Forests,Trees And "The Black Market"

Cameroon ; a developing country like many others of the Congo basin, one of the world’s remaining tropical rainforest regions.        

Wit its geographical position known to be characterized by latitudes 2 and 13 degrees North of the Equator and longitudes 8 and 16 degrees East of Greenwich meridian, Cameroon has the greater portion of its territory in the Equatorial rainforest which is home to a large variety of plants and animal species.

As one would imagine, forests and trees provide a source of living for many persons. But unfortunately, much of these forests and trees illegally harvested provides a major source of income to corrupt officials ; and very little to the state. The country’s timber market employs some 45.000 people, three times more than the number employed by export-oriented companies. Approximately 75% of the timber harvested for domestic use is produced by chainsaw millers operating without title – in other words, illegally.

In an attempt to avoid large scale environmental disaster, many in-depth research studies were conducted and their findings brought before the government so that concrete actions should be taken. This is how, CIFOR [Center For International Forestry Research] who’s work mainly serves to advance human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research and so inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries, one of the 15 centres within the Consultative Group On International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]. www.cifor.org                                    www.climatechange.org

Cameroon’s forest law divides the forest estate into « Permanent » and « Non permanent » domains. The permanent forest domain includes land which is allocated for permanent forest use,industry, sustainable timber harvesting and biodiversity conservation. The non-permanent forest domain includes forests which can be used for other land use purposes and this is where most of the small scale [illegal] chainsaw milling now takes place. However, because of the ever increasing search for money, the growing scarcity of timber makes it increasingly likely that chainsaw millers will seek to source timber in the permanent forest domain. Indeed, this situation is already happening in certain areas.

Nevertheless, the government being aware of the intentions of these illegal businesses, it has set up control points and services in and around concession limits with respect to nearby villages in order to detect the overall movement of timber from these places [check out illegal logging]

Timber extraction is the most widespread industry in the Congo basin where timber concessions occupy between 30 and 45 percent of all remaining tropical forests and more than 70 percent in some countries.

Talking about another very negative practice that affects our country just like the others, experts say commercial logging in countries of the Congo Basin, one of the world’s few remaining tropical rainforest regions, has come under heavy criticism for its role in fueling the illegal trade in bushmeat and elephant ivory.

Doug Cress of the Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP) of the U.N. Environment Program insists there is no room to make exceptions for hunting in the case of the great apes and other primates and blamed logging for much of the onslaught.  www.un-grasp.org

“If all bushmeat hunting took place in a traditional setting, that would be different. But now there are gangs with AK-47s and logging and mining companies that are coming in bringing entire cities with them that need to be fed. Some people are given guns and bullets to go out and shoot meat to feed the crews, and they shoot the easiest animals to find—the apes and chimpanzees. When one of them goes down, the others come running to help, and they are easy to shoot,”

Dr. Heather Eves, a wildlife biologist and member of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force, points to the irony that while logging companies have created much-needed infrastructure—particularly roads—at the same time they have been “the main drivers of the extremely rapid increase in bushmeat trade and consumption over the past 15 to 20 years.” www.bushmeat.org

With this critical situations, we need law enforcement, but the law is not enforced. What we see is a parody of law enforcement, every now and then.

In a bid to recover the finances lost since 2 decades now, the cameroonian government has stopped the Ministry Of Forests And Fauna [MINFOF] with respect to the collecting of taxes in the sector of timber exploitation and has handed the powers to the Ministry Of Finance which now collects 15 to 20 billion CFA Francs [23-30 million Euros] a year in forestry taxes, mainly from industrial timber concessions. This figure would be considerably higher if reforms were introduced for the domestic timber sector. All this in a bid to permit the forest guards do their job with assurance and no second thoughts.

Again, "Bushmeat" Replenishes Their Plates

For Human Beings that we are, high up the Food Chain, eating meat  is one of the many means we go towards a source of protein |Animal protein] which we need as an energy provider ; and thus in the building up of our body cells |Body parts]

For many of my fellow countrymen over here, a good meal means in whatever kind of food he or she is eating, there should be meat in plentiful quantities. Common belief takes it that, the size of the pieces of meat in an individual’s soup gives a clear résumé that he or she is a somebody or a nobody in the community ; and thus, a person to reckon with or not.

