45.000 Ghost Workers Discovered In Public Service

By Kini Nsom

Some 45,000 ghost workers have been discovered in the Cameroonian public service. This is the outcome of the ongoing civil servants census in the country.

Amama Amama: Public Service Minister

According to sources from the Ministry of Economy And Finance that began the exercise last June 25, the state has been loosing huge sums of money to such people who should not be on its pay roll.

In a press conference held in Yaounde last week, Economy and Finance Minister, Polycarpe Abah Abah, said the fake workers were depriving the state of a circa FCFA 5 billion every month.

Even before the state began the last lap of the civil servants head count, it was discovered that government was paying huge sums of money as pensions to some 9000 people who did not exist.

Tailored to streamline and cut to the barest minimum the database of civil servants' salaries, the census that ends on August 31, has exposed the endemic fraud in the country's public service.

According to one of the census agents in the Ministry, some 20,000 pensioners are known to be receiving undue family allowances for up to 20,000 children who do not exist. The exact number of civil servants in the country is not known, but some 200,000 people are said to be on the government payroll.

It was discovered recently that people who are not civil servants have been found in possession of pay vouchers while many others have been receiving salaries of people who have died.

Census agents say the most acute kind of fraud they discovered in the field is that many civil servants fraudulently promoted themselves to superior categories and have been cheating the state of huge sums of money as salaries, which they do not deserve.

According to the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Benjamin Amama Amama, 835 persons suspected of fraud and forged documents have been suspended.
He swore that more heads would roll as the census continues. The census exercise was expected to end on August 10, but authorities extended the date to August 31 to give a chance to latecomers to have themselves counted.

It was in this light that the Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Economy and Finance in charge of the Budget, Henri Engoulou, told civil servants who have not yet done the census that they have a little over three weeks of grace.

He warned that sanctions would be meted out on corrupt officials who issue fake certificates of effective presence at work to enable absentee workers to go through the census.

The Post learnt that like the previous censuses carried out by the government, the ongoing census is laden with corrupt practices that enable many corrupt civil servants to go scot-free.

In Bamenda, many civil servants who had abandoned their jobs and went for greener pastures abroad reportedly rushed in to have themselves counted. One of them, who preferred anonymity, told The Post that she bribed the census agents with FCFA 300,000 for them to cover her up. She has been earning her salary for the past six years without working.

The census compels all civil servants to go to their various banks with all documents to justify the amount of money they earn as salaries. These documents include papers to justify family allowances, advancement decisions and identification papers. The exercise is at convenience with government pledge to streamline its wage bill and ensure a judicious management of public finance.

After leading the country to the Completion Point of the Heavily Indebted Poor Country's Initiative, government is expected to block all fraudulent holes in the state wallet so that public finances can be re-allocated to trickle down to the masses by way of development projects and social amenities besides tackling the unemployment problem.

Comments

[NjifenztBD(U.K)]

Such crack down is the correct approach to start alleviating some of our problems,though a tangible action is coming abit late.
Unless our leaders stand up for the truth and shurn all forms of corruption and expose all the existing and possible loopholes of corruption, we shall still be in the same mess.Our country deserves more than what we claim to have achieved.This Minister must be supported to conduct a stringent check in his Ministry to catch defaulters.Defnately the right step foward for better days ahead.

[Ngwese]

This is no more story as concern the public service in Cameroon. A goevernment that does not know how many people are in its work force and yet doing census every year.
If Paul Biya can tell us what has happened about his arresting civil servants who have embezzled public funds since April?
Where is the list of the first 500 names Inoni claimed to have caught in his first few days in office?
Why is the census always done on holidays when majority of civil servants(teachers) are on vacation?
Why is the census this year done in banks when most of the teachers in the public service take their salary through treasury?
When the political will is lacking, all efforts will be in vain because the so-called leaders owho are supposed to fight the evil, champions the perpetration of the vice itself since they benifit from it?

[Rexon]

Inoni worked in the ministry of finance and the presidency of the republic before becoming the prime minister of la republique. I am sure he knew of this scam long before. Why then did he close his mouth at the time???????????????? HIPC trick.

[TALKTRUE]

we are waiting for the 5 billions to be increased to the workers payslips. we are tired of such discoverings that ends on papers; no names, their post held etc must be writing on cmaeroon tribune. the names should be published and posted on the internet for all to see and others to learn.
else we are throwing water on a duck's back

[Dr. Peter Aka]

Ghost workers indeed. How is it possible to describe people as Ghost workers when the census is ongoing?

