(Business in Cameroon) - The government is concerned about the recruitment strategy and personnel management of the Société de développement du coton (Sodecoton).

“The Presidency of the Republic has received complaints about the rules of governance of Sodecoton and the company's human resources management policy, which would undermine national unity, the stability of the social climate, and a sustainable return to performance within the company," said the Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic (SG-PR), Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, in a letter sent to Sodecoton’s MD on April 26.

"While waiting for the light to be shed on these recriminations, you (the management team, ed) should ensure that the recruitment and management of personnel at Sodecoton respect the requirements of balance and representativeness of all the sociological components of the nation," he added.

As a reminder, the Managing Director of Sodecoton reportedly only recruits people from the northern region. He has recently made several appointments and recruitments of staff whose names seem to refer only to natives of the northern parts of the country. Guibai Gatama, promoter of the "10 million northerners" movement, which advocates for people of the north said Sodecoton has 140 executives, including 11 from the far south, and 129 directors and staff, including 22 from the far north. Moreover, he added, Sodecoton is not particularly attractive to many young executives from the Far South because of a difficult climatic environment and low wages, hence their low representation in this company. "Since the debate is finally official, I invite all of you, brothers and sisters, to do the counting in the state-owned companies; in the hope that the regional balance that we all call for will finally be respected," he concludes.

Since 1982, Cameroon has applied a policy of regional quotas, called the "regional balance policy". The policy is governed by Presidential Decree No. 82/407 of September 7, 1982, and Order No. 010467/MFP/DC of October 4, 1982, of the Minister of Public Service. It aims to ensure the participation of all people from all regions in public affairs.

Sodecoton is an agro-industrial unit that manages more than 200,000 cotton producers in the northern part of Cameroon. It is 59% controlled by the State of Cameroon, 30% by the French company Geocoton and 11% by SMIC (a local company).

S.A.