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CameroonOnline.ORG | In the heart of Cameroon’s bustling administrative districts, an unexpected silence has fallen over the corridors of government offices, schools, and hospitals. Nearly 5,000 civil servants—once integral to the nation’s machinery—have been dismissed or revoked from service. The announcement, made by Joseph Le, Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform, signals a sweeping crackdown aimed at cleaning up the state’s payroll records.
For years, whispers had grown louder of a phantom workforce—employees who had quietly slipped away, abandoning their posts in pursuit of greener pastures abroad or in the private sector. Now, the government has taken decisive action, cutting them off from the state’s payroll, a move that has rippled across the country.
A Disappearing Workforce
The numbers are staggering. As the minister revealed, a vast majority of the dismissed individuals—over 95%—were teachers. Some were doctors. The exodus of these professionals raises urgent questions about the attractiveness of Cameroon’s public sector. What has driven thousands of educators and healthcare workers to vanish from their posts? Is it a matter of poor wages, difficult working conditions, or the lure of better opportunities elsewhere?
Joseph Le refutes the idea that the Cameroonian civil service is losing its appeal. Instead, he describes a “mirage” effect—a false promise of paradise abroad.
“They don’t come to say goodbye to me when they leave,” he remarks with a touch of irony. “If they did, I would keep them. I would tell them about the benefits of our public service. Many of them don’t read the regulations. They believe the stories they hear about a better life elsewhere, but we are starting to see another phenomenon—some are beginning to return.”
The Illusion of a Better Life
For those who left Cameroon behind, the dream of success in foreign lands has not always materialized. Some found themselves in precarious employment, struggling to adapt to new realities. Others discovered that the cost of living and professional challenges abroad outweighed the supposed benefits. Now, with their ties to the Cameroonian government severed, their return is met with uncertainty.
In 2025, Cameroon’s public service employs around 500,000 people, supported by the state budget. Yet, with thousands departing and only some trickling back, the system faces a precarious future.
A Nation at a Crossroads
The government’s purge of absentee workers is a bold attempt to restore order, but it also exposes a deeper issue—the need to make civil service careers more sustainable, competitive, and rewarding. While some professionals may be lured back by the security of state employment, others may never return, their talents now fueling economies elsewhere.
As Cameroon grapples with these challenges, the question remains: Can the public service reinvent itself to retain its workforce, or will the exodus continue, leaving behind a nation in search of those who left?
