Equinoxe Television, Canal 2 Debunk Claims, Employees Are Paid With Salaries From State Treasury As Government Ghost Workers
By NFOR Hanson NCHANJI
The Directorates General of the Douala based channels, Equinoxe Television, and Canal 2 International, have described as false, rumors circulating on Social media, that some of their workers were being paid by the State through the famous “ghost workers” network whose perpetrators have been arrested.
The information went viral on social media, but the author of what looks like a carefully crafted and planned sabotage is not known.
Part of the article reads that, “MOTAZE takes the lead of the Ministry of Finance on March 2, 2018 …. and just 3 weeks after taking office, he sets up COPPEL. This is the result of the Physical Counting of State Agents (COPPEL). That he launched in April 2018, which allowed to close at 98% the tap … May 4th Emmanuel Leubou the man who took care of the wages of all the civil servants including the salary of Mr Biya is stopped and transferred to Yaounde Central Prison.”
A GHOST PROFILE PROPAGATING THE RUMOURS
A PAYMENT SLIP ALLEGELY BELONGING TO MIMI MEFO
In the article, former Equinoxe Television English desk Editor, Mimi Mefo and present Editor in Chief, Cedrick Noufele, were accused of receiving their monthly salaries from the State. Though the article said the workers were not aware that their employer was involved in such a malicious scheme.
In the outing, Equinoxe Television said, ” The management of Equinoxe Television reassures its viewers that some outstanding allegations about its staff and its leaders are nothing but lies made by their authors.
The appropriate responses will be made to the instigators of such vilenesses through the appropriate channels.”
COMMUNIQUE FROM CANAL 2 INTERNATIONAL
Two former workers of Canal 2 International, Jason Black, and Jean Bruni Tagne, were also accused of receiving money from the State through their former employer, Canal 2 International whose proprietor is accused of working with a certain Emmanuel Leubou , now imprisoned, to pay his workers out of State treasury.
Canal 2 International wrote, “It has been circulating for some days on social networks a text insane and even relayed by some, attributing to the management of Canal2 International your leading channel as well as some of its former employees their involvement in the perception as fictitious officials’ salaries at the public treasury.
Canal2 International wishes to point out the false and highly defamatory nature of such fabrications. The channel ever closer to you is anxious to reassure you of its commitment to remain faithful to the trust you have placed in it and the rigor that its lawyers will show in tracking the authors and accomplices of these enormities to dirty and discredit.
Our determination to be worthy of our viewers and to promote the peace and development of our country will in no way change the maneuvering of our desperate detractors forced into slander, defamation, invective among others.”
Reacting of Facebook, viewers say the attack on these media houses, especially Equinoxe Television and the journalists involved is a well-calculated move by some people parading the corridors of power to tarnish the image of the “most loved” Television channel in Cameroon.
Their coverage of the armed conflict in Southern Cameroons and the arrest of MRC leader, Maurice Kamto, has been seen as worrisome to the regime in place. Equinoxe Television has been accused on several occasions as a strong supporter of the Amazonia Separatists.
