The Cameroon government has announced stringent measures targeting civil servants who neglect their duties, a measure aimed at combating absenteeism among public sector workers
This directive emerged from a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute on Thursday, July 25.
A release signed by Seraphin Fouda, Secretary General at the Prime Minister’s Office, outlines the government’s intention to impose strict penalties, including dismissal, on those who fail to report to work regularly.
“Irregular absence at work constitutes a possible offense of sanction,” the release noted.
For years, Cameroon’s public service has been criticized for its inefficiency and sluggish performance, issues often attributed to high rates of absenteeism and a lack of commitment among civil servants.
It is widely known that many civil servants abandon their posts to pursue private business interests, others travel abroad and still receive salaries, often with the complicity of their superiors.
This practice has particularly impacted critical sectors such as education and health, where civil servants have been accused of providing subpar services while relying on the security of their government salaries.
“The responsibility of the managers of the administrative network to ensure compliance with the obligation of the presence of State personnel at their workplaces is paramount,” Seraphin Fouda’s release stated.
“Correlatively, they must initiate action against irregular absence, which significantly compromises the process of administration in the national territory and the production of a quality public service meeting the expectations and needs of users.”
The government’s new stance places significant responsibility on local administrative officials.
Through the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, the government has tasked Governors, Senior Divisional Officers, and Divisional Officers with the supervision of decentralised state services.
These officials have been reminded to ensure that civil servants are present and performing their duties as expected.
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