Abstract

Corruption is as old as the existence of human race. This cankerworm has eaten deep in to all the facets of Cameroon. This practice is the act of deliberately influencing an individual’s thinking and action against normal moral and legal norms to gain unjust favour. In the civil service excellence, physical fitness and meritocracy.

Therefore, the bone of contention in the research would be to single out Cameroon’s public service with specificity on the civil service in Buea. It effects on the individual, and the country at large.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

There is a grieving widespread and world wide concern on corruption at present time, existing both in developed and underdeveloped countries. Many African countries have been plagued by corruption and its devastating consequences right from the pre-independence and after independence eras and because of this cankerworm in African countries, governments has formulated policies that can help combat its spread.

Cameroon in particular is deeply rooted in this plight. Corruption can be defined as dishonest or illegal behavior especially of people in authority. Corruption in Cameroon did not begin after independence. Its origin can be dated back to the colonial era, Cameroon under British rule of indirect Rule.

During this era, corruption was seen in cases where Africans will do any thing to become middle-men for their white colonial masters ranging from feigning loyalty or patriotism and tarnishing the reputation of others. Local chiefs who were the indirect rulers began exploiting their people and having them pay tributes (materially financially) in the pretence of making them loyal or incorporate them into system.

This malpractice narrowly sought its way from the colonial period to independence and even today, many years after independence. Africans and Cameroonians in particular became over-jealous, power and money mongers that gave birth to jealousy, backbiting, plotting and killing of others.

Today, corruption has become something very common to every mature Cameroonian ranging from bribery, extortion, embezzlement, nepotism, cronyism, appropriation of public funds and property for private use and influence peddling. with all this forms, corruption have been seen to be present in almost every human gathering like markets, schools, hospitals, offices and even in churches, the economy and politics.

This practice at all these levels culminates into a very spoilt Cameroon that was rated most corrupt country in 1991 by Transparency International. It was against this background that government started fashioning policies that can help eradicate corruption and most importantly, the creation of an Anti-corruption Agency called CONAC, created by President Decree No 2006/088 in March 2007 replacing the National Corruption observatory as of May 2007.

Corruption has made government to fall, careers have been lost, renounced public officials have been ruined and reputations of some organizations, individuals and business firms badly tarnished. The rising trend in the use of corruption such as to discredit a political opponent, the public anxiety to find prominent personalities charged to courts for this have brought the scandalous effects of corruption into the lime light of international attention.

Public interest and concern over this issue has resulted to large amounts of research on the subject. However, there are still gaps. This research will help to reduce or fill in the gaps.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Corruption in Cameroon is on the rise. It is like a virus eating up the Cameroon system. The spirit of honesty and patriotism has given way to dishonesty. Thieves and self-centeredness people now say “it is the system “to justify their corrupt practices. What is supposed to be shared by all is now owned by an individual or a few individuals.

Even the anti-corruption prospects are also said to be bad or corrupt since most of them bribe theirs ways to those positions. Therefore, a corrupt man cannot fight corruption and so, basically the whole system is already stained.

1.3 Research Questions

This research will be based or guided by three questions.

1. What has or is the cause of this practice particularly in the civil service?
2. Can or how has it been combated?
3. What effects does the practice of corruption have in Buea as case study and Cameroon in general?

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