The inaugural Question time plenary sitting of the National Assembly for the June ordinary session lasted for five hours.

Nine members of government went to the rostrum at the National Assembly last June 18 to answer questions in the first Question Time plenary sitting of the June 2010 ordinary session of Parliament that ran from 10: 30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The First Vice President of the National Assembly, Hon. Hilarion Etong presided at the plenary sitting.

The Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Marafa Hamidou Yaya on behalf of the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, answered Hon. Awudu Mbaya Cyprian’s questions on independence, reunification and respect to national heroes of independence. He said last May, the country celebrated 50 years of its independence. President Paul Biya in his address to the nation last December 31 talked of the celebration of anniversaries of Cameroon’s independence and reunification. The independence of French Cameroon was on January 1, 1960, the reunification of the British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroon was on October 1, 1961. Mr Marafa said all these dates are important in the country’s history, stating that there exist only one Cameroon in history. Cameroon was only separated after the First World War. While under the French and British administrations, Cameroonian nationalists worked for the reunification of the country, citing excerpts of Mukete’s address to the Nigerian parliament despite the fact that he was a minister in Nigeria.

On why monuments were not constructed in honour of the heroes of independence and reunification before the 50th anniversaries celebrations, Mr Marafa said the Head of State paid tribute to them during his address to the nation on December 31, 2009. He said some of the heroes already have monuments in some towns of the Republic.

The Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Finance in charge of the Budget, Titi Pierre still on behalf of the Prime Minister explained the situation of civil servants who get to retirement age yet continue working. He said in the cabinet meeting of July 2009, the Prime Minister gave instructions to ministers to ensure that workers who have attained retirement age effectively leave. Some retired workers on duty positions, he said, have to work longer pending their replacement, Titi Pierre explained and added that they no longer receive salaries as civil servants.

The Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Amadou Ali answered questions on ways of cleansing the business climate by fighting corruption in the judiciary. Answering another question on the death of the journalist Bibi Ngota in detention at the Kondengui Prison, he said judiciary investigations of the circumstances as ordered by the Head of State were still going on. Amadou Ali however, said Bibi Ngota was not detained in connection with his job as a journalist, but on allegations of forging stamps and signature of the Secretariat General at the Presidency.

The Minister of State, Minister of Transport, Maigari Belo Bouba explained the legislation governing the inter-urban transport sector, measures to fight road accidents, and efforts to boost the railway sector. The Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ananga Messina née Beyene Clémentine Antoinette presented the level of progress of preparations for the Ebolowa Agro-pastoral show. The Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze talked the government policy to development the ports sector, with the focus on the Limbe Deep Seaport. He said the development of Ports infrastructure was progressive and rational depending on the available means.

The other members of government who answered questions were the Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft, Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Abena Ondoa née Obama Marie- Thérèse and the Minister of Energy and Water, Michael Ngako Tomdio.