GEF's Outlook

Another October 1st Is Here

By George Esunge Fominyen

First October is a complicated date in Cameroon. In recent times, it has been replete with stories about troop deployment to the English-speaking parts of Cameroon and the  arrest of activists of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) and members of other anglophone nationalism organisations. The period leading to this date, until last year, usually saw Anglophone elite -mainly ministers and people linked with government - travelling to their places of origin to discourage their kin and kith from gulping the seccessionist theories of the anglophone movements. I had a strange experience of this October 1 fever back in 2000.

Freedom of Expression Discussed at PIWA Workshop

By George Esunge Fominyen

The Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA) organised a Strategic Workshop on its ICT Programme on 25-27 September 2008. The event brought together ICT experts, communication researchers, bloggers, citizen journalism organisations,and heads of journalism Schools. These are excerpts of discussions on Freedom of Expression and the development of New Media.

Can Citizen Journalists Change the Face of Journalism in Africa?

By George Esunge Fominyen

The African blogosphere is growing each day. Citizens are using cyberspace to report about issues relevant to their lives and breaking news events. They are occupying a space which mainstream media professionals are still to take advantage of. People are increasingly depending on weblogs to satisfy their thirst for information and the need to communicate (interact).

Will this citizen journalism kill the trade as we know? Does this new breed of journalists need to be trained? Is there need to regulate their practice? Some ICT experts, communication researchers, bloggers, journalists and media managers discussed these issues at a workshop that held in Dakar in September 2008.

On the sidelines of the workshop, I discussed the matter in a conversation with Ndesanjo Macha, the sub-saharan Africa editor of Global Voices Online . Click below to listen to excerpts...  

The President's Time...

How time flies and things stay the same in Cameroon. We are living another year when the date of the Cup of Cameroon is kept close to the President of the Republic's chest. Don't we have the right to know when this big event should take place?

The MTN Elite 1 championship ended over two months ago. The finalists of the Cup of Cameroon (Aigle Dschang and cotonsport Garoua) are known since July. The date of the final remains  mystery.The Ministry of Sports is allegedly stifling plans by the country's football governing body FECAFOOT to start the new season on 27 September 2008 until the Cup final is held in the presence of the President of the Republic.

Following is an article entitled "The President's Time..."from the column "Geof's Game Plan" published by the Herald newspaper in November 2007 in the In the middle of a similar mess. It's a shame to see that one simply has to change the dates and the names of the teams and the story will be same one year after...

Ramadan 2008: Would you mind fasting with us?

By George Esunge Fominyen

There is a sizeable Muslim population in Cameroon. Consequently, I have many friends who are Muslims. During the month of Ramadan, and particularly on the feast which marks the end of that period, they invite me to break fast with them. This Ramadan in Dakar, I had a most interesting invitation from a couple of friends. "...Would you mind fasting with us?" they asked. What was the significance of this invitation? How did it happen?

Cape Verde versus Cameroon: For Heaven's Sake Where Did These Guys See Nkong?

On 6 September 2008, Cameroon's Indomitable Lions beat Cape Verde 2-1 in Praia. The victory enables Cameroon to qualify to the next stage of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Cameroon's winning goal was scored by Somen Achoyi who came in as a substitute to earn his first national team cap in style. But by some miracle most foreign media reports said the goal was scored by Alain Nkong...?

*African Traditional Medicine Day Part 2: Is Collaboration between Traditional and Biomedical Health Practitioners Possible in Cameroon?

By **Fai Fominyen Ngu Edward and George Esunge Fominyen

On 31 August 2008, traditional healers in Cameroon celebrated the 6th African Traditional Medicine Day. The theme for the year was “the role of traditional health practitioners in primary health care”. Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni represented Cameroon’s President at the official ceremony which was attended by Minsiters of Health in Africa and the experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO).  Panel discussions were organized on traditional medicine as a primary approach to health care and Africa’s traditional medicine’s pharmaceutical manufacturing plan. Did they discuss the lack of collaboration between traditional healers and “modern” medical practitioners?

*African Traditional Medicine Day: Time for Collaboration between Traditional and Biomedical Health Practitioners in Cameroon. Part 1

By **Fai Fominyen Ngu Edward and George Esunge Fominyen

The nascent 21st century has seen poverty across the world. It has also witnessed the re-emergence of some diseases (e.g. tuberculosis) and the difficulty to find permanent solutions to health care challenges like malaria, river blindness and HIV/AIDS.  By defining priority health care programmes in areas like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and immunisation, Cameroon’s government seems determined to provide good health for its citizens.  However, for such priority health programmes to be effective in such an under-developed and poor country, it is essential that there is adequate collaboration between traditional healers, biomedical practitioners and health authorities. 

Riding the Waters in Salone (Sierra Leone)

By George Esunge Fominyen

Sierra Leone is a beautiful country. The beaches are scenic, the forests are lush and the mountains (that gave the name to this country) are great. The people are charming, which makes it a potential tourist haven. To ensure that tourism leaps above mining as the main income generator, Sierra Leonean authorities may need to improve the transfer system from the airport to the capital city…