The 75 journalists who succeeded in the direct competitive examination into the Public Service began a capacity building workshop yesterday in Yaounde. The Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary has instructed the 75 journalists who succeeded in the December 2009 direct competitive entrance examination into the Public Service and put at the disposal of the Ministry of Communication to use communication as an instrument for peace, development and to consolidate the stability that exists in Cameroon. He was speaking in Yaounde yesterday as he opened a 33-day workshop that seeks to drill the newly recruited on the ethics of journalism and the task awaiting them.

The Mincom boss told the 75 journalists to make sure that government communication is effectively used in accomplishing their daily tasks. Issa Tchiroma urged the new recruits to show proof of professionalism in their mission by being well-cultured, read broadly and should always be ready to work for there is no room for laziness. The Minister of Communication also underlined that the journalists must be perfectly bilingual for Cameroon is a bilingual country. He stressed that the journalists are in an era where they have no reason not to be bilingual and for them to effectively communicate, they have to be bilingual.

However, Issa Tchiroma Bakary did not doubt the competence of the newly recruited in carrying out the task that has been assigned to them. “The beauty of your career depends on you”, the Minister told the 75 journalists. After being informed of the various departments and divisions in the Ministry of Communication, the journalists will in the days ahead undertake training on administrative and professional ethics, Information and Communication Technologies and social communication, administrative procedures, career management and the drawing up of budgets.