Transport Minister, Jean Ernest Massina Ngale Bibehe has become the lead captain in the Administrative cockpit of Cameroon Airlines Cooporation, taking over from Louis Georges Njipendji as Board chair of the country’s airliner presently gripped by an unprecedented logistic crisis.
The decision follows a crucial extra ordinary Board meeting in Yoaunde, Monday.
Ernest Dikoum’s three year managerial resilience at the ailing company has also suffered an abrupt pathetic end, as former Board chair Louis George Njipendji comes to replace him.
Max Constant Mve, former maintainance Director is Njipendji’s assistant.
The change at the helm of the company follows the reccomendation from this month’s cabinet meeting. The Minister of Transport at the meeting told the Prime Minister that efforts are underway to revamp limping Camair-co.
Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute told Ngale Bibehe to submit a concret plan for validation.
The sacking of Ernest Dikoum might be seen as a means of injecting fresh impetus in the revival drive.
But beneath lies a deadly intestinal conflict between the now former General Manager and his sucessor over 171 million FCFA.
Ernest Dikoum, the General Manager of the national airliner, denied an order from Louis Georges Njipendji, the hairman of the Board of Directors (PCA), requesting the disbursement of 171millions FCFA to rent an aircraft from National Airways.
This follows an announcement to its clients on April 26, 2019, the closure of its regional flights , “pending the entry into service of a new aircraft.” The company assured them in the same message that it would maintain domestic flights.
Louis Georges Njipendji on May 6, 2019 had authorized Ernest Dikoum, to sign with National Airways, a lease of an aircraft brand “Embraer ERJ 145”, in accordance with the resolutions of the Board of Directors meeting of April 26, 2019.
At the end of which transitional measures of recovery would be taken namely: the reduction of frequencies of unprofitable lines, the stabilization of the fleet, with at least 1 MA60, 1 Q400, the B737 of Karinou and another rented craft, the reconstitution of the company’s fleet on average basis to be boosted with the acquisition of at least 2 Boeing 737 NG in exchange.
Ernest Dikoum in return raised fears over the company’s limited cash flow.In a correspondence same day, he wote, “I would like to point out the unavailability of the requested funds due to the current state of Camair-Co’s cash flow. We do not have the amount necessary to pay the deposit which constitues a prerequisite for the leasing of Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft “.
Beyond lack of funds to trigger the leasing of the said aircraft lied divergent view on how to revive the sinking company. In the same correspondence, the General Manager revealed he had raised three key suggestions in a previous letter of May 2, 2019 and wanted the Board Chair to chose.
Seeking the authorization of the Board of Directors to rent a plane from National Airways an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft was not the ideal solution to freshen up Camair-co
Despite swallowing thousands of billions of FCA, Camair-Co since its creation in 2011 is rocked by a management crisis which has led to logistical mishaps and poor service delivery to clients.
It remains unclear whether the Minister himself will succeed in the rivival mission where others have slipped in disgraceful fashion.
Nsoesie Peter
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