CHAPTER ONE:

Esuma Mathias
GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study Buea is the capital of the South Region of Cameroon located on the Eastern slopes of Mount Cameroon and has a population of about five hundred and seventy thousand (570.000) inhabitants. Buea was the colonial capital of German Kamerun from 1707-1919 and capital of Southern Cameroon from 1949-1961. Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening and selecting qualified people for a job in an organization or firm. It may be undertaken by an employment agency or a member of staff of the business or organization looking for recruits. Either way, it may involve advertising commonly in the recruitment section of a newspaper dedicated to job. The recruitment process in the Beua Central Prison is always done by writing a competitive entrance examination into the National Advance School of Penitentiary Administration commonly known in its French acronym as ENAP. This entrance examination is usually announced in the Cameroon Radio and Television and in the Cameroun Tribune.

1.2 Statement of problem: The adoption of the structural adjustment program (SAP) by Cameroon in October 1988 was accompanied by a number of conditionalitys: One of these conditions was that the government of Cameroon should suspend recruitment of workers into the public service and also decongest this sector which according to the donor countries and the World Bank accounted for misallocation of the funds
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of Cameroon. With the adoption of this policy recruitment into the public service was therefore suspended and one of the sectors that were affected is the penitentiary department in which recruitment of prison officials was suspended. For almost sixteen years workers were not recruited into this department. This therefore resulted in low workers output. The Buea central prison the case study in this research experiences chronic low workers output. This is because as a result of the SAP, recruitment of workers was suspended and most of the workers still in active service are due for retirement, they are underpaid and recruitment efforts have not been effective enough to introduce young, energetic and newly trained workers to relieve the old and worn out ones. Therefore, the SAPs directly influence workers output in the Buea central prison because; Its adoption and implementation suspended recruitment of workers into the sector causing those already in employment to be overworked thereby causing them to wear out. The Workers in the Buea central prison are understaffed thereby necessitating low workers output. The salaries of workers (those of the Penitentiary department inclusive) which were not very substantial witnessed a 60% reduction in 1993 as a result of the implementations of the SAPs and up till date the salaries of these workers have not been returned to their former status even though there have been some efforts geared at increasing the salaries of these workers. Low pay packages resulting from the adoption of the SAPs has caused most prison officials not to take their jobs seriously thereby causing low workers output. This can also make some prison officials to indulge in suspicious activities with inmates and in some cases intentionally allow prisoners to escape in exchange for financial compensation. Furthermore following the economic crisis Cameroon is just recovering from, crime waves spiked due to a high rate of unemployment (more than 25% of the active population, particularly youths in the Urban areas), leading to a
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disproportionate relationship between prison officials and structures and the convicts. The Buea central prison became over crowded causing already worn out prison guards to work tight shifts (which they are hardly paid for) because the structure is understaffed. This usually results to prison break outs as was the case of Sunday, August 14th 2005 where more than fifty prisoners escaped from the prison (www.postnewsline.com). This therefore proves that there is a low worker output to prevent these occurrences. All of these indicators help to prove that the Buea Central Prison suffers from low workers output as a result the recruitment process which has been influenced for a very long time by the SAPs. This research therefore wishes to investigate this relationship.

1.3 Research question This study has two research questions; 1) Has the recruitment process affected workers output in the Buea Central Prison? 2) To what extend has the recruitment process contributed to workers output in the Buea Central Prison? 3) Could there be a better way in which workers can be recruited into the Buea Central Prison?

1.4 Aim/ Interest of the project This project has the following as aim or interest; 1) To examine how the recruitment process of workers in the Buea Central Prison has affected productivity and efficiency. 2) To know the effects of the recruitment process on workers output in the Buea Central Prison.
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3) To know the problems encountered by workers in the Buea Central Prison. 4) To recommend possible solutions to the problems faced by workers in the Buea Central Prison.

1.5 Relevance of the research question to academic debate The relevance of the research question to academic debate cannot be over emphasized. The method and means whereby workers are recruited, will determine how they will perform their duties. If workers are recruited and promoted based on their educational qualifications, years of experience, special qualification, best fit, competence etc, they are bound to perform better than those who will be employed based on Regional balance, favor, tribalism etc Therefore, if any establishment should move forward, Personnel Managers should know who to recruit for which kind of job and when. The process of recruitment should be void of any form of corruption.

1.6 Hypotheses H0: Recruitment process has a significant effect on workers out put in the Buea Central Prison. H1: Recruitment process does not have a significant effect on workers out put in the Buea Central Prison.

