The Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC gets a Service Facelift

By Jackson W. Nanje

    SCNC brand of politics is bad not only for Cameroon but for their organization. Lies and distortions are the hallmark of this group and one wonders how members of this group sleep at night after they've continuously engaged in tarnishing the spotless image of the Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC in their continuous search for dirt. And characteristically, when they dig for dirt and can’t find, they dump dirt in their quest to tarnish the good image of the embassy. Recently, they have used the very emblematic image of the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington DC as their camping ground in their avid search for dirty news. The question one is forced to ask is---why is it that the SCNC has never published or written anything positive about Cameroon or the embassy? Why must they always dramatize news about Cameroon? Is it that nothing positive comes from Cameroon? Or, SCNC is just a Dirt Master?

     The Embassy of Cameroon in Washington DC has received a tremendous facelift in the provision of services to its clients, which was the primary area of discontent for most Cameroonians. Cameroonians in the US were unable to see the rationale why the embassy personnel still adopted the crude and not-so-friendly method when it served its clients. In Cameroon, there is hardly a system of organization; but in the USA, a country with the largest service industry in the world, mediocrity cannot be tolerated in any business which comes in contact with clients (customers). Over the years, Cameroonians in the United States of America have heavily criticized the Washington DC establishment for its ineptness in the delivery of service to all and sundry. And like any other government agency in Cameroon, serving tax payers, the Cameroon Embassy should be prepared to accommodate negative criticisms targeting any of their shortcomings---and, when they do things correctly like the public expects of, and demands from them, they should equally receive a good dose of praises. Such is the journey I am about to embark on---to praise the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington DC for its renewed commitment, to serve the public or for turning the several criticisms into positive reinforcement. This fabulous service facelift by the embassy is the most disturbing news to the SCNC group, which would rather prefer a disorganized embassy to enable them continue in their dirty business of soiling the image of our beloved fatherland, Cameroon. In this document, we are going to take an in-depth look at the activities of the SCNC, and how the group uses the demise of the Cameroon Embassy and other Cameroon government agencies as a heyday for its asylum cases. Whenever there’s dirty news the SCNC uses it as a good pay day for them. Obviously, any time the SCNC receives good news about Cameroon it is bad news for them since they only prefer dirty/bad news to present to asylum judges, to demonstrate how bad the country Cameroon is, and why the judges must grant their client asylum papers to flee from that “bad” country, Cameroon.

     It was on Sunday, January 13, 2013 that the investigators of Nanje School of Creative Thinking wrote their heavy critic of the embassy under the caption---“Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC and its Problems: What must be done to fix these Problems?” In that article, the investigators examined and outlined the age-old problems at the embassy and made recommendations for the embassy to arrest them. Immediately following that article, an avalanche of criticism ensued from Cameroonians, especially those resident in the United States, who have been victims of hostile treatment from the embassy’s personnel, who, for reasons unbeknown to many, were deafened by the numerous calls to change their infirm method of doing business. Preceding this report, many Cameroonians have rendered extended courteous testimonies to our embassy for being a newfound place to do business with its Cameroonian clients. The consternation expressed by Cameroonians at the renewed assurances from our embassy in Washington DC is worth mentioning here. We have appended some notable testimonies below, to attest to the new efforts that the embassy has put in place to change the dreaded situation of the past:

“Great Transformation of Customer Service at the Cameroon Embassy---A culture of criticism that makes no allowance for praise is a decrepit culture. For years, if not decades, gory stories of rudeness were told about the staff of the Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon in Washington, D.C.  Indeed, each of us must have had one or two negative experiences dealing with that embassy.  The crassness and crudity of some embassy workers, if not officials, had become legendary so much that the shameful stories were whispered in crowded party halls from ear to ear. 

Yes, the criticism of the embassy was fierce and destructive but misdirected.  It was also never really "critical" until one Mr. Jackson Nanje undertook a different approach last year in which he constructively dissected the problems afflicting the embassy and offered suggestions for improvement.

To be sure, I do not know whether Mr. Nanje’s powerful "critical criticism" somehow influenced the transformation that is currently taking place at the embassy, especially in the Consular Section that issues visas.  For months friends and acquaintances have been recounting the sudden transformation they experienced in customer service at the Washington embassy.  To my pleasant surprise, I heard the words: “it is a pleasure to call the Cameroon Embassy.”  I could not believe my ears and asked: You say what?! 

