By Aloysius AGENDIA
The National Commission for the Fight against Corruption in
Cameroon, (CONAC), 
on July 26, 2010, revealed names of ministries which its study
considers as the most corrupt in the country.
Without any surprise, the Ministry of Finance (25%, Ministry
of Justice (12% ), Police Force (12%) ,
Public works (9%), Higher Education, Public Health, and Transport all occupy in
that order, the list of most corrupt ministries in the country. Photo: Affluence and misery side by side. The fruit of corruption
This does not cancel that fact that all ministries in Cameroon
are extremely corrupt. The difference here is at the level of which is more
corrupt than the other. According to the study, some para-public institutions and
organisations like those in the ministry
of Transport, The Chamber of Commerce, Political parties, Mutual Council Support
Fund (FEICOM), Elections Cameroon (ELECAM),
State Telecommunication Company (CAMTEL), and sporting organisations are equally very
corrupt and ranked in that order. I wonder why the body for the award and regulation of public contracts is not on this list.
The study equally concluded that the greatest victims of corruption are drivers, entrepreneur, petit traders and importers.
In a similar study, another polling and data analytical organization, CRETES, revealed that the Tax and Custom Departments in the Ministry of Finance are the most corrupt, followed by the Police and Gendarme, and the Ministry of Justice in that order. It however added a number of corruption victims to include retirees, job seekers and candidates who sit for all competitive examination into recruitment into public service in Cameroon. My list of victims equally include but not limited to patients, all helpless Cameroonians seeking services in public offices, students etc.
PARADOX
It is rather extremely unfortunate that the (Judiciary) Ministry of Justice, is made mentioned as one of the most corrupt sectors in Cameroon in the reports by the different studies by both CONAC ( as a government institution) and CRETES as private institution). This speaks volumes because with injustice, there is total impunity and there is certainly no real peace.
This is also a clear indication that justice is a commodity in Cameroon which is sold and bought in terms of financial power, ethnic affiliation, political inclinations, religious beliefs, physical presentation and the general moods of the presiding judge etc. It is equally an open secret that the richest people in Cameroon are those who work in any of the three most corrupt sectors in Cameroon.
CONAC suggested that specific laws be enacted to counter specific acts of corruption but certainly the government of Cameroon is not ready for any of such changes. Even the cosmetic changes aimed at bringing some positive development are hardly ever implemented.
Recently, a proposal by the opposition Honourable Jean Michel Nitcheu of the SDF calling for the regulation of the spending of the presidency was thrown out by the absolute majority of the ruling CPDM rubber-stamp and hand-clapping National Assembly.
Unfortunately, though the government claims that it has been fighting corruption by arresting suspected embezzlers and charging them with corruption, nothing has change. On the contrary, the operation has been dubbed extremely corrupt itself because political opponents are being arrested while other corrupt figures continue to roam the street and embezzle with all impunity. More money has again been embezzled in the process.
TOP TOWN APPROACH
In as much as every citizen has a role to play, I strongly believe for the fight against corruption to be successful, it must take a top town approach with all does holding any position of responsibility leading the race. How do we expect change when everything still goes on with impunity?
In 2009, it was revealed that the president and his usual plethoric delegation visited the French city of Le Baule and squandered hundreds of million of taxes payers money for no good reasons. Instead of the government investigating it before refusing, they were quick to dismiss the allegations as nonsense. But this has not stopped the president from continuously leaving the country without his citizens knowing his destination nor base while abroad. From his hotel presidential offices in Europe, decrees are signed with serious ramifications on ordinary Cameroonians.
As of the time this article was written, Mr Paul Biya was still abroad since July 12, the day he arrived in France for the Independence Day of that country. He had not returned despite that fact that all other presidents who visited France for the same reasons returned two days after the event.
This kind of behaviour which some top brass of the government think even the parliament cannot question, are some of the things making corruption to thrive in Cameroon. Most of those holding public post in Cameroon think nobody can question them. This has driven the country to a kind of jungle. The president and general leadership of the country has not been leading by good examples that can be emulated for the development of the country. That is why corruption cannot be even reduced in Cameroon.
SOLUTION
All kind of articles have been written and analysis made on how to stop or even reduce corruption in Cameroon. Getting to public office on merit seems to be the only solution but since corruption is what is fuelling the survival of the current neo-colonial-pluto-aristocratic-gerontocracy in Cameroon, almost nothing can be done about that. The regime is driving peace loving Cameroonians to start a war.
The only panacea that can remedy Cameroon is free and fair elections. With the advent of the real leaders, the real decisions would be made for the interest and development of Cameroon.
Pitifully, with Elections Cameroons (ELECAM) already indexed in the country’s most corrupt bodies, it is imminent that elections would be rigged and another set of neo-colonial incompetent administrators brought back. The featuring of ELECAM in the report gives backing to the accusations that most of the officials of the Elections Cameroon are sympathisers or militants of the ruling cabal. Equally the recruitment of those to work for the organisation at regional and divisional was not done on merit.
Another issue is that the current political class is too afraid of change, They fear that any political change may lead to their persecutions, reasons why they want to hang on to the last minute and if possible, hand over power to their children and other relations most of whom have been schooled in the “best” schools in America and Europe but who have also been well armed and drilled in the skills of corruption, incompetence, underdevelopment, divide and rule, imperialism and stupidity.
Even the government daily, Cameroon Tribune, in its July 29 online edition admitted that CONAC has had little or no positive impact in the fight against corruption.
We can only keep on educating Cameroonians and preparing for the imminent revolution to bring about real change in Cameroon for the interest of Cameroon and Cameroonians. Corruption only leads to frustration, agony, misery, injustice and misery. A few continue to grow rich and live in total affluence while the helpless majority continue to swim in poverty as the picture above depicts.
Some data in this article was taken from Le Messager online and Cameroon Tribune.