1.7 Methodology In the course of this study, quantitative analyses and single case studies were used. That is to say personal interview and questionnaires methods were used for gathering data and it was carried out at the National School of Penitentiary Administration as well as the Buea Central Prison from the Chief of Service in charge of Administration and Finance.
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Another source of information came from secondary sources which included books, publications, journals, and the internet. Twenty questionnaires were distributed both to workers in the Buea Central Prison and students of the National School of Penitentiary Administration.

1.8 Limitation This study will be carried out in the National Advance School of Penitentiary Administration as well as the Buea Central Prison. The study carried out at the Buea Central Prison will be limited to workers output in terms of guarding prisoners and escape cases that will be identified from 2000 2010. This period was chosen due to accessibility of useful information from the Buea Central Prison.

1.9 Outline of the study The research work is divided in to five chapters. The first chapter centers on the Research proposal, Chapter two will cover the review of related literature as well as related theories, Chapter three will be based on the history and activities of the Buea Central Prison which is the study area and chapter four will be the presentation and interpretation of data while the last chapter will be based on conclusions and recommendations.

REFERENCES: 1. enwikipedia.org/Buea 2. enwikipedia.org/recruitment 3. www.postnewsline.com,2005 4. www.gpn.org(global policy network)

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter is divided into two sections: The first section deals with the literature review while the second section deals with the theoretical framework.

2.1. LITERAYURE REVIEW: Due to the presence of the different cultures we have in our society, administrators find it difficult to apply good governance in terms of recruitment to the point that some of them usually prefer to employ people having the same cultures with them. According to the findings of Civil Service Minister in 1991, public Administration in Sub-Saharan Africa also has to overcome numerous difficulties as a result of the cultural frontiers caused largely by three factors; the burden of history, demographic and economic constrains as well as unsuitability of administrative structure for their socio-cultural environments (Leon Befrand Ngouo: 1997). Faced with such difficulties, the state has to strengthen these loose ends by setting up efficient administration at the service of citizens which is transparent, predictable, and controllable and served by honest officials. According to Edwin B. Flippo, recruitment is the process of searching candidates for employment and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization. This process begins when new recruits are sought and ends when the interview process has been done and workers selected. According to J.C Denger (1974), the first thing to be considered when planning to recruit workers is; where they can be found. There are many sources,
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some of which are very suitable for one kind of business than for another. Some of these sources of recruitment are; - Advertising: Made in national dailies (Cameroun Tribune in the case of ENAP), magazines, radio, T.V etc. It has also the also the advantage of wide coverage of the labor market. - Employment Agencies: The use of such agencies saves time and trouble of advertising and is extremely useful when staffs are wanted at short notice. An example of employment agency in Cameroon is The National Employment Fund. Other sources of employment include schools (technical), Universities (during graduation ceremonies) as well as friends and relatives. According to Tony Shew (1997), the recruitment process in any organization should be constantly evaluated to make sure that they are fair. In order to ensure that the fairness of the recruitment process, there should be a department in an organization responsible for the recruitment and training of personnels as well as supervising their activities to make sure that they produce the best output.

2.1.1. Recruitment Process: The Heart of Human Resource Management According to Nyamipachari Vareta (1996), his research point to the importance of good recruitment system in the organization i.e. recruiting workers following their qualifications and skills in the field of work. The adoption of SAP during the 1980s brought down sizing (reducing the number of workers in organizations); organizations were becoming too effective for their numbers of employees employed by them. Most problems concerning human resource (poor performance, resignation) commences when recruitment is not handled correctly as a result of incorrect procedures in the recruitment process.

Recruitment is the responsibility of every manager in an organization. This can better be explained in the following section;

Definition of Recruitment: Recruitment is the first major step in the selection process in the organization and can be defined as the process of selecting qualified candidate(s) to occupy vacant position(s) in an organization. It can be explained as an activity directed to obtain appropriate human resources (workers) whose qualifications and skills match functions of the relevant posts in the organization. Its importance can be best described as the heart of the organization.

2.1.2 Purpose: The recruitment process does not stop when workers are selected, it is a dynamic activity. The purpose of it is to provide an organization with a pool of qualified candidates. Its specific purposes are as follows; - To assist uplift the success rate of selection process by reducing the number of under-qualified and over-qualified applicant. - To increase organizational and individual effectiveness in the short and long-term plans.

2.1.3 Policies: Recruitment policy is a written document of an organizations goals and intentions concerning matters that affect people in the organization. Personnel policy includes policy statements on employment, training and development, workman compensation and workers welfare, industrial relations and retirement benefits.

Personnel policies are influenced to a large extend by some environmental factors like economic, political and socio-cultural systems. Personnel managers are expected to take note of this policy before embarking on the recruitment process. To achieve the above objectives, it is necessary to have relevant recruitment policies and ensure that they are implemented. Policies increase managerial effectiveness by regulating many routine delusions clarifying the managers and subordinates. Most policies in organizations are never reviewed and as a result, become irrelevant due to the changes in the environment of the organization.

