The 7:30pm News of July 22, 2024
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00:00Monday the 22nd of July 2024 tragedy visit seven persons die in a fire
00:28outbreak which raised some houses in Hawaii in the Mephu and Afamba division
00:33of the central region. A table lamp exploded next to bottles of illicit
00:38fuel and the story is told in tears. Results of the 2024 session of the
00:44baccalaureate exams show a dismal performance of candidates this year
00:49which summons a forensic analysis of the situation. 75% passed last year, less
00:56than 38% this year. Something must be done and the 13th government action
01:02fair Sago officially opened today under the theme governance and improving the
01:07living of inhabitants. It's happening at the multi-spots complex. Those are our
01:15top stories. I am Benin Bumagana. This is the 7.30 news. Let's open with the
01:24story. A young mother and six children have died in a fire accident that raised
01:30houses and property in Hawaii in the Mephu and Afamba division of the central
01:34region. One of the survivors age 13 said the fire burst out from the explosion of
01:40a table lamp while her mother was trying to sell a bottle of illicit fuel. The SG
01:46of the Mephu and Afamba division was on the field to assess
01:50the level of the damage. Maimou Nanjouya reports from CRTV center. This is the
02:00second incident in Hawaii just two weeks after the death of three children who
02:06consumed food of doubtful quality. The present incident occurred in Esu Minchang
02:12on the road leading to Hawaii Mephu and Afamba division. The first thing to
02:18indicate is that the grandmother Salome Ebole who is in a critical state has
02:24been selling fuel for some three years now. Relatives and neighbors say this was
02:30just an unfortunate incident which has abruptly thwarted the dream of an entire
02:35family. It happened around 3 a.m. this Monday morning and one out of the two
02:42survivors 13 year old secondary school boy Emmanuel Amugu declares that his
02:48mother sister and five other male cousins between 2 and 20 years could
02:55not be saved because by the time his grandmother was trying to sell out a
03:00bottle of fuel a bit of it poured on the floor and the table lamp which was just
03:06at the corner of the house instantly led to a deadly explosion. Family members
03:12are inconsolable and devastated in the face of the abrupt death of seven people
03:19from the same household. They should be vigilant and they should notice and know
03:24that there are activities that are prohibited that are dangerous. The
03:31deceased have been instantly laid to rest leaving behind a bitter pill for
03:37relatives to swallow. Quite painful indeed my Mona Njoya. But let's talk
03:44about the Sago. The 13th government action fair Sago opens officially in the
03:50Yaounde, opened officially at the Yaounde multi sports complex under the theme
03:54governance and improving the living conditions of inhabitants. The event under
03:58the patronage of the prime minister head of government was officially opened
04:02by communication minister Rene Manuel Sadi. For one week more than 200
04:07government institutions and establishments as well as development
04:11partners will be highlighting actions put in place to strengthen governance.
04:15Details with Clarice Aretakang. A platform where governance and the
04:21government agree to improve the living conditions of citizens by identifying
04:25and implementing corresponding actions. It is the focus of the 2024 government
04:30action fair Sago. The panel discussions, workshops and exhibitions will be the
04:35opportunity to grasp the crucial role played by good governance in ensuring
04:39that strategies put in place to better lives do not end up being a white
04:43elephant. A case raised by communication chief Rene Manuel Sadi during his
04:48opening intervention highlighting strides covered in this regard. Emphasis
04:52is thus on putting inhabitants on the same scene with the government via
04:56access to the right information. If you say inclusiveness, you know there are
05:02certain times that there might be a program by the government and if
05:06there's no inclusiveness it will be like discriminatory. People who are
05:10handling certain activities to improve on the lives of citizens should have
05:19integrity so that they can have the proper results expected from a project
05:26for example. Programs need to be transparent so that everybody can have,
05:31we can all be on the same platform. The government action fair equally targets
05:36development partners and multinationals and their contribution to nation
05:39building. The idea is that with a better understanding of government's
05:43development plan, citizens can know where and how to fit in. Let's now get an
05:50excerpt of the Minister of Communication Rene Manuel Sadi who comes back on the
05:54contribution of good governance to inclusive growth and attaining
05:58development goals. He spoke to Clarice Aritaka. Good governance, it's something
06:07which is essential. You're in different administrations and I presume that if
06:14you go to people who will come and visit this site, well I think they will see
06:20that we have improved a lot. If they go for instance to the public service, they
06:27will see that most of activities have been genitalized. It means that we are
06:36now getting up to the new technologies and they will go to other
06:44administrations also and see that well many things have been improved. I think
06:51this kind of information will let people see that the government is working.