 Even the boldest amongst us dreads dealing with unpleasantness.  I must confess that I very much dreaded calling the embassy because I did not know who would take the call at the embassy’s end of the line.  Yes, the voice was never warm; it was always cold, no matter how nice one pretended to be.  As a defense mechanism, I always preferred instead to adhere to all requirements for an entry visa; (a) a valid passport; (b) two copies of visa application with two 2 x 2 passport size photographs on which background; (c) travel itinerary; (d) copy of yellow fever vaccination card; (e) bank statement if applicable; (f) $145.00 (now $124.00) money order for application and visa fees; (g) and a self-addressed and stamped return envelope (by Federal Express, Priority, or other form of mail that can be tracked).    

 Yes, the Consular Section of the Cameroon Embassy has been transformed into an American institution as it ought to have been all along.  It took the staff of the Consular Section barely one work day to process my visa application.  This, I must confess, is a new normal; and, I hope it will be sustained through time.  I mailed my passport and visa application on Tuesday afternoon; it reached the Consular Section on Thursday morning; and on Monday afternoon the mail man delivered my passport to me at my home in Georgia.

I am elated, even beyond elation; because I take great pleasure in learning about the successes of people as well as institutions.  I cannot, therefore, withhold my admiration for an institution that has made great effort to reform itself and it is palpably succeeding.  We must give praise and encouragement to the Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon and spread the good news all the way back to the Fatherland so that Ministries and other government offices might aspire to emulate the work of the Consular Section.” (Professor Emmanuel Konde, ASU, Albany, Georgia)

Even though some Cameroonians do not still think that praising the embassy for getting things right, is a worthy exercise, others have reacted to such emails rather disappointingly. Below is one such email of the iconic Herbert Boh (former Cameroon Radio and Television news anchor), who educated a certain Mr. Sam Etongwe of the need to encourage the good work of the embassy personnel even though they are paid to serve.  

Change at Cameroon Embassy: celebrating mediocrity! ---“Sango Sam, Our people say "smol-smol catch monkey" in recognition of the fact that Rome was not built in a day and that it is bits of tiny change that ultimately lead to big change. 

Staff, including even those of the Cameroon Embassy that we may "love to hate" need praise (another word for "thanks") even for the smallest service rendered, whether or not they are paid to do their jobs.

Our children need that same motivation when they score well in one class, even if we pay their school fees and expect them to do no less. We expect praise from our supervisors at work, even if we are paid to do our jobs.

The round of praise (thanks) that forum members have extended to Embassy staff is not to say "no improvements needed". On the contrary, it is to say that they are now headed in the right direction.

We praise Sango Yesus Christus even if He cured only a few people of physical infirmities; even if He prevented only a few prostitutes from being stoned to death; even if He changed water into wine at only one wedding; and even if He raised only a few from the death of the body while He walked the earth... and if He, too, was only doing His work of Messiah and Christ the Savior.

Change is a spirit. We can make it infectious by praising (thanking) those who embody it. If we don't thank them, we crush the spirit of change. 

No phrase is more deserving than to say "thank you", and that includes even if thanks is exaggerated or misplaced.”(Boh Herbert)

     Today, March 31, 2014, the lead investigator of Nanje School of Creative Thinking, Det. Jackson Nanje, had a rendez-vous at the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington D.C. and I am overjoyed at the re-organization that has taken place at the embassy. The staff members at the embassy had taken a stockpile of all the problems and following the instructions of the ambassador, they have embarked on a rigorous work ethics, that has transformed the old laid-back culture which had held them hostage, to a proactive and courteous way of conducting business with its clients. I am truly thrilled! But before I detail what has changed at the embassy, let me first outline some of the issues (complaints) that were raised in the January 13, 2013 Investigative Report (http://www.nanjecreativethinking.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-cameroon-embassy-in-washington-dc_27.html) by Nanje School of Creative Thinking: (a) poor customer services at the embassy; (b) high visa fees; (c) poor website; (d) delays in processing passports; and (e) competence issues.     What has the embassy done to address these highlighted problems? Permit me, before I explain the transformational changes at the embassy, to address why I think the SCNC brand of politics is bad for Cameroon.

