BMF Training Workshop:

Participants schooled on management & good governance best practices

By Boris Esono&Ajongakou Santos in Buea

Buea Council authorities in family photo with

Fako administrative hierarchy and IGI partners   

The Mayor of Buea has said that participants at the “Business Management and Public Service Governance Fellowship GMF”must put into practice the knowledge they have gained during the 5-day training seminar, if they must contribute their own quota to President Biya’s 2035 emergence vision. Patrick Ekema was speaking on 4 July 2016, at conference hall of the Buea council, as he officially opened the BMF training program.

                Organized by the Buea Council, in collaboration with the International Governance Institute (IGI), UK, the training seminar that ran from 4th to 9th July 2016 was aimed to train young Cameroonians (both graduates and non graduates alike), small business holders, council officials and others on the importance of good governance in management.

                Addressing participants at the seminar, Patrick EkemaEsunge exhorted them to make the most of the opportunity granted them by the council especially as the importance of such a training cannot be over emphasized.

                “By organizing this training, we aim to connect the human capital of the council with that of the nation’s development goals such as the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, the Good Governance Program and the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy,” the mayor said, noting that the education of citizens of any country is very vital in the development process of that country and without proper education development cannot be possible.

                 “Education is vital and indispensable to drive Cameroon towards the path of growth and emergence,” mayor Ekema reiterated, announcing that immediately after the BMF training the council will also organize holiday classes for secondary school goers in three centers: BGS Molyko, GBHS Bojongo and GBHS Bokova.

                Mayor Ekema Patrick advised the participants to shun corruption and embrace transparency and good governance in everything they do because “without good governance it will be difficult to have investors from other countries coming to do business in Cameroon”.

                For his part, the Country Director for the UK-based International Governance Institute (IGI), NkemAssex, lamented the fact that corruption is a disease that has eaten very dip in the fabric of Cameroonian society. He regretted the fact that because of corruption Cameroonians focus all their attention only to their individual interests while undermining and caring very little about the general good of society. 

                “Individualistic thoughts have replaced collective thinking among Cameroonians,” Mr. Assex cried aloud, calling on the participants to always look at the bigger picture of things and to envisage also conquering foreign markets and not only pay attention to the local market.

                Mr. Assex reminded the government of the vital role it has to play in educating the citizens especially if Cameroon must attain emergence by 2035.

                “The government should invest in the population to achieve its goals,” Assex said, advising that government should not focus only on building Cameroonians for the home market because they will be limited in thinking and knowledge as far as the global perspective is concerned.

                Revealing that the IGI has come to stay in Cameroon and with Cameroonians for a long time to come, Mr. Assex in the course of their stay here they envisage to dispense business management programs to over 10 thousand Cameroonians drawn from different schools and other areas of society.

                Also addressing the participants, the SG of the SW Governor’s Office, Mr. FonNdikum Clement, called on them to imbibe and uphold a sense of patriotism and national unity while eschewing corruption as a way of doing business.

                One of the participants at the training, Feh Davis, hailed the wonderful initiative taken by the Buea council in collaboration with IGI, in organizing the workshop. He noted that the workshop was imperative and timely giving that issues of good governance are vital for the development of any country.

                Another participant, AbuckHonorine, a business owner, said the training will go a long way to providing her with the necessary tools to better run her business.

The Fellowship launch witnessed the presence among others of the Technical Adviser No 1 in the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, a representative from the Ministry of Trade, the DO of Buea, traditional rulers, civil servants, public and private sector business operators and young graduates from all works of life.