07:00Cameroon has been invited as guest of honour to the 17th edition of the
07:05Ouagadougou International Handicraft Fair to take place in October. The
07:09initiative was presented to the Prime Minister, the Head of Government Joseph
07:12Djangouteh today and he honoured it. During an audience, he granted the Burkina
07:16Bear Minister of Industrial Development, Trade and Handicraft Serge Nyanyodem
07:22Poda. For details, we call on our star building correspondent, Christian Che
07:26Atam. The Minister of Industrial Development, Commerce and Handicraft of
07:33Burkina Faso, received by the Prime Minister, Head of Government Joseph
07:36Djangouteh, was at the head of a delegation of five persons who formed
07:40part of a larger group of 15 handicraft workers and experts from Burkina Faso
07:45currently in the country. They are in Cameroon on the invitation of the
07:48government to partake in the 8th edition of the Yaoundé International Handicraft
07:52Fair. The audience provided a platform for members of the delegation to discuss
07:57about their experience in Cameroon and foster cooperation in the development of
08:02the handicraft sector. It was also the forum for the delegation from Burkina
08:06Faso to present an official message from their government to the government of
08:10Cameroon. We are the bearers of an official message from the
08:17Prime Minister of Burkina Faso to his counterpart in Cameroon. The message
08:22concerns the 17th edition of the International Handicraft Fair to take
08:26place in Ouagadougou from the 25th October to 3rd November 2024. A message of
08:32gratitude and a special invitation for Cameroon to take part in the next CIO as
08:37guest of honour. During the audience which took place in the
08:44presence of Cameroon's Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social
08:47Economy and Handicraft, Achille Basilikeng Troa, the two parties explored avenues of
08:53boosting the handicraft sector which presents enormous opportunities for
08:57employment and growth for African countries. Let's open a dossier in this
09:03newscast. Results of the 2024 general baccalaureate exams released a few days
09:08are still causing a lot of mixed feelings among students, parents and
09:13teachers. Over 132,000 candidates sat the exams but only
09:20about 50,000 passed giving a success rate of 37.26%. The Northwest,
09:26Littoral and West regions are topping the chart of success. Here now is Yoti
09:31Kalelisonge with the demographics of success. Results of the 2024 general
09:38baccalaureate session Bleeding Red Inc, the global success rate is 37.26%
09:45Of the 133,868 candidates that registered, 132,920
09:53sat the exams with just 49,521 getting a pass mark. The Northwest
10:00region tops the chart with 46.09% while Littoral comes second and the West
10:06region third with 45.98 and 44.75% respectively. The bottom
10:14three are the South with 26.49% Far North and North regions. The latter
10:20having a 19.99 percentage pass and the former 20.91%. As far as the
10:26fields are concerned, 52.56% of candidates passed Bacc C and 48.90%
10:34scored above average in Bacc D. 37.12% of those who opted for
10:39Bacc D.E. succeeded while 6.9% managed to pass Bacc Espagnol. Bacc
10:45Aleman has registered the least performance with candidates scoring a
10:50percentage pass of 6.35. The cumulative statistics of the success rate as
10:56revealed by the Cameroon Baccalaureate Board is 37.26% in the 2024 general
11:02baccalaureate examination as opposed to the 75.73% pass recorded in
11:082023. From the demographics outlined, the worst results emerged from the arts
11:15series with Bacc Acad Aleman having 6.35% success rate. With this deemed
11:22performance, there have been divergent opinions as to what could be the cause.
11:26While most people attribute it to the entire teaching learning chain, others
11:30more or others say it is entirely the fault of the students who have allowed
11:35social media to distract them. Alphonsa Bongwa-Achu in the following report
11:39directs the cursor to the main cause.
11:48Results that many say translate to an academic system in a state of wreckage.
