In the past, the mere mention of the name Administrative Garage took minds to a serious government structure set up to ensure the judicious management of vehicles belonging to the State.

This important structure which had become an institution in itself by virtue of the pivotal role assigned to it was known to handle responsibilities such as registering of newly acquired vehicles, issuing of authorisations for State vehicles to be taken out for administrative duties, assigning of vehicles for various tasks, technical and administrative control of such vehicles and the conduct of sales when necessary.

Administrative Garage equally served as a parking lot for State-owned cars and a storage facility for other administrative belongings.

From every indication, the pride of this institution has been thrown to the dogs. The Littoral Regional Delegate for the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure in an interview with CT tells of the woes of the Administrative Garage in Douala which now serves virtually as a warehouse for rejected State property such as coffins secured during the 2007 Mbanga Pongo plane crash, old office furniture, etc.

He tells of the fact that vehicles belonging to the State are no longer repaired in the garage and states inter alia that many government services no longer use the structure.

This state of affairs holds for all administrative garages in the country. How this situation came about, no one knows. The dilapidating state of the country’s Administrative Garages seems to be a true reflection of the disorder, neglect and corrupt practices that had eaten into the fabric of their management.

In effect, the whole issue had to do with the absence in the supply of material and financial resources. Even as the administration of the Douala garage braces up to restructure its own garage, hopes remain almost dashed as all will depend on whether or not there will be enough resources to carry the reform to the end.

It is perhaps important to regale on the drama that befell the non-provision of resources to the management of the various Administrative Garages.

Administrative vehicles simply made routine visits to the garage where they obtained permission to get repaired in private workshops ending up with exorbitant bills testifying the purchase of spare parts that were never bought.

The interesting thing about the whole scenario is that this is happening at the time the Administrative Garage is needed most. In effect, when the State decided to sell the greater majority of its vehicles, many thought the existence of the structure was merely going to be a formality.

But this line of thought was quickly debunked when government bounced back to the acquisition of new administrative cars.

And as fate would have it, the number of vehicles increased exponentially. From the logical aspect of things, this entailed renovating administrative garages that could ensure their maintenance. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.

Today, it is even doubtful if the administrations in the various Administrative Garages know the number of vehicles they are supposed to take care of.

The whole trouble may not be in the abandonment of the garage itself but the fact that government continues to spend huge sums on hypothetical car repairs using Administrative Garages as safety valves. It is time to initiate serious restructuring projects and save the country’s Administrative Garage from complete collapse.