Alleged corruption at MINEDUB deprives teacher of 8 years of salary bonuses

Bribery and corruption within the Ministry of Basic Education (MINEDUB) is depriving some government teachers of their rightful bonuses and family allowances.

Mifira Musa Nkoutu, a dedicated Class Three teacher in Koutaba, West Region, has become a victim of systemic corruption at the MINEDUB, as he has been denied his teaching allowances for a staggering eight years.

Despite his unwavering commitment to educating young pupils, Nkoutu finds himself embroiled in a bureaucratic nightmare orchestrated by alleged corrupt officials within MINEDUB.

The teacher of Government Bilingual Primary School Koumenke, in Koutaba Subdivision, told MMI his bonuses, amounting to more than FCFA 1.4 million, are being held by a corrupt official in Yaoundé.

His ordeal began in 2018, when the MINEDUB official, Bah Cletus Fon, telephoned Luma Vincent, the headteacher of a school at the Military Central Camp on Koutaba.

Bah Cletus reportedly asked Luma Vincent to inform Nkoutu that he was following up Nkoutu’s files for his money to be paid.

Bah Cletus Fon demanded an exorbitant 40 percent cut from Nkoutu’s entitled bonus amount, worth over 1.4 million as of 2020.

The bonus amount was stated in a document, which MMI has seen, signed by Dr Asheri Kilo, Secretary of State to the Ministry of Basic Education.

But Nkoutu has been unable to receive these bonuses because his documents needed to be processed.

Despite possessing valid documentation confirming his entitlement to these funds, Nkoutu found himself ensnared in a web of corruption, with his pleas for justice falling on deaf ears.

Nkoutu says Bah Cletus told him the documents would never be processed and would be trashed if he did not agree to the 40 percent cut.

Despite making multiple trips to Yaounde in pursuit of his withheld bonuses, Nkoutu’s efforts were met with further stonewalling and manipulation by other officials within MINEDUB.

Bah Cletus Fon, the alleged orchestrator of this corruption scheme, callously threatened Nkoutu, insinuating that he would never receive his rightful dues unless he complied with the unjust demands.

“Cletus told me that I would die without receiving the money,” he said.

“He will sit and write to me, reminding me that my documents are in-house and that I will never receive the money because he needs to authenticate them first,” Nkoutu added.

Corruption in government Ministries is not a novelty in Cameroon. Senior government officials, who are paid by the state to process documents for civil servants have reportedly turned the job into a business venture, charging service users huge sums to process their documents.

The National Anti-corruption Commission (CONAC) stated that the country lost FCFA 4.6 billion to corruption in 2022. Most of the money was lost in government Ministries, among them the Ministries of education.

In his end of year speech on December 31, 2023, President Paul Biya decried rampant corruption in the country. He said fighting against the ill was going to be one of his government’s main focus this year.

However, the network of corruption persists.

The dire consequences of this corruption are keenly felt by Nkoutu and his family, who are grappling with financial hardship exacerbated by his inability to access his withheld allowances.

With nine children to support and a sick mother in need of medical care, Nkoutu’s basic salary is woefully inadequate to meet their needs, plunging him into a cycle of indebtedness and despair.

“I am the only one working in the family. I have six children, plus those of my brothers, looking after me. My mother was recently hospitalized, and I am unable to pay the bills. I am heavily indebted,” he said in an interview with MMI.

“Things became so tough, and I accepted the 40 percent bribe, yet the man refused to process my files. He said the way I am behaving, if he allows the money to pass, I might not give him his cut,” Nkoutu said.

Nkoutu told MMI he took the case to the Subdivisional Delegate of Basic Education in Koutaba, Ndam Ismaila, who called Bah Cletus to find out what was happening.

Bah Cletus told the Delegate and Nkoutu that Nkoutu’s documents were in his house – these are official documents that are supposed to be in the Ministry.

Bah Cletus rubbished the two of them, saying they could not do anything, and dropped the call.

The money, which ranged from family allowances to research and other bonuses, has now accumulated again.

Nkoutu, in his case, said he had exhausted all means and took the issue to the press, hoping that any hierarchy might listen to his plea.

The pervasive culture of corruption within MINEDUB not only undermines the integrity of the education system but also perpetuates injustice and suffering for dedicated educators like Nkoutu.

©Mimi Mefo Info