Yaounde: National Gendarmerie Officers Academy graduates second batch.

He did this on behalf of the Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Galax Yves Etouga Landry.

The ceremony took place at the National Gendarmerie Officers Academy in the Camp Yeyap neighbourhood. 

The 56 officers were made up of 46 men and 10 women. In terms of ranks, there were 53 lieutenants and three captains. 

Two of the officers were from the Central African Republic, CAR, and two others from Congo Brazzaville.

The five-month training stated on October 23, 2023. The officers received training on four modules; Law and Enforcement, Criminal Investigations, Tactical Exercises and Command and Administration in the National Gendarmerie.

Colonel Djatchou Sani hailed trainers for the time and zeal during training. He said the exercise was done in line with directives from the Head of State, President Paul Biya. 

Academy Commander on enhancing professionalism

The Commander of the Gendarmerie Officers Academy, Lieutenant Colonel Ignatius Akoni, told reporters that the school which is among the best in Cameroon is training officers as part of a decision of hierarchy to further professionalise the military.

Citing declarations of the Head of State, Lieutenant Colonel Akoni said, “we launched roll after roll a series of training courses to ensure officers meet this level”.

He sounded confident that: “Now we can say with certainty that we have inculcated in these officers a high degree of performance that will enable them to work diligently in the field and meet up to the demands of hierarchy in their various fields”.

Lieutenant Colonel Akoni, however, pleaded with hierarchy to improve on the training by addressing challenges encountered. 

He talked on the need to provide more didactics and posting more personnel to the Academy.

Enter graduates 

One of the graduates, Lieutenant Fokunang Ruth, while thanking hierarchy, noted that in the course of the training: “We carried out a field trip in the East Region where we were exposed to the realities on the field. The population of the East Region is used to the digging and exploitation of mines and they have challenges which is our major concern”.

As gendarme officers, she said they are “ready and apt to fight against any act of criminality so as to ensure that we put in our best to take care of our country”.

Another graduate, Lieutenant Metunde Nga, told The Guardian Post that the importance of the training will be when they put to practice the knowledge and skills acquired. 

Lieutenant Nga cited the crisis in the North West and South West Regions, repeated Boko Haram incursions in the Far North Region and conflicts pitting citizens and Central African Republic, CAR refugees and Cameroonians in the East Region as key areas where their expertise will be put to use.