-Denies involvement in controversial purchase of Chinese Aircrafts

-Experts say Camair-co can’t survive in present circumstances


The Minister of Transport faced real kitchen heat before parliamentarians of both the CDPM and the opposition parties over the general affairs of the national airliner, Camair-co.

CPDM parliamentarians were worried about the numerous changes of General Managers of the Company while the SDF Parliamentarians were worried over the controversial purchase of the MA-60 planes from China.

The minister preferred to play Pontius Pilate in the case of the Controversial purchase of the MA-60 from China, claiming that he was not concerned with the financial dealings of the purchase procedure.

The minister was responding to a question posed by Honourable Nintcheu last Thursday June 26 at the National Assembly.

The Member of Parliament began by putting it to the Minister that, Camair-co, which the Minister said is experiencing chronic instability, has changed four General Managers in 3 years, an indication of poor management.

“Worse, it has become a money pit, a kind of bottomless pit for taxpayer’s money and above all a great testing ground for all kinds of malfeasance by government mafia. The case of Chinese aircraft MA 60 is a perfect illustration” says the SDF MP.

In a detail response to the allegations, the Minister of Transport, Robert Nkili waved all the accusations saying he was not concerned with the financial aspect of the operations hence he cannot answer the question.

“I recognize that the Republic of Congo bought its own plane cheaper than Cameroon bought theirs. I do not control the financial actions of the operation. As titular ministry, I am the user of the aircraft. I am not concerned with the financial aspect of the purchase. Ask the question to the right person.” These were his words.

According to Nintcheu, “In fact in 2011, the Cameroon government negotiated with China to buy 2 MA 60 aircrafts. No invitation to tender, no call for expressions of interest was launched for this purpose”.

He added that on July 4, 2012, XUE Bo, Vice President of AVIC International Holding, on the prices of the MA60 promised to give Cameroon 3 planes for the price of 2, the third to be made available to the Cameroon Air Force.

It should be noted that on November 11 2013, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development in the presence of Transport Minister, Robert Nkili, proceeded to the signing of a framework agreement of a preferential loan of $ 34.4 billion with the Ambassador of China to Cameroon for the purchase of two MA-60 on behalf of Camair-co.

It is this decision that made the SDF Parliamentarian to ask the Minister to explain why Cameroon buys 2 planes for more than 34 billion, while the unit price published by the manufacturer, XIAN industries is 5.6 billion, that is almost FCFA 11 billion for 2 MA-60 aircrafts?

The Minister had earlier said the Money included the cost of training of Camair-co staff, maintenance and purchase of spare parts.

“Unfortunately for you Sir, I regret to oppose the fact that the Republic of Congo, a signatory of this agreement, disbursed FCFA 7 billion per aircraft; a stock of spare parts, training of Congolese and maintenance technicians for a defined period all included in the package”. The SDF MP said.

He further questioned what rational justification could be made for the over FCFA 20 billion difference.

He said that the answer is simply that the FCFA 20 Billion was used by the Mafia Commission including the Minister of the Economy and the Minister of Transport himself.

The Minister was accused of putting the lives of Cameroonians in danger since the MA- 60 has been described by experts as a flying coffin endangering the lives of passengers onboard, crew members and civilians on the ground especially as since 2009 the MA-60 has been involved in 11 cases of serious accidents.

Meanwhile Honourable Osih Joshua, an aviation expert had earlier predicted doom for the company from its creation.

Expert insist Camair-co cannot survive

Speaking to THE SUN in an exclusive interview, Osih, who is first Vice Chairman of the SDF, had earlier said “Its chances, of survival are zero. This being said, it is a government’s legitimate right to launch an airline that will live on the back of our tax money. If we’re not happy with that, we’re supposed to have the ballot box in a democracy to say no but that’s unfortunately not the case today.”

He said Camair-Co is the result of the fact that “we are governed by people who got to power in 1958. Until the 70s, their vision of a Camair-Co was correct but the world is a different place today and they don’t know this and are too old to understand change”.

Osih added that Camair-co is a copy and paste of Camair and that there is no room today in the competitive global aviation industry for a small government-owned airline plying in the league of the big ones.

It should also be recalled that Osih had termed the MA-60 a flying coffin given that many governments have restrained from its purchase due to its high accident rate.

New GM installed

It should be noted that the Minister of Transport, Robert Nkili, appointed Jean-Paul Nana Sandjo as the new CEO of the national airline, Camair-Co a fortnight ago.

The announcement was made after a special board meeting held in Yaoundé. Sandjo replaces Frédéric Mbotto Edimo.

Sandjo Nana becomes the fourth General Manager the Company is having in a space of three years

Prior to his appointment, the new CEO was a member of the Board of Directors of Camair-Co.

Aged 55; Sandjo is an aviation expert, a businessman and current mayor of the municipality of Bazouman in the department of Nde in the West Region. The company last month named Habouba Moussa as Deputy CEO.

The national carrier, which is heavily indebted, has faced serious difficulties in recent years. It has only two aircraft and leases planes for its international and domestic flights.

Earlier this month, a Camair-Co plane was seized for a few days at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris by Aviation Capital Group (ACG), which claimed the plane owed rental fees.