2.1.4 Deficiencies and Problems: Most managers often do not understand the whole process of recruitment. They should not hire employees that will start work as soon as possible but should rather have the mind of recruiting and training workers and make them familiar with the working environment. This habit leads to poor recruitment and misschoice of individuals who will in turn pose problems in the system. Recruitment should be done effectively and it is worthy to note that once you make the mistake as a manager, it takes sometime before the mistake can be corrected. Many people we see I organizations today are in the wrong jobs because most managing directors have built a traditions of hiring people based on personal connections, when the person is not qualified for the job and as a result, those employed do not use their full potential (skills). It has been noted that recruitment that involves managers are done during discussions at launch hour, at social clubs or during coffee break time. All the other processes that follow are just for formality as the decision would have been made already by the line managers involved in the process.

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2.1.5 Implications of Recruitment by line Managers: Most managers are technically minded and therefore require guidance in this operation. Absence of a recruitment plan leads to poor recruitment (getting the wrong people) which leads to a heavy harvest of unqualified applicants resulting in more unnecessary work for the staff in the recruitment process. If recruitment process begins without a systematic approach (laid down rules and regulations relating to recruitment), the managers can end up with a mis-match person. As a result, there is a need to have a system that assists to assess candidates during recruitment. This system can be that which is responsible for the recruitment and selection of workers. The best thing for managers to do to ensure that they have the right personnel is to institute trial periods in their recruitment period. Trial period here can be defined as a time when intended workers are temporarily employed to see if they are fit for a particular job. This period can last for a month and after that if the manager sees that the individual is not fit for the job, he either trains the worker or let him go.

2.1.6 Recruitment: Johnson and Johnson Vs Unilever Johnson and Johnson (J and J), places a strong emphasis in its recruitment and selection process as well as a good distinction between the individual value and the companys beliefs. On the other hand, Unilever utilizes a much broader recruitment process which goes beyond just being able to distinguish individual values and companys beliefs to being able to apply to apply the recruitment policy strictly. J and J and Unilever say that they are certain skills that a potential new recruit should ideally possess. One of such skills is Cross Border Communication.

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Cross Border Communication is the ability of a new recruit to be able to relate with the public. This relation can be made possible when cultural barriers (e.g. women not to speak in public) are broken.

2.2 THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK: As per Behling et al, there are three ways in which an individual make a decision to join an organization. Objective factor, Subjective factor and Critical contact. Accordingly, the following three theories of recruitment have been evolved: Objective factor theory Subjective factor theory Critical contact theory. These theories can be explained as follows:

2.2.1 Objective Factor Theory As per this theory, the choice of organization by a potential employee depends on objective assessment of tangible factors such as; Pay package, Location, Opportunity per career growth, Nature of work and Educational opportunities. The employer according to this theory, considers certain factors among others; educational qualification, years of experience and special qualification/experience.

2.2.2 Subjective Factor Theory According to this theory, compatibility of individual personality with the image of organization is decisive factor in choosing an organization by individual candidate seeking for employment.
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These subjective factors are; Personal compatibility for the position, Competence and Best fit.

2.2.3 Critical Factor Theory There are instances when a candidate is unable to choose an organization out of alternative based on Objective and Subjective factor(s) listed above. This is due to many reasons such as limited contact and insufficient data with regards to the organization or its own inability to analyze and come to ant conclusion. In such cases, certain critical factors observed by the manager during interview and contact with personnel of the organization will have profound influence in his decision process. It must be noted that, the theoretical base given above by Behling et al was mostly influenced by the working condition which existed in developed countries like The United States of America and European countries. In these countries, vacancies are many and there is scarcity of suitable hands unlike in developing countries like Cameroon where vacancies are less and hands are more resulting to large scarce unemployment. The theoretical base given above cannot be applied in developing countries except in hid paid jobs where higher skills and better knowledge are the prerequisites. In such cases, candidates have variety of choices and he is the master of his choice. In production, servicing and clerical jobs, unemployment is where the number of job seekers far exceeds the vacancies. In such a situation, candidates have little choice and such, grab whatever organization call him or her for employment. In such a case, the potential organization is in a better place to choose the candidates from the many available. Hence, the recruitment process should be that of filtering and re-distributing potential candidates not only, for actual or anticipated organization vacancies but also searching for prospective employee.
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From Behlings review, it could be assessed that workers output will increase due to certain objectives of motivating them through regular payment. This will help to influence their working conditions thereby making them to be effective at work. Problems arise when unemployment rate is high and the number of those seeking for jobs far exceeds the vacancies that exist. In this case, candidates have little choice to be offered the job in the institution. Though they possess the knowledge, education, the process should be to filter and re-discover their potentials. When this happens, right (qualified) employees should be placed in the right positions and as a result, it will lead to an increase in productivity. Due to the subjective factor of a candidate being best fit for the job, it is not the best procedure to determine whether his output will increase or decrease but it should be assessed from the critical factor observed during interview and the contact with the personnel of the organization that will influence his productivity and his decision making.

