Cameroon: Deputy Minister snubs journalists in Buea

The Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice in charge of Penitentiary Administration, Doh Jerome Penvaga recently snubbed journalists in the South West region who had demanded that he makes public his opinion over recent happenings in the penitentiary service in Cameroon. The news reporters wanted Doh Jerome to make clarify issues such as the bad governance in prisons, alleged maltreatment of prisoners, abandoned nature of prison premises and the recent incident that happened a forth night ago at the Garoua Central prison. Minister Doh Jerome shied away from the press and instead ordered his protocol officer to hand over a poorly written note to the cream of journalists who had gathered for the interview. 

Doh Jerome Penvaga was in Buea to preside at the graduation and epaulette award ceremony that included the 16th batch of trainee prisons chief warders, the 9th batch of student’s prisons chief warders and above all, the 3rd batch of student’s prison chief warders who are also nursing assistant from the National school of Penitentiary administration, ENAP, Buea. At the time when the Penitentiary administration core is in dire need of effective and efficient reforms to ameliorate on the poor working conditions, some prisons have been terribly transform into melting pots for rats and waste bins.

Considering the alarming rate of insecurity and indiscipline in Cameroon prisons today, it is against these backdrop that the fresh batch of graduates are expected to bring fresh impetus in the management and administration techniques in an effort to standardized services. In his address, Doh Jerome told graduates that "prisoners should not be look upon as outcast but rather a way of mending a broken life to normal". The Secretary of State for Penitentiary Administration, urged Chief Warders to supervise and coordinate staff wherever and whenever necessary in order to ensure security and sanity within the service of penitentiary administration where they will be deployed to serve.

Speaking earlier, the director of ENAP Mrs. Nuvala Fonkem observed that the graduating chief warders and student warders have toiled day and night to earn the knight of the school. She revealed, the school operates a fast updating policy in terms of academic excellence and quality training so as to meet up with current deficiencies in the field. The governor of the South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai, regional delegates of penitentiary administration for the Littoral and South West region among others answered present.