Kah Walla and the Cameroon Tea Party Movement

A lot of movement has taken place in Cameroon since Ms Kah Walla announced her candidacy for the presidency of the republic. For one, it seems to have spurred incumbent regime head, Paul Biya and his henchmen. If Kah's historic run at the finish has only this as its achievement, then it would have been a good experience for Cameroon as a whole.

Shortly after independence, president of the Federal Republic of Cameroon, Ahmadou Ahidjo banned political parties and the Cameroon National Union (CNU) was the lone authorized. Things remained pretty much the same, with a change of name to the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) to mark the Ahidjo-Biya transition in the early eighties of last century.

When John Fru Ndi launched the SDF in 1990, it marked the return to multi party politics in Cameroon.

Paul Biya and John Fru Ndi have both revealed to Cameroonians their heavy- handed methods, and like birds of a feather, got together two weeks ago in Bamenda. There is no room for opposition or a different opinion to the wishes of these two men. And thus, Cameroon suffered, children died from curable illness while the president has his kids treated in foreign hospitals. Kids study in the open air while the Biya kids ride in a jet to school. Yet he gets to rule the lives of millions of Cameroonians. It is an inconvenient arrangement which was bound to be short-lived.

So step in Ms Kah Walla. She provides an alternative to the two henchmen who still have vestiges of colonial heavy handedness deeply entrenched in their ways.

She is the head of the Cameroonian Tea Party. A third pathway to the presidential palace at Etoudi. Since she launched her campaign, Biya has done what would normally take a decade to accomplish. He has created a full-fledged University, and is actively seeking funds for the Ring-Road (and presidential campaign?). He also appointed officials to head the Bamenda University.

The tea party is comprised of the rural women, unemployed youths, the poor, weak, and disenfranchised in Cameroon. In other words, those who have had it tough under the Biya regime - which is most Cameroonians. Looking at the Tea Party constituency, it is no surprise Ms Kah is generating such a buzz. She is within striking distance of Etoudi. She is young, eloquent, well connected locally and internationally, and speaks for the masses. She grew and still lives in Cameroon, as opposed to Biya who prefers Switzerland and all his children have foreign passports.

The Cameroon Tea Party Movement headed by Ms Kah Walla will likely rout Biya and his henchmen in the 2011 presidential elections. It will be all the better for Cameroonians, both at home and abroad. She needs all the help she can get to achieve this.
In 2011, "BIYA Must GO"
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Craigslist rolls out anti-scam security measures.

The popular online website craigslist.org has a new set of measures aimed at protecting its users.

Ranked by ALEXA.COM as the 10th most visited site in the United States, craigslist has been a favorite for scammers.

Notwithstanding the bold warnings in red found on almost all pages on the site, people still fall prey to advance fee scams perpetrated by con men.

A typical transaction would involve a seller with a late model vehicle for an incredibly low price, who just happens to be out of the country, but is willing to get the low price if sent through instant payment services like Western Union or Moneygram. The victim wires the money, usually to Nigeria and then never sees the car.

These security measures have been long awaited. The new procedure locks out registered craigslist users and requires them to change their password. Then they have to be confirmed using a security code that they input on the website. It is sent through a US or Canadian number, and the user can choose either a voice call in English, French or Spanish, or an SMS with the code.

What this achieves is it authenticates that the user is an actual person, and not a computer, then, through the number to which the security verification code is sent, links that number to the account holder.

So, a scammer with no US number is effectively shut out of the system and those who pist multiple ads in many cities will easily be traced and can be banned from the website.

Expect a cottage industry selling craigslist authentication codes to take root.
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Paul Biya - Fru Ndi Friendship out in the OPEN! Kah Walla only opposition left in CAMEROON!

For many years, it has been suspected that there is some sort of friendship tie between Paul Biya and Ni Fru Ndi of the former opposition party, the SDF, that goes beyond the use of proxies.

This was confirmed during Biya's recent visit to Bamenda this week.

After keeping Mr Ndi and a bunch of Fons waiting for him under a tarpaulin, Biya finally got to shake hands publicly with the head of the SDF. With that single handshake, it became clear that the SDF is in league with the ruling regime's CPDM. The line has been blurred between the SDF and CPDM. Elements of both parties are now officially and publicly interchangeable.

Some backroom deals and concessions have been made. But what deals and at what price to democracy in Cameroon. The disenfranchised and those who hope for better access to clean drinking water or healthcare facilities must have been very saddened seeing the ease with which the former opposition party leader, Mr Fru Ndi, was tamed.

