Pamol boosts effective schooling in Ndian, Meme.

Over 5,000 Pamol-branded exercise books were yesterday handed to children of the institution’s staff in Ndian, Lobe, and Bai estates.

The donation of the books, according to Pamol officials, is intended to ensure a better future for children in community schools that are on Pamol’s plantations in Ndian, Lobe, and Bai Estates. 

Pamol management, through the General Manager’s magnanimity, thought it fit for children to be ready as they begin the new school year, thus the raison d’etre behind the donation of the 5,000 exercise books. 

The exercise books are not just ordinary exercise books procured from manufacturers, but books that have been customised as Pamol books. The books carry not just the logo of the corporation, but also pictures of what Pamol does in terms of activities in all these estates.

The donation was aimed at easing the financial burden of parents as they send their children for the 2025/2026 academic year and to facilitate learning for the children. It is also an effort to fulfill the Corporate Social Responsibility of Pamol.

In the past, Pamol was using civil society organisations and other community-based groups to carry out such activities and donation of didactics. 

But this year, the corporation decided to do it by itself, to get a more direct impact and not use other parties to do so.

The schools whose pupils received the books include, for Ndian Estate; Government School Bulu Camp, Government School Ndian Estate, Government School Ikassa Camp and Mana Camp Primary School. 

For Lobe Estate they include Divine Favour Nursery School, Divine Favour Primary School and Government School Lobe Estate Groups 1 & 2. 

In Ekondo Titi, Government School Ekondo Titi Groups 1 & 2 pupils received while in Bai Estate, pupils of Government School Bai Estate received. 

The corporation envisages to stretch out to other schools next year, in Ndian and Meme Divisions where its estates are located.

Reason behind customised books

According to Pamol, customising the books is because “it is necessary for children to know more about where they are and what truly belongs to them”. 

The corporation has had managers who started schooling in these community schools.  This, Pamol officials say, is to start preparing the pupils from this level and letting them know more about the corporation where their parents work. 

Meanwhile, it should be noted that Pamol has teachers under its payroll, which is not a core operation of the corporation, because it is mainly into palm oil production. But the corporation made it a culture, so many years back, with schools where it trains children and give them the opportunity to compete with the outside world. The corporation has teachers who it remunerates in all these schools.

Pamol welfare games boosts leisure in estates

It should also be noted that the donation of the books came on the heels of leisure games organised by Pamol management. 

The games featured in-house competition within the estates in various sports disciplines; football, handball, basketball, volleyball etc. The welfare games is a leisure activity aimed at enabling the workers to relax and keep fit. 

Managerial dexterity bearing palpable fruits 

Since taking over as General Manager of Pamol, the managerial dexterity of Mbile Tapea Solomon, has been bearing palpable fruits. 

It makes meaning to recall that he took over as Pamol General Manager when the corporation was in doldrums, due to the crisis in the North West and South West Regions. He has been working hard, turning around the tides and putting the company back on track. Under his transparent and exemplary leadership, Pamol has shown significant improvement, with the company gradually picking up.

He has rolled out measures which are seeing the worker’s conditions being improved.

To encourage hard work among the staff of the corporation, the General Manager has been recognising meritorious workers by motivating them. Some of the workers have been rewarded with motorbikes and motivational packages.

In his tenure of office as Pamol General Manager, some of the palpable achievements of Mbile Tapea Solomon include regular and prompt payment of salaries, consistent payment of workers’ CNPS dues, increase in production, adoption of aggressive smallholder scheme policy, proper execution of corporation’s budget and admirable corporate social responsibility. 

The health of the company’s workers has also been prioritised with the corporation ensuring that hospitals are properly equipped and provided with drugs to ensure that not only PAMOL workers and their dependents have access to better healthcare, but also those in adjacent communities. 

These achievements have led to an avalanche of awards being conferred on Mbile Tapea. The latest award was that of Most Resilient Manager. 

He clinched the award Saturday July 5, 2025, at the second edition of the Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers' Association, CENPA Award ceremony, which took place at Mountain Hotel in Buea.

The award jury said Mbile Tapea won the award for "demonstrating shrewd and rare managerial savvy at the helm of Pamol, despite the demanding effects of the crisis in the North West and South West Regions". 

It was the second time Mbile Tapea was winning an award from CENPA. 

The workaholic, dynamic, results-oriented and level-headed Pamol GM, on February 17, 2024, during the first edition of CENPA Award, had won the prize of "Most Resilient and Innovative General Manager of The Year". He was awarded in recognition of his exceptional leadership and management skills, particularly in piloting the company through challenging times, such as the crisis in the two English-speaking Regions.

Mbile Tapea also has several other awards to his credit, including Most Outstanding Public Corporations Manager and Life Time Achievement Award. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3561 of Thursday September 11, 2025