Chantier Naval: The Truth Behind the Downfall of Zacchaeus Forjindam

Mr. Zacchaeus Forjindam and the Chantier Naval company he built from scratch. (Courtesy of CNIC)

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Mr. Zacchaeus Forjindam, the man who single-handedly built the Chantier Naval et Industriel du Cameroun (CNIC) from a scrap yard for disused marine equipment and vessels into an internationally reputed and fledgling potential industrial multi-national giant was unceremoniously dismissed from his position as General Manager of the State-owned company amidst confusion, accusations, counter-accusations of embezzlement, mishandled and unprofessional auditing procedures by his enemies; and allegedly bitter rivalry within the company insiders and outsiders. To this day, it is not quite clear as to the present veracity of opinions as it appears views are divided between his supporters: who see him as a Cameroonian champion of nation building and a Southern Cameroonian who has again taught French-speaking Cameroonian elite the art of nation-building, astute management and advanced technical and visionary thought.

On the other side of the argument are his enemies: those who saw his unnecessary and unwarranted stab at politics to deliver the much hated CPDM ruling party a victory in his home town of Santa, Southern Cameroons; and his disappointing support for Monsieur Biya, Le President de La Republique, for unconstitutionally staging a constitutional take over by fraudulently voting himself into power for life in the rubber stamp parliament. Others have claimed that his downfall was plotted by tribal demagogues of the Beti strain who disliked and envied Forjindam's successes they had never matched or cannot rival; and that they wanted him removed so that they may take over the company for themselves, their tribesmen and their families.

Whoever is right or wrong is not the question at this instant: the fact of the matter being that Forjindam was arrested soon after his dismissal by the Board of Directors of the company, 7 May 2008. He is presently locked up in La Prison Centrale de Douala au quartier New-Bell. The downfall of Forjindam is not only a great national tragedy for a man with such a supreme talent in management and engineering; but also a tremendous blow to Anglophone Cameroon's participation in Cameroon's developmental plans. Consequently, one has to meticulously examine the truth behind his alleged embezzlement of company's funds.

According to Cameroon French language daily, Quotidienmutations, the fall of the GM began when he secured almost £200 million from an international consortium of financial houses, including the African Development Bank, to expand CNIC into Victoria, Southern Cameroons, by building a world class Shipyard and a deep seaport in that city, http://www.cnicyard.com/. That Forjindam and his closest associates within the company "weaved a vast "network"of extortion of funds from the CNIC"; and that this was confirmed by Forjindam's brief hearing in front of the chief prosecutor.

The total amount "stolen" by Forjindam has not been fully brought to light nor his actual crime. Again, if we refer to Quotidienmutations, 09 May 2008, it is alleged that cheque payments of almost £600,000 were noted to have been made without proper documents to back the funds. The paper did not say who banked these cheques; and on whose account were the cheques deposited; and also where exactly the money came from. Secondly, there were also cheques deposited to the bank to the tune of almost £180, 000, but which were not recorded in the bank's accounts. Again, whose account were these cheques deposited and who, exactly, deposited these cheques is not clear. Thirdly, another situation of withdrawal of almost £220, 000 from the bank "without sufficient verifiable or justifiable documents". In addition, it was discovered that there were fictitious names on the CNIC's payroll -- workers who didn't exist. If this is found to be true, then this, clearly, is corruption. The total amount in question, therefore, amounts to about £1,000, 000 (one million GBP). Which begs the question as to who owned this money; and from whose account was the theatrical financial drama acted. Was it from the CNIC account or was it from Forjindam's? And what, exactly, do they mean by "insufficient justifiable documents" as related to the deposit or withdrawal of money? These are the crucial questions that must be answered.

Forjindam's fall is a classic example of the kind of unaccountable and undemocratic politics that prevails in Africa. Born in 1949, Forjindam attended CPC Bali, from where he won an American scholarship to the famed Cameroon College of Arts, Science and Technology, Bambili. Having obtained his degree in Engineering from Fourah Bay University College in Sierra Leone, he worked in a maritime company in France before returning to Cameroon to work for the Cameroon Shipyard; at that time an unknown and penniless company. Installed in 1988 as GM of CNIC, he took the company to profitability and unprecedented expansion; delivering a profit of £8 million for a turnover of £40 million of business in 2007; took the workforce from 32 employees to 2500 people who earn their living at the Cameroon Shipyard and Engineering Company (CINC).

