allAfrica.com: Cameroon: Beti Mafia Floors Forjindam (Page 1 of 1)

The long serving General Manager, GM, of the Cameroon Shipyard and Industrial Engineering Ltd, CNIC, Zachaeus Forjindam, was on May 7, dropped from that post by the Board of Directors, BOD, which held in Douala.

The BOD designated Forjindam's long time rival, Antoine Alo'o Bikoro, as the new GM of CNIC.

The BOD had on December 28, 2007, appointed Bikoro, who was then the representative of the National Hydrocarbons Corporation, SNH, in the BOD, Deputy GM, DGM, which had stayed vacant for a very long period.

But the most curious thing about that appointment was that for the first time in the history of state owned companies in, someone was appointed as DGM in charge of financial affairs, even though the position of Director of Finance was not abolished.

The DGM, was henceforth, to jointly sign all cheques with the GM, a situation that grounded many activities of CNIC, as banks wouldn't respect it, especially as CNIC jobs description does not authorise the GM to sign cheques. Funding agencies like the African Development Bank, ADB was to call on government to clarify the situation.

But what increasing became clear to closer observers of CNIC, was that Bikoro as DGM, was just in waiting to pick Forjindam's job. Bikoro's arrival in January created a tense atmosphere, following the very strained relationship between then GM, and the one in waiting.

The Rapid Growth of CNIC

Forjindam was perhaps the architect of his own problems with a Beti clique that wanted his job at all costs. For one thing, this man worked so hard to take CNIC from almost nothing, to become one of the biggest and most prosperous companies in the country. President in one of his New Year speeches saluted the spectacular progress made by CNIC under Forjindam. But that only increased the appetite of a Beti clique to take over.

CNIC was created in 1988, with a capital of barely FCFA 800 million, with a work force of 32. Forjindam became the first GM of that company which then was jointly owned by the state of Cameroon, Britain and Denmark. The turnover of CNIC for the 1988/89 financial year, stood at FCFA 500 million.

Then came 1995 when the foreign partners withdrew, and the status of CNIC changed to an entirely state owned company with five state institutions and companies, as shareholders viz; the Ministry of Finance, SNH, Port Authority of Douala, PAD, National Hydrocarbons Stabilization Fund, and Cameroon Shipping Lines.

Forjindam stayed on as GM, which in 2003 acquired UIC. At the end of the 2007 financial year, the turnover of CNIC had spectacularly grown from FCFA 500 million in 1988/89, to a colossal FCFA 40 billion. The number of employees had also risen from 32 in 1988, to 2400 in 2007.

Meanwhile, Forjindam reportedly created more 'enemies' against him amongst the Beti, when he fought hard and succeeded in taking the shipyard project to Limbe, instead of Kribi, as was the wish of the power brokers.

The Limbe Shipyard project was budgeted to cost about US $ 200 million (FCFA 140 billion as per the 2001 exchange rate). Certain Beti elite are said to have never forgiven him for having taken such a project to Limbe, in spite of all the advantages that town's coastline offers.

Majority Shareholder

After the change of status of CNIC in 1995, SNH became the majority shareholder in the company, which new status qualified it to provide a GM. But the situation of CNIC was different, probably because it is a state owned company, with all the shareholders state owned institutions.

But when a Beti clique stepped up its scheming to floor Forjindam, they were to exploit the power of SNH as majority shareholder. In early 2006, for example, SNH which was represented at the board by Bikoro, took a unilateral decision to audit the company. The audit apparently had as mission to nail Forjindam.

The auditor, Charles Kuouh, who was detained in 2006 at Kondegui in 'Opération Epervier', carried out the so called audit, and wrote his report without seeking clarification on certain issues from the GM, who had travelled to the United States, for a meeting relating to the Limbe Shipyard project.

When Forjindam protested against the irregular audit, which conveniently declared him guilty of financial impropriety, the Presidency ordered State Control to carry out the audit afresh. That was done, though the findings are not known. But interestingly, SNH, through Bikoro, again unilaterally got the judicial police in Douala to interrogate Forjindam in December 2006, on its own controversial audit report.

It was clear that with the Beti mafia using the might of SNH as majority shareholder, Forjindam could not last in office for long. On May 7, the mafia finally succeeded in installing their own, Bikoro.

Antoine Alo'o Bikoro, meanwhile, is also the Mayor of Kye-ossi Council, and President of the Ntem Valley CPDM Section, in the South Province.

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