Publication on Life, Ministry of Archbishop Emeritus Esua Receives Glowing Reviews!

The book Indelible Footprints edited by Francis Ekongang Nzante, a seasoned journalist, writer and founder of CABW; Chamber of Biographers and Writers, was launched in Bamenda on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at the Immaculate Conception Cottage, retirement home for Bishops and Priests of the Archdiocese on the Archbishop's Hill at Big Mankon in Bamenda, Cameroon.

The ceremony was preceded by Holy Mass which had as major highlight the blessing and inauguration of the Immaculate Conception Cottage and Grotto within the retirement home premises. The spiritual event brought together priests, religious, lay faithful and family members of the Archbishop Emeritus from far and near. The day ended with the book launch ably coordinated by Odette Nchanji Akebegho. The book titled "Indelible Footprints" is a biographical narrative on the life and Ministry of the retired archbishop of Bamenda. The book is a product of the collective effort of a cross section of Religious in collaboration with Francis Ekongang Nzante, Director of the Chamber of  Biographers and Writers, CABW.

It was reviewed by three literary minds. First, Veteran Journalist, Dr. Ngobesing Suh Romanus, followed by Madam Yaya Dolores and literary guru Tameh Valentine. Here is the first review in its entirety titled "Indelible Footprints - The man at the center of the book" by Dr. Ngobesing Suh Romanus:

Blessing the Grotto of the Immaculate Conception

...............

The book Indelible Footprints is about the life and Ministry of an outstanding and exemplary man who today is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. For 46 years of Priestly Ministry and 35 years of Episcopal Ministry, this man impacted the Church in a way that will be remembered in the Church in Cameroon, especially in the Church Province of Bamenda, and particularly in the Archdiocese of Bamenda for a long time to come. This man is called His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua. Christian Cardinal Tumi once, aptly described him as "a small man ... with a head full of big ideas..."

The book is about this  child of God with dauntless courage, who through God's gratuitous gift, became a priest and Bishop; a shepherd; a chosen one. Fr. Gatien Ngah described him in his 75th anniversary magazine as 'a miraculous gift in the Universal Church and the church province of Bamenda."

If you get this book, you will read about a man who by the miracle of God is still alive today and poised to live for many more years to come.

Francis Ekongang Nzante
........

You will read about a prelate who has demonstrated the power of God through the survival of death many times; someone whom the Bishop of Kumbo Bishop George Nkuo describes as a man who is "dedicated and indefatigable"  who has made "an enormous impact" in the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference; who is the "architect of the Provincial Pastoral Plan and its implementation."

Dr. Ngobesing Suh Romanus
......

You will read about a man who, as a bishop and Archbishop,

 had "great pastoral stamina and bravery"; a man who had "admirable grace to face challenges and not be defeated easily." A man whose "love for the church," Bishop George Nkuo says, "conquers all."

You will read about a man who, as Archbishop, "experienced joyful, sad and trying moments, " but "remained faithful in carrying out the will of God"; a man who taught those around him, if we go by Bishop Agapitus of the Diocese of Kumba,  "the spirit of determination."

You will read the story of an Archbishop Emeritus whom the current Archbishop of Bamenda His Grace Andrew Nkea says, rendered "selfless and devoted services in the service of the Lord." The Archbishop goes on to tell us that many of the realisations that we enjoy in our local church today without were architected by him. This is an Archbishop emeritus who was and remains, in the words of Bishop Michael Bibi of the Diocese of Buea, "a gift to the Church." 

The book you are soon going to own, is about an Archbishop Emeritus whom the Archbishop Emeritus of Garoua, Antoine Ntalou, described once as "A courageous pastor ".

And Fr. George Ngalim who served under him as Vicar General adjunct once described him as "a man of vision and conviction".

On his part,  the vicar for the laity under him, Fr. Michael Kintang says, he "had a special grace in empowering the laity and engaging them to give  their best to their local church and beyond."

Father Bonaventure Ndong says

Archbishop Emeritus Cornelius Fontem Esua,  as Archbishop, was "fully human, full of patience and humour, down to earth, practical, dedicated to his work,  with a special gift of listening and tolerance..." That he was "a shepherd after God's heart."

 On his part, Father Zephyrinus Yem Mbuh describes him as

 "A rare human being"  with "incredible foresight and committed to explaining his position tirelessly when faced with short sighted criticism..." A man whom "Even illness did not seem very strong enough to defeat; a short man with giant steps."