It must be noted that this achievement appears to be one of the first in Cameroon; and possibly Africa; and that many of Cameroon's state owned companies have either been looted of funds by corrupt party apparatchik managers or are on the verge of being bankrupted by the same incompetent party men. It is also interesting to note that the French-Speaking elite have always cast an envious eye on prosperous Southern Cameroons built institutions. One only hopes that his is not a repeat of a vicious cycle of Anglophone Cameroon hard work that may also end up in smoke as a result of the appointment of incompetent people to manage an organisation on the basis of "regional balance". When the Francophone elite took over the Anglophone-built Produce Marketing Board (PMO), one of the richest companies in the country at the time, it was not long before they looted and destroyed the company. The same goes to Cameroon Bank that was allegedly bankrupted by thieves pretending to be managers.

Forjidam's fall may also be of his own making. There was absolutely no reason for him to jump into politics in full with people who are corrupt, mad and bad. If at all, it turned out he committed a crime, it would be due to his own folly. There are reports that CPDM bosses of state companies raid state company accounts to sponsor elections which are heavily rigged on the promise of positions after the win of Paul Biya's party; CPDM. Forjindam, with such a huge talent, did not have to join the ranks of the mediocre and talentless technocrats to do the same. For his folly, his enemies found a web to weave around his mien; and then swallow him alive. On the other hand, if it is found that the auditing procedure was flawed and that Forjindam did no wrong, then he will be entitled to an unheard of financial compensation and a possible re-reinstatement to his old position or to that of another company of similar class. It is interesting to note that Forjindam returned profits and clean financial and managerial records for almost twenty years. For almost 2 decades, there is no evidence of embezzlement. Why then would he steal £1 million in the last 2 years? Mystery upon mystery.

The House of Commons Debate on Cameroon and Zimbabwe:Part 2

Clock Tower and Big Ben at Westminster

http://www.wikitravel.org/

http://www.creativecommons.org/licences/by-sa/3.0

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Ms Tanje had just finished her eloquently crafted speech when a familiar ding dong sound broke the controlled applause that went after the well intentioned delivery. As I studied the harmonics of the sound with keen interest, it dawned on me that we had reached the top of the hour; and so Big Ben was striking. It struck seven times immediately after which Hon. Corbyn MP began his speech on Elections and Democracy in Africa.

The Hon. Legislator began with his experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) formerly known as Zaire: that during the election campaign, there was not the slightest of hints or mentioning of future policies by any of the leading politicians in the campaign trail. This was strange to him as the long civil strife in that country had devastated Goma; where he made his observations. At least, he had expected a politician to come up with reasonably sound ideas of rehabilitation as a policy; and platform for his elections. Unfortunately for the African people, no policy was forth coming for the forgotten African poor. To add to this great political and social misfortune, the war in Zaire had killed at least 3- 5 million people since it began in the 1990s when Mobutu was driven out from power. The amount of people killed was far greater than those killed in the Iran-Iraq war in the late 1970s and early 1980s; and the present day Iraqi insurgency war against America in Iraq; all put together.

He also lamented the lack of sustained reports on important and devastating news that are emanate from the African continent. He furnished these regrets with illustrations about the plane crash that occurred in Goma, DCR. The doomed aircraft had arrived Goma; at an airport whose runway was merely partly tarred, and partly bare earth or the tar had worn off leaving huge holes on the runway; thus making landing and taking off uneven and consequently dangerous. As the aircraft approached, one of its wheels came off the on landing leading to the disaster. Eighty people died from this unfortunate accident. This, according the Hon Corbyn, was an important event that needed international news attention so that the world might be aware of the dangerous and appalling conditions the people of DCR are subjected to; and that there should might have been an internationally-led investigation as to the cause of this crash and recommended solutions availed. However, the plane accident was reported by the CNN for just a single day; and the news was dropped the next day.

