National Identity Card: Mbarga Nguele ends contract for photos

Since 1 January 2016, "the plaintiffs for national identity cards, residence cards and resident must in addition to documents submitted, provides four halves 4x4 size photographs in colour on white background, for their enlistment in the identification positions."

This press release signed by the Delegate General for National Security (DGSN) follows the decision of December 31, 2015, by Martin Mbarga Nguele, terminating the agreement binding Cameroon to the French company for the production of Sacel pictures.

In its issue of January 27, 2016, Le Jour informed that this decision puts an end "to the activity of 413 people who were employed by Sacel for photographs in identification positions."

While questioning the motives of the act of DGNS, the tabloid says on August 12, 2015, Mbarga Nguele "installed a supervisory committee of the new system of identification."

Which committee should "define strategic choices and orientations, validate the technical choices, conduct periodic evaluation of the work, decide corrective action, and the commissioning of the new computer security identification system."

Le Jour, therefore, reminded that the Thales security system, which led the project Securing the Cameroonian Nationality (SENAC), was replaced by Gemalto. Those responsible for Sacel say they are surprised by the decision of the DGNS.

Obviously introduced to the Sacel, the author of the article wrote that "The reasons for this misunderstanding lie particularly in terms of the procedure. The concession photo service contract signed in December 2008 provided for an automatic renewal of the concession over a period of 4 years, a break notice, six months before the term of the agreement.

For company officials, the period of six months should allow them to manage submitted orders, but also to serve notice to their employees."

To believe our colleague, "submitted orders valued at 360 million FCFA are stored in the stores." Hence, the six-month moratorium request made by the company DGNS.