This is the man this book celebrates - a pastor who, to quote Fr. Samuel Tabeson, of the Provincial Episcopal Commission for Catechesis and pastoral Affairs, was the "brain box and main architect of the Provincial Pastoral plan."

The book is about a pastor who was and is unwavering in his faith;  who has lived a life of prayer; whose tenacity of faith is admirable. You will read about a man whose flame of the fire of faith glowed and continues to glow. This is a book about a spirit filled man who has accomplished great things for God; an instrument for God's work; the light in God's vineyard. You will read about a man whom God has used mightily and continues to use for the purpose of the kingdom. You will read about someone who radiates the presence of God in his life.

It is absolutely important for us to read this book so that we can learn to be better instruments for Gods work; so that we may draw inspiration from this great servant of God to live holier lives; so that we may learn from this great man of faith how to rise up to the challenges of our times.

Reading this book will enable us to learn from this pastor how to keep connected to God through daily prayer.

What we will learn from the faith experience of Archbishop Emeritus Cornelius Fontem Esua when we read this book, will include, to fully give ourselves to God. His life, when we read this book, will teach us to feed on God's word, to open ourselves up as instruments for God to use.

We will see why Sister Jacky Atabong calls him the bestissimo.

Hear what she says. She calls him, " mentor, model, spiritual guide, parent, servant leader, friend, and the translation of God's presence" in her life. Read the book to see why she is so profuse in her praise. I can only give you the tip of the iceberg.

She calls him a man who is "objective, focused, and not afraid to say or hear the truth "; a man who, while Bishop and Archbishop, knew "when to be tough, yet understanding, hard, but supportive, challenging yet protective, disciplined and compassionate."

Hear her again, talking directly to him, "You refused to sit on the fence, or make false compromises for any reason, even at the cost of your life". This is a man who never bought into "cheap popularity, trying to please the crowd." These, again, are the words of Sister Jacky Atabong, Sister of St Therese and a niece to him.

I had the blessing of being appointed by him when he was Archbishop, as the pioneer Manager of Radio Evangelium and that offered me the opportunity to know him better. I can tell you he knows more about the field of broadcasting and communication technology than many of the most renowned professionals.

I can never more strongly urge all of us to make sure that we leave from here with our copy of this book and also get copies for our friends and relatives. Also very importantly, let us support the author who has taken pains to reveal to us a man with whom we lived and worked for so many years, but only knew superficially. Let me assure you that so many years of evangelization and pastoral work have been captured in a few captivating pages. Indelible Footprints is a job well done. Enjoy your reading.

Thank you!

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DADA National President Presents Major Problems Plaguing Djottin

“Djottin is now Peaceful Enough for Execution of Electricity Project”

-Nyanyoh Mary Magdalene Tah, DADA National President.

 

In this maiden Interview accorded to the media since her overwhelming victory in the elections that ushered her into the office of DADA National President, Nyanyoh Mary Magdalene Tah states unequivocally that Djottin is no longer in the Red Zone. Djottin she insists is now Peaceful Enough for the execution of the World Bank Electricity Project. The lack of electricity,roads and portable water according to the dynamic National President constitute some of the greatest deterrents to Development in Djottin. She begins by introducing herself.

…………….

“I am Nyanyoh Mary Magdalene Tah, a Pedagogue and Secondary School Teacher. So I am a teacher by Profession. I am Dean of studies at Government Bilingual High School Atiela, Nkwen, Bamenda. I have been in service for 22 years. I am a writer and I have written books on Citizenship and articles on spirituality. I joined DADA in 1995 while I was a student in Yaounde and I have held almost all the Executive Positions of DADA. I am a member of Nkongma; Noni Ladies Meeting, (Noni Daughters). I am a member of the Saint Jude’s Apostolate, Padre Prio Prayer Group. I am a daughter of Immaculate Nsai and Evaristus Tah all of blessed memory. I am a mother and a proud Djottin daughter.

………………

What message do you have for Kedjottin?…………….

