Views sampled by Grace Ongey and Jude Abanseka
Barrister Ivo Alonjo
It is good government is fighting corruption, but the decision is coming too late. What the government is doing now is only a face-saving measure. If government is serious about fighting corruption, it should first identify the areas of government that are most corrupt. Officials can then be assigned to identify corrupt people and how and why they are corrupt. It is important to know why people are corrupt before fighting the ill.
Second, when people who have embezzled are arrested, what they have stolen should be retrieved, rather than pass long prison sentences on these culprits. Embezzlers can either be given a choice of investing the money in developmental projects or be sent to jail for life. Most embezzlers will definitely opt to invest the money. Most embezzlers in Cameroon are 60 years and above, thus very close to their graves. When they are given life sentences and no other choice, they prefer to go to prison and let their families spend the money after their death.
The ongoing fight is targeting a particular set of people as the names of some corrupt people are cited everyday and they have not been arrested. There is a simple way of identifying those who are corrupt; considering their investments. People know what most people own. Just look at a man's house, evaluate it, find out how many years he has put in the public service, then multiply his salary by the number of years and see if it matches the cost of the house. That is what I think should be done to all public servants with big mansions in town. If some excess is discovered, they should tell the government where that excess is from.
However, when we talk about corruption we should not only look at the big guns. Corruption stretches right down to the common man, especially the forces of law and order. The government should publish a list of documents that drivers need to own. Everything should be reduced to two or three documents at most, so that car owners should master them and so avoid giving bribes to law officers.
This operation is long overdue. Cameroon is a developing country languishing in poverty because a few people have decided to empty the national treasury. There is a lot of pilfering going on around. One would expect all people in public offices and not just ministers and directors, to declare their assets. This would have been done long ago and I believe this could have salvaged this country. Operation Sparrow Hawk is, however, welcome but should not just limit its focus to sending people to prison. Cameroonians want that stolen money should be recovered so that our country can develop. We would not like to see people in prison who are building houses. Let embezzlers be held accountable and money stored in Swiss and other European banks should be brought back to the country. It is only then that Cameroonians can say this operation is effective.
Thomas Minang
The fight against corruption in Cameroon is belated because if everything was put in place in time, the situation will not be as bad as it is today. There was talk about showing proofs that people are corrupt. The anti-corruption drive today is barely struggling to patch things up.
We hope the ongoing drive is not only a campaign strategy that will die after up-coming elections have been won. However, we are optimistic that with pressure from international bodies things will progressively improve. Cameroonians wish that corrupt officials should not only be arrested, but also that siphoned money be retrieved for the country's benefit and development.
Article 66 of the Constitution also requires that those who are appointed to or hold public offices should declare their assets before they take up office and after they leave office. This was signed more than ten years ago. If it had been applied, things could have been better. If that can be done, things could improve.
John Musinga
I do not think the government is doing anything serious about fighting corruption in Cameroon because many "big people" who steal go scot-free, but a "small man" who steals is arrested and jailed. This is the way Cameroon operates nowadays. The government should clamp down on whoever embezzles. These people should not only be jailed, but what they stole should be forcefully recovered and ploughed backed into the economy. Such a measure will help young unemployed Cameroonians get jobs as recovered funds will revive the economy.
Tobias Ndze Wongbi
Government's fight against corruption in Cameroon is going on very well from the actions that are being taken at very high levels, but we also expect to see concrete results. It should not simply be that this or that person has been arrested and jailed and at the end of the day one does not know what is happening. We expect to see results and by results I mean when somebody is being investigated, citizens should know the investigation's outcome. If those arrested are found guilty, they should be punished and this will serve as a deterrent to others.
Barrister Awungjia
The government has not done much in fighting corruption. A lot still needs to be done. It should get to the grass roots, not just concentrate on a few government officials. People should be sent to schools to sensitise pupils and students to the dangers of corruption as most people cannot even distinguish corrupt practices from those that are not. It is necessary, however, to arrest suspects, but sensitisation is the best way of pre-empting the ill.
Valentine Nji
The government is going in the right direction in its current fight against corruption, but more still has to be done. It seems people with presidential ambitions are the ones being targeted. The fight needs to be taken down to the lowest level possible because at the moment it is highly elitist.
Commandant Augustine Njotsa
Operation Sparrow hawk is a welcomed initiative but a toothless bull dog at the same time because people have been caught and detained but nothing is being done to retrieve money from their bank accounts abroad. The American government is willing to help repatriate the enormous sums that Cameroonians have in US banks. This is what we want. Detaining people is good but what we need is the money. A lot of people are suffering in Cameroon and are not getting their rightful share of the nation's wealth. Children have to be educated, hospitals built, good roads constructed, and people need to lead better lives. Cameroon is not progressing and that is not supposed to be the case. Cameroon is going to the International Monetary Fund to borrow FCFA 72billion when there are some Cameroonians who have billions stacked in private accounts. The government should sit up and do something.
John Ney
Operation Sparrow Hawk is a good way of regulating people who feel they can do anything with government money. For now it is going on well. The law requires that suspects be thoroughly investigated before being accused of embezzlement. For now government is gathering facts before pulling embezzlers into its dragnet.
John Ngwa
Operation Sparrow Hawk is worthwhile. All government needs to do is to make it more effective. The public should also be informed of what is taking place. We need to live in a clean and honest environment. So the operation is not only laudable but welcome. Our country needs to develop and we therefore need to inculcate positive values in Cameroonians to make our nation a better place not only for ourselves, but also for our children.
Michael Ndimancho
Ongoing efforts to curb corruption are good but I am baffled that the government is arresting and detaining people accused of embezzlement and not recovering stolen wealth. This gives the impression that it is all about settling scores. I do not understand that all of a sudden people accumulate billions. When arrested protracted trials follow with no concrete results. The government is confusing Cameroonians. The best thing is to retrieve stolen wealth and stop sending people to prison. We hear high profile personalities detained for embezzling State funds are going about their businesses. What are these arrests then all about?
Mike Kometa
If the Church can step in and assist the government in what it is doing Cameroonians will be very happy. Many fear the Church is not doing enough. It is not enough to condemn but the church also has the responsibility of helping Cameroon out of its present plight.
Beside the laws put in place by the government , nothing can be done if people do not act in good faith.thus it is my well considered opinion that top government officials shoud be drown from the church. in fack i am talking about men of intergrity since to serve God one most of necessity have a clear heart vis a vis fellow human beings
Posted by: bertrand ngefack nkendem | July 21, 2010 at 12:12 PM