Two former members of government arrested yesterday have been accused of embezzling public funds. The detention of Polycarpe Abah Abah and Urbain Olanguena Awono, former Ministers of Finance and Public Health respectively, as well as some senior civil servants, comes after several warnings from President Paul Biya. In a succinct methodology, the Head of State strove firstly to educate the population on the corroding vices of corruption, and misappropriation of public funds. A series of seminars, sensitization campaigns, creating of anti-corruption structures in ministries and a national anti corruption commission are all examples of the pedagogic sequence. These new arrests fall within the repressive phase which comprises sanctions tumbling for those who do not appear to toe the pedagogy of moralization.

Two dates stand tall in the collective psyches of Cameroonians as cornerstones of the determination to intensify the combat against corruption and embezzlement of public funds. In October 2004 and November 2005 the President of the Republic harped forcefully on the theme of corruption and his decision to fight the gangrene. During his electoral campaign in Monatele on October 5, 2004, President Biya vowed to take the bull by the horns. "Believe me", he said, "things will change". When the third general population and housing census took off on November 11, 2005, the President talked to the Press shortly after the census officials finished counting his family. President Biya gave instructions to the government to intensify the fight against poverty and corruption. Said he: "We cannot be fighting poverty and permitting people to embezzle public funds."

The President's recent speeches made it clear that there is no place to hide for those who meddle with public funds. While opening the third extraordinary congress of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement in July 2006, Paul Biya said those who have enriched themselves using public wealth will "vomit it". That same year, while addressing the nation on the eve of 2007, he went on that "several punishment has been meted out to curb the scourge, yet, it is still lurking in the dark. We will uncover it". Three months ago during the traditional New Year message to the nation, the President said pursuing the fight against corruption is a priority. "I can assure you it will not be limited to a few symbolic cases. We will continue to track it down wherever it is and mete out sanctions accordingly," he noted. And during the last Council of Ministers meeting that took place on 7th March, 2008 the Head of State ordered the "strengthening of the fight against inertia, laxity, pursuit of personal interest and corruption, in compliance with the principle of presumption of innocence."

Last Friday, the Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Amadou Ali, told members of parliament that "operation epervier", as the fight against high level corruption has been code-named in Cameroon, will continue. Less than 72 hours after, the repressive arm of the State's anti corruption machinery was set into motion. The decisive turn of yesterday is an indication that the government of the Republic, in harmony with the prescriptions of the Head of State, is entering a higher gear in its crusade to stamp out corruption from public life. The judicial actions are expected to trigger a ripple effect on the collective conscience, graphically illustrating the political resolve to restore probity and moral rectitude.

This operation that targets former members of government, general managers of state-owned corporations, highly placed civil servants and auditors of these corporations, has been on for almost a decade. We can trace it to the arrest of Mouchipou Seidou, then Minister of Post and Telecommunications. The batch of 1999 was also made up of the former general manager of the National Social Insurance Fund, Pierre Desire Engo, some businessmen and state contractors. Then came the class of 2006, which saw some former members of Government and General Managers such as Siyam Siewe, Emmanuel Gerard Ondo Ndong, Gilles Roger Bélinga, Joseph Edou and Etonde Ekoto loss post, prestige and freedom. Now we have the 2008 batch. And if we have to go by the words of the Vice Prime Minister, Amadou Ali, who says some 20 files are already on his table, then, the class might end up being a big one.