Culled from Actu 24
The Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform (Minfopra) recently received, with great media fanfare, a candidate who passed the entrance exam to the École nationale d’administration et de magistrature (Enam). The candidate was accompanied by a prefect and a mayor, a gesture that sparked strong reactions from the public.
To justify this unlikely delegation, the ministry highlighted that Ojong Midreat Enow-Bessem, who passed this“prestigious”exam, is from the village of Eshobi, which has been the scene of several secessionist attacks since 2017. At least 94 young people have been coldly murdered by the assailants, as noted by Minfopra, adding that despite this,“this village, with a population of about 2,214, has remained resilient and loyal to the institutions of the Republic”.
By receiving this delegation, Minister Joseph Le aims to commend the success of a“miracle survivor”from a tormented village that has never had a high-ranking civil servant. According to him,“the success of young OjongMidreat Enow-Bessem in the prestigious entrance exam to the École nationaled’administration et de magistrature (…) has been warmly welcomed by the entire population of this part of our country. Indeed, since independence, the village of Eshobi had only had a teacher as the highest-ranking civil servant”.
Enam is indeed the most coveted public service exam, attracting nearly 30,000 candidates each year for only 500 available spots. It is also the exam most criticized for seat trading and corruption, accusations that Minister Joseph Le has always denied.
For the minister, receiving Ojong Midreat Enow-Bessem, accompanied by the prefect of the Manyu department and the mayor of Mamfe, is an indicator that“transparency and the promotion of a meritocracy culture are paramount at Minfopra during the various administrative exams”.
