By Noela EBOB BISONG
The General Manager of Pamol Plantations PLC, Mbile Tapea Solomon is positive that the new partnership between PAMOL and Turkish company, DOGANLAR TARIM will yield the needed benefits in the days ahead. Last August 5, the GM received at his temporary Limbe-based office, a Turkish delegation which has as aim to amongst other things, supply the plantation with state-of-the-art equipment and tools to revamp production and boost yields in the months, and years ahead. The partnership between Pamol, CDC and the Turkish company, is under the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development PPRD of the North West and South West Regions. The two English speaking regions have been plunged in a socio-political crisis since 2017, with Pamol, like CDC incurring huge damages in the heat.
But Mbile Tapea Solomon, appointed in the heart of the crisis, on October 7, 2020, remains positive that all is going to be well in the near future.
Rejoicing at the visit by DOGANLAR TARIM CEO and collaborators, Tapea said, “We have been in difficulty for quite some time and we have not stopped knocking the doors of the state and expressing our problems and actually sharing with them what we think that the solution could be. This is how the state has reacted in one of many ways, and I think there is a lot of potential with this kind of partnership.”
Concerning the partnership, Mbile is positive that, “They have come at a broad base; initially we thought it was just to renew and replace farm tools and equipment, but from our brief exchange, there’s every indication that the horizon is wide. We are willing to open our doors and expose our difficulties to them and of course with the necessary competence which we are sure they have, they will certainly be helping us improve on productivity.”
With regards to the PPRD, he says, “We are quite thankful to the state, especially the Head of State for this executive initiative to create this PPRD programme, which certainly will alleviate the plight of the affected population in this crisis-hit area, and for us the industrial producers, our role is to make sure that the job numbers go up, ensure economic activities spread around the areas of our operations.”
The GM maintains that, “We all know that the product we produce (palm oil) is in deficit in Cameroon, which has given way to importation. At this point, we are sure that we are going to increase the volumes to be able to cut the deficit and mitigate its effects on our economy.”
As renewed hopes hover with regards to the rescue of Pamol Plantation, a steady minded Mbile Tapea Solomon remains optimistic.
The GM has since 2020 been putting in much energy to steady the activities of the plantation, hard hit by the socio-political crisis in the South West Region. The dynamic yet assertive manager, with an acumen in agriculture, following his over two decades stay at the Cameroon Development Corporation CDC as Engineering and Process Manager, is one man described as a neccesity to help bounce back Pamol to life.
While being installed by Minister Gabriel Mbairobe of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2020, Mbile was tasked to ensure the rehabilitation of oil mills, increase yields and acquire machinery to reduce post harvest losses. While challenges remain huge within the present context, the people-friendly servant has in no small way engaged various actions to light up Pamol and keep it afloat. Amongst his several strides since taking office, the Pamol boss is being celebrated for increasing the labour force which was drowning as a result of socio-political tensions which engulfed Pamol, ensuring constant payment of workers’ salaries, facilitating payment of retirement dues to retirees, promoting annual meritocracy recognitions which boosts performance, clearing debts owed small holders farmers, providing water and electricity within the plantations’ camps etc.
PAMOL Plantations PLC was created on July 10, 1996.
