2013 CPS Post Congress Report by Cameroon Professional Society

Cameroon Professional Society Distinguished Annual Congress

From Vision to Action: The Cameroonian Imperative The 4th Distinguished Annual Congress July 26 – 27, 2013 Marriott BWI Airport, Baltimore, MD

The CPS Distinguished Annual Congress is the premier gathering of progressive, talented and dynamic Cameroonians from all over the world with the goal of leveraging collective experiences in order to power economic growth and development in Cameroon. It is indeed the Cameroonian “Davos”.

Thank You

e would like to thank our keynote speakers: Mathias Fobi, MD (CEO of Bariatec Corporation) and Mr. Christopher Che (Chairman of the Che International Group). We would also like to thank our speakers, panelists and volunteers who shared their insight, effort, and talent to make the congress our most successful one yet.

An event of this magnitude is not possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners. We would like to extend our gratitude to our Gold Sponsor (Brussels Airlines),Silver Sponsors (Che International Group & The Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation), Bronze Sponsors (Tiagha & Associates, Bariatec Corporation, MA-ES and Transmaw Food Services), as well as our long-term partners (Diaspo Expo , Cameroonvoice and Fossoconsulting) To all the CPS members and executives, we say thank you. Sincerely, Fofeyin Yengo Bonito President

Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Table of Contents

Thinking Ahead with Young Leaders Assessing the Impact of Alumni Groups

MLC

Etabong Enterprises 6401 Golden Triangle Dr, St 115, Greenbelt, MD 20770 Tel: +1-240-353- 8449 / +1-240-353-9632/ +1301 755 4405 Email: etabang@yahoo.com

Other Sponsors

Understanding Corporate America - How Do I Rise Up? Tribal Groups & Hometown Organizations

5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12 13 14-15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

he Cameroon Professional Society (CPS) would like to thank the participants and supporters of its 4th Distinguished Annual Congress. This congress attracted over 100 participants from around the world consisting of business leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs.

The vision for making Cameroon an emerging nation is more than apparent. The big questions is how do we even begin to implement these vision? How do we partner with our Cameroon government to ensure that these projects are aptly, appropriately and efficiently put in place? The congress as usual is that forum through which we learn from the best, those strategies which will curb our socio-economic challenges and act as a springboard towards growth and development. The theme of this year’s congress – From Vision to Action: The Cameroonian Imperative recognized the need for immediate action if Cameroon is ever to become an emergent nation by 2035, as clearly defined by the government. In line with our theme of action, we modified the structure of our congress to reduce the number of formal speeches in lieu of discussions and interactive panels of Cameroonians doing concrete things. We changed the formal dinners to networking sessions that allowed a livelier and appropriate milieu for attendants to network and get to know each other. We are enclosing a detailed summary of the proceedings including pictures, and we’ll be publishing videos to our website – www.cpsociety.org and the CPS YouTube channel – cpsvideos1 Thanks again for your participation,

Fofeyin Yengo Bonito President

Introduction 4

This year marked the election of a new Executive Bureau. We want to thank Dr. Denis Foretia, former President, and the old executive team for their leadership and welcome Mr. Fofeyin Yengo Bonito, the new CPS President. Board of Trustees Mr. Gabriel Kuiatse, Chair Dr. Joyce Ashuntangtang, Vice Chair Dr. Augustine Ayuk, Trustee Dr. Gwendoline Shang, Trustee Mr. Michael Fondungallah, Trustee Mr. Thomas Ndomb, Trustee

Former Executive Team Dr. Denis Foretia, President Mr. Fofeyin Bonito, Chief Operating Officer Mr. Austin Awasung, Chief Financial Officer Mr. Benison Forfeke, General Counsel Ms. Anne Fombu, Chief marketing Officer Mr. Armel Femnou, IT Services Director Mr. Eyong Nsoesie, IT Asst. Director Mr. Joannes Yimbesalu, Panel Manager Mr. Joannes Yuh, Awards Committee Ms. Georgette Fonane, Admin. Assistant Mr. Asong Lekeaka, Scholars Program Mr. Dillon Pefok, Scholars Program Dr.Fausta Tabe, Editor, CPS Magazine Mr. Kevin Ousman Mrs. Lenora Foretia Ms. Azocha Nkobena Ms. Lovette Nkontan Volunteers Mr. Charles Awanda Mr. Justice Ngalle

Current Executive Team (Sep 2013 - Aug 2016) Mr.Fofeyin Yengo Bonito, President Ms. Anne Fombu, Chief Operating Officer Mr. Austin Awasung, Chief Financial Officer Mr. Benison Forfeke, General Counsel Mr. Justice Ngalle, Chief Marketing Officer Mr. Joannes Yimbesalu, Chief HR Officer Mr. Armel Femnou, IT Services Director Mr. Eyong Nsoesie, IT Asst. Director Mr. Joannes Petrus Yuh Program Director, Scholars Program Mr. Charles Awanda Program Director, CPS Awards Dr. Fausta Tabe, Editor, CPS Magazine Ms. Jessica Foumena, Social Media Director Mr. Jacob Ngumbah, Digital Media Director Mr. Calvin Tiengwe, Strategic Projects Mr. Kevin Ousman, Program Director, Volunteers Program Mr. Fieyim Njonguo, Strategic Projects Mr. Boris Okong, Congress Planning Team Ms. Judith Atem, Congress Planning Team M. Jean Paul Fosso , Communications Advisers

CPS Executive Bureau

Figure 1: Distribution of gender of attendees

Figure 2: (A) Age diversity of attendees

Figure 2: (B) Percentage of attendees in each age group based on their gender

Figure 3: Distribution of attendees by level of education

Congress Demographics 6

Figure 4: Distribution of attendees by primary role played at congress

Figure 6: Distribution of attendees according to areas of professional interest

Figure 5: Distribution of attendees according to region of interest

Figure 7: Pie chart shows the percentage of attendees who had attended a previous CPS event

Congress Demographics 7

One on One Conversation with Mathias Fobi, MD CEO of Bariatec Corporation (www.bariatec.com) Interviewed by Diane Daiga

r. Mathias Fobi is one of Cameroon’s foremost successes in Medicine and Business. Those who know him personally attest to his passion for Cameroon and his ability to “call it as he sees it”. Dr. Fobi lived true to this perception at the congress and everything was on the table in this passionate one hour conversation with Diane Daiga. Today Dr. Fobi is a retired surgeon and manages a medical device company - Bariatec Corporation, where he is the founding president, and spends most of his time travelling and speaking at conferences. Bariatec Corporation is managed by Dr. Fobi’s daughter, Lum Fobi , in the capacity as Chief Executive Officer. Obesity is a misunderstood topic and over 38 years ago, Dr. Fobi called it a disease and proposed that the only treatment that was effective is surgical. He landed on obesity randomly while taking care of an obese patient. Obesity is a genetic inheritance - “we all know people who are skinny and can eat a lot without gaining weight while there are others who can’t control weight despite consuming very few calories”. Most Type II diabetes will now be treated surgically - Dr. Fobi had surgery to cure his diabetes. Prior to the surgery

he weighed 208 lbs and has since lost 70 lbs. He has maintained the weight at 140 lbs. Dr. Fobi also discussed some of his principles of success. Discipline is very important and his generation was trained to be disciplined. “Our prayer was our life and we excelled in trying to be different”. When I came here I brought that discipline with me and tried to be the best. Do not leave things to chance and don’t leave things to tomorrow”. Divinity is central to Dr. Fobi’s belief system - not because of a particular religious preference, but as a testament to his life journey - he came from a very poor family, as he calls it - a “no mami, no papa” family and went to Sacred Heart college and subsequently to the US on scholarships. He has been blessed and has found that every time he gives he receives more. Investing in people is important and that is one of Dr. Fobi’s biggest accomplishment - that is why is created a fund to provided free education to every member of his family to get an education in Cameroon. There are over 100 members of the Fobi family in the US

and all of them are doing pretty fine and he is happy for that. Dr. Fobi has been accused of “throwing money away”, but he invests in causes he believes in despite having been scammed a few times - such things are to be expected in life. A few years ago, Dr. Fobi invested to support education for the deaf in Cameroon. There is a time and place to do everything and our Diaspora needs organizations like the CPS to bring business in Cameroon. The problem is not in the ideas but in implementing the projects in Cameroon. Dr. Fobi put up the first “10%” of capital in Amity bank that is worth nothing today. To be able to succeed, you have to be on location to make sure it works. Your own brothers and sisters in Cameroon have their own priorities. America was developed by individual entrepreneurs - our Diaspora is getting to a point where we have people who can invest consequential capital in Cameroon.

People copy good results and we must be willing to sacrifice to get to Cameroon to make these things happen. Select projects with very little government intervention to avoid a lot of the bureaucracy. Dr. Fobi is a businessman first and not “passionate” about politics. “Politics stinks” in Cameroon and dehumanizing practices prompted him to join the democratic movement in Cameroon. Cameroon has “educated poor people”, and that is the risk that broils in Cameroon. The Government has to voluntarily make change to avoid any abrupt sparks that will destabilize the country. There is a role for youths and women in our communities - after sometime we should transfer things to a new generation! You can view the entire presentation from Dr. Fobi on CPS’ YouTube Channel - cpsvideos1

One on One Conversation with Christopher Che President of the Che International Group (www.cheinternationalgroup.com) Interviewed by Azocha Nkobena, Manager at Accenture Consulting

r. Christopher Che is the President of The Che International Group, one of the most successful small businesses in the US. The Che International Group is a multinational holding company that was founded in 2005 and is a Black Enterprise (BE) 100 company. He equally seats on President Obama’s jobs council.

jobs in the near term, and to make America competitive again. Of the 90 recommendations submitted, 60 could be implemented by the President without congressional approval, and of that 57 have been implemented. Most of the contents of the Jobs Act came from this. Of the remaining 30 recommendations that relied of the Congress, 6 have been implemented.

The interview started with Mr.Che outlining the importance of our Diaspora as ‘natural and free resources of Cameroon. “No company can develop without maximizing its natural resources, and it is important for our government to maximize hers”.

Working on the US Jobs council highlighted some of the differences between work in the US and in Cameroon. Mr. Che was humbled that the US government, with its overwhelming resources, was relying on him, an immigrant, to be able to turn its economy around. These feelings were also coupled with one of disappointment that he did not have such a working relationship with his “own” government.

When President Obama took over the US presidency, the economy was in a free fall and to help him turn things around, he constituted a jobs council composed of 27 CEOs from America’s best companies to provide him recommendations to stop the downward trend, to create

Mr. Che left Cameroon at the age of 18 and has spent his entire adulthood in the USA, so he doesn’t profess to know much about

how things are done in Cameroon. Nonetheless, he still loves the Cameroon tremendously, and has plans to someday go back and invest. Today, his attention is focused on sharing his experiences of success in the US with the Cameroonian Diaspora. “The US is a very complicated country and you can have all the education you want, but will go nowhere if you don’t know how to navigate it.” It is important that Cameroonians take advantage of the networks of talent and knowled-

ge that exists in the US and help mentor each other to achieve greatness. Most of the advice Mr. Che got as he was starting his company came from Cameroonian experts in various fields of expertise.

when he was about to get his first real job with Airborne Express. Haven just arrived in the US, he was afraid that Airborne’s facilities, with all the planes, was an International airport with immigration officers and almost turned down this job until being given the right advice by someone to whom he is very grateful today to.

Mr Che equally focused in this interview on Cameroonians striving to become the best at what they do. “Our community has a lot of smart and talented people and there are now many children growing up in our community. If all of us that are educated are doing well, then we will attract a lot of attention and that is real power.”

When it comes to philanthropy, it is good to take your time and make sure you are doing something good. The most important thing in this country is advice and not money. Advice is what Mr. Che needed

Thinking Ahead with Young Leaders Leslie Tita, CEO USEPULSE Fieyim Njonguo, MPA Student- Salisbury University Cedric Metangmo, Former President - Cameroon Student Union Jessica Foumena, Journalist - Women & Africa Blog

hat better way of kicking-off the 2013 CPS annual congress but with young and visionary leaders sharing with the group their aspirations for the future? The panelists brought to this discussion different perspective on the future. They also diagnosed some of the challenges the Cameroonian youth is facing on a regular basis.

But what kind of innovation and private sector leadership in Cameroon when our educational system is not the best there exists? Jessica Foumena, founder of the blog named ‘Women and Africa’, strongly recommends that education in Cameroon should emphasis on practical training. This way, Cameroonian youth will have the right professional skills to be competitive at the regional, continental and global job markets.

A lack of honest dialogue between the Cameroonian youth and the Government of Cameroon was mentioned as a concern. Some efforts have been done recently; however not all have always borne positive results.

Practical education is good, but the other panelists advised that in this day and age, a Bachelor’s degree was the prerequisite for any youth. As Cedric Metangmo put it, “a Bachelor’s degree today is equivalent to a high school diploma in the past”.

One of the solutions proposed for the youths, especially in their aspirations for future leadership in Cameroon was for these youths to take a lead and follow their dreams. There is usually a feeling that the “old people” should go away and leave room for the youth, but this panel opted for an inclusive approach where these young people work with the older generation, especially given the role that age plays in our society. Private sector leadership was equally a recurrent theme discussed by the panel. It was noted that entrepreneurship provided the biggest opportunity for the youth to create innovative solutions that can appeal to a broader audience. Leslie Tita, CEO of usePulse, advised prospective entrepreneurs to study their markets carefully and to select a niche and provide solutions for that niche. Private sector initiatives have to lead the battle for change in Cameroon.

During the panel, social entrepreneurship was also suggested as an excellent means to help the Cameroonian youth. Leslie Tita, the CEO of usePulse, talked about his work with the Cameroonian youth. Tita’s examples illustrated well how the Cameroonian youth can be innovative, intelligent and hardworking. The notion that the Cameroonian youth have given up is false, Fieyim Njonguo said. Cameroon may be lowly ranked-three out of ten (3/10) for political and civil society participation, but the Cameroonian youth is eager to succeed. Njonguo added that the Cameroonian youth needs to get inspired by the work of successful Cameroonians. This is where the Cameroonian Diaspora through CPS could intervene by nurturing and bringing forward Cameroonian leaders that may be overlooked.

Assessing the Impact of Alumni Groups

Sara Kum, Washington DC Chapter President - Sakerrettes USA Dr. Evaristus Enongene - SOBA America

wo of the finest schools in Cameroon- Saker Baptist College, Limbe and St. Joseph’s College (SJC) Sasse were represented at the CPS Congress this year by their Washington DC-based alumni associations- Ex-Saker Students’ Association USA (ExSSA-USA) and Sasse Old Boys Association America (SOBA America). Saker Baptist College (Saker) is an all-girls high school in the coastal city of Limbe in south west Cameroon. It was founded in 1962 by the Cameroon Baptist Mission, with the help of the North American Baptist Convention, as one of the first secondary schools for girls in Cameroon. One of the goals today of ExSSA-USA was to support Saker, but more importantly to contribute to the education of the girl child in Cameroon. As Mrs. Sara Kum, Washington DC chapter president of ExSSA-USA explained, even from her early days, Saker was focused on providing workable skills for girls and this greatly added to their contribution to the society as housewives in the past, and today as high-level professionals all over the world. Today, EXSA-USA has had a profound impact on the school, and this is evidenced by the projects that have been carried-out like a health center, an introduction of computer literacy programs and in the future; projects like the expansion of the refectory or encouraging alumni to visit Saker to contribute their expertise as volunteers. Dr. Evaristus Enongene represented the Washington DC chapter president of SOBA-America on the panel. The presence of a SOBAN, as alumni from SJC are known, in any forum is always felt, and Dr. Enongene did not spare any expense to captivate the audience on the role SJC has played in the history of Cameroon, as well as the role SOBA-America plays in the development of their alma-mater.

St. Joseph’s College Sasse was founded by the Mill Hill Missionaries in 1937 in Bojongo, Buea, in southwest Cameroon, and later moved to its current location in Tole, still in southwest Cameroon in 1939. This was the first college in EnglishSpeaking Cameroon and most of Cameroon’s elder statesmen, like former Prime Minister, Sen. Peter Mafany Musonge and world-renowned Professor of Medicine, Prof. Victor Anomah Ngu, were educated here. Recent reports state that SJC was voted by the government of Cameroon as the best secondary school in Cameroon and later by an international group as the best secondary school in Africa. This history has always prompted SJC to strive for excellence, and the school models itself as the “Harvard” of Cameroon. This tradition carried-over to the USA as SOBA-America was modeled-after the Harvard-Alumni network. This model, as described by Dr. Enongene, offers a patronage system that favors the schools alums and seeks to have them advance in all spheres of the American society. As Dr. Enongene put it, “Harvard Benefits Harvard and so Sasse should benefit Sasse.” Even in the USA today, all tier-one universities are deeply rooted in their alumni bases. SOBA-America is currently in the process of establishing a scholarship endow-ment to benefit SJC. Dr. Enongene and Mrs. Sara Kum were in agreement that there is a need to reform the alumni organizations in the USA with the goal of a strong adherence to the rule of law and to transparent leadership. Alumni organizations, as part of Cameroonian Diaspora, can play a big role in bringing improvement to Cameroon, but this can only be possible if these organizations are in themselves strong and coherent organizations.

Understanding Corporate America - How Do I Rise Up? Thomas Ndomb, VP of Carrier Relations, Telco 214 Fofeyin Yengo Bonito, Merchandise Planner -TV & Home Media, Rent-A-Center Austin Awasung, Senior Associate, PricewaterhouseCooper, LLP

etting into Corporate America and excelling in ones career is a hallmark of the American dream, equal in its own to owning a first home. The panel, “Understanding Corporate America -How to I rise Up?” sought to answer this question with three panelists – Austin Awasung from PricewatehouseCoopers, Fofeyin Bonito from Rent-A-Center, and Thomas Ndomb from Telco 214.

Fofeyin Bonito opened the discussion by focusing on the steps that are necessary to climb the Corporate American ladder. He emphasized the need for hard work and always exceeding the expectations of your peers. The notion of hard work simply meant doing everything in one’s power to be best at what they did while accomplishing the tasks at hand. One way of always being academically qualified for the job was to periodically enroll in continuous education in the field, either company-sponsored, or courses offered by trade-groups and other academic institutions. Each company has a unique corporate culture and every society, assimilation into this culture requires acceptance and participation. It is very important to be seen as a team player and to be a leader in the workplace. Being a leader does not necessarily mean leading only in company-sponsored projects but also letting co-workers know of leadership roles in community and extracurricular projects. A career plan, networking, and creating value for the organization are very important to rise up in the workplace, as advised by Austin Awasung. It is important for an employee to have a perfect idea of how they want to grow in their profession. They should have an idea of the career path followed by career professionals who have excelled in their fields and to benchmark their growth and performance to them. Thomas Ndomb from Telco 214 spoke about the prerequisite to rise up in Corporate America starting from Cameroon or Africa. Cameroonians tend to value academic qualifications and often pursue education for the sake of earning a degree without keeping an eye on the

demands of the job market. Students should focus on the job market demands first before choosing a career path. That will ease their entry into the job market once they graduate. Education is important at the entry level in Corporate America but only the right professional education can take one to the top. The American Multinational Corporations based in Africa today are open to recruiting professionals in STEM and from business schools who are bilingual- trilingual ( English, French, Portuguese or Arabic or Swahili ),versatile and can work in regional markets. Young Africans need to develop technical competency and expand their field of knowledge by honing their skills in the major markets in the continent such as Angola, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, DRC Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana, and Ivory Coast if they wish to rise up in Corporate America. Qualities such as honesty, integrity and accountability in the management of cash are central to rise up the Corporate American ladder. Africans in Corporate America need to create value in their natural market (Africa and the African Diaspora) and bring a good contribution to their company’s turnover from those markets in order to shine and rise up quickly. In response to question from the audience regarding work place politics and diversity issues, Thomas Ndomb advised the audience not to play the race card at every occasion and emphasized the need to make our bosses look good by performing well. Even though we are not recognized today just like Vivien Thomas, the co-inventor of the bypass surgery along Dr Blalock as highlighted in the movie «Something the Lord has made», our efforts will end up being rewarded if we keep working hard. And indeed Vivien Thomas finally got recognized by Johns Hopkins in 1976 almost 31 years after his boss, Dr. Blalock, was credited in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Hard work always pays !

Tribal Groups & Hometown Organizations

Nkem-Amin Khumhah, CEO -LECDA USA Christmas Ebini, Former Director, ACCDF

mmigration of Cameroonians to the United States has been increasing rapidly since the early 90s. This increase in the population of Cameroonians in the US has led to an increase in tribal organizations within our community. This growth has been like a double-edged sword- Cultural organizations provide a support structure for the population, but their proliferation has pulled us apart. Mr. Christmas Ebini noted that “most of our political problems as Cameroonians come from the way we have used our cultural diversity”. We should as a nation find the right way to use our culture to foster unity.

Most of the focus today of our tribal associations is to provide funding for social development projects in Cameroon. Nkem Amin advanced the idea that organizations like the CPS should partner with tribal organizations to provide events that are focused on professional development of the Cameroonian population in the US.

How do we define a Cameroonian identity with the multitude of cultural organizations? The panelists were in agreement that the Cameroon Professional Society has been able to transcend the ethnic divisions of our society and it should play a leading role in working with other organizations to achieve this. Despite the shortfalls of our current tribal organizations in unifying our “Cameroonian” community, there are a new breed of leaders who are focusing more on a professional development and empowerment of their members. Nkem-Amin Khumbah of Lebialem Cultural and Development Association, LECDA-USA, spoke of the need to attract professionals into the leadership structure of tribal organizations. These professionals will help to run these organizations efficiently.

Philanthropy - Rethinking Stereotypes Stella Patcha-Adamu, President - The Patcha Foundation Joanness Yimbesalu, CEO-Hope for Children Cameroon Denis Foretia, Co-Chair, Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation

rs. Stella Adamu of the Maurice and Patcha Foundation and Joannes Paulus Y of the HOPE for Children Foundation along with the moderator, Denis Foretia, chair of the Denis and Lenora Foundation, exchanged with the audience the need for philanthropy in our society and communities. The panel discussed more on the work of each foundation in the field. Mrs. Adamu from the Patcha Foundation gave a short overview of the history of her foundation and how it was founded and later focused on her recent Medical Mission trip to Cameroon in May 2013 with a team of doctors and specialist. This medical mission performed surgeries, consolations, and donated medication in some rural hospitals in the South West Region of Cameroon with the assistance of some Cameroon-based medical doctors, nurses, and student volunteers. The work of the Patcha Foundation includes cancer screening, especially breast cancer and cervical cancer screening, hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. There was a massive turn out at the various district hospitals and the medical mission offered health services to over 5000 people. Joannes Paulus from the HOPE for Children Cameroon presented on the work currently done by the foundation on education. Hope for Children Cameroon is an NGO founded in 2010 with the main goal of “Educating Every Child One School or Village at a Time”. Joannes started his presentation with a short video of the work they have been doing which was then followed by a short history of the organization, which was influenced by some of his personal experiences encountered during his visit to one of the poorest communities in the North West Region of Cameroon.

HOPE for Children Cameroon serves mainly orphans and underprivileged children who will never have the opportunity to go to school especially in a world were over 61 million children can’t go to school. The foundation presently works in 3 communities in the North West Region and hopes to extend to other communities across Cameroon. HOPE for Children Cameroon is currently in its “back to school” fundraising campaign which aims at raising over $3,000 to help send an additional 75 children to school this academic year. The audience had a very positive impression of the great work done by the panelists and urged them to keep doing more charitable works for Cameroon.

Health Care Delivery - Is it time for a Paradigm Shift? Arnold Etame, Neurological Surgeon, Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida Denis Foretia, Co-Chair, Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation

r Arnold Etame, one of the Cameroonian Diasporaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renowned neurosurgeons, and Dr. Denis Foretia discussed the challenges of healthcare delivery in Cameroon, especially in the area of cancer and neurosurgery. Neurosurgery is a very complicated field and one of the biggest challenges in healthcare delivery in Cameroon is the lack of adequate especially in the rural areas. Dr. Etame also discussed the creation of pilot clinics in Kumba and other areas where surgeons like him can be able to provide services once on the ground in Cameroon. The Moffit Cancer Center where Dr. Etame practices can also provide training for neurosurgeons practicing in Cameroon.

Immigration Time Bombs

Bill Ravenell, Esq., Tiagha & Associates Pryde N. Ndingwan, Esq., Pryde Law Firm Atlanta, GA Benison Forfeke, Esq., Cameroon Professional Society

ince its inception, the United States of America has grown into a country known throughout the world as the land of opportunity. Its robust marketplace, diversity, economic opportunities and top rate Universities have made the U.S. the most attractive destination in the world. The panelists had the opportunity to discuss a wide variety of challenges facing the United States and its current immigration policy. While the United States has long been accessible to North, Central and South America via proximity and long held favorable immigration policy regarding England, Western Europe and Australia; the rest of the world has been left out. As the economies of China, India, and Africa continue to grow independently from the United States, it has become evident that the U.S. will need to build a relationship with these nations in order to sustain its economies pole position in the world. As many African nations begin to develop, the U.S. finds itself out of position to participate in their emerging economies. Favorable immigration policy towards African Nations is one of the only avenues for the United States to build relationships with the region and keep the U.S. economy strong. Without strong relationships with scientist, mathematicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, students and the standard work force from these countries, the U.S. economy will continue to falter, the middle class will continue to shrink, and the American dream, that was once so promising for many, will remain available only to a few elite families. The panel equally examined the effect of the current immigration reform bill in Congress of the United States. “In the push for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Don’t Kill New seed Immigration-Preserve the Diversity Visa Lottery Program and create a pathway to citizenship in furtherance of America’s core democratic values, egalitarian principles and ongoing pursuit of freedom.” Ofori-Atta 1 A group

of eight US senators-four Republicans and four Democrats, who proposed the current immigration bill

On April 16, 2013, Senators Schumer, McCain, Durbin, Graham, Menendez, Rubio, Bennet and Flake presented the Gang of 81’s Bipartisan Framework for S 744, “Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act”, the Senate’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill. The bill has four Basic Legislative pillars-create a tough but fair path to citizenship, reform the legal immigration system, create an effective employment verification system, and establish an improved process for admitting future workers. Some points in S 744 to note: The Diversity Visa Lottery: The Diversity Visas (“DV Lottery”) are allocated to natives of countries from which immigrant admissions were lower than a grand total of 50,000 over the preceding five years. This program fosters new and more varied migration to counterbalance an immigration system weighted disproportionately to family-based immigrants. Nearly 48% of Diversity Visas benefit African immigrants. S 744 will eliminate the Diversity Visa! This is a bad idea even with the point system proposed by the bill. The DV program was created by Senator Kennedy with the goal of addressing the historical discrimination in the system. Registered Provisional Immigrant Status (RPI): If S744 becomes law, qualified undocumented immigrants will be granted the RPI status. The eligibility criteria for RPF status includes-physical presence in the United States on or before December 31, 2011, been present in the U.S. continuously during this period, payment of any income taxes still owed, and none of the following records-felonies, aggravated felonies, three or more misdemeanors, gang involvement, and certain crimes committed outside of the United States.

Cameroon’s Diaspora & The Government: Is a Mutually Beneficial Relationship Possible? Besong Frambo, Foreighn Affairs Officer - Ministry of External Relations Cameroon Jacob Ngumbah, Communications Officer - Nevis Disaster management Department Kahiga Tiagha, Managing Director - Tiagha & Associates

arh Besong Frambo presented on Leveraging Diaspora Resources for Homeland Development: A Remittances Approach. His presentation targeted the prevailing issues relating to remittances to Cameroon from the Cameroonian Diaspora. He clearly outlined the concept of remittances and its characteristics, the reasons for remittances to Cameroon, as well as the use of funds remitted to Cameroon. He equally explored the institutional framework for leveraging inflows and how the Diaspora can work with Government institutions to facilitate this process. Quantitatively, the World Bank estimated the following remittance data in 2005 for some African countries: Morocco 9% GDP, Egypt 5% GDP, Nigeria 4% GDP and Kenya 3%2 and these figures only reflect the traceable or official remittances. There has been a rapid increase in remittance inflows into Cameroon over the last decade as well, with the highest transfers of US$ 167 million recorded in 2007. This flow of funds from migrant workerst therefore represents a survival tool for many families of the Diaspora and a significant source of development finance. Recipients often depend on these remittances to cover household consumption, to improve their access to healthcare and education, and to accumulate savings to improve their homes

and businesses. The challenge remains how to channel these funds into productive investment in Cameroon. The Government of Cameroon has taken a number of steps to harness the Diaspora’s potential in general and remittances in particular for homeland development. By Presidential decree N° 2013/112 of April 22 2013, a new Department was created at the Ministry of External Relations responsible for the elaboration of strategies to harness Diaspora potentials to improve development in homeland. In line with the Growth and Employment strategy paper, the Government encourages investment of Diaspora remittances in agriculture by easing access to arable land, agricultural credit (farmers’ bank) and facilitating training of agricultural staff/transfer of technology. The Diaspora is encouraged to continue remitting through classical channels despite the cost because of the countercyclical nature of the funds, to take advantage of the new impetus and policy attention given by government and to refrain from remitting for autonomous spending because of its impact on recipients (see the spoiled child syndrome).

Tarh Besong Frambo, The Economic Repercussions of Diaspora Remittances in Cameroon: A Micro and Meso Economic Perspective, LAP, Berlin, 2011. From 2000- 2007, France was the country that provided the greatest amount of inbound remittances to Cameroon (67%), only seconded by USA with about 16% of remittances to Cameroon. This could be explained by the fact that France, because of its historic ties with Cameroon, is host to a considerable number of Cameroonians. Moreover, the existing financial agreements between the countries facilitate transactions. However, statistics indicate that from 2007-2010 inbound remittances from the US recorded a significant upsurge, almost surpassing France.

The Oil & Gas Sector - New Opportunities for Market Entrance Brice Asopjio, CEO - Malaga Energy Service (MAES) Boris Okong, Quality Support Manager - Schlumberger Gabriel Kuiatse, Global Planning Manager - Schlumberger

he Panel was presented by Brice Asopjio (CEO – Malaga Energy Services (MAES)), Boris Okong (Quality Support Manager – Schlumberger) and Gabriel Kuiatse (Global Planning Manager – Schlumberger). It was moderated by Denis Foretia (Co-chair Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation).

The focus of the discussion was to highlight the current situation of the oil and gas industry in Cameroon and Africa and highlight some opportunities. An opening address was presented by Gabriel to set the stage for further discussion The panel disclosed that Cameroon produces 65,000 Barrels (bbls4) / day compa-

red to 227,000 bbls/ day for neighboring Gabon and 302,200 for Congo. This indicates that Cameroon is a relatively small player in the Oil and Gas sector. The Cameroonian consumption is around 30,000 per day and the rest is exported. Cameroon’s reserves are around 200,000,000 bbls compared to 2,000,000,000 for Gabon and 1,600,000,000 for Congo. At the current rate of production assuming the proven reserves, Cameroon will be out of Oil in the next decade. This poses a significant threat to the economy since Oil and Gas is still a significant contributor to the Government’s revenue. Even though Oil and Gas is a declining source of government income, it still represents about a third of national export. The table below from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Country Report No.12/237 illustrates this.

With this situation, the panel proposed two solutions: 1. Increase the cost effect reserve volume by engaging low cost local producers. The logic behind this approach is that a country’s reserve is what can be produced economically. This can be increased by using lower cost local companies rather than multinational corporations. This strategy is already being implemented by Nigeria and Angola where the government subsidizes local initiatives. This falls in line with what MAES is trying to accomplish in the CEMAC region. Cameroon already has the talent pool to accomplish this with several trained engineers working globally. 2. Diversify the economy away from Oil and Gas. This longer term solution was proposed as the next required focus of the government. 4

bbls = barrels

US-Africa & US-Cameroon Relationship Eric Chinje, Director for Strategic Communications - Mo Ibrahim Foundation, UK Dr. Julius Agbor, Africa Research Fellow - Brookings Institute Viola Llewellyn, Director of Operations, Ovamba Solutions

ne of the highlights of the CPS congress was the presentation on the challenges faced in doing business between the US and Africa. The panelists approached the subject matter from different perspectives.

Mr. Eric Chinje focused on calling the audience’s attention to the business need that exists in many sectors in Africa and Cameroon in particular. His mastery of the realities on the African continent was evident in the way he provided a comparative analysis of the various Africa nations he has worked in. Shortfalls in service delivery and quality of service, in his opinion, provide a tremendous opportunity for members of the African Diaspora, and Cameroonians in particular to take advantage of. A very glaring example he provided was the chronic shortage of housing in Yaoundé and Douala and the lack of world class hotels in the Cameroon. Despite these opportunities, we still face a project management challenge, and the consequence of this is that most projects fail without the principal partners being on the ground to make them work. Dr. Agbor approached the issue of bilateral trade between the US and Africa by comparing the Obama administration’s engagement with Africa as compared to China’s approach to the continent. Much has been done by the Obama administration to engage African nations that were doing a better job at issues of governance. Dr. Agbor argued that these restrictions are impeding trade, which is is the best precursors for economic and democratic development. The US had to be proactive to promote trade with every African nation in order to stave off the Chinese onslaught on Africa.

