State Manoeuvres in Hotel Acquisitions in Cameroon: An Analysis of the Ringway Hotel Saga, 1962- 1992

Since the independence and reunification of Cameroon in 1960/61, state engagements in hotel provisioning has been one of the essential socio-economic devotions. Decision making in this sector has most often largely depended on administrative preferences than well-versed managerial pointers. Consequently, some state ventures in this direction have been characterised by, inappropriate forecasting and mismanagement. These setbacks in the long run culminate in the collapse of public hotel investments. Based on primary and secondary sources and informed by qualitative analysis, this article profiles a crucial case of a public hotel investment, the Ringway Hotel in the chief town of Bamenda (Cameroon) as it quivered and writhed for survival. It argues that the purchase and management of the hotel was trapped in controversies involving but not limited to the strategic interest of the state and different stakeholders. The state purchase and operational principles of the hotel did not fluidly align with the desire for which its purchase was envisioned. This had as long run consequence, the collapse of the Ringway hotel. Key Words: Acquisitions, Manoeuvres, State, Ringway, Hotel, Board of Directors, Cameroon Hotel Limited. DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/76-07 Publication date:November 30th 202