It is legitimate to consider the people of Ndian Division as an endangered species. This is so because that division is blessed with abundant natural resources. However, the people of Ndian have nothing to show for the presence of abundant natural resources in their division. The people have been exploited with impunity by the leadership of Ahmadou Ahidho and Paul Biya

Case study: PAMOL

PAMOL is a parastatal situated in Ndian Division, SWR. It is registered in Douala under the name “Les Plantations Pamol du Cameroun.

The SHARE HOLDERS OF PAMOL are:
*(Source: Homepage of Pamol)

1 STATE OF CAMEROUN (Yaounde)
54.53%
2 CNPS(Yaounde)
16.43%
3 SCR/BMBC(Douala)
12.64%
4 UNILEVER (Douala)
10.26%
5 SOCAPALM( Douala)
4.69%
6 CDC(Limbe)
0.62%
7 SHELL(Douala)
0.44%
8 SAFACAM( Douala)
0.38%
9 SPFS( Douala)
0.01%
TOTAL
100.00%

Taking a closer look at the facts and figures, it is evident that ALL the shareholders of Pamol are from Douala or Yaounde (except CDC with a window-dressing share of less than 1%).The above mentioned shareholders provide the capital. However, in economics there are three classical factors of production : Land, Labor, Capital.

The people of Ndian are STAKEHOLDERS of PAMOL in their own right.They provide two out of the three factors of production: land and labour.
However, Ndian councils are conspicuously absent on the list of shareholders of Pamol. ALL PROFITS of Pamol are appropriated only to the above-mentioned Shareholders according to their shares. Ndian councils play no role in this appropriation since they are not shareholders.

Apologists of the government might point out that the Government is a majority shareholder and therefore represents the INTERESTS of Cameroonians in general and the the people of Ndian in particular.This school of thought would make much sense , if and only if, a fraction of the profit paid to the government was also ploughed back to Ndian for infrastructural development.

Any objective observer will agree with me that the lack of infrastructure and other amenities in this division speak volumes about the real beneficiaries of the profits of Pamol.

It is evident that the money paid to the government as shareholder is hardly or never ploughed back to Ndian. ” In recent months, President Biya has been moving here and there, in erstwhile East Cameroon, launching grand projects for his grand realisation towards his Vision 2035.But, as it stands, nothing is being heard of similar if not bigger projects in Ndian Division. ”

The network of roads in Ndian has deteriorated over the years and now poses grave danger to motorists.The roads in Ndian are crumbling faster than they can be fixed by the councils.The councils in Ndian are literally bankrupt.To add insults to injuries, Pamol is registered in Douala and therefore pays royalties only to the Douala City council .The people of Ndian have nothing to show as stakeholders and providers of two important factors of production: Land and Labour.

Apologists of the government might argue that Pamol is a positive thing for the people of Ndian because it provides work to the indigenes.This school of thought is not far from the truth. However, looking deeper into the number of people employed by Pamol, the above-mentioned beneficiaries of the profits and the infrastructural deprivation of Ndian, a more complex and realistic picture about Pamol emerges:

* The majority of the population of Ndian do not benefit from the presence of Pamol in any significant manner.
* The real beneficiaries of Pamol are legal entities situated east of the Moungo or in France.

It is generally accepted that anything exploitative could be considered as a curse.Pamol is exploitative in character since:

* the appropriation of its profits is restricted to entities situated
outside of Ndian.
* The State does not plough back part of the profit received from Pamol to Ndian councils.
* Ndian councils provide two important factors of production: Land and labour , but they do not participate in the appropriation of the profits.
* Royalties are paid to the Douala City council although Pamol is situated in Ndian Division.

In summary,
1. the modus operandi of “Les Plantations Pamol du Cameroun”
bears all the hallmarks of an exploitative economic entity and can therefore rightly be considered as a curse to the people of Ndian (an example of modern-day slavery ).
2. It is an enigma why a company, that is situated in the heart of the Southern Cameroons, should be referred to officially by its French acronym and not in English.Apologist of the government might try to justify this puzzle with the bilingual setup of Cameroon.However, few people in SCwill buy such an absurd explanation.The natives of Victoria, who sacrificed their ancestral land and traditions, are regarded as strangers. Very few of them are employed in SONARA.
3. No Anglophone has ever occupied the post of General Manager of SONARA
4. the modus operandi of ” La Société Nationale de Raffinage (SoNaRa)”
bears all the hallmarks of an exploitative economic entity and can therefore rightly be considered as a CURSE to the natives of Victoria.

Daniel Kuper
For BaretaNews