OJ SLIM MEDIA

Paul Achombong is Mayor of Bamenda City Council. This follows the controversial 2020 twin elections where 89 years old President Paul Biya's ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement, CPDM, booted out leading opposition SDF party from virtually all its strongholds in the restive two English Speaking Regions. Upon taking up his seat as Bamenda's City Manager, Paul Achombong vowed to root out the resistance that decreed the Monday ghost Towns leading to the imposition of a four days Work Week across most of Anglophone Cameroon. To match word with action, he lined up a chain of energetic measures aimed at enticing City dwellers to occupy City spaces on Mondays. These included free distribution of basic necessities such as rice and table oil. Realizing transportation was the greatest impediment  on Mondays, the City Manager purchased a chain of commuter buses to circulate especially on Mondays, and at no cost to those who could dare to do business on that day.   Months into ...

  When Fon Yuh II, paramount ruler of the United Kingdom  of great Kom passed away on November 22, 2017, life in the whole of the Kom nation literally came to a halt. Until the new one, Fon Ndzi was enstooled, virtually every bonafide kom son or daughter paid tribute to the lost one by showing up at Liakom-seat of kom traditional authority-half-clothed. The same was expected of non-kom mourners, but for civil administrators and uniform officers who were there on official state duties. Other surrounding kingdoms either found separate days to come pay their tributes or came the same day the new fon was enthroned. Fondoms from across the grassfields and beyond that could not attend, sent official telegrams containing their condolence messages. This is not the same treatment the late Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain   would be receiving from Africans, especially as Her Majesty's government took part in destroying the once vibrant African Kingdom nations.   More than Q...

For the first time in its history, Cameroon has equipped itself with a national plan of action for the implementation of Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council on Women, Peace and Security, and Companion Resolutions, mainly 1820, 1888, 1989, 1960, 2106, 3122, 2248, 2278. The said plan of action aims at translating into facts the relevant provisions of these international legal instruments whose objectives are to improve the participation of women in the prevention and Resolution of conflicts and to take the necessary measures for the protection of women and girls before, during and after conflicts. When it is time to tackle the conflict itself, women reveal themselves as active peace builders. They often work on their own or lead informal peace initiatives behind the scenes in order to try to restore the social fabric of their communities. As mediators, in the broad sense of bridge-builders between parties, women identify early warning signs of deterioration, document h...

The YAWC Network Cameroon Chapter Focal Point Representative for the Southwest Region SWR, Joan Tambelin  has trained some 126 youths across the ages of 13 to 36 on career orientation and social development. This was thanks to a single and youth seminar organized by the Revival Gospel Ministeries at the mile 16 Community in Buea recently. As usual the YAWC Network Cameroon Chapter gender advocate spoke extensively on the devastating effects of Gender Based violence, pinpointing rape as a case study.  Joan brings to the limelight that more than 80% of rape cases in our communities happens in the home periphery. She called on parents, siblings, neighbours as well as church leaders and pastors not to underestimate the cheap occurrences of rape cases happening under their roofs. She lamented that today, it is very common to see a father, brother as well as a neighbour or family friend who are the least of people, we could least expect to be violent perpetrators of rape.   Talking to the me...

  Women are often the main victims of conflicts, as they suffer both physical and sexual violence. These must be recognized during peace negotiations by including programmes that deal with them.  In essence, however, “women's participation in mediation is simply a question of equality and fairness.”-Hannah Tetteh  Women make up more than half of a community. Their voices should be heard. Post-conflict societies must give women the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and achieve their potential. That is why we need female mediators who make sure the peace process takes into account women's aspirations and engage women from these communities in conflict in the negotiations. Only in this way will it be possible to reach balanced agreements that also take into account women’s needs. Communication is about giving a voice to people. Women are generally less violent. If more spaces such as media, leadership and politics, are given to women, they will general promote a nonviolent agend...

When Muteff community in Fundong Subdivision of Boyo Division of the North West Region opted for school boycott in the 70s as part of the strategy to achieve autonomy from mainland Abuh, they knew it was after all just going to be only an adhoc move, not a permanent one. That's why one year after, they were quick to take their knees off the necks of the hundreds of children who had forcefully been withdrawn from the main school in Abuh and allowed to continue schooling in Muteff, even as the struggle intensified. And that's definitely the reason why it is the children that went to school in Muteff at that time that are providing informed leadership and development initiatives to that emblematic community today. That, to the Muteff spirit, is the meaning of independence.   Although the immediate cause of the brutal decision by Muteff parents to withdraw their children from CBC school Abuh was Abuh authorities' refusal to allow for a junior primary school in Muteff (where chi...