Kah Walla was right to have slammed the door in Fru Ndi's face. It took courage and foresight to do that. It is that kind of visionary leader Cameroon needs to move forward, and not people who cheer Biya on even after they have lost cherished ones because of the poor state of infrastructure in the country after 28 years of Biya's regime.

Fru Ndi and Paul Biya may enjoy the spoils of the wealth that rightfully belongs to all Cameroonians. But in 2011, that will all change. Each and every Cameroonian should register to vote. We need a young dynamic and articulate leader to point the country in the right direction.

Fru Ndi and Paul Biya have proven at last, they are one and the same, the hope for progress in 2011 in Cameroon now rests solidly on one candidate, Ms. KAH WALLA.

She will bring much needed transparency in government, tar the Ring Road, appoint a Rector for the Bamenda University, establish the deep seaport in Limbe and put an end to practices that continue under the Biya regime such as breast ironing of young girls or female genital mutilation.
"Run Kah, Run..."
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Biya campaign promises: A SCAM?

When Paul Biya, head of the regime that was handed power by President Ahmadou Ahidjo 28 years ago finally came to Bamenda in the North West region of Cameroon two days ago, it was like watching a game of cat and mouse. He basically slipped into town, hiding from the official protocol that had rehearsed many times over and was in place at the Bali airport waiting for him.

How he got into town should not surprise us, for the last time he even cared to stop by and check on the people whose lives he governs was a full 20 years ago!

Now to some of the promises made during this campaign visit.

- The creation of a University in the North West Region:
This is long overdue and should have happened at least two decades ago. Anyways, Biya only made a promise, just like he did when he promised to have the Ring Road tarred a lifetime ago. We should not forget that we still have a lot of ground to cover before actually having university students in amphis. Paul Biya still has to sign a decree legally creating the University. Then, a few years later, as has been his style over the past 28 years, the Application Decree which is what will effectively define the structure of the Institution, will have to be signed. And then maybe two or three years later, the Rectors and other staff will be appointed.

Bottom line is, if Mr Biya wants to create a University (which any leader who loves and communes with his people would have done decades ago, anyways), the day before coming to Bamenda, he could have signed the decree creating the University, then proceeded to sign the Application Decree, and shortly thereafter, appointed the top executives of the Institution. He has been on the job for 28 years and should know who can fill what spot.

- The Creation of a Secretariat for Veterans' Affairs.

Good point, but it bears repeating, it means nothing to the veterans when it is just talk and no action. Appoint officials to lead the structure and we can believe you are serious with the campaign promises. For someone close to three decades on the job, it shouldn't take a week to do so.

- Tarring of the Ring Road.

This has been the cry for most of the people of the former West Cameroon. Not tarring this road has been a very effective political weapon as it stifles economic activity, and hampers wealth creation. If you are broke, there is little incentive to take to the streets and fight for your rights, because you will be busy looking for your next meal. So it has always been in Mr Biya's interest not to have this road paved. He will never do so as long as he is resident in the Unity Palace in Etoudi.

- Hydo-electric Dam in Menchum Falls.

Another lofty idea that looks good on paper, but unfortunately will not see the light of day so long as Biya is in Etoudi. Commercial electricity power generation in Cameroon is a monopoly. There are vast foreign interests that have essentially taken over whole swaths of Biya's government hostage. They will lobby and silence anyone who opposes them. They will never allow a major project that will bring cheap electricity to millions in the Nroth West region. If villages get power, then it means many more will get hooked up to the internet and maybe by this time next year when we would have had a new president in Etoudi, thousands more in villagers scattered in rustic huts and compounds around Menchum Falls would be blogging, just like your's truly, detailing what suffering they had had to endure under the Biya regime.

Conclusion

So, to summarize, Mr Biya came to Bamenda, with fear in his heart and made some empty promises like he always did in the past to get a cheap applause from his henchmen who traveled with him from Etoudi in Yaounde. What he must have realised is that he is making promises on projects that should have been a "fait accompli" twenty years ago. Better late than never. A new president - Hopefully Kah Walla (no affiliate of mine) will sign the Application Decree and appoint the executives of the promised institiutions, and execute other pending projects -like tarring the Ring Road,- with dispatch. Paul and Chantal and Frank Biya can watch from Switzerland.
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Paul Biya launches campaign in Bamenda, after Kah Walla in Yaounde!

