Postwatch (Cameroon)

From Our Archives: A Special on Corruption In Cameroon

By Ntemfac Aloysius Nkong Ofege

(Originally published in 2004, this special report is being offered once more to the public as the Biya regime embarks on yet another "anti-corruption drive". We have been down this road before...)

Corruption in Cameroon is a living thing, a monstrous slimy hydra: vicious in outreach, cancerous in spread and disgusting in reach. Corruption runs in the system; it is the life wire of Cameroon and Cameroonians. Here is a country where governance can easily be defined as: “by the corrupt, of the corrupt, and for the corrupt.”

We wade in the muck of corruption in Cameroon....

Founded on the BIG LIE, Corruption and Mass Graves in Mbalmayo

By Ntemfac Ofege

Ahidjo resigned on November 5th 1982 and Mr. Biya moved in on November 6th. The Biya regime in Cameroon was never destined to survive let alone go on for 22 years. Simply because it was founded on a lie. The then French President Francois Mitterrand  who had a score to settle with Ahmadou Ahidjo over the death by firing squad of Ernest Ouandie, Wambo Le Courant and the rest of the Cameroonian Socialists somehow conned Ahidjo to resign because of “health reasons”.

Cameroon: Corrupt Practices In High Places

By Ntemfac Ofege

The turnover of every Biya government is about 6 months. What this means concretely is that persons appointed ministers are given a very short time and the license to steal before they are kicked out again. Now there have been over 600 ministers, junior ministers, and persons with rank of minister since Mr. Biya came into power in 1982. This has been very bad news for Cameroon’s public treasury. Name one Biya minister who has not been involved in one racked or another? Small wonder a little upstart Henri Eyebe Ayissi became Minister of Housing and Town planning when he had a rickety and wobbly “504”. He left several months later with 19 cars and a host of land titles.

Corruption in Cameroon: The Lake Nyos Extravaganza

By Ntemfac Ofege

The 1986 Lake Nyos gas disaster and its management is just one vista of the endemic corruption in the Cameroon system peopled as it is with “croque-morts” and grave robbers. When Lake Nyos happened the world reacted spontaneously. It is estimated that beyond the circa 100 Billion FCFA that the government of Cameroon received from all over the world in cash, about that same amount worth of tents, blankets, landrovers, food, etc. came in from all over the world for the victims. The money and gifts were speedily stolen.

Corruption In Cameroon: A State of the Art

BY Ntemfac Ofege

On May 28th 1998, one year after the glitzy win by country Cameroon of the now-annual World Most Corrupt Nation competition as organized by the German non-governmental, Transparency International, a Mr. Peter Mafany Musonge, Prime Minister of the winning team came forward to commence an anti corruption drive. The attempt, itself, “as instructed” by Team Captain, Paul Biya, turned out to be just another illustration of how endemic corruption is in Cameroon.

Mr. Musonge caused several local newspapers to publish a public service announcement, which was itself, a vista of corruption.

“Free Public Service is not for Bargaining” the English translation of the text from the Prime Minister’s Office read.   This was not the quintessence of the gross incompetence so rife in Cameroon’s administration. This was corruption in reality. Yet, another corrupt Francophone official had taken his cut…from the budget and then caused this vista of the approximate; this aggravation to be published.