The Cameroonian government and the Canadian company responsible for building a vast sports complex in Yaoundé announced Friday, January 13 the next resumption of work on the site, interrupted last summer after a dispute between the two parties.
A few days ago, the company, Magil Construction Corporation, denounced the "unfounded attacks" of the Ministry of Sports which accused him in an internal letter of wanting to unilaterally terminate his contract. The company, a subsidiary of the French group Fayolle, for its part accused the State of not paying its bills since July 2021.
The work had been interrupted last August for a month, then had resumed "in minimum service until today", specified the Canadian manufacturer to AFP.
On the sidelines of a visit to the site on Friday, Cameroon's Minister of Sports, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, reaffirmed his government's desire to see this project succeed "in its entirety" and Magil resume work quickly "as part of the contract" made with the State.
There was "a very big misunderstanding" and "the construction sites will resume", for his part assured the vice-president of the Canadian company, Franck Mathière, also present. "This project will come to an end, it is the commitment that has been renewed between the government and Magil," he added.
Magil told AFP that he hoped to resume work on Monday, January 16.
The soap opera of the Olembé stadium complex, which has already greatly exceeded the initial budget, is regularly the subject of heated debate in the media, the opposition speaking of a vast "financial scandal" due to "corruption".
In addition to this 60.000-seat sports stadium, the project includes a swimming pool, a gymnasium and even tennis courts. Only the stadium was completed, in extremis, to host matches of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football organized by Cameroon in early 2022.
This project was entrusted in 2015 to the Italian group Piccini which had started work only 15 months later, citing "administrative reasons beyond its control".
The government then unilaterally terminated its contract with Piccini, replaced in 2020 by Magil.