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REFERENCES

1. Edwin Plippo: Recruitment (googles.com) 2. J.C Denyer (1974): International Management, Macdonald and Evans Ltd London (fourth edition) 3. Johnson and Johnson Vs Unilever (2003): Recruitment, University of Honkong. 4. Leon Betrand Ngouo (1997): International Review of Administrative Sciences, Cameroon. 5. Nyamipachari Vareta (1996): Human Resource Management. Vereta yahoo.com. 6. Tony and Shaw (1997): google.com/recruitment press. 7. www.wikipedia.org/theories of recruitment

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CHAPTER THREE

HISTORY AND ACTIVITY OF THE BUEA CENTRAL PRISON

3.1. HISTORICAL EVOLUTION: The Buea Central Prison which is one among the ten central prisons in Cameroon was created in 1933 in the then Western Cameroon with its main functions being the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners. The officers then were trained in Nigeria at Ikeja Maximum Security Prison; they put everything in place to train inmates as carpenters, bricklayers, barbers so that upon realise, they will be useful to the society. After reunification in 1961, a prison centre was created in Buea which became effective in 1973 when the first batch of the Cameroon trained Warders and Wardresses were trained and posted to different prisons in Cameroon including the Buea Central Prison.

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3.2 Fig 1: ORGANIGRAME:

Superintendent - in - Charge

Service for Administration and Finance (SAF)

Service for Discipline, Education and Socio Cultural Activities (SEDACE)

Bureau for Financial Affairs (BAF)

Bureau for Administrat ive Affaires and Records

Bureau for Personnel (BP)

Bureau for Discipline of Inmates

Bureau for Training and Social Action

Bureau for SocioCultural Activities and Leisure (BASL)

Stores Accountant

Infirmary

Imprest Holder Source: The Buea Central Prison

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The Superintendent- in-charge is the general overseer of the Buea Central Prison. That is to say, he oversees all the activities that are being carried out in the prison. Directly under the Superintendent-in-charge we have two main services; the first being the Service for Administration and Finance known in its French acronym as SAF and the second being the Service for Discipline, Education and Socio-Cultural activities also known as SEDASCE. These services are headed by Chiefs of Services (Chief SAF and Chief SADASCE). The service for Administration and Finance (Chief SAF) has three bureaus under his service; The first bureau is that of Financial Affairs. This means that the Chief SAF oversees all financial affairs that take place in the Buea Central Prison such as registering for a business by an outsider from the prison. The second being the bureau for Administrative Affairs and Records while the third is the bureau for Personnel. This bureau is where newly recruited and transferred workers sign their assumption of duty. The Chief of Service for Discipline, Education and Socio-Cultural activities (Chief SEDASCE) has three bureaus under his service; The first bureau is that which is in charge for the Discipline of inmates so as to ensure that they are acting right. The second bureau is that for Training and Social actions. The head of the bureau ensures that inmates (prisoners) are well trained in some craft work such as carpentry, electricity, barbing etc so that when they leave the prison, they will be useful to the society and may start their lives all over. The third is that of Socio-Cultural Activities and Leisures. This is to ensure that prisoners do not feel deserted but should have a sense of belonging. As a result,

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activities such as football, handball, are often for them to play right in the prison yard. There are some departments that owe no responsibility to any of the services but are answerable directly to the Superintended-in-charge. These departments are; The Infirmary is in charge with the health of prisoners by providing treatment and supply of food stuff to those that are sick. The Imprest holder has a fund that takes care of impromptu needs (unplanned) for example if wood is finished at the stores accountants office, the imprest holder will have to use some of the funds to finance the buying of wood. The fund that is given to the imprest holder is known as imprest. The Store Accountant keeps and takes care of equipments, materials and food items. He also gives a proper account on how these equipments and materials under his are being used.

