Cameroon:Bilingualism Commission Lauds SOPECAM’s Efforts

The Cameroon News and Publishing Corporation, SOPECAM, has had a pat on the back from members of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, NCPBM, for efforts made in promoting the use of the two official languages within the institution.

The management of the corporation got the commendation last Friday when a team from the NCPBM came visiting to assess progress made in this respect and to make recommendations on how the practice can be improved.

Upon arrival at SOPECAM, the visiting team first had in-camera talks with the General Manager Marie-Claire Nnana for roughly 30 minutes, before a working session that saw the attendance of all operational directors and other top management position holders.

Speaking on the occasion, the SOPECAM GM recounted all the efforts that the institution has been making in order to promote the use of the two official languages. Apart from SOPECAM publications such as Cameroon Tribune which are of a bilingual nature, the GM said efforts are being made everyday to ensure that administrative documents such as leave decisions, public notices and others are sent out in both languages.

Another move, she mentioned, was the creation in 2019 of a follow-up body aimed at making proposals to SOPECAM management in other to ameliorate the use of English and French in the day-to-day functioning of the institution.

These and many other measures notwithstanding, Marie-Claire Nnana admitted that the task ahead remains daunting. She however pledged that she and her collaborators are committed to making SOPECAM one of the shining examples when it comes to the use of the country’s two official languages.

Taking the floor to speak, the NCPBM team leader, Prof Samuel Efoua Mbozo’o, said from what they have been told and the documentation that was handed to them, he was happy that considerable efforts are being made to promote bilingualism at SOPECAM. He said the importance of the two official languages cannot be over-emphasised, reason why the GM and her collaborators should continue to ensure that both languages are equitably used as required by the 2019 law on the promotion of official languages in Cameroon. Prof Mbozo’o said their visit to SOPECAM is a follow-up to a previous one, the purpose of which was to get the pulse of how bilingualism is faring there.

Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, who was part of the team, encouraged SOPECAM for the positive efforts so far demonstrated. He stressed that while it is important to be bilingual, such efforts must be accompanied by respect for certain core moral values, some of which he cited as love, justice, patriotism, equity, humility and fear of the Lord.

Attendees of the meeting each took the floor to ask questions or make suggestions on what they think should be done for bilingualism to be better practiced in Cameroon.

Both parties also exchanged symbolic gifts before a souvenir photo session put a cap on the day.