11:53The 2024 baccalaureate examinations for general education in Cameroon gets down
12:00the bottomless pit. 6.35% success rate nationwide for the Bacc Acad Aleman and
12:086.9% for Espanol. School officials say this is unprecedented.
12:14Somebody described the results as shameful results. In fact, they are
12:18shameful indeed. Accusing fingers are pointing at the entire teaching learning
12:23chain. The state is a partner. The parents are partners. I think the failure
12:31comes from the parents, the students, and the teachers. Parents have abdicated their
12:42role and the responsibility of taking care of students. How many parents check
12:48whether their children effectively study? To other observers, students who are
12:54guarantors of their own destinies have simply chosen to gamble. Candidates
13:01themselves are principal actors of their success or failure irrespective of the
13:06environment. If this environment is resilient, they are bound to be resilient
13:11to succeed. More and more we are in an environment of less effort where people
13:17barely strive to have 10 average and below with expressions like NEF4.
13:25The questionable qualification of some teachers and working conditions have been
13:31factored by critiques in this dismal performance. Demotivation of teachers and
13:39obsession to travel abroad to countries like Canada with many Cameroonian
13:44teachers migrating to that destination. Today teachers don't teach by passion.
13:50They do so to survive. While many congratulate the Ministry of Secondary
13:57Education for toughening the marking of the back to upgrade quality, to others
14:03there is a missing link which only the ministry can explain. I will start by
14:08first of all hailing and congratulating the state for trying to raise the
14:13standard by taking the average at the level of 10. I refuse to attribute the
14:22responsibility immediately to teachers or parents. The fact is we have noticed a
14:27decline but that's more than two decades today. I think the factors of this failure
14:33is found in the deliberations. The national report card for the Baccalauréat
14:39Général 2024 is blotted red. 37.55 percent success, far below average. This is not honorable.
14:52At all, Alphonse Abongwa. Now the statistics also show that though those in the arts performed
14:58poorly, technical schools and the science departments recorded outstanding performances.
15:03Their brilliant results have been attributed to the passion they have for their respective
15:08fields of study, professionalism or professionalization of studies which easily
15:13combine theory and practicals to produce outstanding results. Larry Stande Aporte reports.
15:20The professionalization of studies in Cameroon is gradually reaping its benefits.
15:25This could be seen in the brilliant performances of science and technical students in the
15:30recently released results of the baccalaureate examinations. Pedagogues say it is thanks to
15:36personal efforts put in by students and the school's administrations. We are close to 100
15:42percent and therefore it shows that much was put in. The outcome of what we all experience
15:50is hard work both on the part of the students and as well as the teacher and the administration.
15:57When you look at the science students, they are somewhere doing something, calculating in groups.
16:01The attitude is different from the wet go. Apart from discipline and hard work,
16:06the burning passion of students for the choice of field is an added motivation.
16:11The student interest is getting higher and higher. They are coming out gradually from what
16:18used to be the perception of technical education to the reality of it. Professionalizing studies
16:24and the availability of practical materials make it easier for students to reproduce the theory
16:30and practical lessons during exams. For the year that just passed, we had about five visits
16:38and effective implementation of work at different shanties. If students are to work on material to
16:46produce about 250 or 300 uniforms, so you realize that the industrial processes are well internalized.
16:55Other schools of thought opine science is facts proven by precise rules and methodology
17:02illustrated unlike arts where only the most convincing can stand out.
17:09The situation is deplorable and thus needs some amount of autopsy. All stakeholders involved must
17:14stand up to their responsibilities and come up with proposals to better the situation next year.
17:19Beatrice Losamba, a key reporter in the newsroom, now joins me to discuss these issues. Good evening
17:24to you Beatrice. Good evening Benin, thanks for having me. After following this drop 75% last year
17:31and we are down less than 38% this year, what should we say went wrong? Well, most people are
17:37blaming it on the social media and that's the easy way to go. Social media now sounds like a song. We
17:42blame social media for every failure that we have. Like we just can't control it. We just can't
17:48we just can't help it. Social media is having a toll on us, having a toll on our children. But
17:52let's ask the right questions. Does social media control us? Are we that helpless? Yes, social
17:58media is the new cancer. We have to decide how to introduce our children to it so that they reap
18:03mostly the benefits from it rather than just be victims of it. But rather than make social
18:09media the so-called culprit, Benin, I would like to establish responsibilities. I would like to
18:14establish responsibilities. We start with the children, with the students themselves who have become
18:19the generation that they refer to as the generation, they say, is better said in French,
18:25where these students have their heads down. They're not looking at their books.
