The Secrets of an Aborted Decolonisation: The Declassified British Secret Files on the Southern Cameroons

Chapter 5. Regulations Regarding Public Service, Plebiscite, Chiefs and House of Chiefs

167 Chapter 5 Regulations Regarding Public Service, Plebiscite, Chiefs and House of Chiefs Southern Cameroons Public Service Commission Regulations, 1960 Date of Commencement: 1st February, 1960 In exercise of the powers vested in the Commissioner or the Cameroons by section 177 of the Nigeria (Constitution) Order in Council 1954, as applied by section 180P of that order, the following regulations are hereby made :1 . These regulations may be cited as the Southern Cameroons Public Service Commission Regulations, 1960. 2. In these regulations unless the context otherwise requires – “Chairman” means the person appointed under these as chairman the Commission and shall include any temporary chairman appointed under these regulations to act during the absence or incapacity of the chairman; “Commission” means the Southern Cameroons Public Service Commission appointed under these regulations; “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the Cameroons acting in his discretion; “member” means any person appointed under these regulations as chairman or member of the Commission, and shall include any person appointed under these regulations to be a temporary member; “official document” means any document or paper prepared by any public officer in the course of his employment or any document or paper which comes into the custody of any public officer in the course of such employment; “the order” means the Nigerian (Constitution) Order in Council, 1954 as amended from time to time; 168 The Secrets of an Aborted Decolonisation “public office” means the holder of emolument in the public service of the Southern Cameroons; “public officer” means the holder of any public office including any person appointed to act in any such office; “the secretary” means the person appointed under these regulations as secretary of the Commission. 3. The commissioner shall by writing under his hand appoint a chairman and three other persons to be members of the commission. 4. Without prejudice to the power conferred by the Order to terminate the appointment of a member of the Commission at any time the Commissioner may, if he thinks fit in the instrument appointing a member, specify the period, being a period not exceeding five years, during which the member shall hold office. in the event of the death, retirement or permanent incapacity of the chairman or of a member prior to the expiration of the term of his appointment, the Commissioner shall by writing under his hand appoint a person to be chairman or a member, as the case may be, of the Commission in place of the person so dying, retiring or becoming incapacitated. 5. Any person whose term of office under the foregoing paragraph has expired shall not be ineligible for re-appointment either as chairman or as a member by reason only of having previously held office as chairman or a member. 6. The Commissioner may grant leave of absence from his duties to the chairman or to any member and during such absence or during any period of incapacity of the chairman or member may appoint a person to be temporary chairman or temporary member as the case may be. 7. (1) The Commissioner shall appoint a secretary to the Commission and shall authorize the appointment of such other staff as from time to time shall seem to him to be necessary. (2). The Commissioner may grant leave of absence to the secretary and during any such period of leave or during any temporary absence may appoint a person to act as temporary secretary . 169 Chapter Five: Regulations Regarding Public Service, Plebiscite, Chiefs and House of Chiefs The secretary shall not be a member of the Commission and his functions and duties shall be limited to matters of an administrative and executive nature. 9. It shall be the duty of the commission to t advice the commissioner a) on any matter concerning the policy of the government of the Southern Cameroons in relation to the marking of appointments to the public service of the Southern Cameroons which he may refer to it; (b) In regard to all appointments and temporary appointments to public offices in public offices. (d) In regard to all cases where a breach of discipline in alleged against a public officer. In this regulation “appointments” includes appointments on promotion, transfer or secondment. 10. (1) Every meeting of the commission shall be presided over by the chairman. (2) The chairman and one other member shall form a quorum for a meeting. (3) All decisions of the commission shall be by...