Following in the footsteps of Kah Walla, Paul Biya has launched his bid for president of Cameroon in the 2011 presidential elections. He made some promises, many of which seem extravagant considering the state of the country's economy. We know how long it takes to execute such campaign promises. We need look no further than some of the provisions in the current constitution of the republic of Cameroon that have never been applied. Also, it has taken Biya 28 full years to mutter a few words in English. The former West Cameroon has been neglected for long enough by Mr Biya. As Kah Walla would say, the "Time has Come" and Biya must GO!

My Biya and his cronies are very frequent abroad and he only comes to the people to legitimize the rule of his regime in the eyes of the world. Irrespective of the show he put up in Bamenda in an attempt to steal the thunder from the opposition, the top flight contenders like Ms. Kah Walla will keep snapping at his heels. Biya would rather first get a brand new jet to make his frequent European trips than allow funds to be disbursed for a University in Bamenda. It is all just campaign rhetoric. After all, he has been ruling the country for 28 years, he does not trust the educational system to be worth a dime, so his children attend school in Switzerland. He has totally neglected the healthcare sector, his wife delivers all her babies abroad! So it is every man for himself in Biya's Cameroon.

But it does not have to be so. Listening to Kah Walla's plans for the country, you get a sense that we can quickly stop the backward slide in which the country finds itself, and even reverse this trend. Look at Ghana, which currently has double digit growth! Cameroon's economy is growing at a paltry 3.9%.

The ruling regime will spend a ton of money to get Biya re-elected. The country would be better off using that money to tar the Ring Road, actually build the infrastructure to house the University in Bamenda and maybe throw in a Church or two. Biya has outlived his usefulness to the Cameroonian people, period, he should retire to Switzerland where he spends all his time anyway.

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Showdown in Bamenda 2010: Cameroon VS Paul Biya.

Here we go once again. The embattled head of the regime that has held the people of the West African Nation of Cameroon in check for the past 28 years has to face his people. But there is only one catch. He seems to be afraid of the very people whom he rules!

It has often been whispered behind closed doors, and out of earshot of Paul Biya's henchmen that the time has come for the ruler of this country to hand over to someone who really cares about the people. But it is no surprise he does not give a damn to the people he rules. He spends more time in Switzerland with his cronies, or basking in the sun in the French resort city of La Baule. So who cares if there is no health centre in Dimako, or Kousseri or Pottor Pottor Quarter?

The millions of dollars that could have been better spent improving the infrastructure and lives of ordinary Cameroonians that instead is splurged on foreign media like the Jeune Afrique group is no longer effective.

What the people of Cameroon want is change. As Mr Biya tests the waters and has his henchmen on the ground in Bamenda to get a feel for what the population has in store for him, he can't help but feel a sense of urgency, that only the unknown can inspire in one.

Had he had some foresight, he may have chosen a more cosmopolitan city like Douala or Buea, or even Yaounde for the commemoration of the military. There is a certain unity of thought in Abakwa, that transcends party or religious affiliations. It goes beyond the fact that many generations of elites from the North West region have begged for the Ring Road to be tarred to no avail, beyond the jailing of one of the best managers in the country, Zaccheus Forjindam. It is one that comes with the realization that Bamenda is Ground Zero for Democracy in Cameroon. If you disregard democracy, come to Bamenda at your peril.

Parse all he wants, the verdict will remain the same, the people of Bamenda will NOT show up for any activity involving Mr Biya. He may feast with the Fons.
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Paul Biya: Bamenda, December 7th 2010

On Tuesday, December 7th 2010, life will come to a standstill in Bamenda, and pretty much everywhere else in Cameroon. The presidential election to hold in 2011 will most certainly be decided here in Bamenda on that fateful day. Expect Paul Biya to show up.

In a brazen move which at the time seemed like the sort of daring to which African leaders loved showing, 77 year old Biya announced he will be heading to the opposition stronghold in Bamenda for the country's military's 50th anniversary. But in today's media where events are chronicled minute by minute, what seemed like a wise decision a year ago has now turned into a thorn in Biya's flesh.

The anniversary has been postponed at least three times. If we are to believe Mr Biya's word any longer, then he effectively has less than 25 days to show up in Bamenda or take another serious flogging in opinion polls.

So, after a lot of feet dragging, the date of December 7th 2010 has been chosen as the day when the world will see whether Biya will dare show up in Bamenda.

