Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
“At times A State Inspector Can Refuse Bribe, And Instead Ends Up, In Trouble. I Had Lots Of Problems As State Inspector, For Standing Firmly Against Corruption”. HALIDOU BELLO, Who Today Is SG Of CCIMA, Made The Disclosures During A Visit To Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle Award Gallery. NICO HALLE Declared That His Fight Against Corruption Is Unshakeable.
The Secretary General of Cameroon’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Crafts, Halidou Bello, who is a former State Inspector at the Supreme State Audit, has hailed the reputed International Peace Crusader, Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle, who is also strongly engaged in the fight against corruption, for his love for humanity and country, and the world at large, as reflected in his crusades. That is, his crusades for Peace and Justice, and his fights against corruption, hate speech and xenophobia.
The Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, says he is happy to note that, Nico Halle’s relentless efforts towards making the society or country, and the world at large, a better place, is being recognized by several groups, organizations and institutions across the world, as seen in the dozes of national and international distinctions and awards, that he has received from across the world.
Halidou Bello, the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Crafts commonly known by the French acronym, CCIMA, was speaking at a working session during a visit to the Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle Award Gallery in Douala, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The working session held in the conference hall of the Nico Halle & Co Law Firm. Also worthy of note, that the Secretary General of CCIMA, was accompanied in the visit by some of his close collaborators that included the head of the Communication Service at CCIMA, Dr Charles Akoh, a senior journalist. Worthy of note as well, that Halidou Bello who comes from a family in the Adamawa Region that is very attached to core moral values, has a strong stance against corruption, and thus greatly admire Nico Halle, for his fight against corruption, which include embezzlement.
The Fight Against Corruption In Cameroon
Meanwhile as regards Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle’s fight against corruption, Halidou Bello, said during the working session that from his experience as a former State Inspector at the Supreme State Audit, he better understood Halle, when he said that: “Those who fight against corruption, are fought against:”. He said he could imagine the difficult task, or challenges, that Nico Halle should be facing or confronting, in the fight against corruption.
During the working session, Halidou Bello who studied Law at the university, decided to talk a bit about his experience in the fight against corruption , including embezzlement of public funds, when he served as State Inspector at the Supreme State Audit (some people prefer to call it Supreme State Control), which is under the Presidency of the Republic. Bello disclosed that when he left ENAM, he had the opportunity to become a civil administrator as his father had wished, but which he did not likeit. Suffice to say the first ministry where Halidou Bello served, was the Supreme State Audit, where he became a State Inspector, and had to go down to the field on mission, for audit.
It should be noted that in respect of professional ethics or norms, that demands silence or secrecy, Halidou Bello avoided citing any particular audit he handled, or to get into any details. He however did say that State Inspectors at the Supreme State Audit, do face, a lot of temptation, to yield to corruption. That is, temptation to receive bribe. He said it was when he served as State Inspector or Controller, that he realized that corruption, including embezzlement of public funds, is not only so entrenched in the society, but is also a very complicated issue. “When a State Inspector receives bribe and is caught, he is in big trouble. Then ironically at times, a State Inspector rejects bribe, and instead ends up in trouble”, he remarked.
Embezzlement At State Corporations, State Companies, Etc
Halidou Bello disclosed that what generally happen, is that when a team of State Inspectors, at the Supreme State Audit, go on mission to a State corporation, to a State company, to a State funded project, to a State establishment, or to a State institution, they audit the financial records of management. He disclosed that the general tendency is that if after the audit, the General Manager or Director realizes that the team has identified many faults, especially cases of embezzlement, he would, at that stage desperately try to secretly negotiate or strike a deal with the State Controllers, to cover things up.
“The temptation is usually very high and complicated for a Controller. Imagine a State Inspector , that is, a civil servant, who has never had 5 or 10 million FCFA in his account, being proposed 200 million FCFA as bribe, to cover up the faults or wrong doings identified in the records of the management of a State corporation or whatever!”, he remarked. He said the amounts of money usually proposed as bribe by General Managers of State corporations or State owned companies, that are indicted for embezzlement in audit reports, are usually quite high, because those of them that are involved in embezzlement, usually steal huge sums of money. He said a State Inspector who wants to stay clean, needs to have a very strong willpower, to be able to resist some of the bribes.
Somebody Can Deny To Take A Bribe, And Instead Ironically Ends Up In Problems
Halidou Bello explained that the situation is even more complicated to the State Inspector, as to whether to accept the bribe or not. “If the State Inspector accepts bribe and is caught, or is even suspected of corruption, he will be in big trouble with hierarchy, especially the minister. The person will have to face an in –house disciplinary council, which is more of a tribunal, and if found guilty, he will be severely sanctioned”.
But the former State Inspector said the irony is that, at times a State Inspector can reject a bribe, and instead ends up in trouble. He disclosed that at times, a State Inspector that rejects a bribe runs the risk, of becoming a target by the General Manager or Director that offered the bribe. The General Manager or Director might have strong connections in the system, and can negatively exploit those connections to try to mess up the State controller, for having dared to expose his misdeeds in the audit report. The State Inspector can for example be setup, and falsely accused of having committed a crime like rape, when in reality he is innocent.
Halidou Bello also said at times, State Inspectors are sent to the field to audit the report of a State owned company for example, when the hierarchy or the minister might have received a report of embezzlement at the State owned company, and the team of Inspectors, sent there just to confirm or get more facts. He said the Inspectors go on such a mission, without knowing that hierarchy has received a report on the situation in the company, and so if they receive bribe to come back and present a fake report, lying that there is there is no problem, they will land themselves in big trouble.
