BY ATIA TILARIOUS AZOHNWI
The government is apparently not showing concern to the plight of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) and Pamol Plantations Plc, two agro-industrial outfits badly bruised by the socio-political unrest in the North West and South West Regions.
With the growing fragility of the social peace among the large labour force of both companies, government is expected to take urgent measures to save the companies. In fact, the Anglophone crisis only came to add to the problems of low yields, old factories and outdated mills rocking both companies.
The government on June 20, 2018, rather opted to sign three memoranda of understanding with three international investors – two French and one Egyptian – as part of a process to restructure and step up production at the CDC without any mention of Pamol.
The agreements link CDC to Fertilore for the possible supply of fertilizers, TIMAC AGRO for the potential supply of specialist fertilizers mostly for the banana sector Tyllium for the eventual construction of a Rubber Factory and a Palm Oil Mill.
CDC General Manager, Franklin Ngoni Njie is quoted as saying that “the fertilizers will help to increase the CDC’s current annual production of 18,000 m3 tons of rubber, 25.000 tons of palm oil and 110.000 tons of banana” and that “the new rubber factory and oil mill will bring an end to frequent breakdowns and significantly reduce the cost of production, thereby making the Corporation more profitable and sustainable”.
Njie went on to sign a contract with TIMAC AGRO for the training of agronomists of the CDC and for it to oversee the fertilization of 400 hectares of specially chosen parcels of banana plantations with a view of increasing production by about 30% in a year.
CDC officials say the June 20 memoranda will pave the way for negotiations, which if successful, will culminate in real contractual engagements.
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Henry Eyebe Ayissi had on May 22, 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Canadian company for the eventual supply of heavy equipment to the CDC.
After the agreements signed in Yaoundé, the general Manager of the CDC came back without the much needed money to pay its workers who have since written o the Head of State. CDC staff reps and unionists in a June 15, 2018 letter addressed to President Paul Biya urge him to “speedily seek appeasing solutions to the ongoing crisis” and as well “Provide urgent financial assistance to workers in crisis-hit estates”.
With the CDC in need of over FCFA 80 billion subvention from the state to stabilize itself, the fact that the General Manager returned from Yaoundé without the much needed subvention points to government insensitivity to the plights of the workers of the company.
During a meeting, Friday, June 8, 2018 at the Senior Service (SS) Club Bota chaired by CDC General Manager, Franklin Njie, staff representatives were told that the corporation plans to lay-off workers in estates badly affected by the civil unrest – close to nine thousand workers may be affected by this decision.
Going by a report presented on May 8, 2018 during a meeting attended by 17 persons including CDC management staff, labour administrators and trade union leaders, “the crisis is taking a toll on the socio-economic situation of workers as several establishments are no longer in operation given that workers, out of fear and threats on their lives no longer go to work”.
The CDC has about twenty thousand contracts of employment and a related monthly wage bill of about FCFA 2.5 billion. “Considering the fact that production activities have ceased in many of the estates and industrial units; taking into account the likely deterioration of the existing socio-economic situation;” the CDC social partners recommended that “the government should take hasty measures to redress this situation so that social peace and economic revival be restored in CDC establishments.”
The staff reps and unionists want the state to take its responsibility as owner of 100 percent shares of the CDC, which responsibility includes and is not limited to providing money for the payment of salaries and seeking measures to resolve the current crisis. A July 6, 2018 internal service note captioned “statement of assurance” and signed by the CDC General Manager went viral on social media. In the letter, Franklin Njie writes that: “Currently, work is suspended in ten of our estates/units putting about five thousand jobs at risk.”
The GM says the state of Cameroon has been duly informed of the prevailing situation. “While the state is engaged in providing a lasting solution to the crisis, all workers of the Cameroon Development Corporation are enjoined to remain calm and forward looking as management is doing all it takes to ensure that things unfold in the best interest.” As we went to press yesterday, we learnt that the PHP Tiko Banana processing park house had been set ablaze.
Pamol in red
PAMOL Plantations Plc, the economic live-wire of Ndian Division and one of the major agro-industrial units of the country, has been seriously hit by the ongoing unrest in the North West and South West Regions of the country.
The economic and social losses incurred by the company attained alarming proportions in the months of April and May 2018. In effect, production of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB), Rubber and Oil Palm seeds have been greatly interrupted leading to huge economic losses.
The case of Pamol Plantations Plc is even worrisome with about nothing being done to rescue the company from a possible collapse. The company needs tens of billions of FCFA to stabilise. Activities of the company have been paralysed for months now and salaries can no longer be paid.
According to inside sources, the situation at Pamol Plantations Plc is dire as the crisis deepens. The pressure of endurance is too high on the working population who are asking the company to give the secessionists money so that they can leave the workers and the company in peace.
At Pamol, workers have gone for 5 months without salaries; Ambulance seized, two new tractors burnt by separatists; One palm oil sub mill burnt in Bai Estate; No potable drinking water in Lobe Estate; Staff are being kidnapped for ransom; No oil sales since November 2017; Nurses and doctors are threatening to abandon hospitals; Four workers have been shot and slaughtered so far; There have been numerous attacks on Pamol installations; Huge amount of oil has been lost as separatists hit storage tanks in Lobe; The lone financial institution (Credit Union) that helps workers and entire communities has been shut down; The entire economic fabric of Ndian has been paralyzed.
The impact is so significant that something has to be done and urgently to redress the situation in order to bring back the company to live if not the political, economic and social consequences shall be enormous.