Post Of Assistant Managers In SONARA Scrapped

By Francis  Tim mbom

The General Manager of the National Oil Refinery, SONARA, Charles Metouck, has, among other changes, scrapped the positions of assistant managers in the new organisational chart of the company.
This was one of the major changes effected in the new organisational set-up of SONARA that was made public on Tuesday, July 19. It is one of the major drives taken by the General Manager to restructure the company and make it more vibrant and efficient for greater productivity and profitability.    

Among the seven departments in the new organisational set-up, there is none with an assistant manager. Mrs. Evelyn Martins will now run the Department of Human Resources; Dr. Charles Ndongo will head the Department of Social Affairs, Public Relations and Communication.

The department had hitherto had an Assistant Director in the person of Blasius Ngome who has been given a new portfolio in charge of Public Relations and Communication.
Under the various departments, the GM has put in place service heads.

For instance, Ewane Njoki who initially worked as an Assistant Manager in the Quality and Audit Department has been made Chief of Service in the same department.
Commercial Department Disappears

One other major change in the new set-up is the Commercial Department, which has been suppressed. Jean Eonne lastly managed it as Director. The Post later learnt that even before the new set-up, Metouch had about a month ago suppressed the department fired Eonne from the company.

Before his sacking, Eonne is said to have been removed from his post and given a newly created portfolio in charge of studies. Apparently, dissatisfied, the former Commercial Director is said to have written a protest letter to the GM but it was futile.

Besides effacing the positions of assistant mangers, the GM has had other services merged with others. For instance, the Risk Management Department has been merged with Internal Control and Audit to form a new department - Quality, Safety, Environment and Inspection, with Derrick Takere in command.

Dr. Yenwo Molo, who was in charge of the Department for Technical Control at the refinery, has been moved to a new portfolio - SONARA 2010 Projects. With the move to step up the productivity of the refinery, some insiders say Yenwo's new position is more of an exalted position.   

Pressure From Yaounde

Albeit the much awaited sweeping reforms where it was feared that the new organisational frame work would automatically cause some heads to roll, no major quake has taken place.

Initially, The Post gathered that the new set-up was going to lead to the suppression of some positions along with those manning them. It had been estimated by some insiders that some ten or so workers were going to lose their jobs with the reorganisation exercise.

But The Post was told that Yaounde expressed a lot of discomfort with Metouck's plans and caused him to tone down. The plans are said to have come as a way to bail the company out of its current financial malaise.

It is for this reason that the government disbursed some FCFA 1.6 billion to assist the company; money, which The Post gathered, is part of what was owed the company by the state.

The Post also gathered that it was for this reason that some big shots at the refinery, who were likely to be axed, have been maintained.
Meanwhile some 30 workers, who voluntarily opted to go on retirement, are said, for now, to be the only ones who have parted company with the refinery. 

Comments

[Emmanuel]

Sir,that was a move worth praising.It certainly will make more sense if the public is inform of how you landed on such decisions.Will pressures from Yaounde not reverse all your plans?
Wish you the best