Buea Central Market Construction Alleged Scam: Mothercat-Cameroon CEO Speaks Out!

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

       The company that signed a memorandum of understanding with the Buea council for the construction of the Buea central market, said to cost FCFA 2.5 billion, has finally come out public to react to a story that the deal was a mere scam.

Alechenu: Mothercat-Cameroon CEO

     The reaction follows media reports that the company, Mothercat-Cameroon Limited, had become insolvent and that work was slowing down, a suggestion that the company was not up to the task.

The Chief Executive Officer of Mothercat-Cameroon, Yusuf Alechenu Adah, told us that they have never had any malicious intentions in their dealings with contractors.

     He said he was surprised that after several discussions with them on the debts issue, some of the sub-contractors remained impatient and went ahead to the media and the legal department to blow up what was otherwise supposed to be settled amicably.

     When this reported stumbled on him last week at the project site where he accepted to speak to us, caterpillars were seen digging what Alechenu said would be the main entrance in to the central market. Other engineers were seen on the site with some moulding bricks and other cutting and shaping rods. One of the engineers, Adams Alechenu, confirmed that construction works were advancing at an appreciable pace.

     Alechenu gave assurances that work at the project site was well on course and that they were sure to meet the 16 months deadline previewed for the first phase of the multi-million project.

     Hear a confident Yusuf Alechenu Adah: “...Work has been moving on the way it should do. If you look at what we have been able to do within just four months, then I think we are moving at the speed of light. We have hit up to 45% of the first phase... we just have to do the first phase hangers, some finishing and we shall be ready to cut the inaugural ribbon for this phase by December if things move on as planned...”

     “...Any project has its own ups and downs which we have experienced of late. But we as a company have taken proactive steps to handle the theatre of tragedies that seems to have engulfed our company... but we assure you everything is going to be laid to rest...” he added.

     He boasted that he had been into the execution of such giant projects before in his home country Nigeria, and thus called on the population of Buea as well as other stakeholders to throw their weight behind them so that they can successfully complete the Buea market project which he describes as a landmark one.

     The Mothercat-Cameroon CEO, who hails from Otukpo local government area of Nigeria’s Benue State, admitted having been detained but he sustained that the motive, procedure and conditions of his arrest and eventual detention did not respect due legal procedure.

     With regards to the sub-contractors they owe, Alechenu stated that urgent plans were afoot to settle all debts and move on with work. He also expressed the wish to bring in new contractors.

They signed the deal with the Buea council in February this year.