For many city dwellers, « Bushmeat » is equal to remembering the good old days when they where young and growing in their different villages. Now, as adults who have moved to the big cities, they consider « Bushmeat » as a delicacy. So, whenever there comes an opportunity of travelling to the hinterlands comes their way, it is with genuine pleasure that these men and women make a halt at special meat eating petty business areas situated at strategic places on the many highways we have in the country. This, so that the many travellers passing-by always have a good display of what they do not often have in their plates, or of what they completely miss as being city dwellers ; thus, an opportunity to make these travellers salivate as much as possible. In whatever direction you take to move out of the big cities to the different villages, there exist special « stop spots », places where you find « roasted » or «smoked » meat ; Porcupine, Squirrel, Rat-mole and Antelope seasoned with onion, pepper and a combination of other local ingredients |Pepper soup]. And, the menu continues… https \\en.m.wikipedia.org\wiki\Bushmeat  

During the peaks of the Ebola epidemy in West Africa, local government officials over here gave strict orders for « Bushmeat » of any kind to be stopped. To the letter, the village populations obeyed to these instructions. On the other hand, the stopped hunting of these wild animals enabled them reproduce and multiply ten folds ; to the extent that even while walking on farm roads, you see these wild animals crossing from one side to the other. Hence, the business of «Bushmeat » went on. But, this time around, i twas carried out by smugglers who sold their catch in the «Black market» ; because afraid of the severe sanctions that would bafall them in case they were caught. In other words, «Bushmeat» was scarce and expensive.

The Ebola epidemy in West Africa is now under control, our government officials have relaxed their minds, and the eating of  « Bushmeat» has come up with full speed. It has again become common to see a man or a woman walking free, carrying a dead animal in the hand. Whosoever is prompt to buy this « Bushmeat » on the spot will have it. So long as he or she is good at bargaining. Potential risks of disease contamination are clearly known by all ; as many addicted  « Bushmeat » consumers i noticed ironically call what they eat « Ebola » ; a way of proving to themselves that they can eat the government forbidden meat and go free. All this despite the many health and sanitation campaigns done through out the country in order to alert the population of the many health hazards they undertake as they eat this meat.

As a W.H.O monitor |World Health Organization], i am working in consolidating a hand full of different  disease vaccination campaigns in Cameroon. This job makes me move from one extremity of the country to another ; be it a big city, a town or village. This July 1st, i was assigned to go for vaccination supervision |Poliomyelitis] in a locality situated deep in the Equatorial rainforest. Travelling to this locality, i noticed a major difference. The population here is geared towards  « Bushmeat ». In every restaurant i entered, i twas « Bushmeat » of different kinds that was proposed to me. Here, there is no room for « Beef » or « Chicken ». Personally, i went for fish.

The International Telecommunications Union Versus African Countries

                     

                                                      Developing countries :

A developing country, also called a lower developed country is a nation with an underdeveloped industrial base, and low Human Development Index [HDI]. Amo,gst all the countries in the world, only one institution [The International Monetary Fund] has the mechanics of classifying a country on one side or the other. That is, a country is rated developed or underdeveloped according to the International Monetary Fund [IMF]

There is criticism of the use of the term «developing country». The term implies inferiority of a developing country or underdeveloped country compared to a developed country, which many countries  dislike. It assumes a desire to develop along the traditional «Western model » of economic development which a few countries choose not to follow.  http.//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki /Developing_country 

That not withstanding, the International Statistics Institute has a list of developing countries. According to this list, a majority of the said developing countries are from the African continent.  www.isi-web.org/component/content/article/5-root/root/81-developing

« A long time ago, the International Telecommunications Union |ITU] summoned many African countries trailing behind to conform themselves to the Numeric Television Technology. A drastic change that implies poor Africans get rid of their old and ancient cathode tube TV sets. My country Cameroon has not been able to meet up to the deadline of yesterday June 17 2015. What about your country ? »

This is the interrogation that got an enthusiastic team of ladies and gentlemen mobilized in order to give a down-to-earth answer of the question.

The International Telecommunications Union [ITU] gave a date limit. Yes. But, it should be noted that this was in accordance with the different African countries who since 2006 pledged they will undertake this Digital Migration pilgrimage. For these African countries, this meant they would adhere to the new technological practices. And, whosoever says new technology, says new investments. This is how many over enthusiastic African countries found themselves before huge amounts of money [in terms of millions of Euros] to be invested in order to make the switchover from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting a reality within their territories. The International Telecommunications Union, aware of this huge financial aspect that comes along with realising Digital Migration, did make certain financial provisions [between 20 and 50 million Euros] for governments to respect and not go beyond. Sanctions were put in place for countries who would go for exaggerated costs. Certain leak sources say Cameroon’s case in under study as its government signed a contract worth many hundreds of million Euros.