      The SCNC is a group unknown to most Cameroonians in Cameroon. About 98% of Cameroonians have never heard of the group. The group exists not only because of its much purported liberation agenda, to free Southern Cameroon from the claws of La Republique (their francophone brethren), but it exists mainly as a money-making organization whose members owe their allegiance to it because it once upon a time helped them in securing their immigration status oversees at the expense of tarnishing the good image of our beloved fatherland, Cameroon. Truth should be told about this group; it only exists on the internet and, if you deprive its members of internet connection, the group ceases to exist. There are no females in the group; they do not meet anywhere; they are a cyber-fear-mongering group, which turns any good news into a bad one. And where there is no news, they create one and turn it into dirty news item. The few members that constitute this group dramatize and fabricate newspaper articles all because of their schemes to present such falsehood in front of judges for asylum cases for their clients and for which, they are paid handsomely. Preserving the image of our country is the least on their minds.

     When the Cameroon Embassy embarked on retrofitting their Massachusetts Avenue office in downtown Washington DC, they moved into a temporal structure owned by Howard University and signed a two-year lease agreement pending the completion of their structure in Massachusetts Avenue. By the time the two-years were up, the retrofitting of the Cameroon Embassy was not yetcomplete, however, Howard University insisted on using their building. Cameroon Embassy was forced to make an emergency decision to vacate and they relocated this time to 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008, where they are presently until such time that their building on Massachusetts Avenue shall be ready and opened to serve  the public again. These are the facts surrounding our embassy which the SCNC members in Washington D.C have totally obfuscated for one single purpose---to sell a negative image of our beloved country for which, every right-thinking Cameroonian should be very discombobulated to accept such gross misrepresentations and disrespectfulness from these SCNC miscreants. In the letter they addressed to the public describing the embassy’s dilemma, they accused the Ambassador and the Treasurer of being unable to pay the embassy bills and that is why they were kicked out of the building. So untrue! So contemptible and a mark of low-down-dirty-shame to SCNC for these dirty lies!

     And every time they have succeeded in their mischaracterization and misrepresentation of any of our government agencies, they use such negative information to boost their asylum cases, which they often present to judges when they untruthfully represent their clients. The wrongful information they post on the internet about Cameroon affects all Cameroonians whether it be for job interviews or at the airport when in transit. A Cameroonian is looked upon as a corrupt individual; thanks to these SCNC display boys, whose singular goal is not to fight for their so-called liberation from La Republique du Cameroon; rather, its goal is to use their so-called disguised cause to generate funds for themselves. Take for example, it costs a little over $2000.00 (1,000.000fcfa), that is, $1500.00 (750.000fcfa) for application fee and $500.00 (250.00fcfa) for SCNC identification card for each candidate that they assist in processing and in filing asylum cases on their client's behalf. And ever since they embarked on falsehood they have amassed more than $10.000.000.00 (5billionfcfa) through the processing of more than 5000 applications for asylum, mostly in Washington D.C. Their rotten business or scheme is quite a profitable venture that they will do everything to keep it dirty; and they usually become extremely ruthless to anyone and someone like me who stands in their way to make blood money. Yes, it is good to help fellow Cameroonians; however, that should not come at the expense of tarnishing our country's image, which they do with complete malice aforethought or by fabricating lies about Cameroon in their quest for dirty money. This must stop! This is the reason why they rushed to the media to misrepresent the regrettable difficulties our embassy was having with its lease agreement. I will admit that the former Embassy Communication Director, Mr. Richard Nyamboli (now retired), did not do a good job at passing on concrete and important information such as the one described above to its clients. We are hoping that his replacement, Madame Michelle Esso, will write-off all the wrongs by reaching out to the embassy’s clients in a timely manner, so they can get firsthand information before it gets to the SCNC rumor mongers. This report has mentioned some helpful suggestions to Madame Esso, below.

