MEET THE FACE BEHIND MTN CAMEROON’S ‘YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRTIME GIRL’

We all have been curious about the persons whose voices we hear giving us directives or telling us we can or can’t place a call when we try to reach someone on the phone. The voice that tells you ‘ you do not have enough airtime’… bla bla. I tracked down the ‘voice’ of MTN Cameroon and met up with Lili the frenc voice actor (trust me you are going to be surprised). The english voice is playing hard to get. lol. i am on it tho…em..if you do know our ‘english voice’ please hold on to that infor a little longer.

Things you should know about the Economic Partnership Agreement between Cameroon and the European Union

As far as the Economic Partnership Agreement – EPA goes , opinions , requested or freely offered , have sprung up from sources as extensive and different as their numbers. Government and independent economists have dragged on opposing sides as per the relevance and stimulus of this trade agreement betweeen Cameroon and the European Union . In this war of words , the grainy details are usually lost , burried in the sand of who is right and who is not .

On the 4th of August 2017, the second phase of the interim agreement will go into effect . Before that happens , let us take out time to consider some of the basic facts .

Genesis of it all , colonial masters offerred assistance to former colonies. The arrangement evolved and became contractual , the principle being equality of partners and ownership of developement strategies .

For Cameroon’s specific case , 2016 might be the official take off date , but  the country had initiated the agreement in 2007 . In all that time Cameroon was benefitting from duty free exports of her cocoa , coffee and banana to EU markets . That liberty would change if Cameroon did not agree to offer as much as she was getting ; that is , accepting duty free imports from the EU .This will mean giving up the revenue got from these exports . Faced with this situation , the Cameroon government decided on taking the EPA deal .

One of the major worries of the anti EPA camp has been that local producers will be choked out of business with cheap goods coming in from Europe . If the clauses of the agreement are anything to go by , the early stages of the deal will mostly concern goods – trailers , drugs and other heavy mechinery that are not being manufactured locally but which are nonetheless indispensable to the national economy . Experts estimate that it will take at least 20 years before Cameroon is capable of taking on ventures of the like.

Another section of the agreement makes provision for government to punch the alarm button any time a specific sector is threatened by imports covered by the EPA . In response , the circulation of the said good will immediately be halted .

For the majority of Cameroonians , the belief is that theEconomic Partnership Agreement means zero tax is paid to the government. In reality , all internal taxes are exempted from the EPA . What this means is that , goods that are covered by the EPA still pay VAT , EXCISSES and other internal charges. What the agreement covers is the regional External Common Tarif – ECT . So , since the 4th of August 2016 , EPA imports have enjoyed a  -25% discount from the 30% set by CEMAC.

The fear that Cameroon might have bitten more than it can chew is still very present , genuine and even founded . It is afterall a risk adventure . Even if all parties agree on this clear fact , maybe the bail out clause will still provide some solace to many a doubting Thomas.

SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP

   Many of us view sleep as merely a down time when our brains shut off and our bodies go to rest. In a charged world where people have to scramble to meet the demands of modern life, cutting back on sleep can be seem like the only answer.

   Some feel that there are more important or interesting things than getting a few more hours of sleep. Hear them say ‘i’ll sleep when i die’. This explains why you would almost always notice people nooding/dozing off during meetings or at theirc places of work.

  Well, what they fail to realise is that good sleep is essential for a person’s health and well being. According to medics, the quality of one’s sleep directly affects the quality of one’s daily life including mental sharpness, productivity and even weight. Therefore, a lack of sleep could be disastrous to health.

 Just like exercise and nutrition are essential for optimal health so is sleep. For those to whom sleep is elusive, the thought of its dangers should spur the to spend a few more hours under the sheets.

 So before u run off from bed, think again. Sleep, sleep, sleep.

 

ELECAM OFFICIALS EXPLAIN BIOMETRY SYSTERM

    The registration of Cameroonians into electoral lists for the upcoming municipal and legislative elections which was suspended since February 2012 will officially begin in mid July this year.The 6 months process which will render operational the biometric system in Cameroon, is scheduled to end by mid Feb 2013.

     This information was highlighted in a meeting that grouped officials of Elecam and actors of the electoral process in Wouri.

      The meeting which took place this Wednesday May 16th in Douala amongst other things had as objective the explanation of the functioning of the biometric system and the indispensability of local actors in the electoral process. The officials explained that, the electoral system will secure voting in Cameroon, put a stop to multiple voting and minimize fraud.

