By Ikome Christie-noella Eposi in Buea
Some plus one hundred trainees from the CEFAM local government training centre in Buea have on Friday, July 13, 2018 been awarded diplomas and attestations of excellence after a successful training period of two years.
The 3rd batch of cycle I, Management of Technical and social services, the 8th batch of cycle I, General administration and Finance and Treasury management and the 20th batch of Cycle II all comprised the graduates who were gathered Friday at the centre to celebrate their success. The graduation ceremony was chaired by Georges Elanga Obam, Minister of Decentralization and Local Development. Being his first time at the institution, the minister told the graduates to speed up the decentralisation process.
“It is a long time CEFAM has been training people and we decided to change the way the training is done so that graduates from the centre are ready to help the councils accelerate the process of decentralization and to be ready at all times,” Minister Elanga Obam said.
The minister said looking at their good performances, the graduates are fully qualified to efficiently hold different duty posts within the services of regional and local authorities. He urged the graduates to uphold their values and prove their worth upon assumption of duty in the councils that require them or that will recruit them. “You all are the 1st in the history of CEFAM whose diplomas will bear the signature of the Minister of decentralization and local development. You therefore have to be officials and technicians, full of the desire to work well. You should be in constant quest for results and excellence,” the minister advised.
Aside from the diplomas and attestations given to graduates, special awards were given to the most outstanding students in the centre and in this light, Regina Etonge Ngale from the Finance and treasury management department emerged the best all-round trainee. Honour roll prizes were equally awarded to the first three trainees of each class with the best results.
Addressing the graduates, the Director of CEFAM, Mathieu Hagbe expressed gratitude to all who came to celebrate with the trainees after two years of hard work and success. He appreciated the staff of the centre who have contributed positively in ensuring that the trainees attain the maximum training they needed. To the trainees, the director urged them to be good ambassadors of the institution, represent the centre positively wherever they may be and finally but most importantly, but in their very best in the job market. Ndi Elisabeth épse Jarreth, deputy director of CEFAM said the trainees of cycles I and II who obtain 12/20 and above receive diplomas while those who obtain below 12 and above 10 receive attestations. Those with 10 and below receive nothing.
To Regina Etonde the secret of her success is as a result of team work and maximum collaboration from other trainees. “From this juncture, we are going out to improve our municipality with the knowledge we’ve acquired for this 2 years”. Stating a major challenge which was the language issue, having some courses in French which made the process a little difficult for the Anglophones and vice versa, Etonde said translation notes were made available to remedy the situation.
It should be noted that the entrance examination into CEFAM which was slated for June 29, 2018 has been pushed to July 31 2018.
The graduation ceremony was also attended by South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, Senator Mbella Moki Charles, Mayor Ekema Patrick Esunge among others.