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16.02.2007
Mount Cameroon Race of Hope:FCFA 130 Million Disbursed
By Walter Wilson Nana & Leocadia Bongben, PostNewsLine.com
FCFA 130 Million was made available Wednesday, February 14 to the local organising committee of the 12th edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope.
Leading a delegation from the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education and Cameroon Athletics Federation, Joseph Pierre Noungui, Director of Administration in the Ministry, said, the government of Cameroon is out to ensure that this year´s edition of the race see a successful preparation and a successful conclusion.
According to Noungui, the sports ministry will be monitoring the preparations and the various sub-committees to endeavour that everything moves well before the D-Day, come Sunday, February 18, when the race proper will kick off at the Molyko Sports Complex.
Secretary General in the Southwest Governor´s office, Bernard Ndode Mesape, chairing the deliberations, cautioned that no shortcomings would be tolerated. "The money that has been made handy to the various committees should be used judiciously.
We shall be making unannounced visits to the various committees to see what they are up to. All difficulties should be reported promptly and prompt actions will be taken," he noted.
Ange Douala Sama, President, Cameroon Athletics Federation, revealed that 634 athletes have been registered for the race. They are coming from, Cameroon, China, Rwanda, Togo, Gabon, France, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and Switzerland.
Sama rejoiced that since his team came into office in 2005, participation in the race by athletes have been on the increase. "2005 we had 214 athletes, 2006 we had 390 athletes and 2007 we have 643," he said.
Sama said the prizes for the race this year will be as follows; main race- First Prize; FCFA 3 Million, Second Prize; FCFA 2 Million, Third Prize; 1 Million. In the Relay category; First Prize; FCFA 1.5 Million, Second Prize; FCFA 1.2 Million, Third Prize; FCFA 900,000. In the Youth category; First Prize FCFA 200,000, Second Prize; FCFA 150,000 and Third Prize FCFA 100,000.
In the veteran, there is only the First Prize worth FCFA 500,000.In an earlier preparatory meeting held in the cabinet of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Augustin Edjoa, he called for transparency in the use of the finances set aside for the organisation.
As a measure of transparency, the press was part of the 3rd preparatory meeting.Edjoa cautioned on the issues of security and water supply that is a recurrent problem. He called on the local Administration represented by the Secretary General at the Southwest Governor´s office, Ndode Mesape and the Mayor of Buea, Charles Mbella Moki to make the town receptive.
One of the issues that attracted a lot of debate is the agreement signed by the Athletic Federation with Spectrum Television, STV and not with CRTV. The President of the Athletic Federation, Sama, said a request was officially sent to CRTV, which was not answered.
They decided to go to STV and to tell the population that there would be live coverage of the race.He recalled that in 2002, FCFA 8 million was paid to CRTV for live coverage, which was not delivered, and the money not refunded.
Mbella´s preoccupation was the fallouts of the race to the population of Buea and the need for the prompt disbursement of funds for the smooth organisation.As innovation for this year´s race, in line with the fallouts to the population, Sama disclosed that there would be raffle draws to enable the people win prizes as well as a plethora of cultural activities.
It was also disclosed that the 25 percent cuts, from the winners´ prizes, meant for the federation has been suppressed in order to avoid conflicts.Unlike in the past, the local administration has been given the opportunity to take care of organisation at the local level.
Thursday, 15 February 2007 at 02:21
COMMENTS & REACTIONS
This is a classic example of wasteful spending of tax revenue. What direct benefits do taxpayers derive from a 130, million race project. Is this what the government should be doing. This money can be used to provide scholarship to about 2600 students in the University, built hospitals in many villages, etc, etc, etc. What a waste.
This is how theses group of criminals create motives to distribute public money to their friends and C.P.D.M loyalist. As usually all sort of committees will be formed even committees to supervise committees. Committee members as usually will include: all sort of C.P.D.M. Sub-section members, and these colonial agents call D.O. and S.D.O. At the end of the events checks will be disbursed for committee members and the even will be declare a success by these very committee members.
All of this, will be happening, while many of our parents and grand parents are dying of common disease in villages and cities because of limited access to health care facilities, children dropping from school because of lack of fees.
Unfortunately, we understand the tactics these guys use to deceive our people. Gone are those days we took their words serious. A “Race of Hope” they call it. What an illusion. Hope for what? Hope for more colonization I guest. These guys have a well organized machinery to create delusion and fails expectation from our people as they continue to exploit our resources. Shame on you, because, we understand that tactic very well. Mr. Sama you should be assume to say in 2002, FCFA 8 million was paid to C.R.T.V. for live coverage, C.R.T.V did not honor the engagement and went away with it. Is C.R.T.V. above your own law?
This is a clear example of a product of a fail french educational systems. A system in which efficient and effectiveness is not emphasis. A system which encourages mismanagement of the common good.
We need to stand up to stop these guys from spreading these fail educational and administrative culture into our society. It use to be certain, for example, that when a child success in list A in the Common Entrance Examination, they were assure admission into a public college. Today, our principals have started coping this corrupt system of administration from these colonial masters. Today, no mater whether you were in list A or B you must bribe to get admission into public school. We need to stop it and stop it now.
We need to push these people out of our territory: Southern Cameroons.
Posted by: M Nje | Thursday, 15 February 2007 at 06:36 PM
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