145 CEFAM graduates to boost efficiency

CEFAM has graduated 145 students and they are expected to add more steam to the decentralisation process.

“Better days are in the horizon both for Cameroon’s decentralization process and for the management and development of our municipalities.”

This was the main message echoed by Mr. René Emmanuel Sadi, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, while chairing the diploma award ceremony of the 2013 and 2015 batches of CEFAM (Local Government Training Centre), Buea on Friday, August 14, 2015.

The 145 graduands, who specialised in ‘Management of Technical and Social Services’, ‘General Administration’ and ‘Finance treasury’ were hailed by the Minister for their discipline and competence which are hallmarks needed for quality human resources in our municipalities.

The Minister recalled the importance of the decentralisation process with the transfer of resources to local councils and managed by elected mayors. As such, he stressed that “it is imperative for local officials to be surrounded by competent technicians like those from CEFAM.”

These graduates, he added, will help in transforming local councils as pivots of development projects that will ameliorate the living conditions of the masses. In a bid for the staff of local councils to work in a conducive environment, the Minister announced that a Decree will soon be published on their status.

He called on Mayors to reserve an open-door policy to the graduates who are not only competent but indispensable partners for decentralization to attain its stated objectives.

Cognisant of the importance of the two years training, the Director of CEFAM, Mr. Mathieu Hagbe, gave a brief history of the institution and an insight of the new curriculum which has enriching new disciplines in the domain of decentralization.

The Mayor of the Buea Council, Mr. Ekema Patrick, praised CEFAM for energising the functioning of councils and building the capacity of council staff in the decentralisation process. As a reminder, the training that kicked-off May 27, 2013, was characterised by theory and practicals on the field.