Cameroon: The Stakes and Challenges of Governance and Development

2. Corruption, Governance and Development in Cameroon

Chapter Two Corruption, Governance and Development in Cameroon Tangie Nsoh Fonchingong Introduction Of all vices in modern society corruption is one of the most pervasive, and although it is currently held to be one of the main obstacles to economic progress in the developing countries, its current existence is, irrespective of its origin, not society bound. In other words, corruption exists in all societies albeit at different degrees. Corruption is a vice, a pathological behaviour associated with public officials because state employees everywhere almost always have some discretionary powers and monopolistic advantages. These powers are likely to be abused unless the holders of public office are closely supervised. Unfortunately, governments are sometimes unable to exercise close control over their employees. In the developed countries, government efforts in controlling public employees are supplemented by those of an informed public opinion. In the developing countries, on the other hand, the public is generally uninformed, and sees government as represented by the bureaucrats to be mystical in its functions and terrifying in its regulations. Consequently, in approaching a civil servant, the client is not generally an informed citizen requesting a service to which he is entitled, but a subject seeking to appease a powerful person whose ways he cannot fathom. Where the modern and informed citizen may demand, he begs of flatters so that any service rendered him appears to be a privilege, not a right. He therefore understands, so he thinks, that unless he does something to show appreciation for this “unusual kindness” and to create a lasting acquaintance, he may not be served next time around. The intensity of this abnormality is greater in societies like Cameroon where state employees are not forbidden by law to accept gifts from members of the public they are employed to serve. The result is that even people who denounce corruption usually engage in corrupt acts 38 Cameroon: The Stakes and Challenges of Governance and Development under the cloak of showing appreciation for work well done. If this be the case why is Cameroon more corrupt than other developing or even African countries? And to what extent does corruption affect governance and development in Cameroon? The purpose of this Chapter is to provide answers to the above questions. Despite the universality of corruption, there is no single commonly accepted definition of it. This is because societies differ in their views about what constitutes corruption. As such what may be regarded as an act of corruption in one society may be regarded as normal behaviour in another society. Scholars too disagree on its causes and effects. The result is that definitions of corruption abound while consensus is lacking. Bribery and corruption are often used together and although the two concepts are somewhat similar, they are neither synonymous nor interchangeable. Normatively defined, bribery refers to the illegal giving and receiving of something in order to influence action or inaction in favour of the giver. Corruption is, on the other hand, behaviour that deviates from accepted norms so as serve private interest. It is therefore a broader concept. It includes bribery, embezzlement or misappropriation, fraud, graft, favouritism, nepotism etc. Administratively, that is, from the perspective of the corrupted, corruption refers to the abuse or misuse of public power/office/ position/role of trust or resources for private benefit (Girling 1997; Alatas 1990. Thompson 1993; Rose-Ackerman 1999; Mulinge & Lesetedi 2000.) Origin of Corruption Corruption seems to be inherent in the nature of man which according to conservative thinkers is selfish, wicked and aggressive rather than peaceful and cooperative. This nature of man is manifested in what Oliver de Sardan (1999) calls the “logic of predatory authority” according to which any person wielding power considers it his right to exact dues from his subordinates or from the people he is supposed to serve, or help himself to the funds he is called upon to mange on behalf of society. If this be the case, why are some societies more corrupt than others? A possible explanation is that the norms and values of some societies are more conducive to the logic of predatory authority than those of other societies. The western value of individualism, for instance, manifest 39 Fonchingong: Corruption, Governance and Development in Cameroon in the capitalist principle of aggressive search for private profit as opposed to the communal principle of socialism inescapably induces and nurtures the serving of private rather than general interest. Hence, in Cameroon...