Members and Staff of the NCPBM say happy New Year to the President

06/02/2025

It was a very festive atmosphere at Yaounde Conference Centre on the 31st of January 2025,' as members and Staff of the Commission came out to present New Year wishes the President, H.E. Peter Mafany Musonge. The members were led by the Vice President, Mr. Oumarou Djika while the Secretary General, Dr Chi Asafor Cornelius, led the staff. On the occasion, the SG recalled the successes of the past year and thanked the President for providing a good working atmosphere. On his part, the President congratulated the staff for a job well done in the past year. Dance groups from the four cultural zones of Cameroon graced the occasion.

NCPBM Members validate the 2025 Budget

06/02/2025

This eighteenth session of the Commission, which was mainly to validate the 2025 budget of the Institution, started with a minute of silence for Commission member, David Abouem A Tchoyi, who passed onto glory on the 15th of January, 2025. The budget validated by the members stood at, 3.498.000.000FCFA. Of this amount, 2.978.000.000FCFA was allocated as current budget, while 520.000.000 FCFA was assigned for investment. Speaking on the occasion, the President of the Commission, H.E. Peter Mafany Musonge , said the budget had increased by 440. 000,000 FCFA, with 200 million FCFA of this money destined to reinforce human resources in the Regional Branches and render more dynamic their functioning. The President added that, this increase is also results from the fact that hierarchy is conscious of the huge responsibility assigned to the Commission.

FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE SECRETARIAT GENERAL OF THE NCPBM

29/01/2024

Appointed Officials are Assessed

One year after their appointment, it was necessary for the Directors, Sub-Directors, Heads of Regional Branches, Chiefs of Service and those ranking as such, to come together to assess how they have performed. Opening the one-day conference at the headquarters of the NCPBM in Yaounde Saturday, January 27, 2024, the Secretary General of the institution said there is no turning back in the bilingual and multicultural policy of the Head of State, Paul Biya. He stated that, the reason for the creation of Regional Branches of the NCPBM is to take the institution closer to the grassroots population who are actually those who, in their cultural diversity, should enjoy the fruits of a functional bilingualism and multiculturalism.

During the Conference, participants listened to some presentations. The Division Heads for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism spoke about “the impact of bilingualism in Cameroon” and “the stakes of living together and Multiculturalism in Cameroon.”

The Finance Controller and the Accountant spoke about “the innovations of the 2024 Finance Law” and “the major measures of the 2024 budgetary policy”.

On their part, the Regional Branch Heads presented their Annual activity reports, problems encountered and the solutions applied or envisaged to remedy them.

Members and Staff of the NCPBM wish happy New Year to the President of the Commission

29/01/2024

It was a very colourful ceremony at the Yaounde Conference Centre on the 26th of January 2024. Members and staff of the Commission came out massively in their traditional regalia to say happy New Year to the President of the Commission, H.E. Peter Mafany Musonge. The first phase of the ceremony consisted of speeches. The Secretary General, Dr. Chi Asafor Cornelius gave a balance sheet of activities for 2023, which he said the realisation rate stood at 90 per cent. On his part, the Commission President said there was a drop in the budget of the institution, but he was confident that more will be achieved with the less resources. Concerning the handshake phase, the members were led by Vice President, Mr Oumarou Djika, while the staff lined up behind the Secretary General, Dr. Chi Asafor Cornelius. The ceremony was also a show of culture, as various dance groups from various cultural zones of Cameroon graced the occasion.

First Biannual session of the NCPBM for 2024

29/01/2024

Members validate budget, which stands at three billiion, fifty-eight million francs. Out of this, two billion, five hundred and fifty-eight million is allocated for recurrent budget and five hundred million for investment. The 2024 budget of the NCPBM dropped by One hundred and twenty two million francs. Speaking at the session, the President of the Commission, H.E Peter Mafany Musonge said, "this drop means that, we shall be expected to perform more with less resources, but counting on your usual sense of patriotism as well as your selflessness. I remain optimistic that, as has been the case in the past, we are up to the task". The session which took place on January 25th, 2024, held at the Yaounde Conference Centre.

The NCPBM takes stock of its 2023 activities

22/12/2023

90% realisation rate of Plan of Action  The President of the NCPBM, H.E Peter MAFANY MUSONGE has expressed satisfaction at the work carried out by Members of the Commission in 2023. He expressed this delight during the second biannual session of the Commission which held on the 21^st of December at the Yaounde Conference Centre. He said the Institution had a very good score of slightly above 90% realisation rate of the Plan of Action adopted for 2023. “The bulk of the achievement was recorded during the field work by Members of the Commission to State Universities, some public hospitals, Defence and Security forces training Institutions , as well as in some Cameroon’s diplomatic missions abroad (Washington, Berlin, London, Brussels ,Paris, Pretoria and Abuja), he said. The Commission intensified the fight against hate speech and xenophobia, participated at SAGO, appointed Members of staff to positions of responsibility and opened its Regional Offices. A Plan of Action for 2024 was also adopted during the session.