This was not appreciated giving that the Congo is one of the richest countries, in terms of natural resources, in the world-- Diamonds, Cobalt and Gold. In the hinterlands and the forests of Congo, away from the coast, are rare unexploited hardwoods found nowhere in the world. All kinds of peoples of this world have been made rich by the DCR from inside and outside the country -- foreigners, the Congolese elite, Europeans, Asians have all been made very rich by the DCR. Yet in this rich country, the politicians have neglected their responsibility as to why they have been elected to power due to unaccountability and heartless neglect of the masses who are in danger of extinction due to grinding poverty, illiteracy, death and disease. Half the children of DCR have no school to attend or are not attending due to desperate circumstances. As many children as one may conceive, in such harsh and politically uncaring environment, are orphaned. As the politicians do not take any responsibilities, Police officers are not paid; leading to bribery and consequently abuse of powers by the Police and Civil servants.

Further, in Africa, democratic powers have been usurped by China and Big Companies as a result of unaccountable African politicians who have refused to take their responsibility to perform their duties as democratically elected officials at the highest levels.

He concluded with a powerful speech which he gave later; after the first speech. On accountability, therefore, he arrived the irrefutable conclusion that most African politicians are a law onto themselves in Africa; and that this is against democratic principles. Corruption, kick backs and neglect of duties have allowed them to get away with lawless actions with impunity. Unless we build democratic institutions that can hold leaders into account for their actions Africans will be doomed. Thus democracy does not mean fair elections alone; but that those elected are punished according to the law if they are found to have committed a serious crime as no one can be above the law. This necessitates, also, that there should be an independence of judiciary and freedom of speech for all African citizens. In these settings, therefore, we can hold corrupt and incompetent politicians accountable but allowing and encouraging only the competent and the near flawless characters to prevail in leadership and politics. We also need powerful democratic institutions who will prevent or stand before these powerful organisations, corrupt politicians and other exploitative nations from stealing the wealth of Africa while the people suffer from abject poverty in riches. Furthermore, these democratic institutions would be able to negotiate with these powerful organisations and companies to obtain a fair deal for the people.

Author's Comments:

Hon Corbny's speech is a powerful voice against foreign exploitation, corruption, violence and graft in Africa that are inflicting untold suffering, indignation and indignity among Africans, their friends and the world. Post-Independence African leaders have woefully failed their people; and are further leading their own people to abysmal ruin and possibly inevitable extinction.

Hon. Corbyn's citation of China is very intriguing. It must be noted here that China has a history of brutal and forceful expansionism so as to accommodate her people as a result of her huge population; and also as a result of her cunningly disguised ambitions to attain international Superpowerdom. In October 1950, China invaded and annexed Tibet that had been independent since the 13th century; for prestigious purposes bent on adding on to Mao's communist vision of a powerful and expanded China. They continue to occupy Tibet despite international outcry for the prevalence of international justice; and Tibetan protests which are brutally put down by crack Chinese troops from Beijing.

China and India are also locked in a hot border dispute after China illegally occupied Arunachal Pradesh, an entire state in India, the size of Cameroon. A border war with India found India defeated and humiliated and later gave up the fight. China still occupies the Indian State. Again in the 1950s, China attacked Aksai Chin near the Everest Mountain range in India, a region that borders Tibet and India. They have not given it up.

The romance between Africa and China is a dangerous game that may end up in tears; with Africa being recolonised by China, a second time, after the regrettably unconsultative Berlin Conference. There have been recent reports in the Cameroons fishing waters in Victoria and Bakassi;whereby Chinese fishermen are brutally overfishing with trawlers, consequently forcing local African fishermen out of business; at the same time depleting fish stocks. While one should support bilateral agreements and fair trade between Africa and China, only the most tellingly uninformed and hopelessly desperate would want to surrender their Independence as a result of small fish and biscuits offered by China in return for the huge natural resources; and a potential emergence of a powerful, politically resourceful and economically viable Africa.

According John Swain, in an article, "China's New Frontier" in Sunday Times Magazine, February 10, 2008, an interview with a Chinese scientist revealed this answer: "We sic[in China] have 600 rivers, 400 of which have been killed by pollution. We will have to send 300 million people to Africa before we begin the end of our problems". One should be in support of people emigrating and contributing to the world. However, planning to send or export 300 million people to another man's land looks like a colonial Coup D'Etat. Africa's population is about 500 million; meaning that the Chinese will then make up almost half of the resultant 800 million overnight.