3.3. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT AT THE BUEA CENTRAL PRISON: The activities carried out are in conformity with decree No. 054/92 (section 4) of 22nd March 1992 and these activities are as follows; Firstly, the prison is secured as a public institution is supposed to be. This being done by the Warders and Wardresses whose function is to ensure the safety of the prison as well as the prisoners. Secondly, the maintenance of order within the prison is done by the bureau in charge of the discipline of inmates under the authority of the chief of service for discipline, education and socio-cultural activities. The third function is that of the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms of all inmates. The bureau for training and social action ensures that this

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is being taken care of. One of the fundamental rights of inmates includes the right to food. Fourthly, the inmates undergo rehabilitation and reinsertion. This simply means that, the restructuring of the inmates, and this restructuring is done through the provision of social reinsertion programmes. Social reinsertion is a provision given to inmates such as carpentry, electricity, barbing while in prison so that they will be useful upon release when they go back to live a free life in the society. As at now, only basket waving and cane work is being carried out in the Buea central prison. Fifthly, there are evangelical activities that take place in the Buea Central Prison. Reverend Fathers and Pastors from different denominations come there frequently to preach the good news of salvation to the inmates. This evangelical works, have helped to transform the lives of most of the inmates. Sixthly, the inmates are also involved in farming activities. They work on prison farms and produce crops which are used by the penitentiary officials to food them. Besides their farming activities, the inmates also carry out general labour works like transporting wood from farms to the prison. The wood they transport is being used for cooking in the prison. The last activity carried out in the Buea Central Prison is the execution of court decisions by ensuring the effective incarceration (safety) of convicted persons. This is being ensured by the bureau for administrative affaires and records under the supervision of the Chief of Service for Administration and Finance.

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3.4. RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND HOW IT AFFECTS PRODUCTIVITY: The recruitment process is slow and sporadic. That is to say, it does not follow a regular annual pattern. The Ministry of Justice writes to the Presidency when there is a drop in personnel of prison staff. The former has to give a go-ahead and the number of candidates to be recruited before any recruitment is done. The Presidency, in granting authorization, for any recruitment, specifies the number of places allocated for each cadre (grade, rank, category). From 2000-2009, this has been the recruitment pattern; in the year 2000, five thousand (5000) workers were recruited through public competitive entrance examination that was launched, then another competitive examination was launched in 2004 where six hundred (600) workers were recruitment. Then in 2008, following an approval from the president of the republic, a recruitment of one thousand five hundred (1500) personnel was launched for the period running from 2008 to 2010, with a recruitment of five hundred (500) personnel each year. This year, another five hundred (500) personnels were recruited. From the above tendency, it likely that after the recruitment in 2011, the Minister of Justice may have to fall back into the old recruitment pattern (personnels will not be recruited on a yearly bases) and wait for another approval from the President (Buea Central Prison archive). This recruitment is never enough to meet the need of the constantly ageing and retiring personnel. It should be worth noting that when this small number of prison personnel is recruited, an uneven smaller number is posted to the Buea Central Prison. The prison is thus always understaffed leading to ineffectiveness on the part of the personnels. This has equally led to outstanding difficulties in managing the prison by the authorities, over working of existing staff (considering the fact that some will have to work very late at night and expected to resume early
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the next day), poor working conditions in terms of wages and other benefits. This has led to mild and massive escapes such as the case of the morning of Sunday 14 th August, 2005 when fifty prisoners escaped following a massive jail break.

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REFERENCE 1. Decree No. 052/92 of 27th March, 1992 bearing on Penitentiary Regime in Cameroon.

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CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTENTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

4.1 DATA PRESENTATION: The information gathered from the researchers questionnaires that were administered to some workers of the Penitentiary (prison) administration in Buea shows that the recruitment process is very vital to workers output in the Buea Central Prison. Out of the 20 questionnaires that where administered, a total of 17 were duly filled and returned back to the researcher making 85% of distributed questionnaires. Data collected will be presented using a frequency distribution table to show their frequencies and percentages.

Table 1: Sex of the Respondents Sex Male Female Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 1 shows that 11 males constituting 65% of the respondents and 6 females composed of 53% of the respondents filled the questionnaires. Frequency 11 6 17 Percentage (%) 65 35 100

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Table 2: Marital Status of Respondents Marital Status Single Married Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 2 shows that, majority of the respondents are married constituting 65% while the unmarried (single) respondents constitute 35%. Frequency 6 11 17 Percentage (%) 35 65 100

Table 3: Age of Respondents Age Group 20-25 26-40 41-50 51-60 Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 3 shows that 76% of the respondents are between the ages of 26-40 while 12% of the respondents are between the ages of 20-25 also 12% are between the ages of 41-50 and finally no worker between the ages of 51-60 filled the questionnaires. Frequency 2 13 2 0 17 Percentage (%) 12 76 12 0 100

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Table 4: Educational Background of Respondents Qualification Advance Level (A/L) Ordinary Level (O/L) Others Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 4 above shows that 10A/L holders making a percentage of 59% filled the questionnaires while 6 or 35% of the respondents are O/L holders and for others we had 6% representing 1 respondent who filled the questionnaires. No PhD, Masters or Bachelor of Science degree holder filled the questionnaires. Frequency 10 6 1 17 Percentage (%) 59 35 6 100

Table 5: Respondents Ranks Ranks Warder/Wardress Chief Warder/Wardress Superintendent Administrator Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 5 shows that majority of the respondents (59%) are Frequency 10 4 2 1 17 Percentage (%) 59 23 12 6 100

warders/wardresses. This is because, they are very busy and always alert since their main function is to ensure the safety and guarding of both the prison and prisoners. The Chief warders/wardresses are Constituting 23% of total respondents are out to supervise the activities of the warders/wardresses. The Administrators

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constituting 6% are very few and often work in the offices together with the Superintendents who constitute a total of 12% of the respondents.

