CRTV’s Press Club programme banned

Press Club, a weekly Saturday morning programme aired over the Cameroon Radio and Television, CRTV Regional Station in Buea has been suspended purportedly on grounds that it was “preaching xenophobia”.

The directive was given by the Regional Director of CRTV South West, David Chuye Bunyui on Tuesday, July 22. Though the notice to ban the program till further notice gives no explanation, it is suspected that Chuye must have received instructions from hierarchy to that end. Chuye said that the program was suspended because of its edition which he reportedly described as the “most unprofessional of all editions”.

The ban stems from a petition presented by Fako chiefs to CRTV General Manager. In this petition was the claims by Amadou Vamoulke, that “the program was being used to make unwarranted declarations that could lead to violence, secession and genocide”. The petition particularly mentioned the July 12 edition of the program.

As per the document presented the petition read, “Meeting in Buea on 16th July, we, the Fako Traditional Rulers after taking cognizance of certain unwarranted statements made on the CRTV-Buea slot “Press Club” by a group of unscrupulous individuals using the name of some outlawed groups and a certain Tambe Tiku Christopher who have continuously been calling for violence, genocide and secession under the pretext of Fako Lands,”

The move to ban the program is also said to have been influenced by some administrators of the region who felt the program is taking advantage of their platform to lambast them.

Created in 2006 with anchor-man Sam Bokuba, the programme before the ban had as their panellists, Bouddih Adams, Walter Wilson Nana, Macdonald Ayang, Christopher Ambe and Ernest Molua.

Recently, Christopher Tambe Tiku and Barrister Ikome Ngongi were very vocal on what they termed “the fight against the continuing illegality surrounding transactions over Fako lands”. Teased on a possible ban of the programme, Tambe Tiku, South West Secretary of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms said it will be a violation of the people’s right to information, freedom of speech and to the freedom of the press.

Christopher Ambe , one of the pioneer Press Club panellists and Editor of The Recorder, told The Sun that “It is unfortunate that the best programme of CRTV Buea has been suspended. I think we should advance the course of freedom of press, not resort to censorship, in a country that prides itself of an advanced democracy.

We started this program eight years ago and it has since been as break fast to hundreds of thousands of people. My understanding is that the station manager who banned the slot must have been under pressure from some allegedly corrupt administrators cited by panellists.”

Before the ban, the Moderator of the programme, Jonas Matute Menyoli had said he had received threats from anonymous individuals apparently fuming in anger over certain issues that have been dissected by the journalists and guests over the Talk Show in recent times.