[oga]

lets face it Mukete, l think you are just very jealous because you don't have any means of "falling bush" yourself, and if you had the opportunity, you will "fall bush" and even do worse things than you are saying "bush fallers" do. Do you think people in the "bush" cheat for the money they get? they have to work for every penny they get, unlike most workers back home who don't know what it is to work hard, but earn the highest, while those who work very hard get nothing. Many people got frustrated with the system and left to fend for themselves and their families, and if you are satisfied with your life over there, fine. If not, work hard and leave. l think it is the idle men in Cameroon who didn't work hard for the money they have who go after girls and all the other silly things you said in your long nonsence note, and not "bush fallers" because they work hard for their money, and their money has a purpose which is mostly to take care of their families back home who hardly realize how hard they work for the money, but only try to exploit.

[Ewo]

One thing I don't hear here is prosecution.According to the Cameroon criminal code this is a crime punishable by both prison time and a fine.But since this is a prictice so old it's business as usual and has made so many people so much money,it will just continue after the storm dies down,trust me.The treasury has been a watering hole for as long as I can remember despite similar revelations.Much like the system at large,a few scpe goats will pay BUT,life will go on as bandits rule our country.

[Abesong Jones]

Job well done Mukete! I do not know who you are but your write up convinces me that you are quite versed with the "Bush Faller" scam. I wished we had a few blunt Cameroonians like you. Good luck with your NGO.

[emmanuel]

i just want ask Mr. Mukete how far his ngo has gone in unearthing these scams he talks about.
equally i would like to ask how much his ngo has done to fight the thievery going on in hingh places, or is his ngo's only purpose to fight that plague he calls bush fallers?

emmau

[Julius]

One very interesting feature of this forum is the way these frauds defend themselves here. Some of us on this forum are bent on defending wrong doings.
There are 1000s of well educated cameroonian unable to find a job while the goverment spends millions on cameroonians out there. If you guys (those who do) are defending fake UB credentials as a way out, I see no reason why you will stand in favour of ghost worker-among them, hundreds of teachers doing slavery in the US, Canada and the Uk.
God Forbid!!!!

[Fritzane Kiki Hong Kong]

Sometimes the critiria in which people decribe the name 'bushfallers' is not possibly thesame as some may think.I think if bushfallers are those who leave their country to work and stay permenetly abroad then fine.But those who are mobile I don't think they can be described as bushfallers as such.My situation is one in which I go home atleast 4 times a year while carrying out my business transactions.I do not only go to different countries for my businesses but I make sure I think of going back home atleast checking my business establishments at home.But if the ghost workers are 75% bushfallers then i think they should fill the gap by estblishing something not to totally put the economy in slums.

I think people who claim to be bushfallers are those who see travelling as a dream but someone who has been travelling for business or study purposes should not be considers as a bushfallers.This appellation has left many frustrated in Europe,Asia and the Americas just to make ends meet after seeking asylum nor joblessness.I guess what Mukete is saying above is that 'bushfallers' should try and come back home to carry out skilled work after their experiences abroad, if not establish a business in Cameroon.This is helping the economy to boom than to leave the government paying them ghost salaries to no avail.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Tombele]

This Mukete guy is always on the case of the bushfallers, should publish the names of these guys who receive these ghost salaries. You are in Cameroon they are some where else even if they sue you they can't stay long enough for the case to go through. Also on the question of corruption, if all Cameroonians do not keep up the pressure all these corrupt individuals will go free with their loot. I suggest that we form a pressure group, at least congratulate Mr Mardquardt the US ambassador for the great job he started. He has opened a closed door it is up to Cameroonians to do the rest.Name your bush fallers or send their names to the Post and other authorities.Like the other commentor said where is your NGO we will send you money to keep it going if you can right some wrongs in our country.

[Gallas]

Dear Mukete;
I think you always get it wrong here.What have you done with the thousands of qualified graduates we have out here on our streets roaming with no jobs and equally can be called slaves in their own country.
I think your NGO like the others out there is a means for you to exploit some of these desperate Cameroonians and some major donors abroad.I am not a bushfaller anyway.

