(Camer.be – Nachtigal) – After the deaths which punctuated the construction of this work, a case of non-payment of services to a Cameroonian company is currently being talked about.
It is an understatement to say that the dispute is burning between the Société Camerounaise de Construction du Barrage de Nachtigal, (CCN), one of the companies responsible for the construction of the Nachtigal dam under the banner of the Nachtigal Hydro Power Corporation ( NHPC) and the Cameroonian Construction and Engineering Services Company (CSI). After the drowning deaths of NHPC employees a few months ago following negligence within this entity. It is now perhaps also a question of the survival of CSI, a Cameroonian SME.
Indeed, the latter demands in vain from CCN the payment of the sum of 270 million for the rental of machines, in this case drilling machines on the Nachtigal site for 14 months. In detail, according to the bailiff’s summons sent to CCN on September 7, the sum claimed by CSI is as follows: 164 million for the rental costs of the machines for 14 months on the Nachtigal site and another 105 million representing the costs generated by the overdraft granted by the bank to CSI.
At the origins of the dispute
In fact, according to CSI’s explanations, CCN did not honor its payments on time, generating interest which hampers the functioning of the Cameroonian company.
However, CCN is far from resolving to give in to CSI’s demands. The NHPC group company explains that it does not intend to pay the amount of 270 million to CSI, citing its surprise in its opposition to the order to pay interest from CSI. Moreover, CCN also disputes the amount claimed from it for the rental of the machines.
According to our information, NHPC initially asked CSI for its contract with CCN, but was told that this work was done urgently to avoid delays for CCN on the Nachtigal site.
Accusations of delay
Then, at the insistence of CSI, CCN has since tried to convince the Cameroonian company’s lawyer to accept a payment of 59 million FCFA, the only amount that the Nachtigal shipyard company agrees to pay. , far from the amount claimed by CSI, but nothing happened. While the survival of CSI is at stake as its employees have stopped working for lack of pay, justice has entered the fray. An order to seize CCN’s accounts was issued to this effect but opposition was filed against this action to recover its debts by CSI while its promoter is threatened with seeing his land title fall into the hands of his bank. Another tragedy of a Cameroonian company that perhaps the financier of the Nachtigal construction site, the World Bank, which is currently in Cameroon, will help to clarify.
