CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

The Cameroon Development Corporation (C.D.C) is an agro industrial cooperation that owns plantations in the South west, Literal and Central regions. The cooperation was created in 1946 (but went operational in1947) to managed plantations that were cease from the German during the First World War (ww1). At its creation, the C .D .C controlled crops likes COCOA, RUBBER, TEA, OIL PALMS and BANANA. Its main plantations are located in IDENAU, TIKO, PENJE, MBONGE, ILOANI, MEANJA and KOMPIAN. However in the wake of the ongoing ANGROPHONE CRISIS most of these plantations are not operational. As at 2021 plantains in TOMBE, MBONGE, ILOANI, MOKONJE, MEANJA, part of Idenau are not operational. The operational capital of the corporation is 37.5 Billion CFA .With this capital; the corporation has put a hugged fleet of cargo and personnel’s vehicle to facilitate its operations. It operates schools, hospitals; provide potable water, housing and electricity in areas where its plantations are located.

In spite of the huge financial resources at the disposal of the C.D.C, poor management, neglect, misappropriation have led the underperformance of some sectors of the corporation .The logistics department is amongst the most affected.  The sector over the years has experienced neglect due to poor management and as a result several of their transportation vehicles have been grounded leading to a slowdown in the production chain there by reducing output. The thrust of this study is to investigate the efficiency of the logistics and transport department in executing its tasks.

1.2 Statement of a Problem

In modern times the logistics and transport department is very essential in the functioning of most business ventures. This is because most other sectors rely on them to execute their functions.  In spite of the centrality of this sector in the production chain, in the C.D.C, the logistics and transport department has been plagued with mismanagement resulting in a fall in the corporation output and performance. Attempt at sanitizing the department has been met with little success.

Though several scholars who have written about the C.D.C agree that the corporation is characteristics by a host of managerial lapses, none of these scholars have devoted time to examine the logistics and transport department as one of the sectors of the cooperation that has been subject to the said mismanagement.  Thus, there is gab in literature when it comes to the C.D.C and its mode of operation. It is this gab that the researchers intend to fill

1.3 Objective of the Study

1.3.1 Main Objective

 The broad objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of the logistics and transport department of the C.D.C in the execution of its task.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

 To discuss how the C.D.C logistics and transport department is organized

 To examine the challenges confronting the department

 To make suggestions and recommendations on how the department could be properly managed

1.4 Research Questions

1.4.1 Main Research Question

 Has the logistics and transport Department of the C.D.C, been effective and efficient in executing its task?

1.4.2 Specific Research Question

1) How is the logistics and transport Department in the C.D.C organized?

2) What are the challenges that face the logistics and transport Department in the C.D.C?

3)  What can be done to minimize some of the challenges that face the logistics and transport Department of the C.D.C?

 1.5 Research Hypotheses

This study is predicated on hypothesis that;

H₁: The logistics and transport department play a central role in the productivity of the C.D.C