Table 6: Assessment of Respondents Response on the Bases or Recruitment Response Education/Experience/Skills Connection Luck Others Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 6 above shows that 70% of the respondents are of the view that recruitment of workers in the penitentiary service is based on Frequency 12 3 2 0 17 Percentage (%) 70 18 12 0 100

Education/experience/skills while 18% of the respondents are of the view that recruitment s based on connection and 12% says that it is based on luck and no respondent mention whether or not, it is based on other aspects.

Table 7: respondents Response on how often Recruitment is done (Yearly) Response Agree Disagree Neutral Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 7 above shows that, 12% of the respondents are of the opinion that recruitment is done on a yearly bases while 65% of the respondents are of the
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Frequency 2 11 4 17

Percentage (%) 12 65 23 100

opinion that recruitment is not done on a yearly bases and finally 23% stood neutral. That is to say they did not know whether or not recruitment is done on yearly bases.

Table 8: Respondent View on whether Recruitment has an Effect on Workers Productivity Response Agree Disagree Neutral Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 8 above shows that 59% of the respondents are of the view that recruitment has an effect on workers productivity while 29% are of the view that recruitment does not have any effect on workers productivity and 12% of the respondents are neutral. Frequency 10 5 2 17 Percentage (%) 59 29 12 100

Table 9: response on whether Workers overwork themselves as a Result of Insufficient staff Response Agree Disagree Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Frequency 16 1 17 Percentage (%) 94 6 100

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Table 9 above shows that 94% of the respondents are of the opinion that workers overwork themselves due to insufficient employees while 6% of the respondents are of the view that workers dont overwork themselves.

Table 10: Response on whether the Recruitment Pattern Stimulates Good Performance Response Agree Disagree Neutral Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 10 illustrates that 29% of the respondents are of the opinion that the recruitment pattern stimulates good performance while 59% of the respondents disagree strongly with the fact that recruitment pattern stimulates good performance and 12% of the respondents stood neutral. Frequency 5 10 2 17 Percentage (%) 29 59 12 100

Table 11: Respondents view on whether Workers put in their Best only when the Superintendent-in-Charge is around Response Agree Disagree Neutral Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Frequency 3 11 3 17 Percentage (%) 17.5 65 17.5 100

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Table 11 illustrates that 17.5% of the respondents agree that workers put in their best only when the Superintendent-in-Charge is around while 65% of the respondents disagree with that fact and finally 17.5% of the respondents where neutral.

Table 12: Respondents view on whether workers are paid for Extra Hours of Work Response Agree Disagree Neutral Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table shows that 12% of the respondents agree that workers are paid for extra hours of work while 82% of the respondents disagree that workers are paid for extra hours of work done and 6% are neutral. Frequency 2 14 1 17 Percentage (%) 12 82 6 100

Table 13: Respondents Response on whether their Salaries are not equal to Work done. Response Agree Disagree Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 13 above illustrates that all 17 respondents agree to the fact that workers salary is not equal to work done.
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Frequency 17 0 17

Percentage (%) 100 0 100

Table 14: Respondents view on whether Workers output will Increase if the Government Implement Direct Recruitment Response Agree Disagree Neutral Total Source: Researchers Survey; 2011 Table 14 above shows that 65% of the respondents agree that workers output will increase if the government implements direct recruitment without writing the usual entrance examination while 23% disagree with that and finally 12% of the respondents are neutral. Frequency 11 4 2 17 Percentage (%) 65 23 12 100

4.2 DATA ANALYSIS: The study is centered primarily to test the objectives of this study and principally the hypothesis that Recruitment process has a significant effect on workers output in the Buea Central Prison and also the hypothesis that Recruitment process does not have a significant effect on workers output or performance. To test these hypotheses, analysis will be based on the data presented in the tables above (1-14). Table 1 shows that majority of the respondents are male showing that those who are employed into the work force of the Buea Central Prison are mostly male workers. This is due to the fact that workers undergo tedious training in preparation of the task ahead of then (dealing with criminals).

