Mbasse Marie Therese epouse Tchuisse, Chief of Service of Recovery at the Limbe Sub-divisional Ports Authority has recounted the multiple advantages the imminent Deep Sea Port construction in the city of Limbe has for the population of Limbe, the South West, Cameroon, Africa and the World at large. While thanking her supervisor, Mr Ediba Simon Pierre who coordinated her project to obtain the Certificate for the Management of Modern Ports, on the subject of the Limbe Deep Sea Port in line with its social, economic and political dynamics within the Train for Trade programme under the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD. Madam Mbasse Marie Therese maintains that the port in Limbe is a necessity, and that all hands must be put on deck for its realisation. She spoke to The SUN’s Managing Editor, Wasso Norbert Binde, in the company of The Editor, NOELA EBOB BISONG. It is a very revealing interview. Read on!
Why did you choose the Limbe Deep Sea Port as your subject matter?
I have spent 23 years and seven months working in the Limbe Port as a recovery agent and I have developed interest for the Port in Limbe. Regarding the figures, I have come to understand that something must be done for the port of Limbe. Limbe will benefit from this investment, the division, region and the country as well as Africa generally, because the rate of exchange regarding the facilities such as the deepness of the shore will ensure that we gain a lot, in terms of receiving big ships, which will give way for development and commerce.
Can you tell us the specific advantages that the Limbe Deep Sea Port has geographically and economically?
Geographically, Limbe is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and being that it has a depth of 18 which is far higher than that of Douala (7) and this means that by this position, Limbe can now serve as a front Port to Douala, meaning big ships will anchor in Limbe and smaller ships will carry the cargo to Douala, which will give way for more ships coming in with less expenditure to ensure the transaction because they will not be any delay. This will make the Limbe Port more attractive. Also, Limbe is situated 17KM from Douala, and close to Mutengene, Buea, Kumba, Mamfe etc, where movement is very easy even right up to Nigeria. Limbe has a very rich hinterland with Nigeria just close by, with its about 200 million inhabitants. If a Port is created in Limbe, it holds the present and future market. Regarding the economic aspect, studies have been carried which shows that if a deep sea port is opened in Limbe, about seven thousand direct employment will be secured, other auxiliary activities like restoration will cover about five thousand other workers. Such a situation will certainly go ahead to solving the Anglophone crisis and stabilise the country. Socially we will not have delinquents because many youths will be employed and this will also reduce brain drain as many youths will be concerned about the development of their country. Also, CDC used to go to Douala to ship their produce; with the deep sea port in Limbe, they will not need to go to Douala. The advantages are enormous.
This Limbe Deep Sea Port project has a lot of political undertone. Were you not afraid to embark on such a subject especially being a worker of the National Ports Authority?
I will not say that Limbe Deep Sea Port is a political issue; I will rather say that may be people did not view the interest that is behind this project. It is true that when I started writing on this project I was asked to drop it because it was a very sensitive topic regarding the actual situation but having the conviction that I can be an eye-opener to our country, I was confident and really happy especially when the international jury congratulated me for choosing the subject. The jury held that I was courageous and patriotic enough to embark on the subject. I agree with them because when you love something, you have to pay the price for such a thing to be good.
You also worked on the cost of this project. What will it cost to construct this Limbe Deep Sea Port?
It will cost about FCFA 488 billion. What we need to say is that let us not just condemn the government by saying they are not doing anything; studies are being carried out since 2002 with the Korean company that came and did the feasibility studies, then the study was re-actualised in 2009 and even up to now, there is a commission that is working on the project and let us be sure it is something that will be realised by the Cameroon government.
During the Major National Dialogue, the Limbe Deep Sea Port was on the agenda as one of the priority projects to be embarked on. How long do you think it will take to construct this Sea Port?
We cannot really tell how long. I think right now the government is working on the kind of partnership which it will use to construct the Port and we all know that economically, the country is not viable for now but may be government will establish a public/private partnership. I think that by early next year, there will be the appointment of the General Manager and his team. We should note that the Limbe Deep Sea Port is a structure which already exists, created by the law as the Limbe Autonomous Port, though it has been existing under the structure of 1960. However, it has to be re-actualised to make it more productive. We also know that there has to be delocalisation of the neighouring population at the site, and this is not an easy task. It’s such a big project that government is really taking its time to realise it.
You work in this sub-divisional ports authority; what is this structure actually engaged in?
Geographically, Limbe’s Port structure includes SONARA (the lone Refinery in the country), there is Chantier Naval, Bota Wharf, Tiko Wharf and Idenau Wharf. All these structures contribute to keep this Port busy and productive. Our main activity here is to work with SONARA in supervising all the ships that go to the refinery, and this activity contributes about 80% of our income. Also we control the transportation between Equatorial Guinea / Cameroon through Tiko, and Nigeria/Cameroon through Idenau. We also have other structures like Whare houses, passengers fees etc.
Does that help in any way to the development of this city?
Of course! A Port is a door to commercial activities and industrial development, so when there is a port somewhere, there is currency flowing in through cargo, passengers, employment etc. and all these is on in this town of Limbe.
What are the recommendations you made at the end of your project?
I recommended that the construction of the Limbe Deep Sea Port should be effective and immediate, the social organs should be designed to make it functional, there should be the delimitation of the Port, the construction of the infrastructures that will make the Port to exist on the designed site, locals should be at the forefront of employment, develop trans-border trade, establish a strong-relationship within the CEMAC zone with countries without Ports, solve the Anglophone crisis etc.
So where has this document gone to?
This document has gone to the institution that trained me (UNCTAD), as well as to our Head Office in Douala, and I believe that the head office has taken measures to forward it to hierarchy.
Any last words?
I am praying that this project should be realised so that Limbe will be a city with different dimensions, to increase its capacity in terms of other multiplier development.