One is in support of Chinese enterprise and her determination to share technology and knowledge with Africans. On the other hand, one should be reminded of Sun-Tzu (Master Sun) who wrote the monumental philosophy on "The Art of War". On Strategy, Master Sun wrote:

In War,

Better take

A state

Intact

Than destroy it

Ultimate excellence lies

Not in winning

Every battle

But in defeating the enemy

Without ever fighting..

When far appear near

When near appear far....

Lure with bait;

Strike with chaos

Attack

Where he is

Unprepared

Appear where

You are unexpected

This is victory in warfare

It cannot be divulged in advance.

The Ethanol Question

Louis Egbe Mbua

This writing is in response to Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Senior fellow at Hudson Institute and former chief economist at the US Department of Labour. Writing on http://www.american.com/, 22 April 2008, the new American magazine, she advocated the immediate ban on ethanol subsidies in the United States; and by implication attacking the wisdom of growing crops for Biofuels at this time of soaring food prices; that the present production of ethanol is not viable; and that production of ethanol produces "more harmful emissions of greenhouse gases than it prevents".

While one believes the Senior Fellow touched salient points on this matter, she however, it appears, failed to converge the economics of production of ethanol and the crucial need for technological advancement in relation to safeguarding renewable and sustainable fuel for the future. There has never been recorded, any new technology that starts with a "viability". It took more than 40 years from 1903 for Air travel to become economical ; more than 20 years before Henry Ford discovered mass production of the T-Model for profitability. If this were the case for early technologies, it would not be different for Biofuels. Biofuels production would become more and more cheaper as the technology advances to fit mass scale production and at the same time obey market forces for it to survive. Furthermore the transportation of ethanol petrol blends for distribution purposes would be possible with advanced funded research in relation to pipelines and fluids -- possibly near ambient gasification followed by cooling.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth went further to attribubte, in advance, the imminence of more harmful world pollution on ethanol production based on publications by the eminent Professor Timothy Searchinger at Princeton University. While one has hardly read the paper, it is safe to assert that there is no known method of producing fossil and biologically based fuels without some kind of pollution. If we go by their argument then we must stop exploiting crude oil as well since crude oil drilling is also energy intensive and therefore produces harmful GHG. Further, we must stop running machines with fossil fuels since they pollute the environment. We know these assertions to be obvious impossibilities in this day and age.

While the Professor and his researchers may be right in their research goals, their work ,as far as I can see, appears to have failed to take technological advancement to reduce GHG while producing ethanol into consideration. Consequently, it would seem to me that their 167 year extrapolation of harmful emissions from ethanol production is not valid unless they would have to prove that the technology for Biofuels production will remain unchanged for more than a century and a half; and that ethanol would be produced only from land conversion to grow corn and other Biofuels food crops.

The Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute also insinuated the cause to ethanol production from crops: the sky high rocketing global food prices that have, unfortunately, sparked riots in developing countries like Haiti. While, it is right that food sufficiency must balance availability of fuel for any kind of human survival to materialise, there is little evidence that Biofuels production is responsible for this debacle. The most likely cause is the relentless upward rise in crude oil prices that today stand at about $119 per barrel. Fossil fuel is the main fuel for farm and plant machinery for the food industry. It follows that the high fuel cost will be passed onto the consumer. For oil prices to stabilise, supply for fuel has to outstrip demand which means we must produce alternative fuel.

Today we have Biofuels as both renewable and alternative and possibly sustainable in the future. And unless we can find an alternative that can be considered of superior qualities than Biofuels, all we have to do is develop the technology so as to eliminate or drastically curtail their disadvantages to humans in terms of emissions, enhanced viability and competition for food. This calls for funded research and development. Ethanol subsidies are important for the advancement of this technology to produce Biofuels to eliminate or drastically cut these drawbacks.

The House of Commons Debate on Cameroon and Zimbabwe: Part One

By Louis Egbe Mbua

On the 22 of April 2008, the British House of Commons hosted a historic debate on the theme of Elections and Democracy in Africa with particular focus on Cameroon and Zimbabwe at Committee Room 15. The host was Hon. Jeremy Corbyn the Labour Member of Parliament at Westminster in conjunction with Africa Awake, the London Activist group.

