Journalists, CRTV driver explode over location of HTTTC Kumba

Dozens of journalists came close to exchanging blows with a driver of the Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, in Kumba, following a bickering over a question the reporters considered was supposed to be posed to the Southwest Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, relating to the location of the Higher Technical Teachers' Training College, HTTTC, Kumba.

The Governor had, in the course of his surprise visit to Kumba, made a brief stopover on the outskirts of Kumba, where he made comments relating to the actual location of the College.

Governor Okalia was rather congratulating the Mayor of Kumba III, John Kona Makia, for being lucky to host the new College.

Attempting, unsuccessfully, to get the Governor to comment further on the issue in the course of a press briefing that followed the visit, some reporters of the private media expressed misgivings over the quality of questions posed to the Governor.

In a split second, one of the Governor’s protocol officers expressed anger against the fact that the reporters grumbled over their failure to get across the question, after they stayed mute.

At the end of the press briefing, the CRTV driver, whose name The Post got as Peter Moloba, reportedly attacked one of the reporters for attempting to ask such a question to what he termed a ‘constituted authority’. The driver boasted that if he had the powers, he would have ordered for the reporter’s arrest.

As other reporters tried to understand the argument, tempers flared causing the driver to exchange insults with the reporters. Maloba even threatened to slap one of the reporters.

In the course of the exchanges, the CRTV driver faulted the reporters for attacking him; while the reporters, on their part, said the driver had no right to interfere in their professional issue.

According to CAMASEJ Vice National President, Larry Essong, who almost exchanged blows with a CRTV staff, the driver left the issue on the ground and attacked his person.

In an attempt to solve the problem, Manka'a Ambe journalists with CRTV Southwest, urged Esong to use the appropriate quarters in handling the issue, if he feels the driver over-stepped his bounds.