The National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (NCPBM) and the Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon have hailed the steps taken by the General Manager of Cameroon Telecommunications, Camtel, in promoting the equal use of Cameroon’s two official languages.
Mbappe nee Ticky Ngonde Njoh Agnes who represented the bilingualism commission chairman and the Canadian diplomat, Richard Bale, voiced out their words of congratulation Wednesday 12 May 2021. It was during a ceremony organized by General Manager, Judith Yah Sunday epse Achidi Achu, to officially launch an initiative dubbed “Bilingualism Day” in the company.
“The NCPBM is quite appreciative of this laudable initiative undertaken by the General Manager of Camtel to celebrate this important day…we are proud today to know that Camtel is respecting the recommendations that were given by the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism,” stated Ngonde Njoh.
CAMTEL GM, Judith Yah Sunday epse Achidi Achu hands gift to Bilingualism Commission official, Mbappe nee Ticky Ngonde Njoh Agnes during ceremony
She told Camtel management and personnel that aside observing a weekly bilingualism day, the daily practice of bilingualism within the company will improve service delivery to all Cameroonians, increase performance as well as vividly place the country’s linguistic pride in the limelight and maintain the much-cherished harmonious living together within the company.
Ngonde Njoh used the ceremony to outline steps undertaken by the commission to get all public offices render services in both languages nationwide. She reminded her hearers of the need to respect the constitutional provisions and other legal instruments establishing English and French as official languages before handing a package of official documents from the commission to the GM to assist her realize her goal of ensuring equal use of both languages in the company.
H.E. Richard Bale on his part saluted the GM for spearheading the initiative which he described as laudable, adding, that it entails hard work to maintain and strengthen the use of both languages as it is in Canada. Bale urged other state corporations to borrow a leaf from the Camtel example to encourage and support their staff to use of both languages equally.
Camtel GM poses with Canadian Hugh Commissioner
Addressing staff and invitees, Judith Yah Sunday said aside deciding to formalize Wednesdays as a weekly bilingualism day in all the company’s entities, the practice of encouraging bilingualism has been a longstanding tradition in the company as reflected in the recent restructuring that rebranded its translation unit to a translation, interpretation and bilingualism promotion unit.
“Bilingualism Day is a day which will be devoted to the use of French language for English-speaking staff and English for French-speaking personnel exclusively,” Yah Sunday stated while urging staff to strive to speak both languages fluently as a factor competitiveness in their field.
The GM seized the opportunity to recall strides made by the telecom giant in enhancing use of both languages notably through: its online portal, a bilingual platform that has a section dedicated to Camtel Gazette (official internal journal), a quarterly compendium of all significant decisions and memos issued by the management and the other managing bodies; Camtel Today, a bilingual news magazine; Camtel Actu, the company’s bilingual radio magazine among others.
Yah Sunday pledged to in near future enter into partnership contracts with pilot Linguistic Centers nationwide, to ensure permanent bilingual training for Camtel staff in order to make bilingualism part of the company’s customs. She saluted dedication and personal commitment of the chairman of the bilingualism commission to seeing Camtel lead in the promotion the two official languages.
Edibi Fama Brigitte, Director of the Yaoundé Pilot Linguistic Centre, readily pledged to accompany Camtel realize her objective by admitting and liaising students of the pilot centre with Camtel personnel, organizing excursions with them in a bid to promote both languages among others.
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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