After obtaining the news of this debate from well wishers, I was determined to attend and see for myself how democratic debates are conducted in the Mother of all Parliament. On that day, I had finished by professional duties at 4.45 pm and rushed to catch the fast train from Twickenham to Waterloo for the Jubilee line to Westminster. Having missed the 5.23 train I jumped on the 5.28 one arriving at the House of Commons at about time. After the procedural security check and the maze of hallways and corridors I found myself in Committee room 15 with the hall jam-packed. I managed, with the help of Sam the Zimbabwean at the door, to find a back seat next to a young Cameroonian woman who came with her young child of about 9 months old.

Every shade of Cameroonian, Zimbabwean, Ethiopian, British, women, men, a child were there. In all their numbers they came. Francophones, Anglophones, Union des Populations Camerounais (UPC), Liberal Democratic Alliance (LDA), Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation (SCAPO), Southern Cameroons Youth League (SCYL), Social Democratic Front (SDF), The Cameroon Network, The Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), The Bakwerilands Claims Committee (BLCC), the Anti-Mugabe camp, well-wishers, Doctorate students from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Cameroonian refugees, elderly British ladies and concerned Africans were all there to watch and debate the evils of Africa and what solutions that may be offered from this historic meeting.

Having missed the opening speech I watched as Ms Tanje, The Cameroon Network Publicity Secretary took the floor. Her speech was to the point and clear. She outlined the sufferings of the peoples of Cameroon on both sides of the Mungo -- Francophones and Anglophones--and that the international community should be conscious of this evil against the people by the authoritarian regime. She then moved on to the problem of wrongful deportation of Cameroonians by the British immigration authorities. This was much more grave for Southern Cameroonians who are immediately arrested on arrival at the Douala airport, locked up in prison, tortured and beaten by barbarous and cruel gendarmes and Policemen in Cameroon; and that the deportees family who cannot stand their kins being inhumanly maltreated in prison for no obvious reasons have to bribe them out of the torture chambers; causing added and unwanted financial hardship for Cameroonians in general and Southern Cameroonians in particular.

For those who cannot afford the means to bribe so as to secure a release of the deportee, they are left with their own devices in prison where the beatings and torture continues unabated. Her solution, she contends, is for the Home Office to alter their profile of Cameroon because the totalitarian and undemocratic regime of Mr. Paul Biya continues to deceive the world with his fake fight for corruption and that all is socially, economically and politically well. Therefore, the Home Office should not be deporting young Cameroonians to their death.

Author's Comments:

The evil that has visited Africa by her own sons and daughters who have pretentious leadership agendas has now overflowed to a flood. One can cannot actually imagine the feeling of this meeting unless one was actually there. Young and intelligent people, being driven out of their own countries by greedy and wicked leaders, are being given a voice in one of the most advanced countries in the world at the heart of their own institution; and the most prestigious of their own democratic governance and symbol to debate on solutions of the problems of the very nations that drove them out. One does not have to emphasise that these same Africans can never dream of venturing into their own countries' House of Parliament -- if we may call such corrupt institutions parliament- to voice their disapproval of these wicked systems yet they can do so in the UK without fear of being harassed, killed, beaten and tortured. As I turned my thoughts east, west, north and south of the world and pondering on the vicissitudes of what was happening and unfolding before my own eyes; and the unfathomable contrasts and contradictions of the evil in Africa by her leaders against their own people, the small child I sat next to began to cry. My thoughts went into lightning reverse as though struck by a great anger at the same time hope and gladness:

Children of Africa thrown
Out but given a throne:
Westminster broad and wide;
In knowledge good and wise
An experience broad and deep
And makes them glad and weep_

I stopped the song and prepared for the next speaker of the debate on democracy and elections in Africa.

Biofuels are the New Black Gold: PART THREE: ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Louis Egbe Mbua



As we live in the Biosphere, so too must we act responsibly in the case of natural resources. Biofuels technology, production and distribution is no different in this respect. As the fuel is obtained from plant, we must be sure that we do not destroy the same environment that provides the raw material for this commodity. Furthermore, humans alone do not inhabit the earth nor can we live here without the same plants that we are discussing. Additionally, we are aware that certain animal specie that depend on plants and the forest for habitation and food supplies are now endangered. Consequently, our production of Biofuels should not override these concerns leading to destruction of both the environment therefore the extinction of certain animal and plant species. The forests, if cleared for biofuel crops should be done in such away that animals are relocated to similar habitats and rare plants are replanted in another appropriate environment so that species are both conserved while we maintain Biosphere balance. Similarly, in the grass plains that may serve as a potential for Biofuel raw material, again, animals such as elephants and zebra should be given close attention in conservation possibly by relocation and replanting of edible plants for these animals as if we do not act responsibly, the food chain will be affected with severe consequences to the ecosystem.



