By Bakah Derick The promoter of the news site www.civiclens.info has described her nomination for the maiden edition of the Association of Cameroon Bloggers awards better known by its acronym ABC ABC awards as personally and professionally motivating. Ndedru Melanie spoke to Hilltopvoices just shortly after the publication of the nominees for the award that seeks to reward bloggers based on the importance of their subjects and regularity of their publications.  Ndefru Melanie promoter civiclens.info Nominated in the Politics and Economy category alongside three others, Ndefru says this is already much for her in less than two years of running her platform.  "I feel particularly happy with this nomination. This means much for me and my professional growth. I have had a lot of encouragement just like discouragement from colleagues. I think this is the best encouragment so far and I want to thank God Almighty for it. With less than two years of existence, I think this is

By Bakah Derick  The Prime Minister and Head of Government Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute has organised what unarguably is the most populous and successful event to take place on the Commercial Avenue grandstand in Bamenda since December 2016. The event on Wednesday 6 October 2021 was a public meeting with the living forces of the region being part of his peace mission to the North West region.  Bamenda grandstand on Wednesday 6 October 2021 The last time an acceptable number of people assembled at the grandstand was on 8 March 2020 as women met to celebrate the International Women's Day. The feast featured an explosion as North West Governor Adolf Lele L'Afrique delivered his speech.  Before then, the Armed forces golden jubilee grandstand suffered a set back on December 8, 2016 just at the beginning of the metamorphosed crisis in the region till date. A political gathering organised by the rulling Cameroon's People Democratic Movement CPDM on that day was interrup

By Hilltopvoices Thirteen young men have presented themselves as repented separatist fighters at the Commercial avenue ceremonial ground.  The ex fighters unexpectedly showed up almost at the end of the public event precided at by Prime Minister Dion Ngute being part of his four days visit to the North West Region.  The move by the fighters has been described as the earliest fruits of PM Dion Ngute's peace mission to the North West region.  Amongst the repentees is dreaded 'general' Scatter who spoke on behalf of his colleagues pleaded for pardon and asked to join forces for the development of the country.  The Prime Minister has appreciated the repentees assuring them that the head of state is particularly concerned about their wellbeing and has taken measures to ensure their reintegration. 

By Gwain Colbert Media personality and author For the first time since the start of the conflict in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon, government has come out openly to confirm that it had been and continue to have talks, directly and indirectly, with all the separatist leaders at home and abroad. The revelation was made on the sidelines of the second lap of Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute's peace mission to Bamenda, August 5, 2021, and during an audience granted the journalists at Ayaba hotel. In response to numerous worries and questions from journalists living and working in Bamenda on why government could not just go ahead and dialogue with separatist leaders, rather than undertaking same of sameness consultative meetings in the regions, Felix Mbayu, Rapporteur General of the 2019 MND and secretary to the Resolutions Follow-up committee, was categorical government has since been doing all in its favour to get all movement leaders to the dialogue table and in the pro

By Bakah Derick  On arrival in Matazem entrance to the North West Region on Tuesday 5 October 2021 at the start of a four day visit, gunshot sounds were heard from distant hills as Prime Minister Chief Dr Dion Ngute addressed a crowd.  Though coming from far surely not unexpected, panic was evident. Security dispositions were on high alert and the PM and others quickly given protection though there was no sign the Prime Minister's convoy was the target. No one dead, no injuries nor material damage. No one has claimed responsibility at the time of this report though non state armed groups operate in the area.  In the recent past, non state armed groups operating in the region have demonstrated unprecedented might in fire arms. With long range explosives, they killed 15 soldiers and distroyed two armored cars in Ngonketunjia Division. Other groups in that mission sustained a gun battle with reenforced military from other strategic locations  for hours till night fall. It