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From table 3, majority of the respondents are between the ages of 26-40. This implies that they have attained full maturity and are conscious of what they want and what they are expected to do. From table 4, we realized that majority of those who filled the questionnaire are A/L holders making a total of 59%, those who filled the questionnaires having O/L constituted a total of 35% and only 1 First School holder filled the questionnaire. No Degree holder filled any of the questionnaires, because they are very few and often very busy as well. I wish to support the idea of one of one of the respondents who said that entrance into ENAP (LEcole Nationale dAdministration Penitentiare) should be limited only to Advance Level and Degree holders. This will heighten productivity. Table 7 shows that majority of the respondents disagree with the view that recruitment is carried out on a yearly bases. The government can therefore take upon itself to recruit workers each year just as workers go on retirement each year. The government should ensure that if 10 workers are put on retirement each year, 20 should be recruited taking into consideration that some may die who are not due for retirement. With respect to data presented in table 8, in which 59% of the respondents agree that recruitment has an effect on workers productivity while 29% of the respondents disagree and 12% are neutral to the fact that recruitment has an effect on workers output. The researcher intentionally did not ask the respondents whether workers productivity was being affected either negative or positive for the purpose of testing the hypotheses of this study. Comparing this response in table 8 to that obtained in table 10, we realized that the effect recruitment has on workers output is negative (Recruitment process does not have a significant effect on workers output/performance).

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From table 10, 29% of the respondents agree that recruitment pattern stimulates good performance while 59% of the respondents are of the view that recruitment pattern does not stimulate good performance and 12% are neutral. This still ties with the hypothesis that Recruitment process does not have a significant effect on workers output or performance. Putting the datas collected from both table 8 and 10, we will realized that, the same percentage of workers who agree in table 8 that recruitment has an effect on workers productivity, is the same in table 10 who disagree that recruitment process stimulates good performance and vise-versa (59% and 29% both). The government needs to therefore revisit the recruitment policy put in place in the penitentiary system by allowing recruitment in the hands of authorities in the Buea Central Prison for they can better recruit and motivate their workers. Following the presentation of data in table 9, 94% of respondents agree that workers overwork themselves due to insufficient staff. In the Buea Central Prison it was discovered that only about 20 workers are kept to guard a total of about 3.000 prisoners. This make the wok load very heavy on them as they move from one guard post to the other. During an interview carried out with on of the superintendents, he said I will be very happy if the government can increase the number of recruits each year and the number of new recruits should be more than those going on retirement. In table 11, 65% of the respondents disagree with the fact that workers only put their best in terms of performance only when the Superintendent-in Charge is around while a minimal 17.5% of the respondents agree. This shows that workers are very work conscious and are ready to work at all time. Table 12 shows that 82% of respondents disagree that they are compensated for extra hours of work done. This shows clearly that, these workers actually work overtime but are not compensated. To solve this problem, the government can start
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paying then CFAF1.000 for every one extra hour of work done since the data on table 11 shows that 65% of workers put in their best even in the absence of the Superintendent-in-Charge. This will help a great deal. Data presented on table 13 shows that 100% of respondents agree that their salaries are not equal to the level of work done. This situation can be amended if the government can add a certain percentage on workers salaries. Lastly, from the data presented on table 14, 65% of the respondents agree that workers output will greatly increase if the government implement direct recruitment into the Penitentiary department. From the above analysis, it is very evident that the recruitment process of workers does not have any significant effect on their productivity as stated in our hypothesis.

4.3 RESEARCH FINDINGS: From the above analysis of data collected, to verify whether the recruitment process has a significant effect on workers output or not, a survey was carried out from the analysis. The researcher discovered that at the level of recruitment, it should be limited only to Advance level holders and above. Workers who are young and in possession of low certificates, will turn to abandon their jobs in pursuit of higher qualifications, making performance to be poor since very few personnels will be left behind to over work themselves. At the level of the entrance examination, the government should put a strong anti corruption body that will help to fight corruption. This anti corruption body should ensure that defaulters are seriously sanctioned or dismissed. An example of this can be seen during the writing of EMIA (Ecole Militaire Inter-Armee) examination in 2009 when the government dismissed some military officers who
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tried to corrupt the system by bringing in some candidates and putting their names on the final list. When the names of those military officers were obtained by some anti corruption officials, their dismissal was immediate. From the above analysis, I also realized that most of the respondents where of the opinion that their output will improve should the government implement direct recruitment of personnels into the penitentiary department (Table 14). It was discovered that if the number of workers are increased by the government each year and while their salary problem is also redressed, the government should also see how she can motivate workers by compensating them for extra hours of work done (Tables 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13).

