Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon.
Mgr. Joseph Befe Ateba, President, National Communication Council, NCC and his team of nine members are up and working. On the third lap of national tour in Buea, recently, the NCC chair did not only connect with journalists across the Southwest Region, he had a message for them. In this exclusive interview after that successful gathering, he gives the kernel of his message and more.
Excerpts:
What is the message you brought to the owners of media houses and journalists practising in the Southwest Region?
The message is same I am taking to all the ten Regions of Cameroon. They should know there is the National Communication Council, NCC that was reorganised following the Presidential Decree of March 23 2012 and it gives the NCC the power to exercise its mandate of regulation and consultation. It does not mean that we are out to stifle the press. We are out to rebuild and tell the press what we are supposed to tell them. We also have a duty to protect the profession of journalism, which is sensitive in our country, to make it contribute, effectively in the life of the nation.
How will you work with journalists to build a profession that some observers say it is losing its value?
There are many things to be done; starting with the definition of who is a journalist in Cameroon. We tackled this issue in the last national communication forum. The question was asked; who is a journalist in Cameroon? We attempted a definition, following that given by UNESCO. But we also said that Cameroonian journalism should be closed from intruders; it should not be open for anyone to come in as they want. It should be an occupation for a true journalist, who wants to serve and get remuneration as a journalist. If journalists are not properly remunerated, you will find them do anything. We talked about the revamping of the Collective Convention, which seems to have an elastic implementation now, making media organs to be enterprises and not something somebody is carrying in a briefcase; a postal address, an email, reliable contact numbers and a bank account to prove that the owner can maintain the company and pay his workers. If these are not spelled out then a media organ is not in existence. The media owner must prove that those working for him have the necessary experience to be a journalist. It is not just writing an article in a newspaper or to speak on the radio and TV that make one a journalist. This should be backed by academic and professional assurance.
Is there a time-frame you are working on for us to have a definition of who is a journalist in Cameroon?
I do not know how to define it. A journalist, according to UNESCO is someone who is trained for that, who makes his or her living from journalism and its activities. In Cameroon, I cannot put a finger on it. On the issue of a press card, a commission was set up to manage that yet we still have a lot of complaints from that direction. However, there are strong arguments that the responsibility should be given to the NCC, we are not claiming that yet, but if we are given, we will do a better job. The prevailing situation is that anybody in Cameroon has the press card and by virtue of that anybody becomes a journalist.
Despite the recent sanctions you meted out to some media houses and individuals dabbling in the journalism profession, there are still a lot of lapses, following more than 60 complaints you have received. What are you doing to fix the situation?
People were not used to this phase of the Council. The former Council was an advisory and consultative board. It did not do any harm and had no power. When we started striking, a lot of journalists began to sit up. A lot of them are confessing and we have to keep on with that spirit. Journalists have to be careful. The Council will not rest on its laurel. We are moving forward. For those who are yet to comply with the advice we have been dishing out, if we use all our powers, they will cry. This is a bitter message, but I have to pass it on.
How is the NCC going to assist the private press get more adverts so that they can be sustained? It is a recurrent worry.
In the mandate of the Council, we have an advisory dimension. We are in a position to advise the government on ways that can uplift the press in Cameroon – be it private or public, especially the private press. In our sessions in the Council, we will make it an issue, ad-hoc committees will be set up to discuss it and bring forth proposals.
To avoid friction with the NCC, how will you want journalists to practice their trade?
Let them stick to the ethics. They know them. When they abide by them, there will be no problems. If you are in the private sector, without an authorisation, you better start looking for it.
Government subvention to the media in some countries is worth billions in FCFA, in Cameroon it is not the case…
Communication is a key sector. The new Council is in motion. There are so many things to take care of. We will not do all in one day. All the issues raised are in our agenda. We will go gradually. Now, we want to put order in a sector that is infested by all sorts of intruders. All the worries mentioned will be addressed at the appropriate time.
Bishop of Kribi Diocese and President of the National Communication Council, how do you manage the two?
I am an organised man. I am in control of all what is going on in my Diocese. Within four years, I have built ten presbyteries, four schools and a hospital is under construction. I am on regular pastoral visits, visiting my parishes and bringing to them the cocoa trees, banana and plantain that I promised them after my Episcopal Ordination. My Diocese is moving and not abandoned. I am building a Bishop’s House that will go operational on January 31 2014. I wish you come and see what we are doing in Kribi. The Nuncio is aware of what is happening and I always communicate to him my agenda.
Interviewed By Walter Wilson Nana