By Bakah Derick The Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in charge of the Commonwealth and Secretary of the Major National Dialogue says the Prime Minister Chief Dr Dion Ngute's visit to Bamenda is "in pursuit of peace." Minister Felix Mbayu made the remarks during a presser on Tuesday 5 October 2021 at the close of day one of the Prime Minister's visit to the restive North West Region.  Prime Minister Chief Dr Dion Ngute arriving Bamenda accompanied by NW governor in white and Regional Council President with flag..  "As you know from history, real leaders lived with their people in trenches during war and that is why the PM has come to be with his people. He has not only come to explain the compendium, but he comes as a messenger of peace." Minister Felix Mbayu said  Prime Minister Chief Dr Dion Ngute arrived Matezem main entrance into the North West Region and was received by the region's top administration and a visibly

By Hilltopvoices The group of women under the banner of Women and mothers for Peace have treated the Prime Minister and Head of Government Chief Dr Dion Ngute to an unexpectedly warm reception in Bamenda.  Led by Prof Justine Diffo Tchunkam, the women assembled as early as 8am from different parts of the region to ensure the PM is given a warm reception.  With their peace plants and peace targeting messages, the women marched up to mile one up station in their numbers chanting songs for Peace.  According to Prof Justine Diffo, the turnout by the women is as a result of the work she has been doing on the field since the Major National Dialogue ended emphasising the need for women to be involved in actions that can prevent them from continues mourning as a result of the prolonged armed conflict in the region.  "Since the Major National Dialogue, we have been working in the field with communities, with Churches, with women in their Asso

If there's anyone who understands Albert Einstern's dictum that 'A problem cannot be solved with the same level of knowledge that individuals had at the time the problem was created', then it is President Paul Biya, who immediately he discovered former Prime Minister Yang Philemon was running out of ideas on how to resolve the current Anglophone problem, he immediately brought in the more level-headed Dion Ngute, purveyor of ideas par excellence and traditional ruler who masters the trappings of grassroots politics and traditional diplomacy. Proof positive of PM Dion Ngute's agility is that in less than three years of his stay at the Priemature he has visited the North West and the South West and communed with the grassroots at least two times more than former PM Yang, who, since the outbreak of the crisis, never set foot on South West soil, and whom everyone concludes his intransigence brought us to where we are today firstly, by refusing to receive Com

By Bakah Derick Bamenda's streets have witnessed an uncommon movements and organisation ahead of the arrival of  Prime Minister Chief Dr Dion Ngute.  The cleaning of streets and special mobilisations can be noticed on major streets. From Matazem where the head of government shall be received by the regional administration to upstation, special security dispositions are visible with uniformed and plain cloth security officers present.  Banners can be seen flying all over the city carrying specific messages from specific institutions to welcome the Prime Minister. Amongst them is that of the Bafut Council and the Regional assembly,  Women's groups have also been spotted with peace plants Singing in wait.  The Prime Minister begins a four days visit to Bamenda this Tuesday 5 October 2021. 

By Bakah Derick The global tech giant is reported to have lost not less than US$7billion during the six hours outage on Monday 4 October 2021.  The outage which has been described as the worst ever to affect Facebook Inc according to Netblocks has also affected that global economy with a rough estimated loss of US$160million as a result of the lost in revenue behind Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.  Forbes latest global billionaire  rankings now shows Facebook Inc owner Mark Zuckerberg five places below Bill Gates that is from fifth before the incident and sixth immediately after. At the close of  September, the tech giant was worth US$140billion and is now US$120.9billion.    Facebook Inc CEO Mark Zurkerberg The massive economic downturn has been attributed as the result of the whistleblower Frances Haugen who alleged that Facebook Inc knew its products were fuelling hate and harming children’s mental health. Frances Haugen, a 37-year-old a data sci

