Cameroon's SNH Leadership Battle: Extraordinary Board Meeting Set for July 24

A new extraordinary board meeting has been convened for July 24, after a previous attempt on July 17 was abruptly canceled.

### The Cancelled Meeting

On July 17, four of the eleven board members arrived at SNH headquarters for the scheduled meeting, only to find the doors locked. This move was orchestrated by Nathalie Moudiki, head of SNH’s legal division and wife of Adolphe Moudiki. Close to First Lady Chantal Biya, she instructed security to deny entry to anyone. The unexpected cancellation caught everyone in Yaoundé by surprise.

### Moudiki's Response

Adolphe Moudiki, 85, and head of SNH since 1993, swiftly responded by writing to President Paul Biya. He argued that the convocation by Ngoh Ngoh was illegal, noting that official letters from the PCA should bear the presidency's letterhead, not that of the public enterprise. Moudiki emphasized that the invitation for the meeting lacked prior consultation.

### A History of Conflict

The tension between Ngoh Ngoh and Moudiki is not new. It reached a peak in 2023 during the Savannah Energy episode, which strained diplomatic relations between Chad and Cameroon over the management of the transnational pipeline. A board meeting on June 19, 2023, aimed to disavow Moudiki by freezing a transaction that would increase SNH's shares in the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company (Cotco) consortium.

The conflict flared again two months ago when an ordinary board meeting was held through consultation due to Moudiki's health. Ngoh Ngoh, preferring a physical meeting, refused to participate. Consequently, the resulting resolutions and press release were blocked by the presidency, as Ngoh Ngoh demanded the removal of the 26.7 billion CFA francs (approximately 41 million euros) Savannah Energy operation expense from the performance bonus calculation. Defying this, Moudiki ordered the bonus distribution to staff, but the associated appointments have yet to be implemented.

### The Struggle for Control

Ngoh Ngoh aims to use Moudiki's health issues to replace him. On March 4, Moudiki delegated some responsibilities to SNH’s second advisor, Igor Emmanuel Soya Bissaya, specifying that Bissaya would act as interim GM for up to three months if Moudiki was incapacitated. Bissaya, a protégé of Nathalie Moudiki, has been managing the company, seen as a key financial resource for the regime.

### Potential Successors

The succession battle has two main contenders. While the Moudikis favor Igor Bissaya, Ngoh Ngoh is pushing Jean-Claude Ayem Moger, a technical advisor at the presidency known as the president's "economist." Another candidate is Jean Perrial Nyodog, an engineer with SNH experience and former head of Tradex, an SNH subsidiary.

### Presidential Decision Pending

With the next board meeting set for July 24 at the presidential palace, all eyes are on President Paul Biya to mediate this high-stakes power struggle. The decision could come before his summer break, also beginning on July 24. 

The outcome will not only determine the leadership of SNH but also impact the broader political and economic landscape in Cameroon.