SCNC links the Cameroon Embassy with the Florence Igwachu Healthcare Fraud case

     The SCNC group will stop at nothing to tarnish the impeccable image of the Cameroon Embassy and of the country even where there is no connection between the embassy and the dirty news. Florence Igwacho is the alleged notorious bandit who has been accused and held in jail for defrauding the US government of $75m in healthcare billing. Since the alleged victim, Florence Igwacho is from Cameroon, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is obligated to speak to Cameroon authorities at the embassy about her. This is usually a routine investigative practice which investigators must conduct. In this case, the FBI has to check information about Florence from the home front. Just as we have stated in this report above, about the damaging credibility of the SCNC, if it cannot find dirt, it will do everything possible to dump dirt. This is what they are doing now to link Florence Igwacho’s alleged dirty hands with the impeccable image of our Cameroon Embassy. This should not be allowed to happen folks, under no circumstance.

     The SCNC members reported in the Cameroon Journal the following: 

a)      The FBI has gone to interrogate the embassy because the embassy has been helping Florence Igwacho to illegally transfer her ill-gotten wealth to Cameroon. So untrue!

b)     That, they (SCNCers) have tried to reach officials at the embassy for questioning but they will not return their numerous calls. Fruitless to return their calls because, not only are they not journalists they will misrepresent the information.

c)      They further insinuated that, due to the alleged marriage between the Cameroon embassy, the treasurer, and the healthcare lady, the treasurer has disappeared from the embassy premises because he is evading the FBI. Lies!

     Here is another erroneous investigative story they ran on April 8, 2014 http://www.cameroonjournal.com/Cameroon%20Amb.html. This is your SCNC folks! As a lead investigator of Nanje School of Creative Thinking, I took the arduous task to find out if the allegations levied against the embassy and its treasurer were true. Their first lie, about the treasurer’s disappearance was debunked when I knocked at the treasurer’s door at the Cameroon embassy and he answered, and asked me to come in. He is quite a friendly and pleasant gentleman, contrary to the undignified figure the SCNC would want us to have of him. I then asked the treasurer if he was aware of the statements out there about his disappearance from the embassy premises, made by the SCNC folks of Cameroon Journal. He answered in the affirmative. As the conversation continued, he simply told me that he has been in his office throughout the alleged period and that, contrary to the erroneous information the SCNC folks of Cameroon Journal have been reporting, I have been here in my office daily, doing the country’s business. The treasurer further explained that they have tried several teaser schemes that could put him into trouble with the government but he will not fall for their useless traps. He concluded by stating that he thought they would have given up by now.

     Let me address the issues that have been reported in the Cameroon Journal article link above. They rightfully reported that the FBI or any investigative agency cannot discuss on-going criminal cases for obvious reasons. They also reported about their failed attempts at unsealing the lips of anyone at the Embassy of Cameroon, to speak to them about the on-going Florence Igwacho’s investigations probe. Furthermore, they also did not succeed to get information from their private source who serves as their link or liaison to the ambassador. Based on their own testimonies above, which they have informed us of their inability to get any information from the FBI, private liaison source, nor the Cameroon Embassy on this matter, prudent and good journalists, which they claim to be, should advice that, accusing and linking the Cameroon Embassy to fraudulent issues without written statements from verifiable sources is not only poor taste but that which continues to portray The Cameroon Journal as a gossip paper or an unreliable source for important news item. If the Cameroon Journal must establish itself as a credible news-worthy source, it must have seasoned trained journalists, knowledgeable on the issues they intend to report on, understand the law and, they must always verify their sources. And more importantly, the Cameroon Journal must move away from gossips to stay credible.

               The New Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC

      Like the title of this article suggests, it is apparent that the Cameroon Embassy in Washington D.C has had a facelift.  And as one Professor Emmanuel Konde who once had a not-so-friendly date with the embassy a year and a half ago, described the service facelift as “a new normal.” New normal in the sense that their new approach to customer service nowadays is the way things ought to have been at the embassy. But nonetheless, despite the lateness of this new normal, it has been embraced by most Cameroonians other than members of the SCNC, who would prefer bedlam to normalcy. The transformation or new normal is similar to what took place in England in 1822 when Sir Robert Peel, serving as Home Secretary, transformed the British Police agency by submitting a bill in parliament, which led to the passage of the first Metropolitan Police Act in 1829, establishing the British Police as an Elite Police Force in the world, a departure from bad policing which characterized the British Police force. My visit to the Cameroon Embassy in Washington D.C more than a year later after the scathing indictment of the embassy’s previous nightmarish approach to service to its clients, gives me the liberty to put behind the ugly stories of the past about our embassy and to warmly shout at the top of my voice, the familiar stories of policy transformation. Alas! there is a complete transformation. So, what has really changed at the embassy?

