The Cameroonian Anglophone Crisis continues: Now with reported French Mercenaries!

The situation in the Anglophone region of the Republic Cameroon, the extend of violence and killings are persisting in the North-West and South-West Regions of the county. This has been happening without much or little care in the international press. Where the President has sent the army, steadily killed the English-speaking Cameroonians. Also, burned villages and stopped ordinary life. As the Governors orders stopped motorcycles and given the public curfews.

There is even worse news as the killings, the displaced people and refugees getting into Nigeria. That should worry everyone, but the Cameroonian government are continuing their hunt for the ones fighting for Ambazonia. They are now even hunted down with French Mercenaries, that is hired to kill the ones in the way of the francophone Cameroon. Clearly, this is not a sign of hope, but of killing opposition.

The vacation President is killing his own people, with support of United States Armory and with now French support as well. They are complicit in the killings of the English speaking who want their voices heard, as the leadership are detained in Nigeria.

There are even orders out on the heads of the people, who are secessionist in the North-East/Nord-Oust, these orders was on the ones known in Njambom (Belo). This list made by the government had names of 23 individuals, they wanted executed and gotten rid off. That has been leaked online, but who knows how many more of these the government has and kept confidential. Because with the burning of villages, the hiring of mercenaries and the use of military in the anglophone region. We know that there are more killings and more violence, than reported, because the state is trying to hid their misgivings.

We could wish all of this was mere hearsay and not real, but the pictures and small videos coming out of the regions, shows the aggression and death squads moving around. As the killed people laying on the ground, bloody and messy is eating the minds of the living. The signs of the oppression and devastation, lack of respect of life and even of dignity for all. These deaths are done to silence and subdue the secessionist, however, this is only showing how little the francophone people cares about their neighbors and brothers. They are letting them be slaughtered and forgotten, while they are following blindly the leadership under Biya.

How many have to die in these regions and how bloody does it have to become, before the international community or even the locals in Cameroon cares? This should get the blood boiling for all Cameroonians, as the government are easily killing of their own. Next time it could be them and their own. When the government have no trouble hiring in mercenaries to get rid of its own, they have no scruples to get rid of others too. This a bleak report, but a needed report. We are hitting July 2018 and the crisis is never-ending. The blood is on the hand of the vacation President and his cronies. They are all earning fortunes on the misery of the anglophone. They are all part of this killing and making a killing. This shouldn’t be needed to say, but is necessary as lives of the anglophone is on the line. No one should worry and see the army coming to burn their villages and killing the population. No one should need to flee, because the government is revenging the need for a local government who gives a damn. All of this shouldn’t be needed, but it is.

Because Biya doesn’t care, do you? Peace.

RDC – Declaration Politique de la DCUD sur le Processus Electoral: Appel a la Vigilance Proactive (30.06.2018)

Social Media Tax: Taxes directly on Cellphone services is now a reality!

The Social Media Tax and the Over The Top Taxes, this meaning all the services on the Social Media cost 200,- shillings per day, which means 6000 shillings a month and also 1 % on each transaction by the Mobile Money Transfer. This have been messaged by the government and by the Telecommunication Companies. We even know that by yesterday, the MTN sent messages to their costumers stopping the possibility of their lowest data-bundle. Which cost 250, shillings. Because the least cost now with added tax must be 400,- shillings or so. Since they have to add in the new tax and the usage itself.

That means that the data-bundle will be more expensive now and people have to buy bigger. Because the state will sooner or later see the ones using VPN or other methods of tricking the IP addresses and whatnot. Since, not everyone can afford this. They are shielding the poor people from paying the new taxes and using the services. Over time the voices on social media will go down, even the lack of transactions through the Mobile Money Networks. That is ironic, as the state has tried to push this up-country and even in Northern Uganda. Where there are lack of ATMs and even Bank Offices. Therefore, the attack and add of taxes on these services will just be new add of hardships for plenty.

Clearly, there are many who has complied, who has paid the direct 200 shillings for the social media tax, if you paid that with mobile money, you would pay another 1 % of the transaction fee of 2 shillings on the Mobile Money. That means the total tax is 202 shillings. That before you start using the cellphone or any of the other services on the phones.

This is really insulting to the poor and the low-level employees, whose salary is down to 21,000 shillings or close to 31,000 shillings a months. That means that with the 6000 shillings each month, they would spend ruffly close to 9,7000 on the lowest data-bundle and Air-Time package. This is through Twaweza published on the 7th June 2018. Meaning the lowest salary is close to half and one third of the second lowest level of public salaries. This being U8 Local Government Employee and U7 Primary School Teachers, whose being hit hard. That not being random hawkers or unemployed who are living from hand-to-mouth. They cannot even see the Social Media already as it is, and will be shut out of the public conversation online. This is really making sure the elite are online, while the rest barely get to be a part of the discussion online.

