Day: May 5, 2023

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Operation flight mode: Minette Libom defends telephone operators

The Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng says Cameroon has one of the most affordable telephone fares in Africa. The Minister was guest on the 8:30pm news on state media on Thursday May 4th where she reacted to the boycott of these mobile telephone operators recently launched by some celebrities in Cameroon due to poor services.

Minister Libom Li Likeng in her remarks on state media declared “I would like to say again here that Cameroon remains the country where telephone tarifs are really affordable. I don’t say they can’t be reduced again. Of course the prices can be reduced but it’s better to first of all look at where we came from.”

She traced the evolution of prices taking the example from the year 2020.

“In 2020, the average price of a gigabyte was above a thousand francs, we’ve had a fall of close to 93%. Today we can have 2 gigabytes at FCFA 1,000. As to what concerns calls, we are from an era where a minute cost FCFA 1,200, today it costs FCFA 5 because of competition,” added the Minister.

She also noted that the telecommunications sector is a sector that changes with time and costs are not decreed.

“Costs in the telecommunications sector are determined by investments made by the operators, and network coverage among others. There are many elements that are taken into account. We are working with the companies to reduce prices. We can’t just tell them to reduce prices like that, we must dialogue with them for that to happen.”

The Minister concluded her proposals by saying government has a responsibility of equipping these telephone companies with the necessary tools so that they can cover their expenses.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

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Disability is not reason for illiteracy

The govenment of Cameroon, together with the Cameroon Baptist Convention health services say they are determined to make education available for all children living with disabilities.

“We are trying to teach teachers to have inclusive skills so they can attend to both children with disabilities and those without. We have equally donated equipments to the GCE board and to other schools,” Prof Tih Pius Mofe, Director of the CBC health service says.

“We have to think about putting in place strategies that will really transform our educational system. We have about 70 schools for inclusive education and we are working together with the Cameroon Baptist health service to give these children living with disabilities a chance at education just like other children,” Pauline Irene Nguene, Minister of social affairs adds.

“I have noticed that most of these children with disabilities are extremely smart and brilliant. We are calling on parents with children having disabilities to send their kids to school. We are trying our best to ensure that they become something in the society and are not forced to stay back at home while others get trained. It is not their making they were born the way they are. We love them too and want the best for them. I have a child with disability and I love him even three times more than the others. I make him feel extremely special. They need it. They get easily traumatized when they see other children doing what they cannot do,” Sophie Njie a CBC worker and a parent explains.

A campaign has been launched by the Ministry of Social Affairs together with the Cameroon Baptist Convention health services to step up the education of children with these disabilities. This campaign was launched in Yaounde this May 05, 2023. The Minister of social affairs, Pauline Irene Nguene says it is time to move from policy to action. She also urged every parent to send their disabled child to school or let them acquire skills.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

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Rhino bull killed and dehorned by poachers near Otjituuo

The Otjozondjupa police have launched an investigation into a poaching incident of a black rhino bull which was allegedly shot and killed on a private game farm near Otjituuo in the Grootfontein district.

Namibian Police Force Unit Commander for Community Affairs in the region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha in an interview with Nampa on Friday said the poaching is suspected to have happened on the farm between 01 April 2023 and 01 May 2023, as the crime scene is old, and was only discovered this week.

The police preliminary investigations indicate that the animal was shot twice in the head with a heavy hunting rifle.

“The suspects sawed and removed the horns of the animal,” Mbeha said.

Its carcass was found in a decomposed state, she added.

A case of hunting specially protected game valued at N.dollars 500 000 has been opened at the Otjituuo Police Station situated less than 100 kilometres east of Grootfontein.

No arrest has been made in connection with the matter, and police investigations continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

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Foetus found in drain at Osona village outside Okahandja

OTJIWARONGO, A four-month-old boy foetus was on Thursday morning found dumped in a sewage drain at Osona village outside Okahandja in the Otjozondupa Region.

Namibian Police Force Unit Commander for Community Affairs in the region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha on Friday said the foetus was discovered on Thursday at 09h30 by workers dealing with the water recycling and sewage systems of the village.

“The lifeless foetus weighing 450 grams, was found wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped in the sewage drain of the Osona village,” Mbeha said.

No arrest has been made in connection with the matter so far, and Mbeha is now calling on the general public who might be aware of a woman who was pregnant and now does not show signs, to share that information with the nearest police station in the country.

A concealment of birth docket was on Thursday opened at the Okahandja Police Station and investigations continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

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Namibian Police Force Unit Commander for Community Affairs in the region,

The Otjozondjupa police have launched an investigation into a poaching incident of a black rhino bull which was allegedly shot and killed on a private game farm near Otjituuo in the Grootfontein district.

Namibian Police Force Unit Commander for Community Affairs in the region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha in an interview with Nampa today said the poaching is suspected to have happened on the farm between 01 April 2023 and 01 May 2023, as the crime scene is old, and was only discovered this week.

The police preliminary investigations indicate that the animal was shot twice in the head with a heavy hunting rifle.

“The suspects sawed and removed the horns of the animal,” Mbeha said adding that its carcass was found in a decomposed state.

A case of hunting specially protected game valued at N.dollars 500 000 has been opened at the Otjituuo Police Station situated less than 100 kilometres east of Grootfontein.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

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10th Africa teaching and learning conference to take place in Windhoek

Africa teaching and learning conference to take place in Windhoek

WINDHOEK, The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) and the Namibia National Teachers Union, will conduct the 10th AFTRA teaching and learning conference in Windhoek from 09 to 12 May.

The theme for this year’s event is ‘Transforming education in Africa: Teachers, teaching, and the teaching profession’.

The Education Ministry in a media statement issued on Friday said that the main objective of the event is to break down the roles of the education ministries, teaching regulatory authorities, and other critical stakeholders in relation to SDG4 and CESA 2016-2025 and to renew their commitment to the revitalisation of the teaching profession.

AFTRA is an intergovernmental organisation comprised of ministries of education and national agencies that regulate education in all African Union member countries, it said.

According to the statement, the national laws that established the national agencies that regulate teaching, empower them to register and license teachers, set standards for pre-service and ongoing teacher professional development, develop and implement a code of ethics and professional standards for teachers and school leaders, and work to promote teachers’ professional status in general.

“AFTRA has grown into a continental federation that leads policy development and implementation for the professionalization of teaching in Africa. It is therefore working to translate these mandates into continental frameworks, facilitate the exchange of best practices, SDG4, Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 and the African Union Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want,” it said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency