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Cameroon: Sam Mbende Re-Elected CMC Board Chair President Amidst Controversy
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The Post (Buea)
12 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Leocadia Bongben
Following the General Assembly of the Cameroon Music Corporation, CMC, that held on Saturday May 10, at the Yaounde Conference Centre, in an atmosphere of tension, Sam Mbende, incumbent President of Board of Directors of CMC has been re-elected into another term of office.
Before his re-election, Mbende arrived at the conference centre late after being arrested by the Provincial Judicial Police for questioning.According to Guy Zogo, the Communication Officer of CMC, Mbende was being questioned on alleged mismanagement of FCFA 100 million paid by Les Brassieres du Cameroun in December 2007.
Mbende is said to have been arrested by the police as early as 6'o'clock in his house without any warrant of arrest. Zogo claimed that artists, alongside Mbende's lawyers, went en masse to the judicial police to press for his release. The Post learnt that after interrogating Mbende, the police discovered that the issue was more complicated for them to handle.
Meanwhile, when Sam Mbende finally arrived at the conference Centre, which had been flooded with security officers, musicians were ordered to vacate the hall for verification of their identification papers.
The forces of law and order assisted in ensuring that the hall was empty and it was during this time that the other candidates for the post of Board Chairman President and some musicians left in anger. Among the candidates that left were Rachel Choungui, Romeo Dika, Wanja and Abbe Jean Marie Bodu.
Out of the 685 recognised members, a quorum was reached with 356 present and they voted the single candidate present, Mbede. Mbende won with 53.32 percent of the votes.
In a telephone conversation with Ottou Marcellin, Artist, Musician, he said Sam Mbede lacks respect for government authority.
He argued that he refused to send his application for candidature following a note from the Ministry of Culture stating that interested candidates should deposit their documents at the ministry.
Ottou maintained that with Mbende's click of the media, lead by Francois Bingonou Bingonou, they sent away other artist. He said it is atrocious to send away the representative of the Minister who is the President of the Permanent Commission of Mediation elected by the CMC.
But the CMC Communication Officer argued that the information came barely two days to the General Assembly.Though the Minister of Culture, Ama Tutu Muna, has the final say on the elections of Saturday, Zogo argued that it is only the judge that has to decide on the legality of the elections.
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Despite efforts by The Post, by press time, Mbende could not be available to make any comments.
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