finance schools, hospitals and other life-saving public services.
How can we fight back? Well, we first need to know how much money is hidden and where it is.
An institution that you've probably never heard of, the Bank for International Settlements, has produced data on money held in tax havens, which would be invaluable in the fight against corruption. But there's just one problem. They won't make it public.
Sign the petition and call on the Bank for International Settlements, and its chairman Christian Noyer, to release the data. One click will add your name.

The petition reads:

Dear Christian Noyer,
Corruption costs developing countries billions of dollars each year - money that could be used to fight poverty. Help us follow the money by publishing data on money held in offshore tax havens.

The numbers involved are staggering. The Africa Progress Panel found that the Democratic Republic of Congo lost over $1.3bn - the equivalent of almost twice its combined health and education budgets - between 2010 and 2012 as a result of just five dodgy deals in the mining sector. Those deals facilitated by firms incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, along with other companies based in Bermuda, Jersey, Gibraltar and the UK.

If the Bank for International Settlements releases its data on money held in tax havens it will help citizens and transparency campaigners follow the money, root out corruption and ensure that resources are used to fight extreme poverty rather than lost to dodgy deals.

Please sign the petition now and help get this data public. Just one click will add your name.

Thank you,

Dr. Sipho S. Moyo, ONE.org

27 Million FCFA Is Bambui Water Authority Budget For 2015

The Bambui Water Authority (BAWA) Water Congress is an annual event for the Water Management Board and the Bureau of BAWA to present their Balance Sheet to the public as well as other important issues concerning the BAWA Water Scheme.

The 2014 BAWA Water Congress which took place on the 21^st of February 2015 in the Bambui Palace Plaza started with prayers led by Mr. Bijengsi Jerome in which he thanked God and asked his blessings during the deliberations.

The National Anthem was tuned by a pupil of Courage Community Bilingual Primary School Bambui Town and sang by all present. Mr. Kiambi Angafor Valentine, Manager BAWA read the authorization from the administration of Tubah to hold the congress, a speech from the Chairman of the occasion Mr. Ache Andrew Fonkwa who doubles as Chairman of the Bambui Village Council and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BAWA. That speech is published on this weblog. The MC for the occasion, Editor/Publisher of World Echoes Newspaper, Mr. Tamukong Roland, coordinated the occasion.  

The minutes of the 2013 BAWA Congress were read by Mr. Akoh Valentine an active BAWA bureau member. The 2014 management report was equally presented by Mr. Tabuefor Aloysious Amungwafor also published on this weblog. At the end of this report, there was a heated debate on whether to increase annual water levies. It was resolved that the annual water levy should remain at the same rate of 5.000FCFA and that all mini cites must show proof of payment of Bambui Cultural and Development Association (BACUDA) levies before paying their water levy. Mr. K. V. Angafor presented the 2014 BAWA Accounts and 2015 Draft Budget

Watch This Video Coni T. Tawong Put Together, And Then Share It With Anyone Who Needs To Know BAWA Manager’s Transparent Management & Presentation 

It was disclosed that there is a new water source at IRAD farms. An engineer working with BAWA explained that according to World Bank standards, an individual should consume 40 litres of water per day, but from their calculations, an individual in Bambui consumes 65 litres of water per day, 25 litres more than the World Bank standard. It was disclosed that 2.399m³ of water is being pumped daily into the Bambui water system.

Watch This Video Coni T. Tawong Put Together, And Then Share It With Anyone Who Needs To Listen To The Word From The Fon of Bambui On That Occasion

 It was concluded that metres would be installed but customers will only be taxed to pay for an extra consumption which goes above the normal consumption for a customer and rates of that extra consumption will be decided by the BOD then adopted in the congress of next year. The issue of catchment at IRAD farm to go operational in May this year, addition of sand in the filtration tanks and chlorine for water perfection, adoption of budget etc were issues clarified at that congress.