      Some political leaders who were present during the meeting insist though that, the real issues are still to be tackled.

     Meanwhile, the 7 months registration process will give Elecam time to register and issue voters cards carrying all identification information including finger prints and photos.After this period, a definite date for the elections will be scheduled.

PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS GO ON STRIKE

        Activities at public hospitals in Cameroon have slowed down to a crawl following a national srike action by health workers in these hospitals.The strike which began last Monday April 23rd enters day 3 this Wednesday April 25th 2012.

        The striking workers are asking for a special status for all public health personnel, better working conditions, work benefits and specific task attribution. They  also want more motivation  and they decry corruption in hospitals and the mishandling of hospital funds.

        Workers such as those at the Laquintini hospital in Douala were however rendering a minimium service to patients as the black cloth tied around their right arms indicates.

         One of the striking workers at the Laquintini hospital, Nathalie Likane explains”we will continue the strike action untill our demands are met.If our situation is not ameliorated,we will completely stop attending to patients.The mortuary will be closed and corpses will neither be admitted nor removed.It is time our situation changed.”

          It was a regrettable scene at the hospital with the striking workers at the gate while some patients were drawing their last breath.

         Meanwhile all attempts to speak to administrative authorities at these hospitals proved futile.

The ‘Triumphant’ March

 

Recently,some members of the BIR could be spotted around the molyko neighborhood marching in different groups. It was rumored that they were coming all he way from the Western Region.

These military men and women, clad in black uniforms were new recruits of the unfamous BIR and it is believed that walking for such long distances is part of their training. Apart from the heavy rains that made their journey difficult these soldiers had to carry their loggages on their backs.

While watching these ‘heroes’ walk pass, i wondered why people did not stop by to cheer them. Supposedly they are those who keep us ‘safe’ from harm. However, come to think of it, they are sometimes more useful at making trouble. No wonder they only received scorns in the place of cheers.

 

FACES ON FACEBOOK:Those Who Lie About Their Identity

Many have hailed the advent of the social networking site,Facebook  for various reasons. These have availed themselves of the opportunity of catching up with old friends and keeping up with new ones.

As long as the list goes on for the advantages of Facebook, one can in no way act blind to some of the dangers it poses to its users. One of such dangers are people who lie about who they really are.

Once on Facebook , a certain guy who claimed he was Italian and worked for Blockbusters Magazine requested my friendship. Honestly, i was flattered. His profile had this picture of a real hunk and i believed i could burrow some useful tips from an editor of a popular magazine since i am a journalist.

Behold, this famous ‘editor’ began chatting with me online and his interest was sex talk – yes -sex. He even requested naked photos of me for a sassy amount of dollars. By this time of course, i realized he was no good and so terminated the friendship.

The best part about this story however is that, later i discovered that this person was just a University of Buea student who has made it his business to harass defenseless, unsuspecting female users of the said site for God alone knows what reason. So, the point is, the next time you click on that accept button, make  sure you know who it is or be ready for the worst.

MY HERO

My Hero

Today i held a boy,

It is only moments now

But the joy this boy gave me,

Is worth much more than gold

I looked into his sea blue eyes,

Touched his tender soft skin

Drank into his husky sensual voice,

I felt a wondrous warmth within

Then i rocked his body,

Till we both ached to be warm.

Then i let his proud heat slide slowly into my soul

And we exploded in total ecstasy

I only stopped a moment to wipe a tear on my cheek

And i knew i will let him do it again

Yes, in the very same way

Because he is my hero, my true love.

Big Brother Amplified

 

The reality show, Big Brother Africa has grown strong roots in the hearts of many Africans, especially the youths. Recently, the Revolution, All Stars and presently Amplified versions of the show has been greatly welcomed by fans of the programme in Cameroon and Africa.

However, after watching a few editions of the programme, i wonder why  Africans should be so excited about watching a couple of  people who spend their time misbehaving and disgracing Africa. Supposedly these young men and women are to represent their countries but rather, they spend their time chasing after each other. You would agree  with me that Kim just like Miss P do not even try to conceal their promiscuous behaviors even on continental TV.

Worst still, when the house mates are not being immoral, they take extreme pleasure in drinking and smoking. I wonder what our young ones learn from these ‘models’ who totally and completely go contrary to all what African ethics stands for.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYK2Ac0OI1I&w=560&h=349]