18:29They're not looking at, they're not doing some research work. They're looking at the computer.
18:33They're looking at their phones. They're looking at their tablets and they're looking at
18:39all of that, searching for some blogger, looking at what is trending, some trendy tweets.
18:46They're looking at just what they can post on Instagram and all of that. So these
18:52students are to blame, first of all. And it's not all about them looking at their phones and
18:58the social media and all of that. They're also looking at where to find drugs because we know
19:04drug addiction is a big problem in our schools. We see it all over the places, all over the media.
19:10We're talking about drug addiction. Children spend a whole day out of school with their friends,
19:16getting all those drugs and all of that. So drug dependence is a big problem.
19:20Mine was probably the last generation, and I think yours too, when children relied on their phones,
19:26when children relied on their mobile phones, definitely. And we did far better. It wasn't
19:32red. Every time we wanted to, we were up to about 50% and above, and there was already a yellow card.
19:38But right now we have all red, red, red. So we also have to establish responsibilities to the
19:44parents. The parents, what do they do when the children are away, looking at their phones and
19:50all of that? Do they limit screen time? They're busy with work. They're buying gadgets, more
19:56gadgets for the kids. I know parents who went to school, the teachers had seized phones from
20:01students and the parents said, cut that shit. Give them back their phones. You don't have to do that
20:05to my child. So they give them money. They give them the impression that life is very easy. They're
20:10working hard so that the kids won't lack. And so the kids can just as well just fold their arms
20:15and relax. So how many parents even have time to personally follow up their children and their
20:19schoolwork? What home values do we give them? We're just leaving them as empty vessels and the society
20:24which is facing a moral rot has to take over. You're quite passionate about the causes of this
20:32drastic failure, Beatrice. But now the question is, what is the way forward? You know, next year,
20:37what should be done this year to ensure that we get better results next year?
20:42Yeah, I guess it is time for us to, before we start looking at all, we have to put our arms
20:46around the children because they're facing a lot right now. They did not succeed in the exams. It's
20:50a, it's a tough time for them. They're probably thinking the world is crumbling around them.
20:54They need to bear that, uh, that, that failing an exam is, is not the end of the world. Of course,
21:00it is on the contrary, a very valuable lesson. It reaches, it teaches you resilience. It teaches
21:06you determination and the importance of hard work. You need to have to embrace failure as a
21:10stepping stone to success. And they must remember that even the most accomplished individuals have
21:17faced setbacks. That said, if these students failed, we'll fail. We all failed. Like I already
21:21said, teachers, parents, the powers that be, the community failed along. So we have to do frantic
21:26reviews. We need to revise our attitude, get winning strategies on board, beginning from the
21:31students of course, and we have to make studies their priority above. They have to make studies
21:36their priority above all distractions, telephones, video games, leisure grounds, uh, you know,
21:41social media, dates, alcohol, drugs, all the distractions, only studies matter now and the
21:47parents as well. They'll have to make sure that they follow up on the students, homework routines
21:51and the rest of it. And the powers that be, we shouldn't forget about them. The powers that be,
21:55how do we explain that we have leakages every year? How the powers that we have to follow up
22:01on these teachers who have lost passion for their job? That's, I think that's, that's actually what
22:05we have to do now. Of course. Thank you very much Beatrice Losamba for stopping by. I see
22:09plenty of, uh, uh, passion in explaining and trying to get a solution to this particular issue.
22:15Well, across Cameroon and around the world, you're watching the 7.30 news on the CRTV.
22:20Stay with us, Beatrice. On our topical issue tonight, we revisit a conduct of televised
22:25and public debates, which are so often boisterous and a platform to trade mean insults and
22:31done ideas. While most program moderators are often trapped in a frantic effort to calm down
22:37rowdy and unruly panelists, most of these guests simply demonstrate a disregard for
22:42social responsibility, betraying the hidden agenda in their participation. CRTV's Joy
22:48Sabigel-Fosu revisits the principles that should guide such debates and points a way to better
22:54manage media debates. Here's a report. The media is popularly referred to as the fourth estate
23:04as it plays a crucial role in a democracy. As the voice of the masses represents in their
23:11concerns, the media not only interprets and comments on the present, but it also sets the
23:17agenda for the future. It is for this reason that the media facilitates the dissemination of people's
23:23thoughts and opinions, but insults and personal attacks have no place.
