Bidoung Mkpatt in deep shit:

Olembe Stadium Project Manager Resigns over ‘pressure to bribe’

Marc Debrandt: I have never known how to give bribe

Marc Debandt has resigned as project manager for the Olembe Stadium construction, it was reported. The Belgian banged the door on the Paul Biya Stadium project on Friday 16 February 2018.

            His resignation comes as Cameroon is battling to meet CAF deadlines for completion of infrastructure for the hosting of the 2019 AFCON in Cameroon.

            Sources say Marc Debrandt had always complained of pressure from some authorities at the Ministry of Sports, the PM’s Office and the Presidency, as well as the project’s logistics and procurement manager who allegedly wanted huge cuts and other forms of bribe.

            Though the Italian company, Gruppo Piccini SA, in charge of constructing the 60.000 seat stadium has acknowledged the resignation of the project manager, it however denied its former employee resigned because of “pressure to bribe” as claimed by some reports on social media.

            In a press release issued at the weekend, authorities of Gruppo Piccini SA said as the chief engineer of the Olembe Sports Complex project, Mr. Debrandt’s duties were mainly and purely technical and had nothing to do with finances or management. So the Belgian could not have been exposed to any pressures and exigencies of bribe and or retro-commissions, Gruppo Piccini authorities are convinced.

            But commentators say the explanations by the authorities of the Italian company do not hold water in Cameroon, especially given the very corrupt practices that are known to be the lot of administrative and political authorities in the country. It is understood that here managers of infrastructural projects are asked by vote holders to give bribes and retro-commissions so that in exchange these project manager can have latitude to alter the technical specificities of these projects: either using cheaper, less durable materials for the projects or reducing the stipulated size of projects.

            Be it as it may, the resignation of the project manager of the Olembe Sports Complex, which is the Stadium that is supposed to host both the opening match as well as the final game, will deal a big and perhaps catastrophic blow to the focal point of the infrastructure projects for the AFCON who is none other than the Minister of Sports, Bidoung Mkpatt.

            It should be noted that most of the infrastructure projects for the 2019 AFCON are running behind their fixed deadlines, and CAF has not been indifferent to this. On more than one occasion the President of CAF, Ahmad Ahmad, has chastised Cameroon for not showing any signs of readiness to host the prestigious continental tournament. Ahmad has warned that if he is satisfied that Cameroon is unable to host then the tourney would be withdrawn from Roger Milla’s country and handed to Morocco.

            If that should happen then it would be a big disappointment for President Paul Biya, who has vowed that the tourney must be staged in Cameroon and that he will personally make sure that comes to be.