CRTV reacts to the release of 27 hostages

CRTV's Central Editor-in-Chief, Joe Chebonkeng Kalabubse in an exclusive Interview on the 7:30pm News of 13th October, 2014 reacted to the release of the 27 hostages abducted by Boko Haram some five months ago.

Benn Meno Pufong: By receiving the 27 hostages at the Unity Palace today, President Paul Biya did not only demonstrate his role as father of the nation but that of the guarantor of security of those who live and work in Cameroon. I will like to welcome our Editor-in-Chief, Joe Chebongkeng Kalabubse who has this reaction to the event at the Unity Palace.

Joe Chebongkeng: Good evening Benn. It is always said a prudent man is consistent in all things pertaining to perfection and this speaks well of his intelligence.

This philosophical statement by Baltasar Gracian could be likened to the consistent manner with which President Paul Biya has handled the various hostage crises that have involved our country Cameroon.

From the Moulin Fournier family, Father Vanderboutch and the the two Italian priests and canadian sister who were all foreigners to the current incident, the Head of State has demonstrated that he remains a man of his word; and that the nation cares for everyone who lives on Cameroonian territory be they young or old, female or male, foreigner or national, and that the nation does not tag a price when it comes to human lives.

Benn Meno Pufong: The Head of State had a message for friends to those who live and work in Cameroon.

Joe Chebongkeng: The Chinese have demonstrated their reliability and can be rightly qualified as friends indeed because they have proven to all cameroonians they can count on them.

Given the assurance he made to the head of the chinese diplomatic mission to Yaounde, when 10 Chinese citizens were kidnapped, today's event at Unity Palace was the public view of the private engagement the head of State had taken with the chinese.

They have been useful and continue to be very useful in the infrastructural development of our country. There wouldn't have been any other two ways of assuring a good Friend.

Benn Meno Pufong: And to the military the message was clear, the fight against Boko Haram must be won.

Joe Chebongkeng: Our defence forces are those at the forefront and as commander in Chief of the army he was calling on those whose have pledged to defend the territorial integrity of Cameroon to make sure that this does not happen again.

They have the support of the entire nation. All they have to do is to deliver the goods in the military victory over Boko Haram.

Benn Melo Pufong: He also had a word for the civilian population. Joe Chebongkeng: Besides the conforting words to the 17 Cameroonians who spent some two months in captivity, the head of state while expressing his determination to combat the terrorist group launched an appeal to the ordinary Cameroonian citizen to be on the watchout.

The Americans say if you see something, say something. Any army is just as powerful as its citizens want it to be. And for those who lived the realities of life in captivity, today is an important day in their lives but they will live to tell story of how once upon a time.