23:37The moderator has to prepare his or her debate program, write out the questions, and follow up
23:46the guest as they speak. When you orientate the guest in a question, the guest has a responsibility
23:53to respond to the question which you have asked. Panelists are not supposed to engage in heated
23:59debates and heal insults towards persons nor institutions. Journalists or moderate programs
24:07have a role to put panelists in line if they seem surreal. We have what you call criticism.
24:14Criticism to build and criticism to destroy. Cameroonians, most of us, fail to distinguish
24:22these two criticisms. And I would like to add to it that many of those unfortunately debating
24:29and trying to entertain the Cameroonian people believe that for want of fame, they discuss people
24:38and so they are small minds. The public has the right to unvarnish truth and what is required
24:45is for journalists to strike a balance between professionalism, objectivity, and principles
24:52that underpin the strict respect of people expressing their opinions, highlighting positive
24:58criticism, without insulting individuals and institutions. On the 7.30 news tonight, we begin
25:06a series on the reading culture of Cameroonians and today we get to meet Jean de Diomomo, Minister
25:13Delegate in the Ministry of Justice, on his reading habits and how he is inculcating a reading culture
25:19in his children. It is done for us by Ibneza Akanga. In spite of his demanding duties, Jean de Diomomo
25:27has not departed from his passion of reading. On his office table is found a variety of books
25:34on diverse fields which he reads. Riches, success, promotion, and everything that is positive
25:43comes from reading. Though he reads widely, he has a soft spot for some books.
25:58It is a contribution to the edification of Cameroon and it goes in line with what President Bia says.
26:05Jean de Diomomo does not only read, he is also a writer. In his home, he inculcates the reading
26:16culture to his children. We have initiated a reading club in my home. It is one hour of
26:25reading every evening. In this holiday period, parents should not only encourage
26:34their children to play and watch television, they should also encourage them to read books.
26:41In this holiday period, it takes a while to discover Cameroon, a beautiful country. Today,
26:47we go to Nyambaka in the Adamawa region. It is a harbor of one of the most ancient markets in
26:53the region and an obligatory stopover for travelers along the national road number one.
26:58Our guide is Sadu Yauba of CRTV Adamawa.
27:07A one-hour drive from Gaoundere to Nyambaka prepares any visitor to discover Nyambaka
27:14market on the national road number one. The town reflects the coloration of economic exchanges
27:21vibrating endlessly.
27:25People come from Gaoundere, Meganga and even Yaounde to get provisions here.
27:31This is because the prices are quite affordable.
27:40Nyambaka market serves as a center of socio-economic tourism with people from the
27:47surrounding villages and beyond getting satisfaction at all levels.
27:54The local council is committed to making the locality a reference point.
28:03The municipality has been making efforts in terms of shops construction which later generate
28:09resources to our council. Working mutually will help us sustain our council with the support of
28:16the local community.
28:23The geographical position of Nyambaka is already an additional factor contributing to its growth
28:31triggered by the local population's long-standing desire to raise the subdivision higher.
28:39The Northwest Regional Assembly has witnessed an addition of 1.2 billion CFA francs in the budget
28:44that was voted in December 2023. The budget now stands at close to 7 billion CFA francs
28:49and will be consecrated to the execution of key development projects. The president of the
28:53Northwest Regional Executive Council Professor Furangwa for the third has indicated that the
28:58projects to be executed will be equitably distributed across the seven divisions of
29:04the region. Eric Lamyawufo reports from Bamenda.
29:12The 2024 budgetary orientation debate with a satisfactory increase in the performance in the
29:18first semester of the year. These increases warrants a budgetary adjustment. For instance
29:25about 922 millions come from the ministry of public works, another 24 million from the ministry
29:36of secondary education, 5 million from the ministry of housing and urban development.