[Anyah]

mukete,
u're simply an idiot. Who are u fooling? Have u stopped receiving ur own share of money from Inoni to blackmail the anglophone opposition?
If u were to have any right to criticize better check yourself first.U are so corrupt urself, ur NGO is only known here.Ofcourse if u leave the forum ur garri will stop. Go home and concentrate on ur two wives and numerous girlfriends, woman wrapper.
U are grossly mismanaging ur energy of criticism on the so called bushfallers,people who work hard for their daily bread. Be careful,dubious empty loud mouth. You think we don`t know u try ur luck in Canada too.fool!

[mukete]

If some of these Bush Fallers continue to take cover under fake names to write trash here, then we will be forced to published the names of Cameroonians living abroad who had been or are still receiving salaries from Cameroon. We have names of these "destructive" Cameroonians in our keeping. Some of them are even regreting why they left but it is already too late to return ... They have not seen the honey they thought they will find abroad. They have instead moved a hundred steps backwards. They are using this forum to cry indirectly. Those who were working with them here in Cameroon are progressing and are climbing. They have not seen anything yet. just look at what they do!

We are in contact with some Ministries here in Cameroon, and we are looking for facts to push the government to table a bill on a "PATRIOTIC ACT" before the National Assembly. This Act will deal with the wrongs of Cameroonians who have "ascaped" abroad.

People will be surprised to see the details our list will carry. The University of Buea has just started exposing all those who are hiding in the wilderness and making careless noise. This has to continue.

mukete

[mukete]

When you see Bush Fallers come out in number to comment on an article, you immediately sense that pepper has been put into their eyes. They are too sensitive to anything that exposes their weaknesses. They rejoice when people living in Cameroon are criticized and immediately go mad when one points out where they are wrong.

Most of those arguing about the mess in the University of Buea are those actually having their names on the published list. Since most of them do not use their real names in this forum, they are now hiding under their fake names to CRY.

Unfortunately for them, their real names have gone out to those who know them. Some are even calling on The Post to stop the debate. The debate may stop, but the list remains in the Internet for everyone to see. We have copied the list and saved it for generations to see. Future children will need to know those fathers and mothers who are fraudulent in spirit and soul. We have forwarded letters of deep appreciate to the authorities of Buea University and we have asked them to publish more names. More names will follow.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE POST FOR A JOB WELL DONE. KEEP UP WITH THE GOOD JOB.

It is just a disgruntled and guilty few who are CRYING.

mukete

[mukete]

Some people use this forum to cry and to express their regrets. We are not responsible for the slavery they find themselves. You can not be leaving Hell to go and make miracles in Heaven. People must learn to carry their crosses and then give The Post the way to bring us the light.

mukete

[mukete]

Anyah,

Sorry, I do not try luck. Anywhere I am, I do what I want. I do not ask for it, I take it. I do not eat food only when I see it. And I do not say I am "A" when I am "B". You have not seen anything yet. You can not climb a tree if you can not stand up.

mekete

[Anyah]

Mukete,
Am not into ur mumbo-jumbo. U are a noise maker point blank.If u want to know, I have an NGO too and was member of many others before creating mine.
I did it because, I had a goal to transcend, some ideas and also to fetch food for the family.
There`s nth u can say about ur NGO here. U`ll never have access to whatever list or publish any names,who are u?
Stop using the post to promote ur sterile thing. I can see it's very effective in spoiling anglophone politicians image. That ofcourse is the real mission for ur thing, the rest is a cover. The one or two other people u work with are just gossip mongers, who supply u with gossips and u rush to cook it up.
U said u`ve visited those western countries many times, so who are u? aren`t u a bushfaller too? foolish bakundu man, don`t search for ur garri peacefully in Canada.

[Anyah]

Talk abt NGO,
maybe u think people don`t know it's a gentleman form of 419. Look we know NGO's that draw respect like MSF and a few home based. The rest are people who want to softly exploit certain loop holes. Move from embassy to embassy and foreign missions begging for fund, that has a different purpose from the one carried on the letter head.
My NGO, my NGO, NGO for stealing,gossip and calumny. Look ot mukete, ur overstretching will fetch u wahala.

[Ashu Tabe]

Dear The Postnewsline,
I will like to ask why you decided to remove the comments link of the article on forged transcripts in UB? It is a shame that a seemingly reputable tabloid like The Post will condescend so low as to striking a compromise with university authorities to protect them from an imminent embarrassment.

