PAMOL will extend its operations to Bakassi- SDO

The new Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Ndian, Ntou’ou Ndong Chamberlin, has made it clear that the extension of PAMOL projects to Bakassi is not only a must, but a reality, thus the management of the company should rest assured that government will make things happen.

He was speaking at the conference hall of the company's office in Lobe Estate, July 11, as he rounded up a three-day contact tour to public and para-public services in his area of command. He made it clear that the government is bent on seeing that PAMOL continues to be one of the leading parastatals in the country and which has to contribute its quota in the Head of Sate’s Vision 2035 dream.

The extension project to Bakassi, the SDO hinted, will offer employment to thousands of Cameroonians and that the government won’t spare any efforts to see that the project kick-starts soonest. The SDO promised himself sleepless nights until the extension program begins.

Praises The SDO also used the visit to praise the management of PAMOL PLC, in particular and the hard working staff for the efforts they are putting in the development of Ndian Division.

According to the SDO, mentioning Ndian without PAMOL is an offence. The SDO disclosed that the company, headed by Chief Mekanya Charles has transformed Ndian. The job opportunities created to the youths in the area is a clear manifestation that PAMOL is gradually accompanying the Head of State in seeing to it that Cameroon’s Vision 2035 is realised in record time.

The SDO then called on the workers to continue to work in team spirit. He called on the management to spare no efforts to discipline wayward workers who take absences and only resurface during pay days. Earlier on, while welcoming the SDO, PAMOLs’ Development Executive Officer, Thompson Mofor sitting in for the IGM, Chief Mekanya Charles, who was attending a special meeting at the Yaounde, gave a synopsis of the company.

He hinted that PAMOL Plantations Plc is a gigantic agro-industrial establishment with a labour force of over 3,320 manning three estates with palm oil ‘red gold’ and rubber as main cash crops.

He added that the estates include that of Ndian and Lobe specialized in the production of palm oil and Bai expanding in the rubber sector all covering a total surface area of over 10,874 hectares of land mass under its operational command.

While rubber occupies 575 hectares, Mofor Thompson narrated that the remaining land is planted with palms.The plantation’s numerous activities fall under the Ministry of Agriculture and that of Finance.

The headquarters of the company, the SDO was informed is located in Lobe, Ndian Division, South West Region and operates on a fixed capital of close to FCFA 1.8 billion with the government of Cameroon having the lion’s share capital of 67.16%, and the rest owned by para-public and private companies. Mofor also used the occasion to highlight some of the worries of the company, which include the dire need for the extension project to Bakassi to go operational, bad state of roads and the frequent theft recorded in the company.

He however maintained that with the management headed by Chief Mekanya Charles with HRH Chief Esoh Otoh as Board Chairman the company is waxing strong having the sky as their limit. The SDO also visited all the departments of the company. His first stop was at the Research Unit headed by Dr Culbertson Etta Enow, though absent, the Supervisor of the unit in charge of Plant Pathology, Mukete Ekuka Georges explained the functioning of the unit. It filtered during his explanations that PAMOL produces the best oil palm seedlings in the country.

The SDO later visited the Lobe Estate Hospital and was brief by the Hospital Supervisor, Terna Julius and the most exciting part of the visit was at the Lobe Estate Palm Oil Mill Processing Factory(Line) where it was revealed that the mill was opened in 1967 by the Late President Amadou Ahidjo.