     In the old embassy, located on Massachusetts Avenue, the building did not only have a very poor airflow system; it was not a clean atmosphere to behold. I see why the retrofitting of the building is taking longer than it ought to have taken. A date at the Cameroon embassy then required one to take his/her blood pressure pill in anticipation of the battle ahead with the embassy staff that were often extremely rude and impolite to everyone, regardless of how nice one were to them. But today, things have changed for the better. The personnel are very friendly and well-organized. You cannot just get up and walk to the embassy without previously scheduling an appointment with the embassy personnel you intend to see; you will be turned away at the lobby if the lobby attendant finds out that you did not have an appointment scheduled for that day.  The lobby attendant keeps a log of everyone who is scheduled for appointment each day and, when your name is not on the list, you will definitely be turned away. No more altercation between the staff and the public because you can never come in contact with the embassy if the lobby attendant does not release you with a pass to proceed towards the electronic door to the fifth floor where the embassy is located.

     We are therefore encouraging Cameroonians that in order to maintain this new normal at the embassy there must be some adherence to the required protocol by pre-scheduling an appointment. If we respect the protocol as demanded of us by officials at our embassy as well as we should, the problems of the past at our embassy may have just been put behind us forever. We should all courteously make the effort to book our required appointments and respect the office of the Cameroon Embassy once we set our feet in the building. If we do not respect the building, who will do so for us?

                       Visa fees, requests for appointments and Passport Renewals

     In the past, the Cameroon embassy three-month visa fee was the highest when compared with any Central or West African country. The idea of the Cameroon government reciprocating what the American government charges Cameroonians who travel to America did not make any sense because there is not much of an intrinsic gain that Americans get when they travel to Cameroon. However, there is a lot to be gained by Cameroonians when they travel to the United States of America. The reciprocating argument that Cameroonian government authorities often advance as a reason for the high visa fee is lame.

     Much to the credit of the embassy, since we rendered the critic of the high visa fees and they responded by reducing the fees from $145.00 to $124.00. Even though the fees are still too high, we should give them credit for reacted to our clarion call for a reduction of the fees by $21.00. Even as we congratulate the embassy for this positive move, we are hopeful that it will continue to search for visa parity equivalence over time in order to avoid further squabbles with the vexing public.

     Our country’s government does better when they listen to critics, proposals and recommendations for improvement and act on them; but they annoy the public when they ignore their cry for change from them. The public who expect changes from the Cameroon Embassy through the Cameroon government must establish better channels of communication and respect for public servants, who, in the most part, do not get paid well enough for the selfless hours they provide to the public if they expect their grievances to be sufficiently addressed.

     Stories of wonderment have been told severally by Cameroonians about the renewed and increased commitment by the embassy staff to reduce the wait time in processing visas on passports. Visa applicants wait less than one week to receive their passport unlike the disorganized system which characterized the long and uncertain wait time in the past. When I asked the Consular Officer, Mr. Gervais Bindzi to what Cameroonians owe this miraculous revival, he told me that they have implemented the recommendation that we suggested by bringing in some university interns who have helped to reduce his workload. The interns arrange the passports from the time they are received on a first come-first serve basis. The Consular Officer in the most part instructs the interns, signs and seals the passports before sending them to the mail room for postage. I watched them carry out the processing of visa quite efficiently while I was there.

     Passport renewal was another bone of contention. The embassy is still working very hard to reduce the long delays since they still have to send the passports to Cameroon to complete the biometrics imprints on the passports. For sake of cost reduction, and to avoid long delays, I still urge the embassy to find ways to establish passports here in the United States to avoid the long delays, rather than to continue making them in Cameroon. The technology exists here, in the United States and there is a department of Special Branch of Police at the embassy to enable this to happen. Whatever the case may be, the usually three-month wait period is no longer the case. We also believe that for reliability purposes, the Embassy must contract the services of DHL, FEDEX or UPS, to use their services in transporting official government documents to Cameroon and pass the cost of transportation, if necessary, to bearers of the passports. I am very sure Cameroonians can trade long delays for expediency and efficiency.

