LMZ, Lebledparle.com
Let’s begin with a historical reminder from InfoMatin this morning, which informs us that Ahidjo became Prime Minister at 34. The newspaper notes that by appointing a Prime Minister in his thirties on January 9, France did what Cameroon did in 1958. Similarities can also be drawn with Paul Biya, who held significant positions at a young age. He was the director of the civil cabinet of the president at 34, minister-secretary general of the presidency (Sg/Pr) at 35, minister of state, Sg/Pr at 36, and later became Prime Minister at 42. (Page 3)
“Outrage to the First Lady: The Franckists to the Rescue of Chantal Biya,” as reported by The Politics this morning, states that Marlene Emvoutou, recently appointed National Secretary for Communication of the Citizen Movement of Franckists for Peace and Unity (MCFP), was excluded on January 7, 2024, by Mohamed Rahim Noumeu, the Executive President of MCFP. This exclusion followed her perceived inappropriate comments against the First Lady in a New Year’s letter, where she also criticized the party she had been a part of until then, Senacom.
Le Drapeau by Carole Tamba, also available in kiosks this morning, reports that there are already 7,361,875 registered voters. According to the breakdown of registrations by region in 2023 published on January 10 by Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), 7,361,875 voters are registered in the electoral file. The regions of the Center, Far North, and Littoral lead in the statistics, each with over a million registered voters.
La Voix du Consommateur denounces “inertia” when it comes to ministers who have held the same position for 20 years. Since 2004, Jacques FAME NDONGO, Luc Magloire MBARGA ATANGANA, Madeleine TCHUENTÉ, and Pierre HELE have been respectively heading the ministerial departments named Minesup, Mincommerce, Minresi, and Minepded, with less than impressive results. The paper regrets that when “high positions” become the exclusive domain of a small group of citizens amid the country’s multitude of talents, it reinforces the idea that the social elevator is blocked.
“The State’s Debt to Eneo: Nearly 300 billion paid in three years.” A sum of 299,857,441,243 XAF was paid to Eneo from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023. The Ministry of Finance claims that this payment settles the entire debt. Read more in the columns of today’s Le Jour.
Let’s talk about Governance, with over 500 billion XAF in tax debt for state-owned enterprises. This amount concerns companies classified as presenting a high risk due to their short-term debt, with SONARA, SONATREL, and EDC leading with 72.4% of the debts. Défis Actuels discusses this information in its columns this morning.
Afcon news
Some football news in this press review. La Voix des Jeunes reminds us that the Africa Cup of Nations starts tomorrow, January 13, 2023, in Côte d’Ivoire. “In Côte d’Ivoire, all sports facilities are ready to host the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, which opens this Saturday, January 13, at 9 p.m. with a match between Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau. Cameroon enters the competition next Monday against Guinea,” writes our colleague.
“Assassination of Martinez Zogo: RFI Comes to the Aid of Manipulators” is the headline on the front page of La Météo in kiosks this morning. According to the paper, as the first anniversary of the journalist’s gruesome murder approaches, some media and new alert-launchers continue to exploit the case of the well-known radio host. They aim to disturb justice and distract national and international opinions, especially with the unbelievable story of the second commando. After investigation, these fabricators are linked to a shadowy group. More details in La Météo.
The journal Premières Heures covers the same topic and informs us that audio files posted online implicate Ngoh Ngoh Ferdinand. “The truth always triumphs. This claim of great socio-religious morality confirms that there is never a perfect crime here and elsewhere. Audio files online implicate the true mastermind behind the assassination of journalist Martinez Zogo. The Ngoh Ngoh camp is the main executor of the dirty work. As the investigation into the murder of Father Jean Jacques Ola Bébé and Martinez Zogo stalls, and the deceased seem strangely forgotten, new compelling evidence (audio files) has emerged, incriminating Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh and several journalists residing in Yaoundé, and some whistleblowers; which could establish a direct link between their deaths,” reads the report.
Thank you, dear subscribers, for being with us this morning. See you on Monday for a new edition of the press review.
