Cameroon and the Corruption Conundrum: Highlighting the Need for Political Will in Combatting Corruption in Cameroon

Agbor, Avitus

doi:10.3366/ajicl.2019.0259

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Thus, winning the war requires more than the enactment of legislation and the establishment of institutional mechanisms to combat it. It requires a political will that sets the tone to fight corruption (Agbor, 2019). The perpetuation of economic opportunism, the predatory administrative habits, the embezzlement of state funds, the theft of resources, bribery, the corruption of state organs (that is the executive, judiciary, and legislature) have neither reduced nor slowed down (Agbor, 2019).…”

Section: Results and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Institutional Approach to the Fight against Corruption :The case of the National Anti-Corruption Commission of Cameroon

Nyingchia

2019

jhi

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Studi ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis peran pemberantasan korupsi oleh komisi nasional anti korupsi di Kamerun. Analisis ini dilakukan dengan membandingkan lembaga anti korupsi di negara lain. Dalam studi ini, metode kualitatif digunakan untuk menganalisis peran pemberantasan korupsi oleh lembaga anti korupsi di Kamerun. Hasil studi menunjukan bahwa lembaga anti korupsi di Kamerun tidak bebas kepentingan karena harus bertanggungjawab langsung terhadap kepala negara. Hal tersebut berdampak pada independensi dan cara penunjukkan anggota lembaga anti korupsi tersebut Adapun rekomendasi dari studi ini adalah perlunya peninjauan ulang terhadap proses penunjukkan anggota lembaga anti korupsi yang selama ini berlangsung di Kamerun. Proses tersebut harus dilakukan secara setara, terdesentralisasi serta diawasi oleh judicial police. Kata Kunci: CONAC, korupsi ACAs, komisi anti korupsi.This paper examines the organization and role of the National Anti-corruption Commission as an anti-corruption institution in Cameroon and the extent to which it can successfully fight corruption. It was carried out by comparing it with other anti-corruption institutions. A qualitative research method was adopted to analyze the case in this study. This study holds that the Commission is not independent as it is directly responsible to the Head of State. It contends that its independence and the way of appointing its members should be reviewed to fight corruption. It should equally be decentralized and given Judicial Police powers.

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Section: Results and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Institutional Approach to the Fight against Corruption :The case of the National Anti-Corruption Commission of Cameroon

Nyingchia

2019

jhi

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“…A few reasons may account for this. First, the lack of political will from the political elite, as they themselves are the culprits (Agbor, 2019). In other words, since they use their political power to appoint those to lead such institutions, their independence and objective are severely pinioned as it would be absurd to expect an appointee to investigate, prosecute and expose his appointer.…”

Section: The Legislative and Institutional Landscapementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For Cameroon, the issue of corruption is quite complex and vexing: complex because of its entrenchment and embeddedness into the routine formal and informal social interactions at every level of Cameroonian life which now resides as what De Sardan terms the “logics of negotiation” (De Sardan, 1999) or “rent-seeking” that must be paid for anything to be done (Lambsdorff, 2002). In addition, it is vexing because institutional mechanisms put in place to combat this national malaise are both ineffective and cosmetic (Agbor, 2019). Gauging from the figures of monies stolen by the senior political elite in whose hands these resources are entrusted, one can easily appreciate its impact on socio-economic, cultural and political development (Fombad, 2000; Kamga, 2020).…”

Section: Cameroon and The Corruption Conundrummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Looking at the amounts and number of individuals who were jointly indicted, this part highlights some notorious cases. The last part assesses the decade-long existence of the SCC: it reflects on whether the SCC has been instrumental and successful in recovering stolen assets; constructing a new national psyche on the prosecution of this kind of corruption; and whether its success so far is due to the infusion of the much needed political will which was conspicuously absent from previous institutions that were put in place (Agbor, 2019; Ankamah and Khoda, 2018; Brinkerhoff, 2000; Fantaye, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cameroon’s special criminal court: an appraisal of its first decade of existence

Agbor

2021

JFC

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Purpose In total, 10 years since the establishment of the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in Cameroon to deal with a specific kind of corruption, one may wonder whether any achievements have been made so far in fulfilling its mandate and also assuaging the tense and toxic perception that the Court was established as an arsenal to witch-hunt political opponents. This study aims to look into the work done so far in this regard, and makes an assessment as to whether any accomplishments have been made in the first decade of its establishment. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes an evidence-based approach in seeking answers to what accomplishments, if any, have been made by the Court, explores the notion of corruption within Cameroon’s legislative and institutional landscape prior to the establishment of the Court and looks into the profiles of those who have been indicted by the SCC for that crime; the amounts that were misappropriated and for which they were convicted; the sentences imposed. It identifies some outstanding cases: where the amounts misappropriated exceeded a threshold and asks the question of what made it possible for these individuals to misappropriate such huge sums of money? Findings The inconsistencies and irrationality in the sentencing are a few findings made. Added to those is the timing of the establishment of the Court which, as most have perceived, is a political witch-hunting aimed at bringing credibility to a failed regime, as well as deal with a few political “irresponsibles” who were once the president’s buddies. Research limitations/implications This research unravels key insights into the functioning of the SCC. It advances the knowledge thereon and adds to the literature on corruption in Cameroon. Practical implications The establishment of the SCC is commendable. However, as it deals with but a particular kind of corruption, it might be necessary to rethink the need of additional institutional mechanisms that have specialized jurisdiction to deal with the different kinds of corruption in Cameroon. Social implications The paper highlights the entrenched nature of corruption in the social fabrics of Cameroonian society, and exposes the need for a much holistic approach in dealing with corruption, as the SCC offers but one institutional mechanism toward that direction. Originality/value This paper, given the issues discussed therein, and considering the dearth of literature on the topic, advances the literature on the SCC in particular and the problem of endemic corruption in Cameroon in general.

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“…Corruption erodes legitimacy because citizens doubt their government's competence (You 2018). The lack of political will to ensure that anti-corruption legislation and administrative measures are enforced exacerbates the level of corruption in Africa (Agbor 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How people appraise their government: corruption perception of police and political legitimacy in Africa

Hatungimana

2022

J. Mod. Afr. Stud.

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Recent protests against police brutality in Nigeria and the Arab Spring, which was sparked by an incident of police brutality in Tunisia, led to public demands that brought political reforms. This paper explores the question, how do citizens evaluate their government in regards to corruption? Using the Afrobarometer Wave 6 dataset, I investigate the relationship between the public's perception of police and upper-level government officials’ corruption in African countries. Due to lack of transparency, the public has no direct information from upper-level bureaucracy but can evaluate corruption of upper-level government officials through direct experience with police. My finding demonstrates that regardless of regime type, the corruption perception of police influences the corruption perception of upper-level government officials. The public cues to evaluate their government quality are likely derived from interactions with police. Therefore corruption perception of police can affect government legitimacy.

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Cameroon and the Corruption Conundrum: Highlighting the Need for Political Will in Combatting Corruption in Cameroon

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

The Institutional Approach to the Fight against Corruption :The case of the National Anti-Corruption Commission of Cameroon

The Institutional Approach to the Fight against Corruption :The case of the National Anti-Corruption Commission of Cameroon

Cameroon’s special criminal court: an appraisal of its first decade of existence

How people appraise their government: corruption perception of police and political legitimacy in Africa

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