Preserving Peace, Stability : Gov’t Reiterates Responsibility Of Media

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The cabinet meeting of October 31, 2019 focused on statements on the situation and prospects for cocoa-coffee sector and promoting national consciousness through the media.

The cabinet meeting of October 31, 2019 started with a minute of silence observed in memory of people who died in the Bafoussam landslide disaster. Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute who chaired the cabinet meeting in the Star Building ordered the minute of silence as a sign of compassion for the victims of the disaster.

Then came the main focus of the meeting that centred on statements, key among which was that of the Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi on “promoting national consciousness through the media.” Talking to the press after the cabinet meeting, Minister Sadi situated the present context characterized by insecurity and crisis in the country with some media organs being used to promote hatred, tribalism and hate speeches.

He said Cameroon’s current challenges were the preservation of peace, stability, fraternity and unity. To combat the negative use of the press, the Minister said, he proposed the drafting of specifications and commitments that will be given to all the media organs be they public or private media on their responsibilities. He said government will continue to sensitise the private press on their responsibilities in fostering national consciousness.

“We recognize the fact that our press have some material and financial difficulties. I had to raise the matter and propose that we should look into it in terms of trying to increase the amount of public assistance to the press.”

Government’s intention, he said, “is to sensitise all journalists to be conscious of the fact that our country is facing a lot of challenges and the main ones are stability and security and we think that because the press is the forth power, it has a role to play besides the government to help people realize the necessity of consolidating these values.” Minister Sadi said all will be done to ensure respect of regulations concerning the social media.

Cocoa-Coffee Sector

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe presented a statement on the situation and prospects of the cocoa-coffee sector. He said cocoa cultivation involves about 800,000 people in seven regions of the country.

Government, he said, had set the objective to produce 600,000 tons of cocoa per year by 2020 but at the moment production only stands at 320,000 tons. To improve on the situation, he said, government has embarked on the supply of sufficient improved plants to farmers as 20 to 30 million plants are needed per year.

He also talked on efforts to apply good phytosanitary treatment, training of farmers on good practices and new plants to renew the plantations. Minister Mbairobe said the situation of the coffee subsector was different because the international price of coffee is very low and coffee requires a lot of fertilizer, phytosanitary treatment and maintenance. “The only way beneficial for us is local processing of coffee".

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