For positioning company at heart of major dev’t projects: CAMTEL GM crowned Woman of The Year.

For such consistent dedication, Yah Judith Achidi, was awarded The Woman of The Year. She was awarded the premium distinction on Thursday July 25. 

This was during the maiden edition of the historic Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers Association, CENPA, award ceremony that took place at Hilton Hotel in Yaounde.

Tough, stringent vetting 

It is an honour that comes on the basis of merit, given the stringent vetting procedure of the jury that approved the award. 

Besides the nominations that went through several stages, the CENPA Award Jury, at the helm of which was global lawyer and anti-corruption champion, Barrister Akere Muna had the last say.

Other members of the jury were; international award-winning peace and women advocate, Esther Omam, who is Executive Director of the Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, Reach Out Cameroon; Senator Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, paramount ruler of the Bafaw and king of Kumba.  There was also the renowned Ngah Christian Mbipgo, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian Post and CENPA president.

The recognition of Woman of The Year, the jury said, is for Judith Yah Sunday’s, “…excellent and inclusive management that have raised CAMTEL to the unshakable enviable position of a national and Sub-regional development catalyst in digital transformation, migration and a citizen company in corporate social responsibility entity; thereby putting the incumbent operator at the heart of major development shifts”.

Reign of discipline, inclusiveness…

Judith Achidi holds the mark of a star when it comes to her groundbreaking management of CAMTEL. Under her reign, the incumbent telecoms operator has been positioned as a state corporation where every penny earned is justified.

She has through her customer-focused leadership instilled discipline within the corporation. CAMTEL workers know that as long as she remains at the helm of the corporation, there is no room for late coming or the public service mentality where people stroll in and out of offices at will. Those days are now history at CAMTEL.

On the issue of hiring human resources, Judith Achidi has spread opportunities to Cameroonians from all the over 360 Subdivisions, 58 Divisions and 10 Regions of the country. 

In strict pursuance of the duty of renewing the workforce of CAMTEL, Judith Achidi has ended the tradition of people of particular ethnic group holding opportunities hostage. 

With her, it is an issue of giving everyone the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the nation.

Cutting down expenditure

Another area where Judith Achidi is being commended has to do with cutting down expenditure. She has taken a number of decisive steps in recent times, cutting down excessive financial leakages that were unnecessary.

The award-winning GM is also being saluted for another landmark decision she took recently to review the benefits of certain categories of staff. The move alone, sources say, has enabled CAMTEL to save millions.

Cutting financial leakages

Judith Achidi has equally been applauded for standing tall against financial leakages and embezzlement of CAMTEL funds.

In a decision that was seen as daring, because of the many toes her move was going to step on, Judith Achidi introduced electronic payment system at CAMTEL.

She has broken from the archaic system of the past when money was handled physically, with shortages always reported.

Today, every payment into CAMTEL account is done electronically either through mobile money or bank transfer.

The move has almost tripled the revenue of CAMTEL, especially from subscribers for internet services.

It is reported that before the innovation, thousands of customers were using CAMTEL services which did not reflect what was being paid into CAMTEL coffers. 

Redeploying human resources to the field

As the holder of vital digital infrastructure of the nation that keeps several public offices and institutions functional, Judith Achidi has further strengthened the rapidity with which CAMTEL’s network is serviced.

Her management style has special interest in stepping up customer satisfaction account for the recent recruitment of Information Technology, IT, network and engineering specialists deployed nationwide.

CAMTEL at heart of digital transformation, migration

Judith Achidi has within a short time invested hugely into modernising CAMTEL’s infrastructure. She has raised the bar and is still in the process of doing so to ensure internet, data and other services match contemporary standards.

The gains made in the digital transformation and migration within certain corporations and private enterprises have largely been successful, thanks to her forward-looking management prowess.

Several businesses have gone digital today, while others, among them investors, are conveniently conducting engagements online with partners globally. 

This too is what adds to the Judith Achidi effect on CAMTEL reviving its central role as the nervous system of digital shifts in public and private ventures nationwide.

Sub-regional, African driver of dev’t 

When it comes to influencing technological advancement and telecommunications within the Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC, CAMTEL, under Judith Yah, has more than ever before, remained the leader.

When telecoms operators in Central Africa formed an association, it was Judith Yah Sunday epse Achidi, who was voted as President.

In May this year, Judith Yah Sunday epse Achidi was voted Board Chair of the Regional African Satellite Communication Organisation, RASCOM, to continue putting her experience at the service of others in same field.

Judith Achidi has succeeded in keeping vital infrastructures of CAMTEL resilient and serviceable. This is the case with the national backbone fiber connectivity within with the CEMAC. It extends to Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea Chad and the Central Africa Republic.

It has been an achievement not unconnected to CAMTEL’s manifold submarine cables viz: South Atlantic Interconnected Link, SAIL; West African Cable System, WACS; South Atlantic SAT3 and Nigeria, Cameroon Submarine Cable System, NCSCS, all landing at three stations with Gateways, a Tier III designed Data Centre at Zamengoe in Yaounde. CAMTEL also has three ground stations that have been kept operating at maximum.

Judith Achid has equally placed CAMTEL as a strategic partner in the high-speed digital corridor of West to East Africa initiative, WE-Africa-NA which connects the Gulf of Guinea to the Horn of Africa.

In yet another landmark achievement, she led CAMTEL to engage a deal with digital solutions and network services provider, Angola Cables, to expand digital and connectivity services in Cameroon and West Africa.

Making CAMTEL great, citizen-friendly again

At the apex of the fruits of her Customer Centricity and Change Management mantra, introduced since President Biya appointed her GM of CAMTEL, Judith Achidi is always commended for handing CAMTEL back to the Cameroonian people.

Besides introducing new products such as the Blue bland, another area where she stands out is that CAMTEL has moved from being an elitist company to an institution at the service of Cameroonians. Its services have been decentralised and made easily accessible.

Added to this is that of having a never-imagined Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, policy. CAMTEL is today one of the most active companies present with the Cameroonian people through historic sponsorship moves that continue to celebrate culture, tradition, sports, music, promoting inclusiveness, peace, national development and national unity. 

Tangibly and intangibly weighed, Judith Achidi has stood the test of time in transforming CAMTEL within a short time and still counting.

Fruitless enemy attacks 

For being daring and fearless in her managerial style, Judith Achidi has no doubt been the target of many interest groups. 

Many who don’t buy the cleaning she has been doing within CAMTEL have been projecting incidents of imagined and perceived managerial shortfalls. 

All these, those who master the dynamics of the telecoms sector insist, are desperate attempts to try to give her a bad name.

Morsel of Woman of The Year

Judith Achidi is holder of the 2019 Woman of The Year Award of the The Guardian Post Achievement Awards.

She has served the nation for 28 years at CAMTEL and still counting, rising through the ranks to the top. She joined CAMTEL in 1994. 

For the records, Judith Yah Sunday epse Achidi is a woman of solid academic standing. The Canadian-trained economist is yet to stop learning; a thing which many say makes her an inspiration to Cameroonian women. 

She also holds a certificate in Banking, Money and Finance from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, IRIC. Currently, the CAMTEL GM is a PhD student in the University of Yaounde II Soa.

Before earning Presidential trust to lead CAMTEL, she had served as Marketing Director of the same corporation in several regions. 

Between 2013 and 2017, she was the Secretary General of the Governing Council of the African Federation of Internal Audit Institutes, AFRILA.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Issue No:3184 of Tuesday July 30, 2024