The publication of that list of fraudulent students, which we very much commend, should signal the beginning of the fight against corruption from the grassroot level. I will therefore urge all those who have information regarding corrupt practices in Cameroon to provide such information on any comment link here or go to www.camerooninjustice.com/ and e-mail Glenn Wilson using the e-mail: [email protected].

I will ask Mr. Elias Angu who promised yesterday to publish a list of corrupt individuals in the country to provide that list on any of the comments link here. We need information to act on and we will be grateful to one anyone who comes forward with information.

I will exhort the management of this newspaper (The Post) to kindly re-instate the comment link of that article together with all the 123 comments that had been posted. What sort of journalism is this?

[Indian Man]

All those ghost workers again.They arrange for their salaries to go through smoothly and vanish abroad to greedily search for more.The idea to pass a bill in parliament on PATRIOTIC ACT is an excellent one.
This malpractice has to stop.Again it is important to note that those living and working abroad legally or illegally are wonderful heros and heroines of Cameroon.They solve most of their family and friends problems solely from the hard earned revenue of their sweat.The Biya gov't is a failure to millions of Cameroonians living abroad who are least thinking of returning home again for good.
Mukete must take note of the huge revenue embezelled at the Douala Port Authority in which such a structure is so distant from delivering value for money in terms of services.
The objective point finally is that those living abroad are doing a great job to help their families back home , meanwhile those of us living back home must continue to seek for means and ways we can be supported to defeat the corrupt regime of Paul Biya and all his followers like Mukete.

[Cameroon Police Officer.]

Mukete,
iam warning to be careful about what you say regarding bush fallers!I have a long record of all the crime you have committed in this country.
Watch out for the opening scandalous ones you recently did.I monitored every step of your action with a complete evidence of your file.
Watch out for an introduction to your misdemeanours in Cameroon.I will attach the video for evidence so that you can shut up.I live with you in Cameroon.Let's see who is who?As in a winner for the truth!

[Al Que'da Terrorist]

Mukete, WARNING/ALTIMATUM

this is a warning to you.I give you exactly one month from now to publish a list of the bushfallers you claim are claiming salaries without actually working in Cameroon.
If you fail to respond, you shall face the wrath of as a result of this 'HARAM'.Be on your guard.ONE MONTH YOU HAVE.YOUR TIME STARTS TICKING NOW.Tick...tick.tick.tick.tick.....''

[Mboutman]

There is no point to threaten Mukete.He has the right to say what he thinks is right.If he has enough evidence to support his claim then what is wrong?
But i think Mukete you need to have enough evidence before you take the bold decision to start writing people's names on this forum.Its a very sensitive thing to do.So pls always be wise in the manner in which you convey your messages.

[S.AKAMEMBULLE]

Mr Mukete I comment your courage and ambition for your good intention on the welbeing of our beloved country.We all pray that our country should be a model amongst many in the world.Though we may never have that true perfection.The fraudulent and criminal acts most of our brothers and sisters abroad do to earn their livings or make fast moneys are very disturbing to the reputation of our country.The ends justifies the means. If you fraud a certificate to gain admission in a school or employment you need to proof your worth of which one day the truth will be revealed.I will advise you to point an accusing finger to those particular "Bush Fallers" and avoid being very persimistic to all the Bush fallers.
Akamembulle
South Africa

[samleyin]

It is a pity for the post to act this way. Why sould they carefully remove the comments concerning UB forgery? Did they expect people to sit back and stay quite? how many media broadcasted the Clinton/Lewiski affair? how many media broadcasted the corporate fraud in Enron that send thousand of people jobless? what sort of peurile journalism is this? A good decision made for the wrong reason is a wrong decision likewise a wrong decision for the good reason is also a wrong decision. the post newsline is becoming very corrupt and seems to be influenced by those bigwigs. It is a sad thing some will continue to execute their professionalism at the mercy of others.

