As curtains drop for 2015 this Thursday December 31, Cameroon and Cameroonians would quickly want to forget the corruption scare that haunted it on different fronts in course of the year.

 In fact, the cankerworm whose obituary, many thought, was already announced judging from the diverse combat structures in place, disturbingly resurfaced and made headline news within and without the country. In a belatedly published Cameroon’s 2013 Anti-Corruption Status Report by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC), it emerged that Cameroonians have rather reverted to more sophisticated corruption techniques.

Notorious appellations like “Mboma” referring to practices whereby mediators approach officials proposing the swelling of their salaries against compensation after actual payment and double payments, overbilling, falsification of quantities and quality and contract overbidding, in the public works sector were disturbingly disclosed to have gripped the public administrations in the country. The issuance of fake medical certificates, the proliferation of illegal clinics and sale of illegal drugs as well as the adulteration of petroleum products and siphoning domestic gas cylinders are not the least of ills the country must turn a new page on, if 2016 must be better than the previous years.

Even before the dust settled on the CONAC report, the international watchdog, Transparency International, identified and shamed the country’s police and taxation corps for thriving on corruption. While the former excelled in swindling money from sometimes naive and intimidated members of the public whose peace and security they are supposed to guarantee, the latter was indicted for shady deals with tax payers which at best satisfy the egocentric desires of collectors.   

Slapped on the face by these unenviable behaviours, CONAC still remains hopeful that the battle against corruption could be won provided all hands are put on deck. In a message on the 12^th Anti-corruption Day on December 9, 2015, CONAC’s Chairman noted that, “It is through our collective efforts that we can win this fight against corruption and instil integrity and legality in our country. Be the change that you want to see in Cameroon,” Rev. Dieudonné Massi Gams noted.