By Takusi Carine and Njingang Godwin, on assignment
in Yaounde
A multitude of newspaper readers amidst
other dignitaries joined The Guardian Post to celebrate the lone English
Language daily newspaper’s 13th anniversary in a ceremony christened
by many attendees as a ‘kill man pay’ party.
Saturday August 30, 2014 marked The
Guardian Post 13 years of journalistic excellence and top management of the
Yaounde-based newspaper thought it absolutely necessary to commune with
colleagues, readers and well wishers.
Speaking during the heavily attended
ceremony that was staged at Printania Hotel in Obili Yaounde, the chairman of
the anniversary, alternate senator, Fon Chafah Isaac III of Bangolan, commended
the efforts of the editorial staff of The Guardian Post in furnishing the
public with breaking news and unmatched investigative reports.
“When I was first deputy state counsel
for Mezam, the first warrant of arrest I signed was for Ngah Christian…Christain,
in my thinking, was digging too much into the affairs of the North West Fons’
Union, NOWEFU where I was one of the founders. Even though the police did not
succeed to arrest Christian because he went underground, I later realized that
he was just doing the job of a good investigative journalist. At the time,
Christian was reporting for The Herald in Bamenda…I want to say that there are
many newspapers in Cameroon especially English language newspapers but The
Guardian Post has stood the test of time and has distinguished itself as the
lone English language daily. I am not in any way saying that all the other
newspapers are not publishing objective stories, but the manner in which The
Guardian Post goes for its own stories is a true reflection of investigative
journalism. I pray that this will not only end here! Christian is going to take
this as a challenge to create The Guardian Post radio and television too’’, the
fon declared.
Meantime, the president of Newspaper
Publisher’s Federation, FEDIPRESS Haman Mana who doubles as the publisher of
the French language daily newspaper, le jour, confirmed that the The Guardian
Post has stood the test of time and had every reason to celebrate. He decried
the ill treatment meted out by Messapresse on publishers in the likes of The
Guardian Post, before hailing the newspaper publisher, Kristian Ngah Christian
for creating over thirty jobs for young Cameroonians who constitute the work
force of the newspaper.
The 13th anniversary of The
Guardian Post was noticeable with a special 12-page colour edition which
focused on the creation and day-to-day running of the newspaper.
Reacting on the anniversary day, the
publisher/editor of The Guardian Post, Kristian Ngah Christian, said there was
every reason to look back and thank God after 13 years down the road. “Being a
daily newspaper and surviving without sponsors is a very difficult task, reason
why we have to celebrate with our readers who appear to be our only sponsors”,
Ngah sustained.
The anniversary was attended by several
members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, traditional authorities,
journalists, economic operators and clergymen amongst others. A lavish party
that dragged on to the early hours of Sunday enveloped the anniversary feast
that was also animated by several traditiona dance groups and renowned artists.
Saturday’s anniversary was crowned,
yesterday Sunday, by a grand general meeting that grouped the central and
external staff of The Guardian Post. During the meeting, staffers fine-tuned
strategies of enhancing journalistic performance and ways of satisfying their
increasingly ever news-thirsty audience. The Guardian Post editorial adviser,
Asong Ndifor lectured field reporters on how to collect information and
news-writing.
It is worth noting that The Guardian
Post which published its first edition on August 30, 2001, was created as a
weekly. But today, it is on record as Cameroon’s lone English language daily
and best selling as well as most read English language newspaper.
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