[Matty]

Anyah,
Why are you using many names here. I hope you have nothing to hide. In fact the way you are writing gives the impression that all what mukete is saying directly concerns you. You are guilty. By using the names Anyah, Cameroon Police officer, Al Que'da Terrorist, Mboutman and etc to attack mukete, you are guilty. Before I was agreed with mukete because he was addressed all bush fallers but now he is saying some bush fallers or more than 95% of bush fallers. Why do you cry. Are you among the 95% bush fallers. What has mukete said which is not true. Can you say one thing he said which is not true. You have been crying since last year about what he write here. Are you the only bush fallers using this forum. Are bush fallers only in canada. Who told you that bush fallers in canada are trying their luck. I am here in canada and I did not come here to try my luck. When I work the whiteman looks at my intelligence and my ability to think creativityly. Not only on using me to get profits for his business. You, the whiteman is only interest in using you to make profit for him business. What again can they expect from you. Your family has been crying too much here.
If you like, I will forward all the bad things you people do here to mukete. You are crying like a frustrated man. mukete is trying to change the mentality of bush fallers we all know. It is not secret. It is fact. Stop disgracing yourself. I can also start writing all the bad things you people do here. Mukete should go on informing people of our bad habits, but not all bushfallers. Anyah stop crying here.
Matty

[Matty]

Anyah,
Why are you using many names here. I hope you have nothing to hide. In fact the way you are writing gives the impression that all what mukete is saying directly concerns you. You are guilty. By using the names Anyah, Cameroon Police officer, Al Que'da Terrorist, Mboutman and etc to attack mukete, you are guilty. Before I was agreed with mukete because he was addressed all bush fallers but now he is saying some bush fallers or more than 95% of bush fallers. Why do you cry. Are you among the 95% bush fallers. What has mukete said which is not true. Can you say one thing he said which is not true. You have been crying since last year about what he write here. Are you the only bush fallers using this forum. Are bush fallers only in canada. Who told you that bush fallers in canada are trying their luck. I am here in canada and I did not come here to try my luck. When I work the whiteman looks at my intelligence and my ability to think creativityly. Not only on using me to get profits for his business. You, the whiteman is only interest in using you to make profit for him business. What again can they expect from you. Your family has been crying too much here.
If you like, I will forward all the bad things you people do here to mukete. You are crying like a frustrated man. mukete is trying to change the mentality of bush fallers we all know. It is not secret. It is fact. Stop disgracing yourself. I can also start writing all the bad things you people do here. Mukete should go on informing people of our bad habits, but not all bushfallers. Anyah stop crying here.
Matty

[Ernest Chi]

Heard this before, read about it before and yet many poor cameroonians are starving. My biggest wish is that as they create more free budget this action should be felt by the poor palmwine tapper at the base of the laddar, by the poor vegetable seller who is 80 and has to sweat and toil under the scourging tropical sun for her next meal.

My wish is that schools and modern transportation systems penetrate the interiors of Cameroon, that the Mayor of Akwaya will not have to commute via Nigeria to get to his job in Cameroon from Cameroon!

[Anyah]

matty,

Two things to tell u;
* u are excited to announce u are in Canada and 'work with white men'
* I don`t know those other names or use them

Let me guess atleast 70% of people using this forum are bushfallers, u should know how many work with whites like u.
U don`t know the mukete u are trying to defend so shut ur little mouth.
So u think mukete is here to defend some virtue? Apart from ur whiteman job open up ur mind a bit.
I tell u what, he mixes counterfeit with genuine currency, but his real mission is the counterfeit deal. He`ll make those comments that will win hearts like urs and then use his dodgy tactics to sabotage, blaspheme, paint black his assigned targets.
Matty, proud canadian worker if u can`t read between the lines sorry for u.

[Ebaneshalley]

Matty and Mukete,
When I read you both, I begin to wonder if there is nothing wrong some where along the line with the way you reason.
Matty, you claim to be working for whites who treate you in terms of your worth.I think that is great. You might have expertised knowledge in one feild or the other that might be very useful in Cameroon. Why don´t you go back and use your knowledge to develope your society instead of that of the Canadians? We need you back home.
For Mr. Mukete,You seem to be trying to compensate for what you have failed to attain in life but which others have. All the noise you make on this forum, makes me view you as an abnoxious and stack illiterate.
If really you are in Cameroon, dont you think that your focus on BUSHFALLERS all the time is meaningless? I do not say they are free from your accusations. But then you do not know where a change has to begin. I will like to tell you and other Cameroonians who are chanting alleluia because you feel bush fallers have been exposed that those bush fallers have nothing to lose. The country has nothing to offer them and they will continue their slavery in the west and feel better than being slaves to death in their home (Cameroon)like some of us.
Dont you feel that the cleansing of all ills in Cameroon has to start from the presidency itself. When this happens, we will not need to talk much about minute crimes. We will see them all disappear because the top is clean. Lets think positively.