On Wednesday June 26, 2025, the Minister of State, Minister of Justice, Keeper of Seals, Laurent ESSO, published a series of wide-ranging appointments within the Penitentiary Administration system. The new appointments affect multiple levels of the prison system and reflect a strategic realignment of personnel aimed at improving efficiency and discipline in correctional services nationwide. Also, the changes fall in line with the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening governance, enhancing inmate rehabilitation programmes, and modernising prison management structures.
The North, the South, the Littoral and the Centre regions now have new Delegates of Penitentiary Administration – DRAP. Administrator General of Prisons – AGPs Thierry POMBOUO FOPA becomes the new DRAP of the Centre region as of Wednesday 25 June 2025. AGPs FOPA served previously in the Littoral in the same capacity. He has been replaced there by AGPs Roger Claude AKONO. AKONO is the former Superintendent of the Abong Mbang Main Prison. AGPs Médecin Vétérinaire Emmanuel Georges MOUNPOU, formerly Chief of Service for Scholarship and Discipline at ENAP Buea, is the new DRAP of the North region. AGPs Désiré MANANG, previously the DRAP of the Centre region, goes to the South region in the same capacity.
Apart from DRAPs, new Prison Superintendents have been appointed. Senior Superintendent of Prisons – SSPs, Paul Fabrice AKA’A, is the new administrator of the Tignere Main Prison in the Adamawa. Administrator of Prisons – AP Esther NYANGON AFANE is the new Superintendent of the Mbalmayo Main Prison. SSPs Yves Didier LOBE ESSO is the new Superintendent of Ndikinimeki Secondary Prison, AP Barthelemy NSUMBI MBOCK becomes the new Superintendent of Abong Mbang Main Prison, SSPs NJE Ebenezer TAMFU takes over the Kumbo Main Prison as Superintendent, while AP APANDE Johnson AKWE takes over the Mbengwi Main Prison as Superintendent. As the new Superintendent of the Baham Main Baham, we have AP Aimé Clautaire ESSOH NYAMBE, AP JOMIA Clauvis FOFUNG for the Dschang Main Prison, as AP Jean Marie MBENA takes over at the Ambam Main Prison. In Buea, Upper Farms Secondary Prison, SSPs Eric FRU CHE is the new Superintendent.
The penitentiary training school in Buea, commonly referred to as ENAP, and the central services for Penitentiary Administration in the Ministry of Justice in Yaoundé, have also witnessed the fresh personnel impetus. Some of these appointments are promotions, some transfers while others are replacements.