This is really assaulting free-speech and the ability for the poor to be part of the conversation and be part of social media interactions, as well as usage of the Mobile Money transactions. Since all of this is adding costs and making sure the data-bundles and Air-Time will be more costly.

That the Members of Parliament voted and accepted this after the President wrote a letter to the Finance Minister on “social gossip” online and wanted to tax the OTT Service in 12th March 2018 and on 30th May 2018 voted in Parliament. That is how the Excise Duty was levied on the public. While it is starting today on the 1st July 2018. That means, the proposed taxes of April 2018 and put into affect now. Therefore, the public should have known about it. There are other new taxes, which is not on the cellphone, but that deserves to be taken separately.

What is weird about it all, the Twaweza study of the numbers was more vital for the ordinary person, than the Parliament report, which was focused on added revenue, not expressing how it would hit the public. Which for me is weird, as the MPs are supposed to work for the public and serve them. Not just add taxes. Peace.

Opinion: OVP Robredo cannot the filing options for travel expenditure, isn’t that weird?

Newly elected Philippine Vice-President Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo delivers a speech after taking her oath during an inauguration ceremony in Quezon city, metro Manila, Philippines June 30, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Well, it is just me, but I am not surprised anymore, but the Office of the Vice President Leni Robredo had first in 2016, under used funds, but in 2017, the same office cannot deliver the supporting documents in time. That is just weird, as this is the next-highest public office under the President. It isn’t merely public servants in a get-away and remote island dozens of miles away from Manila. No, this is one of the highest regarding places close to the Malacañang. Therefore, that this office is under scrutiny for their practices are not a good look.

MANILA – The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged cash advances for local travels made by personnel of the office of Vice President Leni Robredo that were not liquidated within 30 days. In its annual audit report on the Office of the Vice President, the COA said traveling expenses of the agency amounted to P26.446 million for local travel and P953,550.75 for foreign trips in 2017. Delays in liquidation ranged from two days to 116 days” (Ayalin, 2018).

It is hard to believe that the OVP employees and secretaries, public officials in general are that lax with recites and with transactions papers, that they are losing it or forgetting to fill the forms for 116 days. They just don’t do that, unless it is deliberate. You don’t wait months upon months to deliver what your obligated to deliver. That is what you do in a public office and to prove your spending of the state coffers. That is all natural. Unless, you want to hide your spending and usage of the funds. Since using up to 116 to show where the money is spent is ruthless at best.

That VP Robredo should feel ashamed, she should, as her office is not following standard practice. Even if they might have cleared the accounts and the funds, that has been in question. Still, it opens up a huge level of doubts and possible misuse of state funds. Because, if the employees and the officials within the office are using so long to fill the forms and prove the spending. Than, in practice, it can go to mistresses, to pay for businesses or even perks beside the offices. Who knows right? They might spend it elsewhere and not on local travel as part of the job. Since the proof of that is coming months later and are later proven.

At this point, when the COA can find this maladministration and this lack of compliance with the codes of conduct as public servants/officials, you know there are underlying problems and somewhat something else beneath numbers. If there was even more to question, it should be digging into as well. Since these offices could be doing more with the funds they are getting. This is just the travel expenses and the advanced payouts, what about the salaries itself or the other perks as the high office it is?

That should be real question and since the COA is flagging it and the OVP says they have complied. Why should COA not have the proof of the real transactions, while the OVP trying to clean their hand of dirt? They have already not complied and not shown character, they are already proving lack of trust and lack of care for public funds. Peace.

Reference:

Ayalin, Adrian – ‘COA flags delayed liquidation of OVP cash advances; Robredo’s office says amounts ‘fully liquidated’’ (29.06.2018) link: http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/29/18/coa-flags-delayed-liquidation-of-ovp-cash-advances-robredos-office-says-amounts-fully-liquidated

SPLM/A-IO: On The Allegations By The Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, of Eastern Lakes States (30.06.2018)

Kenya Regulatory Commission: Addendum to the Maximum Retail Petroleum Pump Prices Released on 30th June 2018 (30.06.2018)

SSOA Press Release on Khartoum Declaration of Agreement 2018 (28.06.2018)

Uganda – Public Notice: OTT Tax (29.06.2018)

SPLM/A-IO: Declaration of Permanent Ceasefire (28.06.2018)

OAS Draft Resolution: Impact on the Human Rights of Migrants of the Policy of the Government of the United States of America of Separating Migrant Families (29.06.2018)