Senators heartily welcomed their colleague Senator Regina Mundi during the opening of the session at the Conference Centre in Yaoundé, last Tuesday June 8, 2022.
The senate was overjoyed with the presence of Senator Elizabeth Regina Mundi in the house, after she regained her freedom from the dungeons of armed separatists. She was kidnapped in Bamenda, and spent 30 days in captivity. On Sunday May 29, the elite force, BIR, rescued the Senator Mundi and other hostages from a hideout in Ashong village, Batibo subdivision of the North West region, the army said in a statement on the night of her liberation. The President of the Senate Marcel Niat Njifenji from his rostrum saluted the Cameroon military for Ashong rescue mission and their effort to preserve the integrity and unity of Cameroon. He castigated separatists operating in the North West and South West regions, and frowned at atrocities carried out by these spawned armed groups in the trouble-ridden English-speaking part of the country. The Senate President asked his peers to support government in its struggle to keep the integrity of Cameroon. He used the positive reviews of the last National Day celebration across the country to justify the will of a majority of Cameroonians to stick together. President Niat was worried at the growing inflation of imported cereals caused by the Russia-Ukraine war since February 2022.
Stakes
There is a likelihood that parliament will receive a bill on the ordinance signed by the President of the Republic Paul Biya on June 2 to amend and supplement some provisions of December 16, 2021 law – the finance law of the Republic of Cameroon for 2022.
In the Ordinance, government raised the 2022 budget by 328 billion francs CFA, because the Covid-19 PCR test is now payable at 30,000 francs CFA after government had earlier covered the cost, making it free. Funds to slow down and trace the spread of Covid-19, and to treat patients paid under the National Solidarity Fund was cut down from 65 to 50 billion francs CFA.
Also, effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is biting harder as the price of cereals and petroleum products continue to skyrocket – government has maintained the price of fuel through heavy subsides. Authorities say over 600 billion francs CFA could be used within a year.
Jude VIBAN
