FORMER MINISTER JEAN BAPTISTE BOKAM KICKS THE BUCKET

According to a well-informed source, the former Secretary of State died on Tuesday 16 January 2024 at the CHU hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s political capital.

A new misfortune has once again struck 237 (Cameroon) on the death of Jean Baptiste BOKAM. He was the former Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie. According to a source close to the family, he died at 8:00pm, on Tuesday 16th January 2024 at the CHU hospital in Yaoundé as a result of an illness.

Jean-Baptiste Bokam was born on 10 October 1951 in Bagbeze I, which is a village in Cameroon’s Haut-Nyong department in the Eastern region. According to research, he was head of several ministries between 1988 and 2006, then Secretary of State for Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie from 2009 to 2018.

He went on to study law and economics at the University of Yaoundé, graduating in 1976 with a degree in Economics.

He did his primary education at the Saint Jean Bosco school in Esseng, where he obtained his first certificate (CEPE) in 1965. He continued his secondary education at the Libermann minor seminary in Doumé in 1965, while taking classes at the Collège de la Salle in the same town. He obtained his BEPC in June 1969, followed by his Probatoire in 1970 and his Baccalauréat in June 1971. He then went on to the Faculty of Law and Economics at the University of Yaoundé, where he obtained a degree in Economics in 1976.

In November 1976, he was recruited by CNPS as an executive attaché with the rank of head of department. In 1978, he was awarded a CNPS scholarship to continue his studies at the Centre national d’études supérieures de sécurité sociale in Saint-Étienne, France, where he obtained a DES in Social Security and a DEA in Economics. In 1980, he returned to the CNPS, where he held a number of positions until 1988.

Jean Baptiste Bokam was in turn Minister of Labour and Social Security (from 16th May 1988 to 9th April 1992), Minister of Public Works and Transport (from 9th April to 27th November 1992), Minister of Public Works (from 27th November to 7th  December 1997). In 2011, he was appointed Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence for Veterans and Victims of War.

In 2015, he was appointed Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie. He held this post until 2018 before being replaced by Gallas Yves Landry Etoga. He has also been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cameroonian bank BICEC since 1990. Jean-Baptiste Bokam is an active member of the CPDM, where he is a member of the central committee, in charge or missions and head of delegation during elections.

Through his several roles in Cameroon, he left a significant influence in each field .

May his departed soul rest in peace.

Delia Nyadi