Blessed with enormous potential, the region is suffering corruption.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission, NACC, has rated the Littoral Region 8th on a list of ten regions in its 2016 corruption ranking, scoring just 25.53 per cent meanwhile the least corrupt, Adamawa, came first with 41.88 per cent. The region according to Aboubakar Njikam, Inspector General in the Littoral Governor’s Office, stands out in misappropriation, abandoned projects, free spending, collusion, forgery and scamming and civil servants distinguish themselves in this outrageous practice. The rating is contained in a report disclosed in Douala at the opening of a two-day workshop on evaluation of the 2017 plan of action, drafting of the 2018 plan and building the capacity of stakeholders November 2.
Rev. Dr. Dieudonné Massi Gams, NACC Chairman, in his keynote address remarked that in four years, the region has never better implemented its plan of action above an average of 21.54 per cent, which is far below the 50 per cent minimum average. “This shows that personal involvement, effective participation, operational plan, results approach, collaboration, participative follow up in the production of reports, permanent coordination still remain weak,” he pointed out. As a measure to enhance sanity in the management of public resources participants were trained on how to identify and break resistance in the fight against corruption and how to lead change, strengthen ethics compliance and measure progress.
The Chairman told the participants: “We have not come to give lessons; we are here to listen to you, in order to better understand what you do to fight corruption which destroys our country, in order that together we can seek ways for a more visible and efficient fight against corruption.” The event brought together regional service inspectors, regional delegates, mayors, legal authorities, forces of law and order, leaders of civil society organisations, as well as political, traditional and religious dignitaries and featured the review of activities carried out to combat corruption in 2017 and results obtained, analysis of difficulties encountered and indication of possible actions to strengthen the fight against corruption in the region in the later part of 2017 and in 2018.