Cameroon Sports Journalists Slam ‘Sanction Vote’ On Long Serving President

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

      A new Executive body has been elected to pilot the affairs of the Cameroon Sports Journalists’ Association for the next three years.

      This was the main outcome of an enlarged General Assembly meeting of the association that took place over the weekend in Kumba, Meme Division of the South West.

Eric Martial Djomo: New CASJ President

      Eric Martial Djomo of Equinoxe Television beat incumbent Emmanuel Gustave Samnick of Africa 24 Magazine to become president. Djomo, who’s Littoral chapter president of the association triumphed overwhelmingly over Samnick, beating him by 45 votes to five at the polls. Samnick had manned the affairs of the prestigious association for the past 8 years, (since 2007).

      South West chapter president, Matute Menyoli, of CRTV Mount Cameroon FM, together with his colleague at the same station, Charline Flore Demgne, were voted Vice President and Treasurer, respectively.

      Interim sports desk editor at CRTV national radio, the widely-travelled Simon Lyonga on sports reporting assignments, retained the position of Secretary General while a photo journalist who works with “Le sportif Cameroon football magazine” , Raphael Happi, was elected Auditor.

      In all, five officials were elected while the rest, we learnt, will be co-opted to complete an eleven-man Bureau whose mandate would run until 2018.

Matute Menyoli: Second Strongest Man of CASJ

      Djomo, while accepting his victory, described it as “a sanction vote” on the outgoing president and his team who were widely faulted for not making all chapter members of the association feel a sense of belonging. They had all along been accused of doing things single-handedly and not letting certain advantages trickle down to “floor members”. The new man thus promised to do his best to work for everybody and to make sure that every duly registered member enjoys the gains of their membership.

      Conceding defeat, a disappointed Samnick admitted that the massive vote against him was surely an indication that “I am not sure I did a good job.” He congratulated Djomo and wished him well in his new office and promised to collaborate with and support him where and whenever necessary. “He has won to represent the occasion. All sports journalists have to come together and work for the good of the association. Let me also use this opportunity to congratulate the host chapter on what they have done. I am impressed...” Samnick added.

     Matute Menyoli viewed the elections as a new dawn for the association. While he said he was humbled to have been accorded such an exacting task, he pledged to do his best. For Simon Lyonga, he was simply happy for “the confidence renewed in me”. “All I shall do is to work and serve the interest of the association” he stated.

      The General Assembly meeting that spanned Friday 14 August to Sunday 16 August 2015 was an exciting rendez-vous that brought together about 100 sports reporters, commentators, analysts and chroniclers from all around the country.

      Other activities including a friendly football match that pitted a selection of the sports journalists against a Kumba-based Veteran Club added spice to the event. 

      The meeting was under the patronage of the Senior Divisional Officer for Meme, David Koulbout, who was represented by the Meme Divisional Delegate of Communication, Cynthia Molua.