One of the challenges faced by African entrepreneurs is the source of capital. African societies have developed intricate informal banking techniques, like the Njangi concept, that still exists today. The advantage of these information banking techniques is that risks and rewards were shared at the community level and there was fast access to capital with predictable and consistent returns amongst other benefits. This contrasts with the problem most entrepreneurs have in raising funds today in the formal banking sector like the lengthy application process, prohibitively high interest rates, unnecessary fees, and the lack of trust. Mrs. Viola Llewellyn with Ovamba Solutions, Inc. outlined a novel approach to providing funds to Africa’s entrepreneurs modeled after our informal banking techniques, but anchored and secured by the best technology that exists today. “This is a social lending model that allows members to directly invest in and borrow from each other which avoids the cost and complexity of the traditional banking system and passes the savings on to the members”. In this scenario, both sides win because of better rates to borrowers and better returns for the members.

Most developed nations are what they are today because of a buoyant middleclass and by the role of entrepreneurs in providing broad-based economic growth.

Role of GMOs in Countering Challenges to Development and Sustainability in Africa Vincent N. Fondong, PhD Professor of Biotechnology - Delaware State University, USA Adjunct Professor, University of Delaware, USA

he Saturday sessions at the Distinguished Annual Congress started in a powerful mode as Dr. Vincent Fondong of Delaware State University sought to educate the audience on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). What they are and what they are not, their role in development and how the technology would enhance food self-sufficiency and sustainable development in Africa. The role of agriculture in Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development cannot be overemphasized. Yet, agricultural production across the continent is facing many challenges, including pests and diseases, poor soils, as well as poor post harvest food processing and preservation. To counter similar constraints, many countries, including the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India and China, have invested heavily in research, especially in the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Unfortunately, Africa, where these challenges are most felt, has hardly embraced GMOs. Indeed, since the production of GM crops at commercial scale in the United States in 1996, only four African countries have commercialized GMOs; these countries are: South Africa (1997), Burkina Faso (2008), Egypt, (2008), and

Sudan (2012). Understandably, these countries have recorded unprecedented increases in production of GM crops introduced. Resistance to GM crops across the continent is at least partially explained by lack of research capability; however, political and neo-colonial considerations have played a significant role. Indeed, most of the skepticism and outright hostility to GMOs has come from affluent Europeans, who have the luxury of choice in the type of technology they use and the food they eat. Unfortunately, these anti-GM activists and their governments are deploying their efforts in Africa while adoption of GM crops is on the rise, and at a faster rate in other developing countries than in North America, where GM-crops have been commercialized since the late 1990s. In efforts to explain their hostility towards this technology, GMO-skeptics have misled the unsuspecting public about this technology and thus contributed in no small way to the challenges facing the African farmer at the time when global climate change and other endemic production constraints are having a toll on the continent. Please visit congress2013.cpsociety.org for Dr. Fondongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full presentation.

Stereotypes about the CFA(c) Franc Zone

Dr. Julius Agbor, Former Africa Research Fellow - Brookings Institute

iscussions about the CFA Franc Zone are usually very passionate, especially in francophone Africa, partly because of the peculiar pattern of French decolonization as well as the nationalistic aspirations of the French-speaking peoples of Africa. In this presentation, Dr. Julius Agbor, a former fellow of the Brookings Institution, sought to scientifically dispel some of the common stereotypes usually ascribed to the Franc Zone. Before discussing these stereotypes, Dr. Agbor presented an overview of the historical antecedents of the CFA franc zone. Interesting to note that membership of the zone has been dynamic over time: four countries–mostly from North Africa–had voluntarily left the franc zone, while two others who were not previously colonized by France– Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea–voluntarily joined. Dr. Agbor outlined the following four key stereotypes typically ascribed to the CFA Zone: That CFA countries trade mostly with France That the fixed exchange regime is the main cause of underdevelopment of the CFA countries That countries which left the franc zone are relatively better off That the best option for countries that use the CFA is for them to leave the franc zone

average value of WAEMU exports, the inflation rate, average GDP per capita level and growth rate, the domestic credit to the private sector as a percentage of GDP, average life expectancy at birth, cost of doing business amongst others. Based on the research, Dr. Agbor was able to observe the following: Countries that left the CFA t Zone have performed better on development indicators Of those that remained, the resource-rich CEMAC countries have outperformed the agriculture-based economies of WAEMU; but not in infrastructure and in the business environment CEMAC countries appear to outperform CEMAC-C countries suggesting that the CFA regime might not have been detrimental to CEMAC states after all. Dr. Agbor concludes that exiting the CFA franc zone is not the best option for CFA countries, at least not for countries in the CEMAC zone. Most of the problems of the CFA countries are by and large governance-related as evidenced by the poor infrastructure and doing business environment particularly in the CEMAC Zone. Pleae visit congress2013.cpsociety.org for Dr. Agbor’s full presentation.

As plausible counterfactuals, Dr. Agbor first assembled a set of African countries similar in characteristics to CEMAC States (CEMC-C) and another set similar to WAEMU States (WAEMU-C). He then used several metrics to compare these countries. Some of the metrics used include, average value of CEMAC exports, (c) Colonies

françaises d’Afrique

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