Cameroon: New Int’l Civil Defence Organization SG Promises To Reinforce Capacity Cameroon’s Civil Protection Department

Madame Yap Mariatou, former Director of Civil Protection at the Ministry of Territorial Administration, MINAT, elected months back as Secretary General of the International Civil Defence Organization, OIPC, has promised to reinforce the capacity of Cameroon’s civil protection department.

MINAT boss pose with OIPC team after audience 

Yap made the promise during an audience granted her by MINAT boss, Minister Paul Atanga Nji Friday 26 February 2021. It was the first time she was received in audience by her boss since her election into the OIPC. 

She accompanied to the audience by Audrey Kudimo, the Deputy SG of OIPC and Ms Saltanat Tashmatova, in charge of International Cooperation. Yap said the project was initiated while she served at the MINAT and thinks it is but normal to make it come to fruition. 

She said different stakeholders to be involved in the prgramme will be trained on emergency civil protection strategies, using modern equipment like helicopters to put out fires and pick up accident victims, using boats in flood areas and motorbikes to accident scenes to give necessary first aid, before the arrival of ambulances among others to enable the project get to its execution phase.

This she said will be done with the aid of technical partners from Russia. Aside the implementation of the project, Yap, disclosed that a liaison office of OIPC will be created in Cameroon to cover the sub region and its personnel will have diplomatic passports to permit them move freely to other countries to salvage civil protection disasters.

The MINAT, expressed gratitude to her plans for Cameroon, adding that with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil protection has taken centre stage, and Cameroon is ready to receive appropriate civil protection training from her organization in order to stem propagation of the pandemic.

By Doh Bertrand Nua