Then we have to realise that Biofuels production has to compete with food production. With the world population standing at 6 billion, and rising exponentially, we have to balance our priorities to ensure that food production is high enough to sustain world population growth and avert world hunger. This means that crops such as wheat and barley, potential crops must not be sacrificed as food as against Biofuels. At the same time, we must ensure that our energy supplies are adequate to grow these crops for both food and Biofuels. Extensive research should be done to ensure that a model can be developed that may balance food production as against the utilisation of land to produce Biofuels crops; and that the environment and soil should not be overused and hence destruction. The best method to achieve this goal may be to mark out how much land are required for Biofuel crops; how much fuel is to be produced to meet our demands; and how much land should be utilised for food production to again meet world population growth.



The next consideration is town planning that may give rise to what one may consider as future Biocities. We must be careful not to create a situation whereby indigenous people living in particular areas that are suitable for Biofuel crops are not forcibly displaced from their habitation. The solution to this kind of scenario and potential for conflict; is to ensure that any estate that is marked out for Biofuel crop planting must be accompanied by new Biocities that reflect the original environment for the displaced peoples. Such Biocities may have to be sustained by renewable energy as well as solar power; and that plants that may have been cut down to create the Biofuel estate are replanted in the vicinity of the city so that the environment is stabilised; and that we do not create a scenario whereby a particular group of people practising a particular way of life; as well as rare plants are maintained for the future generation to continue with Biofuel production.



Another consideration will be road or railways construction and distribution of the Biofuel crops and the manufactured Biofuels. Again, we actually need these network if our energy needs are to be met. They should be built in such a way as not to disturb the local populations with noise pollution in the cities involved; and that if this road projects are through dense forests, the felled trees and crops have to be replanted to maintain biodiversity balance. Research has to be done to map out what species would be affected before the road or railway building begins.



Further, it is true that Biofuels also produce oxides of carbon that cause Green House effect and Global warming. However, it can be said in some logical sense that the Carbon oxides produced is again absorbed by the same Biofuel plants and crops that produce the fuel. Consequently, it can be argued that the net carbon oxides produced by Biofuels may not be of enough amounts as to increase the already known effect of earth heating with the consequences that will result.



The building of refineries, power stations with their cooling towers should also be located in such a way as not to distort and mask the environment. There is scientific evidence that shorter and smaller fluidised bed cooling towers of about 10 times smaller than conventional fixed ones; which are prevalent in the countryside. More research should be done in the design of these towers so as to obviate any environmental conflict that may ensue in the case of building another power plant using biofuels. The advantage for a Biofuels refinery is that its aromatic effect may give near by habitation a kind of Bioperfumes that are more pleasant to the environment than byproducts of crude petroleum refineries.



Another consideration is the problem of compose that help balance soil fertility. If we are to utilise green plant stalks, then there would be less available compose to enrich the soil for further cultivation. Therefore, one believes that some of the stalk should be left in the soil while some are utilised. And that this should be balanced with appropriate application of fertilizers to augment soil nutrients taken away for Biofuels production rather than plough back to the ground.

These are not exhaustive environmental concerns. On the other hand, it may serve as a guiding hand for individual governments and law makers to legislate so as to protect the environment, indigenous populations and biodiversity at the same time support the production of Biofuels. In this way, we may have a balance of environment; people, biodiversity and Biofuels production for the benefit of human kind.

Biofuels are the New Black Gold: PART TWO

Louis Egbe Mbua

I am keeping my promise to return to Biofuels to add to the first part of this very relevant commodity. As reported in part one, Biofuels, a renewable form of energy, appear to be the answer to the dwindling and often hotly disputed supplies of the Black Gold -- crude oil.; and that this new technology, if responsibly harnessed, may serve as a springing point for the down-trodden deprived; and the solution to the already unchecked energy crisis and the Global Warming warnings of impending doom of the earth and hence a threat to both humanity and Biodiversity.

