Cameroon: When CDC Workers’ Sweat Becomes a CPDM Campaign Tool

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, Cameroon – The long-awaited payment of salary arrears to workers of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) has glinted fresh controversy, not for its economic relief, but for its political undertones.

With thousands of CDC employees in the South West Region finally receiving their unpaid wages after years of hardship, a political storm erupted following comments by Senator Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, the CPDM South West Regional Campaign Coordinator, who appeared to link the payments to loyalty to the ruling party.

“The CDC workers who have received their salaries today, we are watching,” Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, CPDM South West Regional Campaign Coordinator, said in a video seen by Pan African Visions. “If they don't cast their vote for President Biya, for the CPDM… If they don't cast their vote, we'll accuse them of being thieves."

The remarks, made during a working visit by Prime Minister Head of Government Joseph Dion Ngute to Kumba, Meme Division of the South West on Wednesday, have drawn sharp criticism from civil society leaders and ordinary citizens who denounce the statement as an open act of voter intimidation.

Prominent human rights lawyer Nkongho Felix Agbor described Senator Mukete’s words as “a grave violation of democratic principles,” stressing that every citizen has the right to vote freely without fear or coercion.

“Every Cameroonian, including CDC employees, has the right to vote freely, guided only by conscience, not by fear or coercion,” Nkongho said. "Such rhetoric undermines trust, unity, and the very spirit of democracy."

The remarks are particularly troubling, according to observers, given the timing of the payments, just weeks before the October 12 presidential election, raising questions about whether the clearing of arrears is being used to sway political loyalty in a region historically seen as a CPDM stronghold but deeply affected by conflict and economic hardship.

In a clarification and reaffirmation of democratic Values, Senator Nfon Mukete IV said his intention was “never to threaten or divide, but to encourage civic participation. I understand that the phrasing and tone of my remarks were inappropriate, and for that, I offer my sincere apologies.”

“First and foremost, I recognise and fully respect the constitutional right of every Cameroonian citizen to vote according to their conscience, free from coercion or intimidation. Any words I may have expressed that appeared to suggest otherwise were unfortunate and do not reflect the spirit of unity, dignity, and democratic values that I have always sought to uphold,” Nfon Mukete IV said.

“My intention was never to threaten or divide, but to encourage civic participation. I take this opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to respecting the free will of all voters.”

The CDC, Cameroon’s second-largest employer after the state, has faced years of financial crisis triggered by the Anglophone conflict that has ravaged much of the South West. The company’s plantations and workers have been frequent targets of separatist attacks, forcing major downsizing. Between 2019 and 2021, CDC lost over 38.7 billion CFA francs and reduced its workforce from 22,000 to about 15,000 employees, according to the Technical Commission for the Rehabilitation of Public Enterprises.

After several failed bailout attempts, the government in September 2024 signed an agreement to settle 15.7 billion CFA francs in wage arrears owed to some 20,000 workers. The deal, involving FedhEn Capital, Société Générale Capital Securities Central Africa, CCA Bank, and AFG Bank, forms part of a broader 35.7 billion CFA francs debt recovery plan dating back to 2018.

While the injection of funds has provided much-needed relief for CDC and its workers, critics argue that the politicisation of the payments risks overshadowing the government's efforts to revive one of the country's most strategic enterprises.

Beyond politics, the CDC remains a cornerstone of Cameroon’s agricultural sector, producing bananas, rubber, and palm oil for export. In 2024, the company reported a positive net income of 45.4 billion CFA francs, following the cancellation of 24 billion in social security debts and 59 billion in tax obligations, part of broader state efforts to stabilise public enterprises.

Yet, the moral question lingers whether workers' long-overdue wages, earned amid conflict, blood, and sacrifices, should become a tool for political persuasion.