A TALK DELIVERED By H. E. Francis Nkwain Bohchong AT THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF “THE WATCHDOG TRIBUNE” ON APRIL 7, 2012 AT AYABA HOTEL, BAMENDA
When the Publisher-Editor of the Watchdog Tribune approached me on Monday, the 27th of February 2012, to give a talk on “Cameroon towards an emerging economy: The major role of the press in the fight against corruption in Cameroon,” many obviously disturbing questions rushed through my mind; but one thing was very clear to me, and it was that, nobody would expect me to present a scientific paper on such a topic. As such, I accepted to give this talk, knowing fully well that I was going to be conversational, as I share both my take on this incisive subject, as well as my experience of Cameroon, as a frontline political actor.
It is for this reason, that I shall be conversing with all of us gathered here today, on what an emerging economy is, in relation to Cameroon’s option for such a transformation, and the role of the media as a whole, in the fight against corruption, the major challenge to such an evolution.
Generally, emerging economies are those regions of the world, which are experiencing rapid transformation, under conditions of limited or partial industrialization. These are, mainly, economies with low to middle per capital income, considered as emerging because of their developments and reforms.
Hence, even though China is deemed one of the world’s economic powerhouses, it is lumped into this category, alongside much smaller economies with a great deal less resources, like Tunisia. Both China and Tunisia belong to this category because both have embarked on economic development and reform programmes, and have begun to open up their markets and “emerge” onto the global scene. They are, therefore, fast-growing economies. Such economies are transitional, meaning that, they are in the process of moving from the close economy, to an open market economy, while building accountability within the system.
As an emerging market, a country embarks on an economic reform program, which will lead it to stronger and more responsible economic performance levels, as well as transparency and efficiency in the capital market. One key characteristic of such an economy is an increase, in both local and foreign investment. A growth in investment in a country often indicated that the country has been able to build confidence in the local economy. Moreover, foreign investment is a single that the would has begun to take notice of that country’s emerging market.
It was from this promise, that President Paul Biya declared on national television that, and I quote:
“We will make Cameroon and emerging country, that is, a country with strong democratic institutions, enjoying strong and sustainable growth… We are going to transform out country into a vast construction site, which will provide job opportunities for young people and create wealth that can be redistributed equitably.” End of quote.
Furtherance to this, President Biya promised to build roads, power plants, and a deep sea port, and he is seeking to attract more investment to the country’s agriculture and mining sectors, with the goal of securing emerging market status for Cameroon by 2035 – thus, putting Cameroon in the same bracket as countries such as Mexico or Malaysia.
From every indication, our option in Cameroon is to strive for the wellbeing of both the nation and its people by the year 2035. This, of course, is an option for the system of good governance, which works for the good of all our people, especially of generations to come. Indeed, this is an option to build on the future, our future. This means that, the wellbeing of our nation and our country as a whole, should not necessarily be judged on the strength of the CFA franc as against the Dollar, Euro or Pound; or whether our shares do well on the world’s stock markets; but should be judged on its most important commodity – its people, the most precious of all our natural resources being our children.
Unfortunately, and very sadly too, we are failing drastically to secure the future of our nation that of our children, and that of our children’s children, because we remain positively numb to the effects of corruption and crime as a whole! As a nation, have we simply become desensitized to the negative effects of corruption and crime, or do we, as a society, just accept these as part of our lives?
To say the least, we owe it to one another; we owe it to our children, and to the people of this country, to take up the good fight and to make our voices heard. The fight against corruption will not be won by policies and procedures; it will be won by many individuals, uniting in the common goal and drive to eradicate the negative effects that corruption has. As Transparency International tells us, and I quote:
“Fighting corruption requires more than tools and programmes; it requires role models who inspire; role models who have demonstrated a commitment to their values and beliefs by their courageous actions. Integrity awards winners provide a sense of hope and empowerment-they demonstrate that it is possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Integrity awards winners are the heroes of the fight against corruption.’’ End of quote.
Are we individuals, who stand for integrity and honour? Are we individuals, who are committed to our values and beliefs? Your answer is as good as mine. But one thing stands out very clear: in the words of the chair of Transparency International for the Solomon Islands, “the quality of leadership and good governance is determined by the quality of the media.’ This is even more so, because the media is the only entity providing any sense of balance to the all-powerful and monopolistic nature of government; and the American founding father, Thomas Jefferson’s statement, that he would rather have a free press without a government, than a government without a free press, speaks of why the press was made the fifth independent branch of a functioning government(after the constitution, legislative, judicial and executive branches), through its institution in the first amendment. As such, to stifle the press is to stifle the nation; and that is why when we talk of the power of the press, we mean the power of what the press can do, namely:
1. Give expression to public mind.
2. Influence public thinking.
3. Explain government policies.
4. Provide us with varied news.
This leads us to the role of the media in the fight against corruption, in a country that has opted for an emerging market economy. In such an economy, corruption is the responsibility of the media to expose. If corrupt leaders are being constantly exposed by the media, they would start thinking twice before doing it again. However, we are all aware that there is no specific definition for corruption. Rather, there are many definitions, all of which agree that, it means going against the law, in order to achieve personal goals, or the bad use of authority by a person holding power, in ways that are considered a waste of public money. As such, there are many forms of corruption, but it is all the same in its harm to the community, and the restriction of its development.
