By NOELA EBOB BISONG
The past week has been a rough one and the tensest at the National Refining Company, SONARA, since the May 31 explosion erupted at the refinery. The week was not only marked by constant grilling of SONARA workers by the two commissions on a fact-finding mission at the refinery, but it equally saw the arrest of at least 40 workers. The arrested workers were said to have been transferred to the Gendarmerie Brigade in Limbe, to join six others (five directors and one sub director) already in detention at the Brigade for the past one week.
The SUN gathered that prior to the mass arrests; all SONARA workers on annual leave were urgently called back to their duty posts, cutting short their leaves indefinitely.
The SUN also learnt that those who have been released are mostly operators, while the 12 still in detention comprise of directors, sub directors, chiefs of service etc.
Reports have it that it would appear the Eloundou commission is done with its work at the refinery, as the Minister of Water and Energy Resources, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, head of the commission left SONARA for Yaounde on Friday, June 28, 2019, after his arrival last June 25, 2019. However, the other local commission headed by South West Attorney General is still present on ground at SONARA.
The SUN has also gathered that the services of foreign experts have been contacted to establish the level of damage at the refinery following the explosion, and the process is yet to begin. It is possible that while the Eloundou commission is working to meet up with the deadline prescribed by Prime Minister, Head of Government, they will certainly have to wait for the report of the foreign experts, to ascertain the exact level of damage at SONARA.
As things stand, SONARA, with one of the best laboratories in Central Africa, hopes to engage in the purchase and sale of refined crude oil. Though this is less profitable, sources at the company hold it is better, at least to keep the company going, as it awaits rebuilding.