Yaounde Falling Buildings

Three multi-storey buildings have crumbled within the last four months in Cameroon’s capital city, Yaounde. The first of the series of failed constructions recorded last February killed 4 persons, and the latest on August 16 injured at least 7. The last two that occurred within 8 days in the same neighbourhood (Elig-Essono), less than 20 steps apart has left the residents terrified.
In the wake of these dramatic incidents, the Government Delegate to the Yaoundé City council Gilbert Tsimi Evouna, blamed the mishap on the owner of the construction project who continued building despite a stop-work order. He added that in both cases the owners either did not have a building permit, or constructed bigger facilities than they were authorized to.
An explanation which many observers have judged too simplistic, and a pale attempt by the city to transfer blame.

Rise in Sub-Standard Construction
As engineering consultant Jean-Baptiste Tchoffo of Gestor Technologies explains a couple of factors can be responsible for a failed construction. “These could range from poor studies, to the absence of control during the project or simply the wrong application of construction standards”.
A view shared by Tankoh George Nuga an experienced builder and civil engineer carrying out various construction projects in the city “You cannot do a building in Bamenda and try to do the same building in Yaounde without taking into consideration the soil characteristics of the two regions” he observed rubbing off the sand on his palms.
Contractor Puene Francoise whom I met by her sleek Mercedes supervising a construction facility in Bastos Yaounde says “It is true contractors must check the quality of materials in laboratories but the government must not allow that sub-standard materials be imported into the country.”

Construction Material
The General Manager of the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LABOGENIE), Philippe Nouanga, on his part expressed regrets over the fact that his agency does not control building material produced locally or imported into the country.
Speaking behind his modest office table at the Ekounou neighbourhood he said “It is only LABOGENIE that has the lab equipments to test and assess the quality of construction material that go into the market.”
Importers themselves have disclosed that some importers trade in iron rods of diameters that are not authorized by the state. And other construction material dealers put cement on the market with no specifications on how to use them.
It is impossible at first glance to say how resistant an iron rod is, or the strength of a concrete mix. Even engineers need a bunch of equipments and standards to assess this. The National Civil Engineering Laboratory is the country’s best bet in the domain. By ignoring its best brains in the domain, the government of Cameroon cannot guarantee the quality of the construction materials used on the country’s construction facilities. Even the head of the committee tasked with assessing standards of building materials Mr. Tchoffo is convinced there are sub-standard products on the market.

The new Standards and Quality Agency has now promised that every bag of cement entering any of Cameroon’s ports will be checked first, as part of a wider control scheme to be set up. The only problem is the members of the standards agency, yet to have an office of its own, confess (off-the-record) that they don’t have the money to match the lofty promises it is making so far.

Memories of a holiday…

It was a long time ago… or so it seemed when I fell in love with the volcanic sandy beaches of Limbe. It has for its fond memories gathered since December 1998 become the perfect holiday getaway for me. I spent the last week of July 2010, idling on its black beaches praying for sunshine, as it became clear with the incessant rainfall that I had picked the wrong month for this holiday.

When I had a few hours of sunshine, I read Thomas Hardy’s The Return of The Native, in between swims, on a private beach in Bobende. A once small village on the outskirts of the oil-producing town. I had first been introduced to the Atlantic on these sands, and since I seem to have nurtured an intimate link with the place.

Twelve years later many more hotels seemed to have blossomed on the waterfront, adding to the beauty of the town where missionaries and colonialists had anchored in the 1800s. I had also spotted two new oil exploration rigs along the coast and heard word of others soon to be erected. However the radio talk shows of Ocean City Radio, a popular urban radio in Limbe, again reminded me that the plight of the people had for the most part remained unchanged. As I tried to film the national petroleum refinery that sat on the horizon, for my video archives, I came across a young man and a young woman who emptied their bowels in the refuge of the rocks along the shore. The young man even relished the moment in the breeze with a cigarette hanging in between his lips as he released his body waste for the waves to pick up.

On another day, I made the trip to Down Beach, Limbe’s reference point for grilled fish avec vue sur la mer. Across the road a good number of shacks lined the road, their weather-beaten roofs only held in place by old car tyres, and stones that left the on-looker wondering if the carabot houses (wooden houses) as they are called here, will not collapse under the weight of the patchwork. At the far end, some dug-out fishing boats returned from a seemingly unfruitful trip out in the high seas. As I relished the bar fish and brochette of shrimps, feeling lucky, I stared emptily into the horizon. The petroleum rig that sat less than a nautical mile away, again reminding me of the resource curse that had befallen most of Africa.

A few mouthfuls later, my thoughts were halted by a floating odour. Not the familiar smell of fish that haunted the place, but a different odour, fresh for the farmer’s nose…yet disturbing for a man dining by the sea. Horseshit. I thought aloud. The big curiosity of Down Beach, this time around had been the horse ride business. A host of teenagers of Fulani descent offered most of the tourists and locals a chance to get on horseback for 500 CFAF (about 1 USD). The scene became very comic as very few persons could even get on the horses, and others tried desperately to give their children the boost to take the challenge. Many just broke down in tears, while the bravest posed for a snapshot on the horses, and the less adventurous just stood next to the horses for their snapshot.

But I really began to get upset as the smell of horseshit wafted by again. The beach itself seemed to have amassed the entire city’s waste probably deposited into the sea by the runoffs. I started looking around for some answers to the questions that came tumbling. Why are those in the horse ride business not picking up the horseshit that now dotted the beach? Why does the beach look like the city’s trash? I could not meet any council worker but I tried to get a few answers. Watch my video below...