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CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 RECOMMENDATIONS: Since workers output is a vital factor for any organizational growth, the researcher therefore recommends that, the government should ensure that those recruited are more than those going on retirement since it was realized that workers output are low due to insufficient workers. Also, the government should learn how to motivate workers in the penitentiary service by providing payment for extra hours of work done. Ones this is done, workers will not be discourage since they know that the more they put in extra time, the more money they will attract to themselves. The salaries of workers should be taking into consideration. The government should at least increase workers salary since 100% of the respondents in table 13 above reacted that their work done, is not equal to the pay they receive. The government should change its manner of recruiting workers by allowing recruitment in the hands of the Superintendent-in-Charge. Recruitment into the penitentiary service should be organized and controlled solely by officials of the Buea Central Prison. This will assist in solving the problem of insufficient staff which is a major problem in the Buea Central Prison. The government should organize that will train and inform workers of the recent innovations in the penitentiary service. This will help put workers in track, in this ever Changing Global World. Moreover, efficient workers should be recommended for promotion. This will go a long way to stimulate other workers to work harder.

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5.2 CONCLUSION: The conclusions drawn from data collected and analyzed are the following: First of all, workers output in the Buea Central Prison are relatively low due to lack of sufficient workers in the penitentiary service. The few workers that are available overwork themselves to the point that they become very tired which in turn causes prisoners to escape. An example is the case in 2005 which saw the escape of 50 prisoners due to insufficient workers. While some where sleeping due to tiredness, the only worker at the main door was threatened with a toy gun by some of the prisoners which lead to their outbreak. Comparing the situation of 2005 till now, we will realize that the government does not learn from past mistakes because up till date, it has not revisited its recruitment pattern by increasing the number of new recruits. Secondly, workers output in the Buea Central Prison is relatively low because of lack of motivation (payment of extra hours of work done) which is major factor that stimulate workers output. Thirdly, another cause of low performance by workers in the Buea Central Prison is because the government hardly launches in-service competitive examination to uplift workers. This makes them reluctant at times as they will see a new recruit becoming their boss of which they have the same academic qualification.

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BIBLOGRAPHY 1. Decree No. 052/92 of 27th March 1992 bearing on Penitentiary Regimes in Cameroon. 2. Edwin Flippo: Recruitment(google.com) 3. Enwikipedia.org/buea 4. Enwikipedia.org/recruitment 5. J. C Denyer (1974): Office Management. Maccdonald & Evans Ltd London. 6. Johnson and Johnson Vs Unilever (2003): Recruitment 7. Leon Bertrand Ngouo (1997): International Review of Administrative Service, Cameroon. 8. Nyamipachari Vareta (1996): Human Resource Management. Vareta yahoo.com 9. Organigram or the Buea Central Prison. 10.Tony Shaw (1997): google.com/recruitment process. 11.www.gpn.org(global policy network) 12.www.postnewsline.com/2005 13.www.wikipedia.com/theories of recruitment

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APPENDIX 1 (Questionnaires) UNIVERSITY OF BUEA FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Dear respondents, Questionnaire I am a final year student in the above mentioned department by name Esuma Mathias (UB No. SM8B299) carrying out a research on the topic Recruitment Process and its Effect on Workers Output in The Cameroons Public Service. The case of The Buea Central Prison I wish to assure you most sincerely that whatever information supplied by you through this questionnaire will be used for academic purpose only. Instruction: Put a tick () in the appropriate box. 1) Sex. Male 2) Status. Married 3) Age. Below 20-25 ; 26-40 ; 41-50 ; 51-60 ; Single ; divorced ; Widow(er) ; Female

4) Educational background. PhD ; Masters Degree ; Bachelor Degree ; A/L ; O/L ;

Other (please specify)

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5) Rank. Warder/Wardress Administrator 6) Recruitment of workers in your establishment is based on, Education/experience/skills ; Connection ; Luck ; others ; Chief Warder/Wardress ; Superintendent ;

(please specify) 7) Is recruitment done on yearly bases? Agree ; Disagree ; No idea

8) Do you think that the recruitment process has an effect on workers productivity? Agree ; Disagree ; Neutral

9) Workers over work themselves due to lack of sufficient employees Agree 10) Agree 11) ; Disagree ; Neutral

The recruitment pattern stimulate good performance ; Disagree ; Neutral

Workers put in their best only when the superintendent in charge is

around Agree 12) Agree 13) Agree 14) ; Disagree ; Neutral

Workers are paid for extra hours of work? ; Disagree ; Neutral

Workers salaries are not equal to work done ; Disagree ; Neutral

If the government implement direct recruitment of workers into the

Buea Central Prison, will this help efficiency? Agree ; Disagree ; Neutral

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15)

In your opinion, what do you think the government can do to the

recruitment process to improve on workers output?

Thanks for your corporation.

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