By Bakah Derick Many have accused the government of Cameroon for shouting down internet services. According to many in Bamenda, the non availability of the messaging application WhatsApp was intentionally shutdown by government to abort any plans to organise a protest or plans to stage any form of civil disobedience during the Prime Minister's visit to the region.  "These people are really mad. How can they shutdown internet simply because the PM is coming here. What will it change funny people." Kingsley said angrily after discovering that he could no longer use the social media platform.  Told that other internet services were available, he said "they have selected to block only WhatsApp because they think it will be used to organise lockdown. It is a shame. We know already." He added.  Like Kingsley, many have wrongly accused government for shouting down the social media platform including Facebook and Instagram.  Facebook that owns the applicatio

By Bakah Derick  Journalists and Epilepsy advocacy stakeholders from across Africa have raised concerns over laws on Epilepsy in Cameroon. In a report presented on day one of a three day Africa Epilepsy Media Training webinar, the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) Africa indicated that Cameroon's foundation laws that is the Constitution gives no explicit right to health care to persons living with Epilepsy though containing "provisions on state support for the disabled."  Presented by Action Amos Vice President IBE Africa,  the report titled the IBE Africa 21 State Epilepsy Health Laws Mapping Exercise, "reflects on how health laws may be used to strengthen the prioritisation of epilepsy in resource-restricted settings, specifically, in the African context." This report highlight has been confirmed by local actors who admit that Epilepsy is not yet a health concern in Cameroon considering the Health Sector Strategy (HSS 2016-2027).  "Gover

By Bakah Derick A team of German water engineers have completed another phase of The Bamenda III Council purification plant optimisation. The experts who have been working on optimising the plant say the work this time was to install a system that permits effective monitoring of the plant even from Germany and to ensure that the water is permanently clean with the capacity  to reach more households and respond to gravitational issue which has been a challenge.  Talkting to the press on Monday 4 October 2021 at the plant in Menteh-Nkwen Karli Heinisch one of the workers expressed satisfaction with the work done this time as concerns the optimisation of the plant. With a digital and analogue or manual system now installed to manage the purification process, the water engineer said the earlier challenge of over dirty water blocking the system can now be managed easily and automatically with the possibility of stoppage yet  ensuring continuous supply.  "The package we brou

By Nfor Nkfu in Bamenda. October 1, 2021 has come and gone.It was marked by curfews and celebrations, ordered by the government of Cameroon  that wants to preserve an indivisible nation and Separatists who want an Independence state called Ambazonia, respectively. The controversial date in the political history of Cameroon did not end without political actors in major countries like the United Kingdom and the United States of America, expressing disdain over the protracted  separatist war in Anglophone Cameroon. According to history records,on October 1,1961, British Southern Cameroons achieved independence from UK by forming a federation of two states ,equal in status with her French neighbor-the republic of Cameroon already independent as of January 1, 1960.Some political pundits posit that the date marked the reunification of two Cameroons separated for decades by European colonialists. The day is not officially celebrated in Cameroon . Secessionist groups morphed up in

By Bakah Derick "Darkness" is reported to have covered the Chomba Kingdom in Mezam Division. This follows the "disappearance" of the chief custodian of the kingdom's culture and tradition HRM Fon Fobuzie Martin Asanji.  We confirmed from palace sources that the main symbol of the office of the Fon in the Royal home now face backward  signifying sunset in the land.  No further information has been gathered but according to most traditions in the area, the Fon will be sent to join his ancestors in a secret ceremony as the search for the Fon begins.  An official mourning event will be declared by the competent traditional institutions and may last for at least a week. 

By Bakah Derick The Herald Tribune Newspaper bureau chief and Cam10 TV Chief Correspondent for the North West has been appointed the Team Press Officer of the recently promoted Elite Two side Rangers FC Bafut.  Neba Jerome Media Officer Rangers FC In a statement signed by the club's President, Neba Jerome will now "be in charge of all information in relation to the team and media organs."  Neba George made public his decision during the evening hours of Saturday 2 October 2021.  I will start by saying I am happy ..... On the other hand, the task ahead is a heavy and challenging one but I am not going to work alone. My brother Nji Nelson and other TPOs who are more knowledgeable about this new office I am in now will give more better ideas for the betterment of football" Neba Jerome told Hilltopvoices The Passionate sports reporter who shares the same municipality of origin with the team, earned the appointment after reporting on the team as a reporter sin

