Cameroon: Terra firma of massive corruption

As I have already mentioned, I sat for the CAP examination twice and pass twice the written or the theoretical phases, but failed at the practical aspects. I am not the only Cameroonian from both linguistic parts of the country who have been a victim of the corrupt and wicked system in that country. Cameroon is that way, she is corrupt and wicked and CRTV, at least, under Gervais Mendo ZE, was at the image of a country fraught with corrupt practices. Other places in Cameroon were corruption is rampant are institutions such as the School of Medicine(CHU), Advance School of Mass Communications(ASMAC) and the School of Administration and Magistracy(ENAM). To pass the entrance exams into any of those institutions, it is now well known by all Cameroonians that, CFA Francs 1 million (€ 1500) offers admission in one of afore mentioned Schools and others in the country. In some cases, another way for a student to gain admission into topflight schools in Cameroon is for their parents or a member of their family to member of the government. I have personally witnessed a case of characterised corruption at the Ministry of Health. When the results of the entrance examination into school of Medicine were ready, the head of the School of Medicine had to bring it first to the office of the minister.

And the minister had to make sure that, names of children and family members of government ministers who wanted to attend the School of Medicine of the University of Yaoundé were present on the list. Only the names of students, whose brilliance made it almost impossible for their names to be stroke out, were left on the final list, which was to be made public. But those brilliant students were lucky, for the Minister of Health at the time Mr Lobe Monekosso, was a little bit humane. For in most cases, name of successful students are either completely wiped out or replaced with names of those who have failed. And in other cases, the final list is elongated, merely to make sure that, names of relations of government ministers and other dignitaries of the regime are on the final list of successful students. I have mentioned Simon Achidi Achu as one government dignitary who used his position to get employment for his family members and when he was relieved of his post of Prime minister, not because of corrupt practices, he was replaced by Peter Mafany Musonge, who in turn also carried out or forced the Director General of CRTV to carry out tribal and nepotic employment. Gervais Mendo ZE is not a saint. He has been accused of many things amongst, which were his methods of managing CRTV and the blatant tribalism, regionalism and nepotism in the way he made his employments and appointments.

But it must be pointed out that, in order for tribalism or corrupt employment methods to be effectively carried out; there must be a corrupter and the corrupt or corrupted. It is a two way affair. Does Cameroonians complain about the rampant corruption in their country? Yes, they do, but they do so peacefully. They are in a state of utter despondency, hence they seldom agitate. For the practice of corruption has been so ingrained in the psyche of the country that, Cameroonians think that, it is almost impossible to do anything in their country honestly. Is it possible for the General Manager of State owned company such as CRTV to refuse or ignore solicitations from Prime ministers or government Ministers and heads of the ruling party? I think, in theory we could say yes, but the reality is far more different & complicated. I was angry that, upon all the efforts that, I had put at CRTV Douala, I was not offered a permanent job, but I was not the only one. There was brilliant journalist at CRTV Douala who was worst off. He his name: Manga Ayuk Augustine. He has worked for CRTV Douala for close to five years and was waiting for a permanent contract that never came.