Culture

Cameroonian singer, Dencia, sues President Biya’s daughter, Brenda Eyenga, for defamation

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2023

Controversial Cameroonian singer, Dencia, has sued the daughter of the country’s President, Paul Biya, Brenda Biya Eyenga, over alleged defamation of character.

Dencia, whose real name is Reprudentia Sonkey, is demanding the sum of $75 million from Brenda who was her onetime best friend, for a 2021 social media post accusing her (Dencia) of dealing drugs and being involved in identity theft and fraud.

Dencia filed the lawsuit on Monday at the Van Nuys Superior Court against Brenda and one of her friends, Marie Therese Yabit, claiming alleged civil harassment, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

According to the writ of summons, the singer said Brenda and Marie had “baselessly smeared and succeeded in backlashing at and destroying her professional career.”

According to the suit, in July 2015, Dencia was contacted by Eyenga’s public relations manager, who told the plaintiff that Eyenga, who then lived in Beverly Hills, admired her work and wanted her help in producing a photo shoot and in setting up her own brand.

“During the years that followed, both Dencia and Eyenga maintained a cordial relationship. They would both make text exchanges on a regularly basis.”

“Eyenga returned to Cameroon in 2019 and the two lost contact, the suit states. In June 2021, Dencia was preparing to go to Cameroon the next month in the company of other musicians, including rapper Trey Songz, when a representative for Eyenga allegedly contacted the plaintiff about a birthday engagement and performing at Eyenga’s new hotel.”

“Eyenga asked Dencia for help getting her Instagram account certified. But in a subsequent dispute, Eyenga accused Dencia of creating a fake account and trying to impersonate her, even though the plaintiff explained she was preoccupied with the death of her sister from cancer and could not help Eyenga get her account certified as the plaintiff had hoped, the suit states.”

“Eyenga, with Yabit’s help, accused Dencia on social media of identity theft and of being a scammer and a fraudster.”

“The news quickly made a media buzz about Dencia based on Eyenga’s allegations. Dencia’s reputation was being trampled on by the daughter of the President of the Republic of Cameroon in a totally unjustified way,” the suit said.

Dencia is one of Cameroon’s biggest music stars and entrepreneurs who has carved a niche for herself with her own clothing line and several skin care brands, one of them called “Whitenicious by Dencia.”

Her companies have flourished due to her reputation as a popular Cameroonian singer and trustworthy entrepreneur in skin care products, whose reputation the suit claims has been destroyed due to the allegations.

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Culture

Moroccan doctors stage nationwide protest in ‘Week of Anger’

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Moroccan doctors across the country on Tuesday staged a nationwide protests in what is known as “Week of Anger,” accusing the government of ignoring their calls for reform in public healthcare.

In a public announcement on Monday, the Independent Union of Public Sector Doctors (SIMSP) said the strike action would include more walkouts from December 30 to January 5.

The SIMSP said the nationwide strike would affect all public health facilities except emergency and intensive care units to ensure that some level of care remained available.

“During this time, doctors will not be at diagnostic centres and they will also boycott administrative tasks and refuse to issue medical certificates,” the SIMSP said.

The union added that a large march is planned for December 29 in Rabat, aimed at opposing laws on strikes and pensions.

The doctors’ union noted that their demands have been ignored by the Ministry of Health.

The union stated that their requests to government has remained unanswered. It also criticized a new framework for doctors, calling it scandalous as it threatens job security and opens the door to unfair dismissals.

The doctors’ demands include extra grades for doctors beyond the current scale, higher salaries, and an end to limits on promotions.

The union also wants the government to honour agreements made in 2011, 2023, and 2024.

According to the union, the doctors are also upset with the 2025 budget plan, which they say fails to address the health sector’s funding issues, expressing concerned about plans to shift salaries from central budgets to local health groups and warning that this could lead to instability.

The union added that doctors will continue to boycott school health programmes and what they call “improvised” surgical campaigns. They insist on maintaining high medical standards while pushing for change.

Culture

Ghana’s Afua Asantewaa begins second GWR sing-a-thon attempt

Published

4 days ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghanaian singer, Afua Asantewaa, on Saturday, began her second attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest singing marathon by an individual.

The sing-a-thon which began in the early hours of Saturday, December 21, at Heroes’ Park, Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, will run until December 25, and will see the determined songstress perform non-stop, focusing exclusively on Ghanaian songs.

According to Asantewaa’s manager, Madam Gladys Osei Owiredu, the audacious initiative is aimed at showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Ghanaian music to a global audience.

Owiredu confirmed that preparations for the event had been extensive but expressed confidence in Asantewaa’s readiness to finally break the record.

“I can confirm that she is ready for the task ahead. It’s been challenging—by way of preparations—but I can say she is ready,” Owiredu said.

Asantewaa’s second attempt follows her first effort in December 2023, which fell short of surpassing the current record of 105 hours held by India’s Sunil Waghmare.

But despite the setback, her team remains optimistic about breaking the record this time with corporate sponsors including International Maritime Hospital, Ghana Gas, Nasco Electronics, and Zoomlion Ghana Limited rallying behind her, underscoring the importance of the attempt in amplifying the global significance of Ghanaian music.