On the other side, based on this market opportunity, gigantic multinational companies specialised in the domain of telecommunications immediately sniffed the air. It scented like an enormous business cake. Effectively, in sub saharan Africa, two telecommunications giants are fighting for this cake. One, a company from France and the other from China. In Cameroon and Senegal, the market of Digital Migration was given to the Chinese entreprise. A palpable demonstration of China’s economic reforms and entry in Africa.

Nonetheless, time has passed and the lot of African countries who sometime in the past, did solemnly accept to conform themselves and go digital come june 17 2015 have not respected the appointment as established. Though there exist some good students who did their homework well ahead of time [Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambic, Rwanda and Tanzania], the majority are still trying to « catch as catch can ». The biggest surprise came from the part of Africa’s emerging economies [Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco] as they are still far from making Digital Migration come true in their territories. Many of these countries are now strongly engaged in the process of pleading for mercy. They say, should the International Telecommunications Union grant them some more time, they will multiply efforts to make Digital Migration become a reality in their different countryside.  www.theafricareport.com/West-Africa/ghana-digital-migration-deadline-to-be-missed.html

Now, this situation creates another case between the International Telecommunications Union [ITU] and these countries. Will the [ITU] grant them more time ? If yes, on what conditions ? Given that at the first place, these countries did not respect their own words.

Courtesy of Globalvoicesonline.org, this report is a collective work carried out by committed authors though living in different countries [Sub Saharan Africa]

May their courage be saluted.

JE SUIS CAMEROUN

"O Cameroon thou cradle of our fathers..."

Be it in tens or thousands, it is in a spirit of jolly fellows that we sing this reunification song. In one heart, our solemn thoughts all directed towards the wellbeing of a territory, (our territory); a haven of piece, stability and unity.

Her geographical situation being the country in the very centre of the world, that is,

       (latitudes 2 and 13 degrees North of the Equator)

       (longitudes 8 and 16 degrees East of Greenwich Meridian)

This territory is a beyond understanding marvellous natural wonder.

Her people : a genuine mosaic of persons with a wide range of diverse cultures; all just as outstanding and attractive.

So, every 20th May automatically is decreed as a public holiday for everyone to sit back, relax and in his or her own way participate. We are prompt to carry out praiseworthy and joyful activities in order to give a particular taste and signification to the infallible love we have for our country. This festive mood is seen internationally as we extend our friendly hands to fellowship with brother and sister countries, calling upon them to come and enjoy with us. For, this is a day to be remembered for as long as possible.                                 

 All the above argumentative, constitutes enough reasons for us all   Cameroonians to go celebrating and feeling supreme...

Vaccination And Monitoring

                                             Vaccination And Monitoring

In Cameroon, the longtime fight against a ruthless enemy (Poliomyelitis) carries-on.

 Poliomyelitis is an illness caused by a virus that paralises children all their life. In Cameroon, the fight started in 1988. The fighting was done. But, in an approximately correct manner. Everything seemed to move on pretty well for the country and its children.

Yet, unfortunately for us, the virus circulated in the country for 2 years without being noticed. Then, came March 2014 when this ugly disease appeared again in a number of localities; all distant from one-another. (Yoko, Djoungolo, Kribi) we were once more standing before a sinister, but true situation.

Now, the question is, why was this disease invisible to the eyes of Cameroon's medical system ?

The answer is that, in the country, there was

 1- A very low and ineffective coverage of the country's territorial lands, when it comes to     vaccination.

 2- A lack of Monitoring, or bad quality Supervision by Cameroon's medical authorities.

 And so, what is the remedy to this dreadful situation ?

 1- Undertake rapid corrective measures.

 2- Make rightful and just evaluations free from all incorrect and corrupt data (statistics).

Now, it is in this light that quality monitoring is prescribed in order to save this desperate situation and help the children live healthy lives.

Thus, quality monitoring is a process in which information (data) is collected, analysed and rapid corrections made  in order to remedy to an already bad situation. Hence, the overall objective of quality monitoring is to determine and recuperate all non vaccinated children, get them vaccinated, and eventually record all this information (data).

Quality monitoring is a procedural work done in 3 phases:

Phase 1: Pre- campaign period

                Here, the essential preparation of how the vaccination campaign will take place is put forward. ( logistics, calendar, venue, human resources, and many more) 

Phase 2: Ongoing campaign period

               Here, there is a serious work of follow-up done in order not to miss-out on, or mix-up  informations collected on the field.

Phase 3: Post campaign period

                Here, all information (data) collected on the field is well treated analysed. So as to bring forth durable solutions and remedy to the once bad situation. All these, for the good of our country - Cameroon.

This is why we W.H.O Monitors work very hard to make things better. Make better things.