CSPH bags corporate award for ensuring access to petroleum products.

The state-run company was Saturday March 4, in Douala handed the coveted prize of the country’s Most Proactive Corporate Institution.

This was during an award ceremony organised by Cameroon’s print media giant, The Guardian Post.

The General Manager of CSPH, Okie Johnson Ndoh, was represented at the high-level event by the institution’s Douala Branch Manager, Ngalame Ngome Frankline.

Speaking at the event, the President of the award jury, Nde Richard Lajong, said CSPH just like other laureates at the ceremony were voted by members of the public who are largely readers of The Guardian Post newspaper.

He said the jury had settled on CSPH due to its “…outstanding foresight and constant field research that have resulted in the setting up of more gas depots and filling stations to meet the needs of Cameroonians”.

Besides regulating the supply of petroleum products to the local market through domestic gas imports and the implementation of the transport and inter-product equalisation mechanism, CSPH also builds filing stations to facilitate residents’ access to petroleum products.

CSPH has already built over 20 filling stations all over the country, mostly in rural areas where marketers are not very active. The very last of such projects was realised early this year in the roadside town of Nguti in Kupe Muanenguba Division of the South West Region.

Why CSPH won the award

CSPH’s distinction did not come much as a surprise, at least not to those in the petroleum sector. The institution’s achievements in the domain are very visible, tall enough for everyone to see.

The towering strides of the company’s General Manager, Okie Johnson Ndoh, has planted CSPH on an enviable position in the sector.

As part of its mission, CSPH has not relented in ensuring constant supply of petroleum products to Cameroonians wherever they are located in the country.

This has seen the company setting up filling stations at strategic localities in Cameroon.

It has not only eased access to the essential product but also boost economic activities with its attendant effects.

Taking products closer to the people

In a move interpreted as taking services closer to the people, CSPH had in January this year inaugurated a petrol station in Nguti of the South West Region. The inauguration came after similar projects were realised in Tombel of the South West Region and Garigombo, East Region.

It was Trade Minister, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, who inaugurated the Nguti Pilot Petrol Station which was constructed by CSPH.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Trade congratulated the General Manager of CSPH, Okie Johnson Ndoh for implementing President Biya’s decentralisation policy by bringing petroleum products closer to the people.

He said the gesture was prove that Cameroon is making greater strides towards emergence.

Minister Mbarga who is also Chairman of Board of Directors of CSPH, told the population to make good use of the station which, he said, is a powerful tool of economic development and a unifying factor.

Earlier, the General Manager of CSPH said the petrol station built on a surface area of 2585 m2 was financed by the investment budget of the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund, at four hundred and seventy million, four hundred and sixty one thousand, one hundred and fifty three FCFA.

He said construction works of the petrol station began after the award of the contract on the 31st of October 2016. Okie disclosed that as soon as the work was completed under his supervision, management of the pilot petrol station of Nguti was entrusted to the marketer, TRADEX SA.

He added that the petrol station is of great pride to the locality and will certainly contribute to the welfare of Nguti and neighbouring populations.

Okie lauded administrative and local authorities for their multifaceted support towards the realization of the project. The GM announced that the Nguti petrol station is the second in Kupe Muanenguba after Tombel.

Ensuring gas supply

In a similar move intended to take the vital product closer to the population, CSPH had last year, laid the foundation stone of a gas plant in Bamenda of the North West Region.

The project, valued at nearly six billion FCFA, will help reduce the price of domestic gas across the North West Region.

Currently, a cylinder of 12kg is sold at an average of 8,500 FCFA in the area, 2,000 FCFA more than the approved price of 6,500 FCFA.

This is due to the additional costs incurred in transporting the gas from Bafoussam in the West Region to Bamenda and surrounding areas. 

The coming of the gas plant has been saluted by locals. It will drastically reduce cost in acquiring the vital product.

Expected to last for two years, the project will cost the government of Cameroon a record 5.6 billion FCFA and will be constructed on a total surface area of 6 hectares of land.

Located in Bangshie, in Bamendakwe in the Bamenda I Subdivision, the gas filling station will have the capacity of renewing expired gas bottles and refilling of domestic gas cylinders. The project also seeks to open smaller plants at the divisional headquarters.

The project consists of four gas tanks with a capacity of 50 metric tons each, one fire water tank, one gas filling hall, one generator, one product and fire pumping station, two nitrogen and air compressors, one engineering building, one clinic, one cafeteria, one playground, two security buildings, two weigh bridges.

The GM of CSPH had remarked at the foundation stone laying ceremony that the gas plant in Bamenda will be the most modern in the country.

The construction of the modern facility comes after that of Maroua in 2005 and Bertoua in 2015.

With a total population of above 2.5 million people, the North West Region, according to Bamenda City Mayor, Paul Achombong provides a ready market and its completion will curb the black market syndrome that has caused the region to be losing significantly to middlemen.