Fako High Court Fines Tiko DO For Ignoring Lawyers’ Summons

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

Barrister Ashu Samuel: The Man The Tiko DO Padlocked

     A Judge at the Fako High Court in Buea, Justice Otto Esseme Ngame, last Thursday awarded court cost of FCFA 150,000 to the Divisional Officer, DO, of Tiko Sub-division, Patrick Che Ngwashi for failing to enter appearance for an originating summons after being duly served.

     The case that opened that Thursday is pitting the Tiko DO, two police officers by name Alfred Nformi Wepnje (Tiko Police Commissioner) and Elvis Osong as well as the State of Cameroon (represented by the ministry of territorial administration and decentralisation) against three plaintiffs namely, Barristers Samuel Ashu Bisong, Eric Forsack Forteck and the Fako Lawyers’ Association, FAKLA represented by its president Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor-Balla.

     It all began on Monday 18 May 2015 when the DO padlocked Barristers Samuel Ashu and Eric Forsack in their Tiko chambers for more than one hour on grounds that the chambers was open during a Keep-Tiko-Clean campaign that day.

     The lawyers’ anger is that by doing so, the DO acted ultra vires and that it was not the first time he was acting as such towards Lawyers. He had once also orchestrated the detention of Late Barrister Innocent Bonu and Benjamin Enow Agbor three years ago.

     The lawyers’ attempt to cause the DO apologise for his action met with a stone wall; reason why they dragged him to court.

“We want the court to determine whether any person, group of persons or administrative officers who detains any citizen in a confined place without a warrant duly issued by a judicial officer can be said and held to have violated the human rights of that citizen...whether any person who enters the premises of a citizen without a warrant or without the authority of that citizen can be termed to have trespassed on the citizen’s property...whether any person not acting by the strength of a judicial instrument or acting under the fiscal law can legally pretend to seal the business premises of any citizen and in any case do so without drawing up a report and minutes of the exercise” Barrister Enow Agbor stated.

     The Tiko DO, who has however been sued not as DO but in his individual name, was not present at the court that Thursday, neither was any legal representative of his. And no justification was tendered to the court to that effect.

     It was then that the Judge, after being solicited by the counsels for the plaintiffs to award costs to the DO worth FCFA 20 million, that he (the Judge) finally settled for FCFA 150, 000 and then adjourned the matter to Thursday 6 August for another hearing.

     The auditorium of the Fako High court was full to capacity as more than 100 lawyers and Advocates-in-training were present to support their colleagues.

     The Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs is Barrister Benjamin Enow Agbor (who was himself once unlawfully detained by DO Patrick Che) and will be assisted in the process by more than forty lawyers, among them, prominent names like Barristers Harmony Bobga, Ikome Ngongi, Ebah Ntoko and Gladys Mbuya who’s the Vice President of the Africa chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, known by the French acronym FIDA.

Human Rights Defender Decries Congestion, Torture In Cameroon Prisons

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

     The Secretary of the South West Regional Office of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Christopher Tambe Tiku, has observed with regret that the problems of over-crowding, torture, poor hygiene and inadequate feeding are far from abating in prisons in the Region.

Tambe Tiku: Human Rights Defender

     During a workshop in Buea last Wednesday on the fundamental human rights of detainees, organised by the Commission, Tambe Tiku said the problem was so worrisome that government needed to take urgent steps to redress.

     “...the state of Cameroon has ratified several international human rights treaties. Once you ratify an international treaty, you undertake, ipso facto, to respect all the provisions enshrined in that particular treaty by providing administrative and judicial measures...government must take its responsibility to improve feeding and hygiene conditions in prisons...” Tambe Tiku said.

     Acknowledging the fact that deplorable prison conditions were not only peculiar to the South West but the entire country, the human rights advocate and University of Buea Law Don however stated that; “from numerous visits that we have carried out in our detention centres especially in the Buea upper farms and central prisons, we have found that there is overcrowding and there is no separation between minors and adults...”

     “...It is important that we bring this to the attention of the authorities that these acts constitute serious violations to proper prison conditions which are international norms which Cameroon has ratified in many international treaties....”he averred.

The workshop was not just on prisoners’ human rights but also of other detainees who have necessarily not been convicted of any crime. “

     “...it’s important for us now to sharpen the skills of penitentiary staff, the Police and Gendarmerie because they also run detention centres in their respective establishments....we have also entertained complaints from victims and relatives of inmates, human rights defenders, journalists, social workers relating to the unbearable situation of over-crowding in the prison milieu That is what has motivated this training workshop...” Tambe Tiku explained.

