YAOUNDE, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian President Paul Biya has expressed concerns that corruption is "becoming rife" in the Central African nation and said the graft crackdown will be intensified.

"Last year, I talked about the need to strengthen governance in the management of public affairs and to control government spending. Rest assured that this concern is constant and unwavering," Biya said in a televised address to the nation Saturday night.

"I also want to reiterate that those who are illicitly amassing wealth by plundering the State, at whatever level, will be brought to book," he said.

In November, the country's Anti-Corruption Commission said about 44 billion xaf (about 72 million U.S. dollars) was lost to corruption in 2021.

Cameroon has arrested several top-ranking government officials since Biya launched an anti-graft campaign called Operation Epervier (Sparrowhawk) in 2004. Enditem

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