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Letter of Protest by the SDF Parliamentary Group against the bungled retirement of Dr Nzo Nguty Bernard Tarkang from the National Assembly
Ref. No. 0196/02/SDF/GP/AN
Yaounde, November 19, 2002
Hon. Cavaye Yegue Djibril
The Speaker
National Assembly of Cameroon
Yaounde.
Subject: The retirement of Dr Nzo Nguty Benard Tarkang
We the undersigned, members of the SDF Parliamentary Group received with shock and consternation, news about the retirement of Dr Nzo Nguty Benard Tarkang, the 1st Assistant Secretary General of the National Assembly of Cameroon, whereas he is far younger than the Secretary General and, the 2nd Assistant Secretary General. Information reaching us reveals that he had to be sent on retirement because he had attained the age of 55 years and there was no instrument within the legal arsenal of the National Assembly that permitted the prolongation of his term of service even though he is the most qualified and experienced staff who could conveniently have been promoted to the post of Secretary General to relieve the latter of the enormous task he faces in managing the Ministry of Finance and Budget and the National Assembly.
Our investigations have led us to discover that legal instruments in the civil service in other departments of state make room for the prolongation of the term of service of civil servants in the event of necessity and that it is in application of the said instruments that the Secretary General is today still a Minister in Government at the same time the Secretary General of the National Assembly and the 2nd Assistant Secretary General has seen his own term of service prolonged twice. We have found to our greatest dismay that the same instrument at one time existed in the National Assembly but was abrogated for an avowed goal. This happened in 1988. Bureau Order No. 039/AB/AN of August 30, 1982 to set up the pension scheme for Civil Servants of the National Assembly had provided in its Section 7 that:
“On a personal basis, the age limits laid down under Section 5 above may be extended by from two to five years in the interest of the service or in that of dependent children. This does not change the nature of the pension and is taken into account in assessing such pension. It is granted by Presidential Order upon recommendation by the Secretary General.”
In 1988, officials serving in the cabinet of the then President of the National Assembly had attained retirement age; Mr Atogho David Tabeng, Director of Cabinet (with rank and prerogatives of Secretary General), Mr Nchanji Jamanus, Chief of Cabinet (with the rank and prerogatives of Deputy Secretary General) and Miss Cambell Margaret. They were all Cameroonians from the English speaking part of Cameroon. The then Secretary General of the National Assembly in the person of Samuel Efoea Mbozo, instead of recommending to the President of the National Assembly, the prolongation of their terms of service, initiated and carried through Bureau Order No. 018/AB/AN/88 of July 1998 abrogating the above Section & in the following terms:
“The provisions of Section 7 of Bureau Order No. 039/AB/AN of 30 August 1982 referred to above are hereby abrogated and replaced as follows: Section 7 (new) In no circumstance shall a civil servant of the National Assembly be maintained in service above the age limit fixed by Section 7 above.”
And so Messrs. Atogho David Tabeng and Nchanji Jamanus, Cameroonians from English speaking part of Cameroon were sent home on retirement.
We unanimously hold and maintain that the decision to send Dr Nzo Nguty Bernard Tarkang home on retirement has been motivated by spite and ill-will given that a year earlier the Secretary General was very aware that his term of service would come to an end on October 2, 2002 and had written to him to this effect asking for his reaction. Thus there was far more sufficient time for a proposal to have been made to the Bureau of the National Assembly recommending the abrogation of Section 7 (new) of Bureau Order No. 018/AB/AN/88 of 7 July 1998 which, is not in line with provisions of Civil Service rules in Cameroon and reinstating the old Section 7 of Bureau Order No. 039/AB/AN of 30 August 1982 that had been abrogated for selfish ends.
There is no doubt that the Bureau of the National Assembly would have readily adopted this previous position for the following reasons:
• To bring the civil service of the National Assembly in line with other departments of state and thereby retain a seasoned administrator of high standing and experience who is still in his prime at the time when his services are most needed;
• The present Secretary General is overburdened by work at the Ministry of Finance and Budget;
• Dr Nzo Nguty Bernard Tarkang is a Cameroonian from the English speaking part of Cameroon as others who had suffered a similar fate of injustice;
• The Secretary and the 2nd Assistant Secretary General, both older than him, hail from the French speaking part of Cameroon and are still in service as per similar instruments from their respective departments of state of origin.
We write this letter with the hope that the decision of the Speaker of the National Assembly signed on 17 October 2002, well after the 2nd October, the date Dr Nzo Nguty was expected to retire and, when he had been sent on a mission of the National Assembly, has not yet been known to the English speaking public of Cameroon, could therefore be revoked to allay unnecessary strife. The Anglophones have continued to decry marginalisation and this has led to what has come to be known as the Anglophone movement for secession. If this were to be made public it would further add to the case of those who advocate for secession and thereby jeopardise the peace and unity of Cameroon which, we all stand for.
Most respectfully yours,
Signed:
Hon. Mbah Ndam Joseph (SDF Parliamentary Group Leader)
Hon. Dr Banadzem Joseph Lukong (Deputy SDF Parliamentary Group Leader)
Hon. Kwemo Pierre (Deputy Speaker of National Assembly)
Hon. Yoyo Mohmbankah Emmanuel (Questor of National Assembly)
Hon. Awudu Mbaya Cyprian (Secretary of the National Assembly)
Hon. Dr Ngwetcham (Secretary to the SDF Parliamentary Group)
Hon. Dr Aka Amuam
Hon. Dr Anyangwe Christopher
Hon. Bangsi Emmanuel
Hon. Bungong Jinka Jonathan
Hon. Che Philip
Hon. Chemo Sama Eyikeshi
Hon. Fai Mbuh Yang Daniel
Hon. Jua Paulinus Toh
Hon. Dr Neba Aaron Suh
Hon. Prof. Ngwasiri Nforti Clement
Hon. Nkele Palmy William Mboe
Hon. Nsanyuy Audu
Hon. Ngoran Lawrence
Hon. P.C. Fonso
Hon. Ntasi Ntang Lucas
cc.
• H.E. Paul Biya, President of the Republic
• Mr Gregoire Onana, Minister In charge of Relations with the Assembly
• Mr Michel Meva’a Meboutou, Secretary General, National Assembly
The end
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