PAD Boss Cyrus Ngo’o
The Director General of the Port Authority of Douala (PAD), Cyrus Ngo’o has initiated steps to comply with directives from Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute regarding the contentious cargo scanning contract at the Port of Douala-Bonabéri.
ECO OUTLOOK gathered that the Port Authority boss is now moving to align with the Prime Minister’s instruction to maintain the SGS contract, marking a resolution to the immediate operational conflict.
A meeting with the different stakeholders has been convened.
The turn of events came a day after initial signs of resistance against state instructions over the stalemate at the Douala Port.
Following intense institutional tension and conflicting instructions, the following developments have occurred:
Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute ordered the management of the Douala Autonomous Port (PAD) to maintain the existing scanning contract with Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) Cameroon S.A.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the contract was signed with the Cameroonian government (valid until 2032) and not directly with the Port Authority, meaning the PAD could not unilaterally terminate it.
Following these instructions issued in late January 2026, the Director General of the PAD announced the opening of a new framework for discussions, inviting SGS management to a meeting on February 4, 2026, to discuss the resumption of operations.
This move follows a dispute where the PAD sought to replace SGS with a new operator, Transatlantis, a move that was met with resistance from the Ministry of Finance and, ultimately, overruled by the Prime Minister.
The saga highlighted power struggles between various state institutions, including disagreements with earlier instructions from the Presidency and a controversial, leaked letter from a military officer instructing the Transport Minister to assist in ousting SGS.