     The Buea Central Prison, for example, which was built to host just 200 inmates, now harbours more than 700, more than half of which are awaiting trial. To Tambe Tiku, the courts also have a crucial role to play. Hear him:     “...the courts are the ones that are supposed to dispose of the various matters which have dragged people to prison. And To deal with the problem of over-crowding; if matters are dealt with expeditiously and speedily, we think that it can help to an extent in solving the problem...”

     The workshop had four presentations and other speakers included former Prisons Administrator General, Marie Nana Abunaw, who suggested that government also needs to lay emphasis on restorative justice for prisoners in order to discourage recidivism. 

     The workshop attendees, among others, included Penitentiary staff, judicial police officers, gendarme officers and human rights activists.

Gov't Forced To Action Against Growing Cyber Threats

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

     Government has launched its first ever training centre for cyber security, research and digital investigation and forensics.

The centre which shall run under the University of Buea was officially launched recently by Post and Telecommunications Minister, Jean Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam.

     Minister Biyiti Bi Essam, acknowledging the important role that digital technology plays in the economic growth of every nation, said government could not hesitate in taking such a move at a time when all forms of cyber threats and crimes were witnessing an upward trend.

     Thus, those to be trained at the centre, he said, would be equipped with skills to identify and track down people who perpetrate mischief on the cyber space.

     The UB Head of Information Technology, Joan Ali Wacka, posited that the importance of the centre cannot be undermined. Hear her: “...Cameroon cannot be indifferent to the cyber warfare, attacks and all what is happening around the world. So Cameroon has taken this initiative through the university of Buea to create this centre which is one of  its kind in the sub-region to train people on how to use these skills to secure the cyber space, fight cyber wars and mitigate cyber attacks... its a very important centre and we hope it would live up to its expectations...”

     To the UB Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nalova Lyonga, there’s even more reason to take the fight against cyber criminality seriously. Her words: “...the worst thing that we have had is the tampering with the Head of State’s website (when a fake picture was posted on it showing the Head of State paying homage to soldiers killed in the Boko Haram fight, whereas he was out of the country)...And you don’t want that to repeat itself. So you can understand why we think this is important. We cannot keep talking, but there must be action...”

     Two streams of people shall be admitted for the training viz; those who already have some skills in cyber issues as well as the young ones coming up who would want to take it as a course in the university.

     Those who’ll be trained include, judges, lawyers, computer scientists, programmers, professionals working in corporations, those of the military, the police, gendarmes, customs officers and members of the judiciary, to name a few. 

     The centre shall take 25 trainees at a time and fees are yet to be determined. Training periods shall also vary, we learnt.

Fako Lawyers Condemn Maroua Suicide Bombings

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

     Members of the Fako Lawyers Association, FAKLA, have condemned with vehemence, Saturday evening’s suicide attack in the Far North Regional capital of Maroua.

Barrister Agbor-Balla: FAKLA Boss

     A suicide bomb attack around the ‘Pont Vert’ area of the city left at least 19 people dead and over 40 variously injured, according to private Media sources. But a communiqué issued by Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary talked of 14 deaths.

     A statement from the FAKLA president, Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor-Balla issued early on Sunday 26 July read thus: “We members of FAKO LAWYERS ASSOCIATION FAKLA strongly condemn the terrorist attacks that took place recently in Maroua.”
      “We extend our support to the armed forces currently fighting to safeguard peace and territorial integrity of our country...” the message continued.
      And to the affected families, the lawyers had this message to assuage their grief. “We equally extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims and the bereaved families...”

The attack comes less than four day after yet another one near the Maroua central market entrance and the Hausa quarters that left at least 13 dead, according to govt.

Official Funeral Programme For Chief SML Endeley Released

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

     The family of the late Paramount Ruler of the Bakweris, His Royal Majesty Chief Samuel Moka Lifafa Endeley, has released the official programme for the Burial ceremony of the Patriarch.

Late Endeley (Pic, courtesy bakweri.com)

     According to the programme that was made public Tuesday 21 July, the nonagenarian, who died on Tuesday 7 July, would be buried Saturday 25 July 2015 at his Mokunda Palace in strict family intimacy. Below is the full programme.

      PROGRAMME:

Friday 24 July 2015– Removal of mortal remains from the Buea Regional hospital Mortuary

-         Brief stop at the Presbyterian Church, Buea Town

-         Laying in State at the Mokunda Palace

-         Viewing

8pm-9pm: Christian wake Service at the Mokunda Palace, Buea Town

9pm till dawn: Cultural Animation

Saturday 25 July 2015

7am-8am: Family photographs

-         Departure from Mokunda Palace

9:30am-10:30am: Judicial Honours at the South West Court of Appeal

-         Brief stop at the Buea mountain club

-         Departure for the Independence Square, Buea

11am-2pm: Funeral service at the Independence Square, Buea

3pm: Burial at the Mokunda Palace, strictly private

-         Reception

-         Departure of Mourners