29:45When this additional revenue goes beyond a certain percentage usually 20 percent
29:54we must have a budgetary adjustment. There are plans to carry out development projects
30:01across the region that are equitable and need-based. The projects must have a catchment
30:06population and we make sure that the projects have a territorial spread so that there's equity.
30:14Participants at this 15th Ordinary Session have been trained on national languages and development,
30:20psychosocial care, response to crisis, land turning and traditional rulers in the northwest
30:25region amongst others. CPD and party militants under the leadership of section president Mr.
30:33Umaru have taken the commitment to support the president Paul Bia whom they are calling to stand
30:38as candidate for next presidential elections. This was during a conference that was graced
30:43with the presence of the minister Gabrielle Bairobi, president of the Permanent Divisional
30:49Commission of the CPDM for Benue. Let's get details from Julius Nuba. The ardent supporters
30:55of the Garua II section proudly clad in their CPDM fabrics turned out in their numbers at the
31:00central party house where the CPDM bigwigs, section and subsection presidents plus wing leaders all
31:06took turns to hammer on the need for party discipline. They were urged to avoid tarnishing
31:11the reputation of the ruling party or speaking in the name of the CPDM on media platforms without
31:16to go ahead particularly now that they are strategizing to ascertain resulting victories
31:21in upcoming elections. They asked the national president of the CPDM to be their candidate for
31:29the presidential election in 2025 and they are ready to give him a very high victory. To permit
31:39all the militants contribute in propelling the CPDM to victories and consolidate its status,
31:44a voter registration exercise was ongoing on the sidelines of the conference.
31:49Registrations are ongoing and we invite our supporters who are not yet registered to go
31:53enroll themselves at the Elecam registration points and we are also working in collaboration
31:58with the Elecam teams to go into neighborhoods and register Cameroonians. To fight desertification in
32:03the region, a tree planting exercise was organized alongside a football encounter
32:07to promote social cohesion and camaraderie in the ranks of the CPDM in the Benue division.
32:14Let's talk sports. Four days to the official start of the 2024 olympic games in Paris.
32:19Team Cameroon is already in the games village alongside other participating delegations.
32:24Two of the six athletes in the team, Linda Angounou and Emmanuel Eseme will join the others
32:29on Thursday. So today we begin a series on Cameroon's participation at the olympic games
32:34with the first ever in Tokyo in 1964 with just one athlete representing Cameroon.
32:40Baldwin Tama takes us back memory lane. For her maiden participation at the summer olympics,
32:47team Cameroon in Tokyo 1964 had a single flag bearer. Davin Jitok in those days specialized
32:54in immense 100 and 200 meters events but in Tokyo 1964 he competed for Cameroon in immense 100 meters.
33:02Unfortunately, he bowed out during the early stages of the competition
33:06backing home no medal for Cameroon. Four years later in Mexico 1968, team Cameroon had five
33:13ambassadors who competed in two disciplines. Esau Adenji finished 12th in immense 5000 meters events
33:20failing to qualify for the final. Boxing permitted Cameroon to earn her first olympic medal
33:26thanks to Joseph Besala in the less than 67 kilograms category. His different bouts saw him
33:32dismiss Luis Gonzalez of Chile, Julius Luipa of Zambia, Victor Zeberman of Germany and Mario Guloti
33:39before losing at the final against Manfred Volke of Germany securing the precious silver medal
33:44which was Cameroon's first at olympic games. The other boxers Inua Bozio, Ernest Dong and
33:51Antoine Abong were knocked out at the preliminary rounds. In 1972 in Munich, the number of athletes
33:58increased to 11 who competed in three disciplines, athletics, boxing and cycling. Gaston Malam
34:05competed in immense 100 and 200 meters events where he was 5th and 6th respectively while
34:11Isaiah Fongang, Adenji and Amadou Everey simply failed to impress. At the end of the competition,
34:18team Cameroon returned home with no medal secured. This time with six athletes Baldwin,
34:25Samaf and Kamen. Let's expect that we're going to come back home with many more medals. And it's
34:30here that we come to the end of the 7.30 news today at 8.30. You're going to follow the news
34:35in the French language. Of course, it is going to be a presentation of Romuald Chusenga. I'll
34:42be back tomorrow. Have a wonderful evening. God bless you.
35:12you