Computerization of civil status imminent

The Governor of the South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai in the presence of the representative of the French Ambassador to Cameroon and the Director of Political Affairs at the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINATD), has called on all persons who will be trained in the Civil Status Reform exercise to give their full support in the computerization and modernization of the Civil Status system in Cameroon. He was speaking during the official launching of the Civil Status rehabilitation seminar in Buea on Wednesday January 27, 2016.

Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai  said the  training of Civil Status personnel is a major milestone in the project put in place by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, which will  completely reform of the National Civil Status. He noted that the reform will be conducted following a systematic approach which revolves  around five pillars namely, data research and collection of useful information, a reform of applicable legal and institutional framework, sensitization training of civil status actors, realization of investment and supply of equipment, and Computerization of  Civil Status Data.

He stressed that the different components are to rehabilitate and reorganize the National Civil System by eliminating its malfunctions,   wild spread issuing of fraudulent documents, irregular supply of civil status registers as well as random methods of keeping and acquiring the registers which result to a low percentage of registration. Consequently, as a result of these malfunctions, the Government of Cameroon initiated the broad based reform of the National Civil Status System to tackle these malfunctions. Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai urged all the persons involved to fully play their role assigned to them in the computerization, modernization and securing of the National Civil Status System.

The Representative of the French Ambassador to Cameroon Karine Sahli Majira disclosed that the French Cabinet has been working with the Cameroon Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization to help in the development of the Civil Status Reforms. She added that the seminar is fruit of a long period to re-examine, liberate and reflect on legal instruments such as laws, decrees, circulars of the old civil status of Cameroon and to protect the new Civil Status. It is the first of its kind conducted all over the national territory.