NCPBM Members evaluate the practice of bilingualism around the country

09/10/2023

All the members of the NCPBM went out in groups in the ten regions of the country to make an appraisal of the implementation of constitutional provisions relating to the use of official languages in the country. The 10-day missions that started on the 25th of September 2023, took the members to State universities, public hospitals, as well as defence and security training centres. In the Centre Region, for example, the team led by the Vice President of the Commission, OUMAROU DJIKA visited the Gendarmerie Training and High School Command, popularly known as the National Gendarmerie School. The team which included Abbé Jean Marie BODO and the Centre Regional Branch Head of the NCPBM, LEKOUA MENOUGA Godefroy 12 were also at the Combined Military Academy (EMIA) and the National Advanced Police College. In all these entities visited, the Vice President, OUMAROU DDIKA said the Commission was not coming as a Gendarme, but to assess and evaluate the use of the country’s official languages which are of equal status. Prof. Abbé BODO on his part explained the various articles of the law on official languages. The upsurge in hate speech and xenophobia was also of main concern to the members of the Commission, who, together with their hosts discussed various ways of curbing the scourges.

SAGO 2023

25/07/2023

NCPBM makes a powerful second appearance The NCPBM was among the over 200 stands at the 12^th edition of SAGO, which kicked off at the Yaounde Sports Complex on Saturday, July 22, 2023. The official opening ceremony however took place on Monday, 24^th July. On the occasion, the Minister of Communication, representing the Prime Minister, said the Government Action Fair is an opportunity for Administrations, Private and Public entities to showcase what they are capable of offering for the economic development of Cameroon. Mr Emmanuel René Sadi said, such events are also out to promote the visibility of government action and help in the policy of national inclusion. When the PM’s representative visited the stand of the NCPBM, he signed the Golden Book, where he wrote “All my complements to the efforts made so far by the Commission. Congratulations”. At this stand, the Commission erected a wall, where it published the pictures of the buildings of the Regional Branches which wen operational this year. The fair which features exhibitions, conferences, meetings and workshops has as theme: “Infrastructure development and structural transformation of Cameroon’s economy”. It ends on July 29^th, 2023.

Appointed Staff installed at the NCPBM

05/07/2023

Friday June 16, 2023 will live to be remembered at the NCPBM, for, it is the date on which the first set of appointed officials since its creation in 2017 were installed. They were appointed on the 16^th February 2023 by a decision of the NCPBM President, following a resolution taken by the Institution during its session of 16 December 2022 and subsequently approved by the President of the Republic. Commissioning the appointed staff, the Secretary General, Dr CHI ASAFOR Cornelius, on behalf of the President of the NCPBM said, an appointment is not an end in itself. “Know that if you fail to deliver, the likelihood is that you’ll lose your position to some more deserving person. You know that you have been appointed to serve and not be served. Your subordinates are not your personal employees but enablers to help you attain the goals set by the Commission», the Secretary General instructed.              Dr. CHI ASAFOR Cornelius outlined some recommendations to the commissioned staff. None of them shall come to office later than 8:30am; files have to be diligently treated at all levels (not more than 48 hours after reception);every unit shall produce weekly and monthly reports to the Secretary General and there should be no unnecessary wandering around the institution   during working hours. Added to these, professional secrecy has to be respected by all, while the mails office is meant only for those appointed to serve in that unit. The Heads of the Regional Units were told that they have to constitute a credible relay of the Commission at the Regional level and the NCPBM services have to be the best in hospitality and in the services rendered. Those appointed included: Chiefs of Bureau, Chiefs of Service, Sub Directors, Regional Heads, (who have rank of Assistant Directors) and Directors. They were 45 in number.

Ivorian War College Delegation visits the NCPBM

29/06/2023

It was at about 11am, that 15^th June, 2023, when a 70-seater bus drove into the premises of the NCPBM Head Quarters in Yaounde. It contained some 40 military officers from some African countries, making up the 4^th batch of the Ivorian war College. They were visiting the Commission within the framework of a study mission to Cameroon. At the Commission, they were received by the President H.E. Peter MAFANY MUSONGE in the presence of the Vice President Mr OUMAROU DJIKA and the Secretary General, Dr. CHI ASAFOR Cornelius.  H.E.Peter MAFANY MUSONGE greeted the fraternal relationship that exists between the Ivorian and Cameroonian people. The objectives of the delegation were to get familiar with the missions assigned to the NCPBM and have an idea of the actions carried out by the Commission in consolidating peace, social cohesion and the promotion of living together in Cameroon. They were also interested in the role the Commission is playing to ensure the equity in the use of the country’s two official languages and multiple cultures, and gather information on the contribution of the Commission in the fight against hate speech and xenophobia. The Ivorian military Delegation, led by Colonel Major, Brou Akouamé Raoul had answers to these concerns through the presentation made during the conference by the Secretary General, Dr. CHI ASAFOR Cornelius. He outlined the missions of the NCPBM, the contribution of the Commission in peace maintenance, social cohesion and living together. The delegation left the Commission satisfied, as the Delegation Head, Colonel Major, Brou Akouamé Raoul told reporters that they are going home with the knowledge that, the Commission is bringing in social cohesion through the linguistic and cultural aspects, a path which could be exploited by his country.