Cameroon: Forjindam Hailed for Taking Shipyard to Great Heights

Transport Minister, Gounoko Haounaye, has hailed the General Manager of the Cameroon Shipyard and Industrial Engineering Ltd, CNIC, Zaccheus M. Forjindam, for having worked so hard to propel the state owned company to the great heights at which it finds itself today.

The Minister was speaking in Douala on January 16, while presiding at the installation ceremony of the new Deputy General Manager of CNIC, Antoine Bikoro Aloo.

The presence these days of American and Italian oil rigs, as well as those of some other countries, either for maintenance work or construction, at the Cameroon Shipyard in Douala and Limbe, is definitely indicative of the high technical performance of CNIC, the Minister declared.

Noting that Forjindam was left alone at the head of CNIC for some 20 years, the Minister pointed out that his technical competence and professional experience have been well blended to produce the results "we are seeing today."

He extended what he said was the deep appreciation of the Government to the General Manager as well as the Board Chairman and Board members of CNIC, for the high quality of technical the work the company has come to be reputed for.

However, he asserted that today, in a very competitive and complex world, the expansion and complexities of important economic structures in a country like CNIC has become in Cameroon, is such that even the best engineer or best accountant cannot efficiently manage alone.

He added that the coming into the CNIC management of another man of rich experience and high professional competence in financial management in the person of Antoine Bikoro, is no doubt meant to reinforce the performance of CNIC.

He recalled that Bikoro was appointed at the Board meeting of CNIC, which held in Douala on December 28, 2007, to fill the post of Deputy General Manager that had been vacant in the company for long.

Gounouko revisited the educational background and professional life of Bikoro, who was born in Mekomo II in Ntem Valley, South Province, some 53 years ago. He noted that before his recent appointed to CNIC, Bikoro had since 1985 worked at the National Hydrocarbons Corporation, SNH, where he last served as Director of Budget and Control.

Challenges

According to the Minister, CNIC has an important role to play in the modernisation and competitiveness of the national economy, in a world that has become more of a global village and poses a lot of challenges to developing economies.

He laid emphasis on the fact that CNIC must strive to continuously contribute to the growth of the country's economy. He enumerated a number of major projects in hand or lying ahead for CNIC, in line with its objectives. He cited in the first position the Limbe Shipyard Project which he said, has already gone operational.

Reiterating that the tasks ahead for CNIC to meet up with the objectives set by Government are quite enormous, the Minister stressed the need to eschew the waste of time and energy on irrelevant or senseless issues.

Spectacular Evolution

The CNIC which was created on February 5, 1988, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary next month. A document prepared by the Communication Service of CNIC, which was distributed to reporters at the installation ceremony in Douala, tells the story of the spectacular evolution of CNIC.

CNIC took off with a small capital of FCFA 800 million and a workforce of 32 workers. The State of Cameroon had as partners Britain and Denmark. The turnover of CNIC at the end of the 1988/89 financial year, stood at FCFA 500 million.

Then came December 1995, and Cameroon became the sole owner of CNIC, with a total of five state institutions and companies as shareholders. These included the Ministry of Finance, SNH, Port Authority of Douala, National Hydrocarbons Stabilisation Fund and the Cameroon Shipping Lines.

At the end of the 1995/96 financial year, the turnover of CNIC stood at FCFA 4.8 billion, while the number of employees had risen to 400. By the end of the 1998/99 financial year it had risen to FCFA 13.3 billion, while the number of employees stepped up to 574.

In 2003, CNIC acquired another company, called Union Industrielle pour le Cameroun, UIC, which combined with CNIC, with Forjindam as General Manager.By the end of 2007, CNIC/UIC's turnover hit a record FCFA 40 billion, while the number of employees rose to as high as 2400.

This put CNIC/UIC, as the highest employer in the maritime sector in Cameroon.Forjindam recently declared that the work force of CNIC/UIC is expected to hit 3000 by the end of this year.

Source:RamblerNews