Biofuels Technology holds the advantage that it can be manufactured from any green plant. This said, it is a more than happy position to realise that even green grass may be used to produce ethanol, one of the fuels as an additive to petrol so as to reduce, significantly, its toxic Carbon oxides that cause global warming; and that this fuel had the potential to deliver similar power as fossil fuel. This finding had been realised as far back as 20 years ago at Middlesex University; and other institutions in the UK.

On the other hand, the findings were based on standard ethanol from conventional plants such as sugar cane. So if, cellulose, a form of carbohydrate, that constitutes the walls of all green plants can be used to produce fuel, it follows that we will be saved from the present struggle for future survival in energy want. The reason for this plausible optimism is borne out of the common knowledge that cellulose is the most abundant plant material in the entirety of biodiversity; and that it is renewable because it can be farmed and planted; and also it grows wild. In this case, therefore, a Masai cattle herder in the Masai Mara grass plains in Kenya, or the Fulani dweller in the grasslands of the Cameroons will now become a tenured estate property holder if he has a designated ancestral land with grass. Further, straw, plant stem remains from harvests of rice, corn, banana etc. can also be converted to ethanol. In another light, having easy and ready raw material for production of energy is only but one aspect of the process: converting this raw material to high quality standardised and safe liquid fuel is a completely different, expensive and complicated matter altogether.

In the local level, many tribesmen in developing countries have been brewing alcohol for years using a local process. Since ethanol is alcohol, the same process can be used to produce fuels for local use at less than nothing. The process is simple: the crop is crushed, and dependent upon the quantity of crushed crop, water is then added to the crushed crop in a process known as hydrolysis whereby the water is used to break down the starch by means of enzymes from bacteria or algae. The product is then heated at a very high temperature so as to fully liquefy the product; and then cooled slowly while adjusting the acid level. After cooling, a fermentation agent is added convert part of the resultant liquefied product into alcohol. This is then followed by distillation to extract the ethanol in a locally designed refinery. The ethanol can then be sold to a fuel wholesaler, as long as it meets legal standards defined by the country in charge.

The process is not much different in the industrial scale where millions of tons of ethanol can be produced from sugar cane, maize stalk and cassavas or Biodiesel being produced from palm fruits, groundnuts and other crops highly rich in vegetable oil. Biodisel, on the other hand is basically vegetable oil and has absolutely no petrol or minerals but it can also be blended with petroleum to form biodiesel blend to run in diesel engines in motor vehicles or industrial scale engines, generators, trains and jet engines for Airline travel. Since Biodiesel contains no sulphur, it produces less dangerous oxides that are harmful to humans and the environment. Further, it is biodegradable than the diesel created from crude oil. Furthermore it has a pleasant aroma as opposed to crude petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is produced by a chemically induced process known as transesterification: first the palm fruit is separated from the palm nut. The fatty fruit is now crushed, chemically treated and refined to separate the biodiesel fuel from other organic products resulting from the refining process. Another typical byproduct of this process is glycerin that may be used to manufacture skin products like baby oil, soap. Another by product is used as vegetable oil for food.

While other countries are leading in this field, one hopes developing countries will also join in this noble endeavour for solutions to the energy problem. In Europe and the UK, the government and venture captitals are backing and promoting biofuels as an answer to sustainable and reliable future energy source. This, and other factors have aided the renewable energy company Ensus to go ahead to build Europe's biggest bioethanol plant at Wilton, Teeside, England. Ford Motor company has also joined the biofuel energy promotion selling, so far, up to 15o cars that run on 85 % biodiesel fuel. African and Asian countries with experience (Cameroon, Malaysia, Nigeria, India, Brazil) in refining both crude oil and crude vegetable oil or starch are now better placed to join the production of the New Black Gold so as to transform the lives of their citizens as well as help the world to overcome the constant threat of energy crisis. The next issue will examine the environmental, social, political and economic impact of Biofuels in international and National levels.