Problems Within “The House”
Meanwhile, Halidou Bello also said that as State Inspector at the Supreme State Audit, he did not only have problems in the field for refusing to accept bribe, to cover up cases of financial improprieties. He disclosed that he at times also had problems inside “the house”, that is, at the Supreme State Control, with some of his colleagues, who were unscrupulous. He explained that the general tendency, is that when a team of State controllers go to the field, carry out an audit, and at the end they discover many faults in the records, a big package is likely proposed as bribe. But he said if one of them refuses or rejects the bribe, it might end up having problems, in case his other colleagues in the team are favourable to accepting the bribe, as they can gang up against him.
Talking about his experience, Halidou Bello explained that because of his constant or firm stance against corruption, he at times had problems with some of his colleagues. They tried to put banana peelings on his way, they at times resorted to character assassination and blackmail, they at times even fabricate stories to instead accuse him or to try to incriminate him of corruption, some of such colleagues at times openly threatened him, and so on. He said there was even a case where two of his colleagues came to his residence, and attacked him.
In fact Halidou Bello said he was quite happy when he saw an opportunity to leave the Supreme State Control to another ministry, and was also happy that despite all the challenges he faced at the Supreme State Control, he was able to maintain his integrity, and thus has a clear conscience.
Better Understands The Problems Nico Halle Should Be Facing In The Fight Against Corruption
The former State Inspector, Halidou Bello, said he brought up his personal story or personal experience on the consequences of taking a strong stance against corruption, because from the experience, he knows that Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle should be facing a lot of challenges and even risk to his life, in having to fight against corruption in our society. He said from his experience, it is a risky in our society to wage a war against corruption, or to stand firm against corruption. He explained that the fight against corruption is a patriotic mission, for which one takes a risk, for the interest of his country.
The Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, hailed Sir Dr Barrister Nico Halle’s as a man of integrity, a man of rigour, a man who loves humanity, a man who cherishes genuine peace, a man who is a true patriot, somebody with a strong willpower, a man so much attaches to moralization, and a courageous man, crusading for peace and waging a war against corruption, for the interest of humanity and society, or our beloved country, Cameroon. Halidou Bello said somebody without integrity, without a strong willpower, somebody who is not patriotic and courageous, or somebody with skeletons in his cupboard, cannot effectively and honestly engage in the fight against corruption, as a kettle cannot call another kettle, black.
Nico Halle & Co Law Firm – Job Creator
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Crafts, Halidou Bello, who studied Private Law at the university, was also highly impressed with the Nico Law & Co Law Firm which he visited for the first time. He remarked to reporters that: “The Nico Halle & Co Law Firm is a very big Law Firm. It has the status of an international Law Firm. It is a Law Firm with norms. It is a Law Firm that is bilingual. It is a Law firm that does not only train lawyers, but that also employs lawyers – both Anglophones and Francophone Lawyers. The big Law Firm has also recruited quite a number of youths as administrative staffs”.
Halidou Bello was happy to observe that, at a time that our country (Cameroon) is facing the big problem of youth unemployment, “we have here the Nico Hall & Co Law Firm that does not only train lawyers, but that as well as employs lawyers and administrative staff”. He saluted Nico Halle’s contribution through his law firm, in helping to train, as well as to offer jobs, to Cameroonian youths.
Nico Halle Says If Somebody Has Money, But No Integrity, He Is Nothing
Meanwhile, speaking earlier at the working session, while welcoming the Secretary General of CCIMA and his entourage, Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle, briefed the visitors on his crusade for peace and justice, as well as on his fight against corruption, hate speech, and xenophobia.
As regard corruption, Nico Halle reiterated the fact that he does not have kind words for persons that are corrupt, no matter what or who they are, even if they are family members. Halle pointed out that while Africa is blessed with abundant natural resources, that if well manage can take good care of all the people, the story of the continent is very unfortunately, instead that of poverty and misery of the masses, because of corruption including embezzlement of public funds. He noted that here as well the issue of the looting of State resources, with the complicity of some foreign nationals. He said the corruption, embezzlement and looting of State resources in Africa, at the detriment of the masses in the different countries, is being carried out by by a handful of selfish, unscrupulous and wicked people. “You can have one billion francs CFA in your account, but if you do not have integrity, you have nothing. When you embezzle one billion francs CFA meant for the public coffer, think of the number of people that will be affected by your criminal and wicked act”, Halle warned.
Nico Halle Asserts That Integrity Cannot Be Bought
Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle asserted that integrity cannot be bought with money, and that it can only be earned. He thus explained that somebody cannot automatically become a man of integrity, because he has declared so, or because he claims to be such. He said integrity is earned by actions, and not only by words. Halle stated that a man of integrity, is an honest man, a man with credibility, a man who shuns corruption and embezzlement, a man who strives to avoid wrong doings or moral decadence in all its forms, a man who marches words with good deeds, a man who cuts his coat according to his size, a man who stands for nothing but the truth.
Talking about the truth, Sir Dr Barrister Nico Halle said it is unfortunate that those in the society that stand for the truth, are not loved or appreciated by many people in the society, because as it is commonly said, truth is bitter. He said only people of integrity, or persons with credibility, can stand for the truth, or can honestly tell the bitter truth.
Nico Halle Says His Fight Against Corruption Is Unshakable
As regard his fight against corruption, Nico Halle said it is very unfortunately that those who fight against corruption, including embezzlement of public funds, which is a fight in the interest of the country, are instead fought against by unscrupulous and unpatriotic persons in the society, who stand for the idea of making money at all cost, including making money at the detriment of the country and its people. Whatever the case, Nico Halle vowed that his fight against corruption is unshakable, no matter the odds. Halle, a devout Christian, said all what he does in crusading for peace and justice, as well as in fighting against corruption, hate speech and xenophobia, is to God’s glory, and that he depends on the Almighty God, and on nothing else, for His protection and guidance.