The last time he was in town, the state run media CRTV had exclusive access and drowned out any competing views. Now, it is a very different playing field. Mobile phones with video cameras are ubiquitous, reporting is instantaneous, and any poor behavior by Biya's thuggish security detail will be dimly viewed by the international community.

So it is in this climate of distrust and uncertainty that Biya has to face the people of Cameroon. The Fons will be there, anyone who is somebody in town will be there, and all civil servants will be invited.

The one great absentee, the one that really matters, will sadly be absent. The population of Bamenda will not be on hand the welcome Paul Biya on the 7th of December 2010, and that gesture, fully represents the way Cameroonians feel. May Mr Biya take note.
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Are Paul Biya and Chantal Biya afraid of the Fotso Empire?

The story about the Fotso Group and its run-ins with the law, that for months has had the news media in Cameroon on a frenzy is slowly unraveling in public. It will have an ugly end.

For a recap, the Fotso Group is Cameroon's premier agro-industrial giant that spans many industries (from growing green beans to operating an Airline), and countries. It is also a major employer in West Africa.

The head of the Group, Yves Michel Fotso, who doubles as chairman of the board of directors of the Fotso Group's flagship Commercial Bank of Cameroon (CBC) has been having serious legal trouble, with authorities in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, the gravity of which could not be guessed from the outside.

Now with a dangerous game of one upmanship initiated by the media savvy Yves Michel Fotso going on in Cameroon, we are guaranteed a nasty outcome. The government of Cameroon through the minister of Economy and Finance Essimi Menye naively fell for the bait laid out by Mr Fotso, by responding to an open letter written to the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Ahmadou Ali.

At the onset, the Fotso bank, CBC, opened up a branch in Equatorial Guinea, then shortly later had their business license revoked. Then, the bank was seized by authorities in Cameroon in coordination with the central African regional banking regulator COBAC, and an administrator was appointed to take over operations.

The reason for all of these problems was that upon reviewing the accounts of the bank, it was discovered that many loans had been made, mostly to entities with close ties to the Fotsos totaling CFA 60 Billion. A major sticking point was the allegation that Mr Yves Michel Fotso had borrowed from the bank about CFA 10 Billion. So, Paul Biya and his government are afraid of what that kind of money may do in the hands of someone with a very good distribution network bent on de stabilizing the country. They must fear, that what happened in the Central African Republic, where General Bozize seized power, might happen to Cameroon or Equatorial Guinea.

You do not start an uprising out of thin air in West Africa. The people need to eat. So the reasoning is that with the CBC bank's branches serving as points to pay out cash to insurgents, the whole country could be taken over in a short space of time.

The prospect of being deposed has now brought Biya close to Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea. They need each other now more than ever. They have sons, Frank Biya and Theodorin Obiang, to whom they plan to hand over power in keeping with the current trend with dictatorships, and whoever does this first will need the other to organize a state visit to grant legitimacy to the heir of their regime.

What Yves Michel Fotso should realize is that he is now playing on a different turf. He seems to be doing it right as he invited the media into the duel and with the world watching, he is immune.

What he should do is openly join the opposition in defiance of Mr Biya. Such a move will add to the momentum that the opposition in Cameroon is amassing against Mr. Biya in 2011.

As the drama unfolds, and astronomical amounts of money and power come to play, many may forget the bigger storm that is brewing - millions of Cameroonians who are slowing waiting for 2011 and the chance to send Paul Biya and Chantal Biya and Frank Biya packing to their new home in Switzerland.

Leading presidential candidate, Kah Walla will be ready to rally all Cameroonians to start the patriotic task of Nation- building, from the ashes of what would be left after of 28 tedious years under Biya's regime.

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Why Christopher Fomunyoh should not stand as one of hundreds of Candidates for President of Cameroon.

First off the bat, for anyone who gets here through a google search, they should understand that Dr Christopher Fomunyoh cannot win any presidential election in Cameroon. The aim of this article is simply to shed light on the fact that for once in a generation, we have a transformational presidential candidate in Kah Walla (no affiliate of mine) and other Cameroonians who have some degree of credibility in the eyes of the public need to rally behind her, so that Cameroon can rid itself of its strongman ruler of the past twenty-eight years, 78 year old Paul Biya and wife Chantal Biya, who seem to have taken up residence in Switzerland.

Dr Christopher Fomunyoh is a Cameroonian legal scholar, who is well respected in the West. He has a sharp legal mind, and makes regular appearances on major news networks, especially when it concerns Africa.
He has a very organic understanding of the needs and aspirations of African all across the continent.