Cameroon: A Tale of Two Countries

The Two Cameroons:

Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun

Louis Egbe Mbua

The tinkling sound of the little bell of social and economic deprivation may, sooner or later, generate into the sonic boom that is registered on the arrival of a technological crash rather than a marvel. If there exists the marvel scenario today and the foreseeable future in Cameroon, then the long suffering population of that country would have cause for hope and celebration; and not riots. Yet, there are no civilised values or technological economic boom in the farthest distant future. It is not the opinion of this writer to propound alarmist pessimism nor should one pander to delusively-induced euphoria and unfounded optimism. This proposition will dwell on the causes of the present decline to mass poverty and economic want that led to the recent unrest in Cameroon; and to expose the irresponsible and corrupt people who made this national disaster possible. It took Cameroon less than 20 years from independence to reach middle-income status of about £1000 GDP per Capita in 1980; by a wide contrast, it took another 20 miserable years for grossly incompetent, corrupt and ethnocentric leaders to actually reduce this figure to about £500 thus taking the same country into the beggarly seat of the unreformed and shameless Poor.

The revolt of 25 - 29 February 2008 in Cameroon has been attributed to destitution and poverty; and that there are ongoing attempts by Mr. Paul Biya to commit an openly constitutional fraud without the consent of the people of Cameroon; and that he is an extremely ungrateful man who has fed from the public purse for 46 years but refuses to grow up and live a private life without the usual support from state coffers to furnish his lazy and jet-set life-style. While these may have caused immediate resentment to trigger an uprising, the seed for the destruction of Cameroon had been laid from the very beginning when the UN forcefully, fraudulently and illegally conducted a referendum in Southern Cameroons that was already far more advanced than La Republique du Cameroun -- in governance, democracy, education, law and economy. It is not clear why the UN committed such a blatantly illegal act in clear violation of UN Charter, the Trusteeship Agreements and the rights of the inhabitants of Southern Cameroons. In any case, the results clearly show that the people of Southern Cameroons achieved their independence by forming a Federation with La Republique du Cameroun. Meanwhile, in another show of of grave or deliberate negligence, the UN left the territory without finalising the constitution of the Federation but conspired with other Powers to hand over Southern Cameroons to a far more backward La Republique du Cameroun thus setting the stage for what happened in February 2008 and what awaits the future. The aftermath of this doomed Union between the two former UN Trust Territories will be visited more expansively in the future.

The aim of this short summary of history is to explain why the Uprising was fundamentally located in the four provinces in today's Cameroon: The South-West (Buea and Kumba) and North-West (Bamenda and Kumbo) -- which constitute the Southern Cameroons; the Littoral Province where the Port City of Douala is located and where the riots were most vociferous and violent; and the West Province, the stronghold and political pinch point of the influential but politically disadvantaged Bamilekes. The two maps shown above give vivid indications of all the areas where the riots occurred; and that they are located adjacent to the Southern Cameroons and to each other; and that these are the areas where the opposition to the autocratic, tribalistic and incompetent rule of Mr. Paul Biya has been concentrating. The reason for this consistency in geopolitical action is simple. Before the re-unification of the two Cameroons in 1961, Southern Cameroons had a well-developed agricultural, politically democratic and educational institutions. Infra-structures were well maintained until 1972 when the neo-colonial French government of Ahidjo master-minded a constitutional Coup D'Etat by overthrowing the then government of Southern Cameroons; again in violation of the Federal Constitution of the Cameroons. The reason for this fraudulent and criminal act was then not evident at the time. But it became clear in the mid 1980s that this act was bent on destroying the Southern Cameroon's well-founded and maintained institutions and way of life so as to re-colonise the country by his own country La Republique du Cameroun. This, Ahidjo carried out with savage brutality: closing down ports, airports, financial institutions, Import and export businesses and above all Southern Cameroons entrepreneurship; roads and railways were left to rot or were never built.

The fall of Southern Cameroons -- economically and politically -- was the beginning of the end of contemporary Cameroon. Since the Western and Littoral Provinces of La Republique du Cameroun benefited from the economic and and governmental know-how, peace, security and business liberalism of Southern Cameroons; and on account of being neighbours, the poverty and economic destruction of Southern Cameroons was to visit them at some later date in some kind of domino effect -- the destruction of a powerful neighbour ensures one's own fall. The only ingredient required was to appoint a foolish and equally vision less leadership to finally bring this certainty to pass. And appointed them they did. Consequently, the recent riots in Cameroon had been sown 47 years ago; and all evidence suggest that it will get worse if this very unfortunate trend of political fraud, theft and social exclusion continues. Further, the longer Monsieur Paul Biya remains as President of La Republique du Cameroun, the higher the chances of a wreckage resulting from the disastrous crash that, normally, is closely associated with or related to the slaying of an untamed and dangerous Leviathan.