National Patron Of CAMASEJ, Sir Dr. Ntumfor Barrister NICO HALLE, Calls On Journalists To Respect Professional Ethics In The Coverage Of Upcoming Election

HALLE, An Election Expert And Crusader For Justice, Reiterates That He Has No Kind Words For People, Including   Any Journalist, That Rigs, Or Contributes To The Rigging Of Elections, And Has Advised Journalists Not To Allow Themselves To Be Used By Politicians

  The Peace Crusader, Ntunfor HALLE, Reconciles Journalists In CAMASEJ – D, That Were Still Divided By Lingering Rancour, Since The Election Of Jude VIBAN As National President

Re-elected President Of The Douala Chapter Of CAMASEJ, NDIH MAUREEN, Presents Her Team, And Road Map, To The National Patron, Who Is Also Patron Of CAMASEJ – D.

As Cameroon gets in to more crucial and delicate phases of the 2025 presidential election to hold on October 12, the National Patron of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ, Sir Dr Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, a reputed Peace Crusader, has called on journalists to strive to respect professional ethics in their coverage or in their reporting on the election. He has strongly advised that journalists should as well strive to stay patriotic, by avoiding to write or say anything, that can threatened peace in the country. He has thus cautioned journalists to avoid any form of hate speech in their reports, and to always remember the damage that a reckless journalist or media organ caused Rwanda in 1994.

Ntumfor Nico Halle was speaking in the conference room of the Nico Halle & Co Law Firm in Douala on July 11, 2025, while receiving the re-elected President of the Douala Chapter of CAMASEJ, Ndih Maureen, and her team. The CAMASEJ- D President had come to present her team as well as her road map, to the National Patron of the association, Ntumfor Halle, who is also the Patron of CAMASEJ D.

Misinformation and Disinformation / Journalists That Are Used And Dumped By Politicians

The National Patron of CAMASEJ, Sir Dr Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, pointed out that the visit by the newly elected members of the Executive Committee of the Douala Chapter of CAMASEJ commonly known as CAMASEJ – D, coincidentally came at a moment that the country is getting into crucial and thus delicate phases of the 2025 presidential election to hold in October. He stated that journalists as reporters are important actors in elections worldwide, as they have the role to inform the public on what is happening. Halle reiterated that journalists that have to cover the 2025 presidential election have to strive to do nothing but their job, by respecting professional ethics or norms. He asserted that when a journalist takes his job seriously by respecting professional ethics, he avoids misinformation. He said is a serious professional failure for a journalist that is supposed to inform the public, to instead misinform the public.

Halle cautioned journalists to avoid acting like politicians and being partisan or bias in their reports on the election, in favour of this or that candidate. Halle also prayed that journalists should do all to report responsibly, and avoid indulging in hate speech for whatever reason.  He once again reminded journalists to remember what happened in Rwanda in 1994, where reckless journalists or media organ, provoked genocide in the country, with hate speech.  Halle thus emphasized the need for journalists to cover the different stages of the 2025 presidential election with high sense of responsibility, while at the same time play their role to help ensure that the election is free, fair and transparent, and thus credible. He cautioned that this is the period that some unscrupulous politicians, try to manipulate journalist to do some dirty things for them.

Sir Dr Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle thus advised journalists to guard against politicians who manipulate and use Journalists that are gullible, during election period, to the point of even getting some of them to indulge in disinformation, which is serious violation of the professional ethics by a journalist. He stressed that a journalist who receives money, and allows himself, to be used, lacks credibility and thus is a man that lacks integrity. He asserted that even the politician that bribes a journalist to distort a story, or to report the way he wants, in reality has no respect for the journalist, because he knows the journalist is not a credible person. Halle cautioned that journalists  that unfortunately allow themselves for whatever reason to be used, exploited or manipulated by politicians during elections, are dumped by  the same politicians after the elections, as they needed them for use only at the election periods.

 Congratulate Newly Elected Exco Of CAMASEJ – D

Meanwhile as regard the re-election of Ndih Maureen as President of CAMASEJ – D, the National Patron of CAMASEJ, Sir Dr. Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, who is also the Patron of CAMASEJ –D, congratulated her and her team for their election victory. However the Patron noted that he was not informed about the plan to organize the election. He said as an election expert, if he was informed about the election, he would have tried to stop by and see how the election was being organized, to be able to assess its credibility. He reiterated his position that he does not have kind words for those people who rig elections, and also does not associate himself with anybody who rigs his way into an office or to a post.  Ntumfor Halle, however, said his presumption was that the CAMASEJ election was well organized.

