Arresting Roadside Corruption: What Prospects Remain for Anglophone Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Corruption is a canker warm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of several communities worldwide. The phenomenon has serious consequences on investment, trade, aid, inequality, government expenditure and services, just to name a few. In Cameroon, its effects are widespread in both Private and Public sectors including the education, justice, customs, taxation, finance, administration, military and police. Based on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, Cameroon was classified as the most corrupt country in the world in 1998 and 1999 and was ranked 149th out of 158 countries in 2020 following the implementation of several anti-corruption measures. This reveals that irrespective of the Cameroonian anti-corruption initiatives, high rates of corruption are still observed in the country. Roadside corruption is prevalent in Cameroon and is being orchestrated by both the police and other forces of the law and order. The practice is monotonous and considered a way of life by most Cameroonians. With the degeneration of the Anglophone crisis into violence, many troops of the forces of law and order have been deployed to Anglophone Cameroon to monitor and maintain security in this region.

Purpose: To investigate the implications of the heavy presence of uniform men on roadside corruption in Anglophone Cameroon.

Methodology: Secondary data was consulted and interviews were conducted with some road users in Bamenda.

Findings:  Respondents revealed that roadside corruption was a major problem and that the uniform men took advantage of the crisis situation to compel them to pay fines without collecting receipts and equally extort money from them even in situations where they presented all their valid vehicle and personal identification papers. This has made many drivers to care less about the regularization of theira papers.

Unique Contribution to Practice and Policy: There is need to galvanize NGOs and civil societies to organize training programs and sensitization campaigns to inform road users on all vehicle documents, accessories, high way code and all the fines and procedures associated with defaults. The government should regulate and monitor the activities of patrol teams deployed in times of crisis and create several hotlines through which road users can call to report cases of road side corruption. Also, road users should be encouraged to regularize themselves with all necessary documents as requested by state regulations and to understand the high way code and all the procedures associated with the payment of fines in case of defaults.