By Hilltopvoices Goverment officials, political and civil society leaders, Religious and traditional authorities, diplomatic missions as well as members of the dispora from September 30 to October 4 2019/converged at the conference center in Yaoundé Cameroon "to seek ways and means of meeting the high aspirations of the people of the North-West and SouthWest Regions as top priority following the transformation of corporate claims by lawyers and teachers to civil disobedience and now a full blown armed conflict.  Prime Minister Chief Dr Dion Ngute in the middle chairing opening sessio n  September 30 2021 marked exactly two years when the event kicked off with the Prime Minister Chief Dr Dion Ngute chairing deliberations. In a compendium published on the second anniversary of the MND which the government considers a high point and not end point in the dialogue process in Cameroon, the office of the Prime Minister charged with the organisation, assembling of recommendati

By Hilltopvoices The Prime Minister and head of government Chief Dr Dion Ngute has rounded up a visit to the South West region where he has maintained that efforts are continue on the side of government to ensure that peace returns to the North West and South West regions. During public and private meerimhs, the Prime Minister shared with all the distance covered this far after the Major National Dialogue (MND) Cross section of participants at the MND   The MND it should be recalled brought together Goverment officials, political and civil society leaders, Religious and traditional authorities, diplomatic missions as well as members of the dispora from September 30 to October 4 2019/at the conference center in Yaoundé Cameroon "to seek ways and means of meeting the high aspirations of the people of the North-West and SouthWest Regions as top priority following the transformation of corporate claims by lawyers and teachers to civil disobedience and now a full blown arme

By Hilltopvoices September 30 2021 marked two years of the opening of the Major National Dialogue (MND) in Yaoundé Cameroon. The historic event that lasted till October 4, 2019 had the mission "to seek ways and means of meeting the high aspirations of the people of the North-West and SouthWest Regions as top priority following the transformation of corporate claims by lawyers and teachers to civil disobedience and now a full blown armed conflict.  Leveraging "the collective efforts of all and sundry in reinforcing the bonds of the Cameroonian common destiny and a major milestone in the very honourable exercise of constructing the nation" was also on focus reason why other issues came into up deliberations.  In a compendium published on the second anniversary of the MND which the government considers a high point and not end point in the dialogue process, the office of the Prime Minister charged with the organisation, assembling of recommendations of the MND a

By Bakah Derick For the last four days, the highest gathering on Bamenda's streets has been groups of gamblers or stakers as they will like to be called but that was not the case this Friday 1 October 2021.  From Foncha junction to city chemist, where they usual form small clusters of five and above with papers belonging to betting companies, they could not be seen.  Like the gamblers, vegetable and fruit sellers didn't show up. The streets were empty.  They, prayer groups like Muslims and morning masses  were the only groups that violated the decision of local administrative officers banning any form of gathering without  This is however not an unusual occurrence, for several years now, October 1 has not been a day like other in the NW region as separatists battle for the actualisation of a country they call the Republic of Ambazonia from the British Southern Southern Cameroon which gained independence on this day.  Bamenda town has been quiet. An helicopter flow a

By Bakah Derick Referees being owed payments for several match playing days since 2019 say their association president has taken sides with the officials of the regional league of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT).  Speaking to this reporter in reaction to the declarations of their leader to Hilltopvoices, the disgruntled match officials say his position does not reflect the reality.  "We are happy he admitted that the federation owes us but to give the impression that it is for a few days or that there was a day they wanted to pay is not true" one of the referees confined to Hilltopvoices fuming.  The referees association president Jani Benedict told Hilltopvoices that there was a day the regional football body wanted to pay the referees but there was a mixup and that was not done. This has not gone down well with the vexed referees.  "In this difficult times in the North West someone cannot claim that they wanted to pay and something happened and