     The reason why Cameroonians constantly critique agencies of the Cameroon government is because they yearn for solutions to long standing problems and also, to help our civil servants who are ever so dedicated to work but lack some working tools. Cameroonians must take liberty to criticize when things are not effectively executed and, should be ready to provide solutions or recommendations. In our previous write-up, we rated the services at the embassy and the performance of the ambassador a C; however, after looking at the transformation that is taking place at the embassy currently, we are indeed generous in our grading system to give to both a B-plus. There is still work to be done and we must all rally behind the embassy and the ambassador to help fix or seek solutions to any problem(s) that may arise. Meanwhile, we should ignore the antiques of the SCNC group as much as possible.

     Nanje School of Creative Thinking had also criticized the Ambassador on competency issues because we’d concluded that, he too, like his predecessors has been unable or reluctant to address the concerns of Cameroonians despite the nearly 2billionfcfa the embassy receives from visa applicants every year from Cameroonian Americans. The ambassador has responded to the critic by addressing the numerous problems Cameroonians face in the United States. The transformational changes at the embassy are as a result of the astute leadership of the Cameroon ambassador, His Excellency Joseph Atangana Foe. We are sincerely hoping that these changes should continue to manifest so that Cameroonians can continue to have songs of praise about the embassy on their lips. We must however caution the embassy that now that the relationship between Cameroonians and the embassy is getting better they must encourage an outreach program to continue to improve on the relationship. To do that, the communication crew at the embassy, led by Madame Michelle Esso, must do the following:

a)      Link the communication strand with Cameroonian cultural forums, alma maters and other social media groups such as Facebook, to provide firsthand information directly rather than for them to get information from unverifiable source(s) that would lead to Cameroonians casting aspersions about their ineffectiveness.

b)     In addition to (a) above, the embassy must also encourage an outreach program in which the ambassador should dispatch members of his staff to annual Cameroon festivals, to communicate issues about the embassy and Cameroon to Cameroonians as well as listen to concerns that Cameroonians may have. This is called Embassy-Community relations.

c)       When the embassy is linked to Cameroonian forums, it gives the embassy information about the very important activities of its citizens, and, it may find a better way to advise the government of the important role that Cameroonians in the diaspora are playing vis-à-vis nation building.

     In conclusion, while many of us shall continue to speak against the SCNC for its negative presence in the Cameroon socio-political landscape, we applaud the Embassy of Cameroon for the positive initiatives it has embarked on, which has helped to reduce the worries of most Cameroonians in the USA. In addition, we hope that this newly-found romance between the embassy and its clients is not only for a moment stay; but something which should also radiate to other government agencies in Cameroon. Finally, Cameroonians must understand that, when we write in absolute condemnation of the diabolic acts of the SCNC, it is not to spoil the party for them; at one point, we must strike a balance between individual gains (derived from SCNC) and collective gains (protecting the image of our country, Cameroon).

    I cannot conclude this write-up without expressing my dissatisfaction to some of our Cameroonian brothers in Washington DC Metro Area who think that our embassy is a place they can go and stroll looking very unpresentable in their attire. They go to our near faultless and spotless Cameroon Embassy building on 3007 Tilden Street looking like farmers from CDC, Mokondange, with slippers and shorts and worse off, without making any appointment but are let in by friends who work there.  For the embassy to continue to be efficient in the delivery of service, Cameroonians in Washington DC Metro Area must respect that office by following all the necessary protocols. They disrupt the flow of services to others when they walk into without making prior appointments. This must stop.

     (1) SINGLE vs. MUTIPLE ENTRIES: SINGLE-entry and MULTIPLE-entry visas for all visa types may be granted by the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington, D.C. The decision to grant SINGLE-entry or MULTIPLE-entry visas to travelers going to Cameroon will be made as deemed appropriate by the Embassy of Cameroon.

     I want to bring the highlighted paragraph above, curled from the Embassy website