AN INTERNSHIP REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF BACHELORS OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF BUEA

CHAPTER ONE

1.1. INTRODUCTION

The internship is an integral platform for anyone to gain experience in an actual workplace. Thus IRE 417: Internship is a good opportunity for students to learn, gain experience and also make preparations. Men learn through experience, and a real life is full of different kinds of experiences, we will encounter many difficulties and obstacles and with experience, we are expected to be able to encourage and complete the cleansing process.

My internship was carried out at the Senior Divisional Office Fako, Limbe. It is the highest administrative unit in the entire Division of Fako located in the town of Limbe 1, precisely at the historical location of the Alfred Saker Monument Down Beach Limbe.

The scope of work carried out during the internship was very interesting as we were sent to the various councils in Limbe to witness their administrative works for several weeks. At the various councils I encountered with a lot of people who made the internship more exciting.

Doing my internship I an actual workplace helped me to know and discover myself from different angles. It also helped me to control and develop my altitude in dealing with different kinds of people and situations.

I learned about theories in school and I am happy I finally had the chance to see the practical field. I learned the practicality approach on dealing with the real world even though it wasn’t that much, it still had profound results in certain aspects of my life. Internship helped me identify my weaknesses and strength as a student and as an employee. Immanuel Kant once said “Experience without theory is blind, while theory without experience is mere intellectual play.”

The other reason I chose this internship site is to prepare myself for more challenging work environment and situation. Our life in school is incomparable with working life. A working life is very challenging as it requires great effort, commitment, and abilities; these are things I needed to be prepared and trained to.

1.2. BACKGROUND OF THE SENIOR DIVISIONAL OFFICE FAKO

The Senior Divisional officer is a senior official appointed by decree of the president of the Republic of Cameroon. He shall be the custodian of state authority in the Division. The Senior Divisional Office for Fako was created in 1957 by decree of the president of the republic. Ever since the creation of this institution, it has had twenty [20] different Senior Divisional Officers with first being MR Nchami Vincent from 1957 – 1962.

The longest serving Senior Divisional Officer was MR Okalia Bilia Bernard, served for the period of five years (2003 – 2008) with the shortest term served by Sikod GB for a period of six (6) months, the present senior divisional officer for fako is MR CHAIBOU who was appointed by the president decree. According to Cameroon law number 2008/377 of 12 November 2008 the Senior Divisional Officer shall be under the direct authority of the Governor, he shall reside in the headquarters of the division.

The S.D.O represents the president at the level of the division since the president cannot come to the division due to other administrative commitments, the S.D.O represents him in carrying out those duties and such duties are outlined briefly; on behalf of the government the S.D.O is entrusted with the permanent and general mission of information and coordination in security, economic social and cultural matters at the divisional level, representing the state in all acts of civil life and in law, ensure the maintenance of order, the enforcement of laws and regulations and the implementation of development plans and programs, arbitrate as necessary for the preservation of social peace and proper functioning of the de-concentrated government services within the division. The senior divisional officer for fako has many other functions as given to him by decree number 2008/377 of 12 November 2008.