According to
the National Anti-Corruption Commission better known by its French Acronym
CONAC, the Prevention, Education, Conditions and Sanctions PECIS plan is the
best possible plan to assess the effectiveness of any anti-corruption
initiative in today’s world.
The
corruption fighting institution while in Bamenda for a two day workshop from
October 17, revealed that while using the PECIS plan tool in the Northwest, the
region scored a disappointing 28.13% in the anti-corruption drive in Cameroon
thus emerging fourth amongst the ten regions of the country.
Samuel
Fohtung a CONAC Coordinating Committee member who coordinated the Bamenda
workshop, the assembly was assess the PECIS plan implementation in the region
with the believe that the corruption decease can only be treated when the
population is sufficiently sensitized, given proper education and better
working conditions with effectiveness and efficiency celebrated and failures punished.
Presented the results using the PECIS plan, it emerged that the
region scored 28.13% in anti corruption down from 32.09% in 2016. Elaborating,
the score revealed that, prevention of corruption stands at 43.7%, Efforts made
to educate the masses is 36.04%, Measures to improve working conditions
indicates 29.4%, Sanctions for poor performance 14% and Incentives 19.21%.
“As far as education is
concerned, a lot of efforts are being made but there’s a general feeling that
the northwest is surrounded by corruption. This should be the time when we need
to put in more efforts to ensure that projects are carried out smoothly. The
low rate of implementation of the anti corruption plan does not require us to
prescribe new methods in the fight against corruption but we recommend that the
bulk of the work that was not done last year should be pushed to next year and
we continue. We are emphasizing on the prevention aspect of corruption. It is
good to fight corruption but it is better to make sure that corruption mal
practices do not take place. We are also going to enforce education on the
consequences of corruption both at individual and collective
levels. We are also going to ensure that whosoever is found guilty
of corruption should be sanctioned, be it petty corruption or grand corruption”
The Coordinator of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Alfred Etom said.
Day two of the workshop was dedicated to field visits taking the
CONAC Coordination committee to five institutions to see if they are aware of
the anti-corruption PICES plan.
The Regional Delegation
of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as Secondary Education were found
wanting as they failed to present any serious measure taken to fight
corruption.
While Administrative heads, religious authorities, trade
unionists, traditional rulers and politicians present at the workshop were
tasked to be more rigorous in the fight against corruption by using the PECIS
plan, CONAC resolved to carryout controls and follow up right from the grass
roots, the sub divisional and divisional levels the effective use of the plan.