Salutary Openings For Youth

Over the weekend, Public Service Minister Emmanuel Bonde announced some 13,000 new job openings in the civil service between now and the end of 2010. This is really, really good news; especially for the huge army of unemployed youths across the country. For thousands of youths, many of whom have university education â???? it was beginning to be a lost cause as many

began to say it, rather with desperation that a whole generation of Cameroonians had simply been sacrificed. The economic crisis the country has been grappling with for the past 20 years and bad governance are largely responsible for this state of affairs. The situation of the late 70s or early 80s when young job seekers literally had to select from various job offers, soon turned difficult, plunging many young people with high-level, academic certificates to turn to meneal jobs in the absence good offers. Cab driving, kitchen work in restaurants, street hawking, guarding of private homes or nigh/watchman jobs, car-washing etc suddenly became priced choices. And many parents began to wonder why on earth they had to spend so much money training children who could not as much as find even a poor-paying white-collar job. To compound matters, the quality of services offered by the civil service became wanting as unqualified people were pushed into filling positions vacated by high-profile technocrats either proceeding on retirements or being called upon to occupy other high-level decision-making positions. Nkendem FORBINAKE, Cameroon Tribune An under-achieving civil service, manned by poorly trained and incompetent people could only secrete reprehensible vices as corruption and nepotism, not to talk of the generalized red tape characteristic of such a situation. It is, therefore, with understandable relief, that the announcement of the recruitment of 13,000 new staff was received. Even though 4000 of the projected figure involves those already at work, it is a positive indicator the economic and social situation has been sufficiently streamlined to be able to offer new jobs. Citizens are hopeful that the government will continue to sustain this thrust, especially as it has shown strong resolve in the past few years with massive recruitments in the crucial sectors of health and education as well as the incorporation of temporary workers recruited at the peak of the economic crisis to keep the life of State administration above water. But for this salutary government initiative to attain its desired results, the various competitive examinations being launched during this period must be organized with the maximum transparency and probity. This initiative is, above all, in favour of the nationâ????s youth that have suffered for too long. It is one rare opportunity for them to enjoy their inalienable rights as citizens, by reaping the fruits of their nationâ????s prosperity. The Minister also raised hopes once again that â????file-chasingé in his ministry by distraught civil servants from far-flung localities, will soon end. This practice had helped entrench corruption and suffering. If this practice really ends, then it could mark a happy end for many.

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