As the go-to person for major news organizations for stories emerging from Africa, he wields a very big stick, and African opinion leaders know that.

In this capacity, a negative score on Dr Fomunyoh's score card carries a lot of weight. Leaving that influential spot to run as a presidential candidate in this badly run country will not help the very people he seeks to aid. As an election observer in many countries, he should remember even though some of the candidates winning major victories may seem unsophisticated and clueless about policy, they have popular appeal, and use that to win.

Underestimating the power of the people and incumbents in politics is a dangerous game. Remember Prof Titus Edzoa anyone. He got so close to Paul Biya, and saw his many shortcomings and though he was better, only to find himself thrown into jail.

The Fomunyoh Foundation does excellent work all across Cameroon. In other words, Dr Fomunyoh in his present capacity is more effective to Cameroon's development than as a presidential candidate. It may look good on his CV, but it will hurt the poorest throughout the country and help Biya strengthen his stranglehold on the people.

It may sound preposterous on my part, and some egos involved in running for the top job on the land are super sized, but we should all remember, Biya does not care whether you die of Malaria or during childbirth, him, his wife and family just go to Switzerland for their healthcare. We MUST beware of anyone who does not care for the common good at this stage of Cameroon's development. If everyone wants to be an also ran, then we should all have ourselves to blame when Biya steals the people's vote because Cameroonians could not rally and come together as one to push Biya, wife and co. back to Switzerland where he has taken up residence.

The time is ripe for change to occur in Cameroon and for Paul Biya and Chantal Biya to retire to Switzerland. Dr Christopher Fomunyoh will make this clear to any major news outlet, what Cameroon needs is for him to tell the world that Ms. Kah Walla is the one bringing that change.
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Why Petit Pays should get an apology from minister Ama Tutu Muna!

Cameroon is at a major crossroads in its history. As the country speeds towards its rendezvous with destiny in which a transformational candidate -Kah Walla, is poised to sweep an overwhelming victory in the presidential election, some problems just pop up to portray the state of under development in which the country finds itself.

Adolf Moundi, who goes by the name Petit Pays is arguably the country's most popular and prolific musician. Over the course of more than two decades, he has explored, and blended rhythms from every nook and cranny of Cameroon, and even broadened his horizons beyond Cameroon's borders.

He also pushed, then blurred the boundaries of what is considered mainstream music, playing songs to which a Pastor can dance, and then later in his career, songs that can only be played in...private.

To sum it all, Petit Pays is the quintessential symbol of success in Cameroonian music.

Recent media reports from Douala indicate that he is the subject of an arrest warrant. He stands accused of failing to pay two of his employees the equivalent of approximately $4000.

That the leading musician in Cameroon has to evade police custody because of this amount of money is telling about the financial stability of artists.

Sometime about half a decade into his career, Petit Pays began including the names of prominent members of society, the famous like Fotso Victor, as well as the infamous like Paul Biya. No one raised an eyebrow. It was understood that to get this cheap but effective sort of name recognition and the attendant political leverage it procured, someone had to pay. And pay they did in droves.

But those days are long gone. The barons who robbed the state treasury dry now have 78 year old Biya's henchmen on their heels. No one is spared. Both the public and private sector (see separate story on Fotso Victor) are targeted. Suddenly, the cash is all gone and artists who made a killing chanting the names of politicians have suddenly gone broke.

But this is specifically where the Ministry of Culture has to step in. That ministry was created to consolidate and promote our rich national culture. To abandon a respected and prolific artist of Petit Pay's calibre is simply unacceptable.

Ama Tutu Muna has a direct responsibility to protect Petit Pays. He is now a national treasure, to be cherished and protected by the state, just the same as Roger Mila and Eto Fils.

The Nobel Prize comes with a cash gift for a reason, so that those giants who win the prize further their contributions to mankind in their respective fields and not bother about failing to pay guards $4000.

Furthermore, I believe whoever was on guard when Petit Pays went missing deserves a promotion. They are true patriots - they did the right thing. That is common sense, the type that works, the type that Kah Walla will bring to Cameroon.

Petit Pays is a national symbol, as the most decorated Cameroonian artist of all time, he deserves some degree of protection from the state.

Paul Biya just lost one more vote, along with millions of fans of Petit Pays. 2011 will be the year of the masses in Cameroon. Kah Walla is showing the way ahead, and she has a new advocate on her side- Petit Pays!

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