Douala Seaport: Decongestion as first priority

Etoundi Oyono gave the instruction while installing over 100 senior and junior officials over the weekend.

Congestion at the Douala Seaport has fuelled public discussions of late, with everyone agreeing that there was urgent need to tackle the problem to ensure that it does not repeat itself.

During Douala Port Authority’s (PAD) 55th Board meeting that held in Kribi on January 16, 2015, the Board saw the need to inject new blood to render it more efficient.

Thus, some 13 Directors and over 100 junior staff were appointed and installed in Douala on January 23, 2015, by PAD’s General Manager, Emmanuel Etoundi Oyono.

Installing the newly appointed officials, the General Manager gave specific instructions to each of the 13 Directors and challenged them to give new impetus to the Douala Seaport by finding lasting solutions to the congestion problem.

He made them understand that they have to work for the port and not the other way round when he said, “Don’t ask what the port has done for you, but what you have done for the port.” During the installation ceremony, he revealed that the performance of the economy depends on the proper functioning of the port; reason why the equipment has been be rehabilitated.

Specific terminals (about six), Etoundi Oyono said, will be rehabilitated in order to permit vessels waiting at the buoy base, some 50 km away to come in and harbour for easy loading and offloading. On road network, the GM said roads will be rehabilitated to prevent containers from falling off trailers while transporting and causing traffic jam.

Security at the port has to be stepped-up by building a fence round it as well as installing thermal cameras to detect abnormalities and safeguard workers, vessels and goods. All these will lead to the competitiveness of the port, thereby, having a positive impact on the economy, he assured.

Among the directors installed were the Technical Adviser Number 1, Mbarga Mbarga Gabriel, Communication Director, Nchechuma Banla, Finance Director, Happy Honorine, and the Operation and Commercial Director, Amadou Tijani. The Chief of Limbe Port and that of Kribi were also installed.