'The Nation's' Transparency Awards honors politicians and government managers in Cameroon!

By - Harry Ndienla Yemti

Professor Vincent P.K .Titanji, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of University of Buea (UB), otherwise known as “The Place to be”, and managers of some state corporations have been honored for their stringent and transparent management by 'The Nation', a Yaoundé Based News magazine, through its program, dubbed, “The Nation Transparency Awards”. Other winners of the award include: Henry Njalla Quan, general manger of Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), Sama Ignatius, general manager of Cameroon Civil Aviation (CCAA) Obi Optun Wanobi Osang, general manager of PAMOL Plantations Plc; Richard Tita Fombon,Mayor of Tiko ; Daniel Matute,Mayor of Limbe 1 and Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle,Northwest Representative at the National Elections Observatory (NEO).

Speaking during the award ceremony which took place last 4th April, 2008, at the Fakoship Plaza, in Buea, and chaired by Barrister Dang Alias, the initiator of the award, Asong Ndifor, who doubles as Editor of The Nation Magazine, made it clear that the yearly event is intended to encourage stringent management and
transparency in Cameroon, a country which has been ranked at least twice as the most corrupt nation in the world by Transparency International, a Berlin-based good governance watchdog.

Though the government of Cameroon has in the past few years been involved fighting corruption through arrests and jailing of some corrupt officials, Asong Ndifor belives “fighting corruption is not only prosecuting the culprits but also recognizing those who are promoting integrity and transparent management in the organizations they manage”. On this score, he made it clear that winners were selected from many nominations by a committee of people of integrity, based on objective criteria.

In his keynote address on the theme: “Transparency”, Ntumfor Nico Halle, himself a laureate, underscored the fact that "Transparency is instituted as a means of holding people in public offices or institutions accountable and it is also a big tool to fight corruption”. To him transparency equally ensures that; state action, budget and financial statements may be open and reviewed by everyone, and that enactment,
rules and decisions are open to discussions

While noting that transparency help to promote good governance and that good governance is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, the learned Barrister says Transparency ought to be the affaire of every Cameroonian. Though Cameroon is widely believe to be a very rich nation in both natural and human resources, Ntumfor Nico Halle expressed regret that the country is still plague by poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment, HIV/AIDS, crime wave and banditry among many social ills just because some Cameroonians continue to loot, plunder, pillage, and pilfer the nation’s patrimony. While commending government in the fight against corruption, the Ntumfor call on all Cameroonians to join in the fight to make it more effective.

Concerning the award, Ntumfor emphasized that awards in themselves are good as they encourage hard work but that they would be meaningless if they were negotiated or done in anticipation for money and material consideration. “I opine that it is owing to the integrity of The Nation Magazine which it has built for itself over the years, that has moved this large crowd of celebrated personalities to this hall”.
He also used the occasion to laud the Cameroonian press for its continued fight against corruption and embezzlement as well as the struggle for the strengthening of democracy in the country. “Though not a journalist, I know that the press is a formidable force to reckon with”, Ntumfor told the crowd.

On his part the chairman of the occasion, Barrister Dang, congratulated the laureates and urged them to continue to be management models, so that others can learn from them.

Meanwhile, On April 17, Christopher Ambe Shu, publisher of The Recorder Newspaper and special envoy of the award organizers led a two-man delegation that included Harry McYemti Ndienla(journalist of The Guardian Post) to the University of Buea to hand the Transparency Award to the Vice-chancellor who was conspicuously absent on the 4th April, 2008, due to other state matters out of the province.

Warmly received by the vice-chancellor, Christopher Ambe Shu then briefed Professor Titanji on the relevance of the award, handed it and urged him to keep up the spirit.

In response, the Vice –Chancellor said, "I feel greatly honored and I accept this award with all humility, knowing that the work of human beings can always be improved on. I will do my best to live up to the ideals of this award" The Vice-Chancellor appealed to other holders of public offices to be patriotic and put the common interest first in discharging their various duties. "I think it is very easy to work in the public sector because the rules and regulations are very clearly written down. All we need to do is, follow them intelligently and you have little or no problem"

Professor Titanji, who has been Vice-chancellor of University of Buea for less than two years, is one of few managers of public and private institutions in Cameroon identified by The Nation as laureates of The Nation 2007 Transparency Award.