Reconciliation In CAMASEJ –D

Meanwhile, Ntumfor Nico Halle who has been a Peace Crusader for over 30 years, during which he has also reconciled several people and groups including traditional rulers and pastors, seized the opportunity of the event to reconcile and a Senior Journalist, Lasha Kingsly, Editor of MY Prime TV, and the leadership of CAMASEJ –D. There was a lingering rancour between the leadership of CAMASEJ – D and Lasha Kingsly, which kept him out of CAMASEJ – D for a couple of years.

The problem dates back to the Elective General Assembly of CAMASEJ (national), that held in Douala some years back, for the election of a new National President of the association. The two frontline runners in the election for the post of National President of CAMASEJ, were Yaounde based Jude Viban, and Douala based Moki Charles E, who was  the  then President of CAMASEJ –D.  At the election, Lasha Kingsly exercised his democratic rights and voted for the candidate of his choice, Jude Viban.  It also happened that Viban won the election. Suffice to say that the Executive Committee   of CAMASEJ –D, considered members who voted for the Yaounde based Jude Viban, instead of the Douala based Moki Charles, as traitors. Lasha Kingsly, was suspended indefinitely from CAMASEJ – D.

However In recent months, the President of CAMASEJ – D,  Ndih Maureen, took some moves to try to bring back Lasha Kingsly into the fold, but Lasha posed some tough conditions. He insisted that CAMASEJ – D must issue a communiqué withdrawing the one that was issued to suspend him, and should also issue a written apology for what was done to him.  The attention of the Patron of CAMAEJ –D was recently drawn to the issue. The Peace Crusader separately talked with Lasha Kingsly, and the President of CAMASEJ – D, Ndih Maureen, on the issue. Then at the July 11 ceremony, Ntumfor Halle seized the opportunity to reconcile Lasha Kingsly, and the President of CAMASEJ –D, Ndih Maureen, in the presence of members of the Executive Committee of CAMASEJ – D.  The reconciliation was greeted with a standing ovation.

   Re-elected President Of CAMASEJ –D, Presents Team To Patron

Meanwhile, in a speech at the July 11 ceremony, the re-elected President of CAMASEJ – D, Ndih Maureen, of Canal 2 International, among other things made a flashback at their first mandate, pointing out that, she and her team mobilized journalists, organized impactful workshops, as well as embarked on field trips to companies and institutions. “We strengthened networks, groomed younger colleagues, and launched out now –renowned football tournament, which has grown to its third edition, We also created a website and a new blog, organized friendly matches, issued professional badges to enhance journalists protection, and visited key government institutions to bridge the gap between the press and access to information. The list of our achievements is indeed long”, Madam Ndih added.

“The Mandate of Mobilization, Growth, Opportunity, And Impact”

The CAMASEJ –D President, Ndih Maureen, stated that her new or second mandate has been baptized as, “The Mandate of Mobilization, Growth, Opportunity, and Impact”.  She said it is a mandate that will further unite, empower and protect journalists. “We are entering a historic year, Cameroon’s presidential election year, and it is our duty as media professionals to rise to the occasion. Journalists must be called to action, reminded of their ethical responsibility, and cautioned against compromising their integrity. The country is watching us. The people are counting on us”, Madam Ndih emphasized.

The President of CAMASEJ – D, went on to present the road map of their second mandate, to the National Patron of CAMASEJ, Sir Dr Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, who is as well the Patron of CAMASEJ – D.  As regard the immediate projects of the new mandate, Ndih Maureen presented four projects.

• Capacity Building Workshop in August: Focused on responsible political reporting during elections.
• Training on Ethical Conduct During Elections: Reinforcing the right attitude and practices in sensitive, political coverage.
• Distribution of Press Jackets: To ensure easy identification and safety for journalists during field coverage.
• Field Trips to Risk Zones in Douala: Drawing attention to underreported communities and highlighting issues that require government intervention.

Meanwhile as regard the political reporting projects, Madam Ndih Maureen, said given Ntumfor Nico Halle’s expertise in election matters, the Douala Chapter of CAMASEJ –D, would be honoured to have him serve as key resource person. Worthy of note, that Sir Dr Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle is an Election Expert as well as an International Election Observer.