Green Treasure: Illegal logging in Cameroon

Environment groups like Friends of the Earth, Forest Monitor or the Cameroon-based Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement (CED) have in turn released reports showing that illegal logging remains a ‘serious threat’ to Cameroon’s forests.
“Illegal logging in Cameroon includes uncontrolled logging, notably without permits. Some companies log out of authorized logging areas, and cut trees that are smaller than 60cm in diameter, while some cut down protected tree species” explains Dr. Germain Djontu, a researcher with CED a Cameroon-based environment NGO.

A report released in 2009 claims that the state of Cameroon looses at least 50 billion US dollars each year due to illegal logging. I must observe that this is a great loss for local communities who are supposed to benefit from forest royalties across a community forest tax system “when this revenue is not collected by the state local communities loose the 10% community tax they are supposed to get” Dr. Djontu adds, after listing a string of environmental hazards caused to trees and the soil.
Cameroon’s 22.5 million hectares of forests is a green treasure for mostly European logging companies that hold the country’s biggest forest exploitation permits, in what officials call ‘production forests’. Production forests make up over 14 million hectares. Some of these European companies are blamed for allowing illegal logging in a widely inaccessible rainforest that is difficult for officials to control. But when I spoke to Cameroon’s Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Prof Elvis Ngolle Ngolle naturally downplayed the scope of illegal logging, blaming it on small holdings,
“In our production forests that are under management plans where more than 90% of Cameroon’s timber comes from, there is little or no illegal exploitation. Where we have observed the phenomenon of illegal exploitation is in the non-permanent forests which are really not in the production forest. These non-permanent forests are where they don’t have management plans yet, and those who exploit timber in these forests exploit timber under licenses which are sometimes short term licenses.”He explains.
Sanctions
Friends of the Earth notably urged the importing countries like Netherlands to join Cameroon to impose huge financial sanctions on companies seen to be involved in the practice. A move the Forestry minister says Cameroon adopted already.
“Statistics show that in the last four years or so, we have increased sanctions. We have dared to sanction companies who have fallen (what are some of those sanctions?) Those sanctions range from suspension of…withdrawal of their titles or their permits or certificates to payment of high sums of money. Some companies have paid here 50 million, 100 million and they continue to pay.”However green activists insist the problem is in fact the follow up of these sanctions. Dr Djontu says “There are sanctions that have never been imposed to companies that cut out of their exploitation zones, or cut down trees less than the 60 cm diameter, but as we speak, they have not paid these sums to the state.”
Interests
Like petroleum and the mining sector, forestry remains a ‘high-risk’ and ‘no-go’ territory for most Cameroonians. An environment activists (who refused to be cited), told me their offices had been broken into and thrashed, and their computers and files carried away, by unidentified men.
Most of the small holdings or non permanent forest licenses are owned by influential Cameroonians who will viciously defend their interests. Corruption is also rife in the sector and local officials are the direct preys.

The Bendskin Chaos

As Cameroonian towns grow into cities, many more commuters depend on commercial motorcylists, known as 'bendskins' to go from one place to another.
But these bikers are blamed for killing at least one person each day in rampant road accidents, making them pass for a lawless gang of rough-riders.
A decision by the Prime Minister's office in 2008, sought to regulate their gross disregard of the Highway Code and other safety measures. However the bikers have stayed their course.

Bendskins employ a huge number of unemployed youths in the country, and they strongly resist any form of control.

fonka mutta beau-bernard tried to find out why they prefer to live dangerously.

Professional Risks

Pioneer newscasters Eric Chinje and Denise Epote host TV news as Cameroon celebrates 25 years of television.

It was a thrilling experience for Eric Chinje, and Denise Epote Durand, two pioneer newscasters of the Cameroon radio Television, returning after more than a decade, to host the primetime newscast.
This special newscast broadcast this night on the CRTV is part of commemorations marking 25 years since the first TV broadcast was beamed into Cameroonian homes.

Eric moved on to the World Bank, and UN, while Denise moved on to french television TV5.

However both have remained an immense inspiration for Cameroonian boys and girls of my generation who dream of a career in television.

Here is a video of bits of the newscast, as you may notice, I filmed with my private camera, sometimes from poor angles. But I guess I captured some of the magic of the moment.

Living in space: A Day With Fulani Mbororo Nomads

I spent a day with Fulani Mbororo nomads in Poli, an enclave in the North Province. I traveled 36kms from the highway in 2hours to get to the Poli. 36 kms in 2 hours!

This post has a thrilling video of a report I did for tv. Watch it, if you can.

The Mbororo Fulani represents a unique race of about 2.5 million nomadic herdsmen scattered across Cameroon. The Mbororo follow the traditions of their ancestors (the poulakou cult), and are considered the purist of all Fulani groups.
However the culture of these nomadic herdsmen is little known in Cameroon because they are always migrating from one place to another in search of pasture. They hardly own identification papers, birth certificates, marriage certificates or any other official documents. They move across state borders to rear their cattle, with little or no consideration for national frontiers.
The youngest males start grazing their herd of cattle and sheep at a very early age and hardly attend any formal school. While the women and girls prepare their food, mainly, milk cheese and butter. The women also build their huts and weave mats and blankets. They continue to scar their faces and tattoo themselves, as they believe beauty and wealth determine a person’s worth.
They still believe in consider the long-horned cattle to be a prized possession and have dedicated their lives to caring for their herds. Owning cattle is a symbol of health and well-being among all Fulani. This attachment to herding has however seriously undermined the literacy level of the community. Integrating this almost untenable tribe of herdsmen into mainstream life is a major challenge for the government of Cameroon.