The role of the media is, therefore, a very big one. The media provides the means where information about corruption can be relayed worldwide. The public needs to be warned on a regular basis, about the harmful effects of corruption in an emergin economy; and this role is not only to inform the public about facts and statements, the media should also be active in public education and in the effective support in the fight against corruption. The media can play the role of being the watchdog, the agenda setters and gatekeepers in society. Through investigative journalism, irregularities both within the government and the private sector can be uncovered.
However, our media is far from being a group of angels. Like in other organizations, our media faces professional and administrative corruption. Those working in the media are like any other people, and can be persuaded in many ways such as bribes, patronage and receiving personal gain through their authority or work. They can use their pen to blackmail people or for the advantage of people they favour.
Today, we live a daily situation whereby, corrupt people try all that they can, to get the media on their side, either by threats, buying them or other ways, until the media sometimes falls into their racket. Some may argue that this is as a result of the low income of most journalists; but for one thing, corrupt people will never fight corruption, and if corruption is spread through media outlets, society will lose one of the most important weapons in the fight against corruption.
It is also true, that in spite of the global policy of freedom of the press, many journalists and media foundations still face problems accessing information. It is even truer, that the media’s efforts to gain people’s confidence fails because of the contradiction and corrupt behavior of high ranking figures in society, who loot public monies and go free, unquestioned. Thus, we need confident media and credible people to deliver the message of fighting corruption.
In recent times, the arrests of supposed corrupt public officials, has conjured a syndrome of hope amongst Cameroonians. 20.7% of our population hold that exposure of corrupt individuals is the best way for the media to fight corruption. This response is due to the widely held ideas that only a public shaming system can ignite the much-expected change.
Today, it is irrefutable that corruption has become a pandemic in the Cameroonian society. There is, therefore, need to eradicate this cankerworm, which has significantly contributed to hamper the socio-economic and political development of the nation. This fight can actually succeed, if the government works in alliance with the media, which stands as the main agent against the fight. This could be achieved by giving the media increased access to information, especially from the administration and the courts.
Conscious of the fact that the private media has been described as the most active sector in the fight against corruption, the government supports their efforts by providing substantive subsidies to the private-owned media in the form of tax breaks on newsprints and electronic equipment. But until the media frees itself of corruption, it can hardly report convincingly on the issue. Receiving bribes is a common practice among journalists. It has become part of officialdom, that journalists receive “brown envelopes” after the coverage of an event from the organizers. These envelopes largely influence the outcome of their report.
Press freedom should be respected, so as to enable the media to report freely on corruption. It has been realized that though a plethora of press laws exist in Cameroon, the media still operates with a high level of self-censorship, because their hands are tied by bonds of bribery and corruption. Until this issue is properly addressed, the media shall be largely ineffective in the combat against corruption, even if it remains the most active advocate in this crusade in Cameroon. This confirms the media’s role as the watchdog of society. It is important for both government and civil society to create an enabling environment for the effective use of the media to fight corruption in all facets of Cameroon national life.
At this juncture, a request of genuine self-examination must be addressed to the journalists, of both the public and private media, who are supposed to be watchdogs of society, but who, unfortunately demonstrate a more disheartening dimension of corruption.
Professional ethics of journalism are violated with impunity, and journalists enmesh themselves in the mud or payola, commonly called ‘gombo’ or ‘makapati,’ without remorse. They run behind individuals and institutions for money, to either sing praises or publish manufactured information at the detriment of empowering information. At the end of it all, the greatest loser is the citizen, who, in the absence of credible and useful information in the media, seeks solace in entertainment. The result has been an asphyxiated civil society, and an uninformed citizenry, incapable of holding officials to account, for misused of office or public money.
Finally, and as a take-home message, we call on the media, within the context of Cameroon moving towards an emerging market economy by 2035, to bear in mind that:
1. The public has to be warned, on a regular basis, about the harm of corruption.
2. Corruption undermines the moral standards of society, endangers democracy, deprives citizens of their rights, and blocks development.
3. The role of the media is not only to inform the public about facts and statements; it must take an active role in public education and in the support for the fight against corruption.
4. It is important for media organs to cooperate with NGOs and other institutions in the fight against corruption. Special emphasis has to be laid on establishing a network of information, knowledge, understanding and cooperation between various professional associations and public institutions.
Thank you for your kind attention
Hon. Francis I. W. Nkwain
Bohchong of Isailah-Njinikom,
Boyo Division.
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