The message I have for Kedjottin is that of love. I crave for that Djottin of old. The Kedjottin of our forefathers never knew the difference between villages and families. Parents considered children irrespective of who the children were as their own. I call upon Kedjottin to make sure that at least a child is helped each year to stand on his feet. Don’t climb a tree, cut the branches for everyone and then sit at the top to be dropping plums to others. Help them climb that tree because there are enough branches for everyone. No one is going to pull you down. We should be proactive and Should do away with negative criticisms. We should do away with jealousy. Let’s keep infighting aside and work as one person for one purpose. That singular purpose should be to develope Djottin and change its face.  You should identify yourself wherever you are and get yourself registered in a DADA branch. Register yourself, get your DADA card and pay your development fee. Be a part of your family meeting. Develope yourself and develope the village. I call upon the Youths to enroll in school. No matter the difficulties in our country, Education still remains the key. They should undergo Vocational Training. We are here to help the Youths to change the face of Djottin. Youths hold the key to Djottin's today and Djottin’s tomorrow. They should have hope. If you aren’t doing any Professional activity in town then you should go back home and open farms. Those who have the means Should construct home. We should start from self development to family development followed by the development our community and Djottin at large. Show that you love Djottin by participating in its development.

………………

What are the major problems facing DADA?

……………..

The major problems facing DADA include the lack of electricity. This greatly contributes to the increase in Rural, Urban Migration mostly among young people. This directly has an adverse effect on development and on productivity. The lack of electricity has made it impossible to carry out certain activities that could have provided employment for the Youths. Imagine that you want to do Hair dressing, Weldering or to open a cold store. It will be completely impossible simply because there are no lights. Though the World Bank has given us electricity, though the contract has been awarded and some people compensated for ceding their land for the project, nothing has been done. Djottin is no longer in the red zone. Djottin is peaceful and this project can be executed. No body working in Djottin will be disturbed. We are pleading with authorities that be to execute the electrification project in Djottin. Another major problem in Djottin is the lack of roads. It is a nightmare when you travel to the village during the rainy season. The roads have no culverts and there’s no laterite on them. They’re as such extremely slippery and impassable. We are calling on the Council to do something about the roads of Djottin. With roads we will be able to carry our farm products to the market since movement will be easy. This will stabilize the village economically and keep everyone busy. The lack of roads greatly affects the Health Service Sector. There are huge streams in the village without bridges over them. There’s also the problem of insufficient water supply in the village despite the numerous water catchment areas that we have. The pipes that are used in the village are not large enough to permit water to be supplied throughout the village. We therefore need reservoirs in which to store water. Water is life and is needed to avoid the spread of certain diseases that come as a result of the absence of portable drinking water. Another major problem is that of Rural, Urban Migration. Young ones leave the village and move to places having the same problems like Djottin and end up suffering. They leave the village where they had their own farms and move to other towns to work on farms belonging to other people. There’s no logic in this. This ocours because we don’t  have roads, lights and basic amenities. I assure you that if these amenities are provided these children will return home because my village has very fertile soils. Another major problem is low enrollment in school especially at the level of Post Primary Education. Many of the schools are not operational and when teachers are sent there, they look for means to be sent elsewhere as fast as possible. This is because of the absence of basic amenities. There’s nothing to hold them down in the village. Many of our young girls get pregnant at school going ages because of lack of education.

…………..

What is your take on the way former DADA Presidents have been functioning. What additional ingredient do you plan to bring in?

……………. 

I think the erstwhile DADA Presidents did their best within the context of the time when they were in office. They did their best in bringing the people together and in executing development projects. I remember Shey Nkene who brought a Truck and a Caterpillar to the village and dug roads and made some bridges. They did a lot for the village. They earmarked an area for the field and for the hall. During the reign of Ndyun Donatus, a lot was done in the domain of water. Some water catchment areas were built and water was extended to certain parts of Djottin. He made sure that the old pipes were replaced though some of these pipes have not been replaced. For the other Presidents like Shey Tah and Fali Ndituba, I don’t know quite much because I was still very young but they have constantly been referred to as good leaders.  If they did not keep the flame burning, the flame would not have stayed on till now. I plan to work a lot with the branch Presidents. They are the ones who have power and who generate the income of DADA. I will therefore empower the branch Presidents to make sure that the objectives as stated in the manifesto are realized.  We also have Presidents of the Wings, Youth Presidents and Women Presidents. All of them constitute very strong forces and I plan to work closely with them.

Before any activity takes place in the village, we will create a think tank committee to brainstorm over it and come up with ideas. We brainstorm on the ideas as a community and execute the projects as a community. In the back-to-school project that we just realized, we had an Education Committee. We looked for the money and the material and we gave it to the committee and they did a marvelous job. That’s how we plan to function. That will be our modus operandi as we execute all the items in our manifesto. Everything will be done with a lot of transparency and accountability. In my administration, everybody should come onboard. We will therefore need to know how the various branches are functioning. We will have written reports that the various coordinators will table in. There’s this issue of cards that my predecessors didn’t produce that I will continue with a view to producing them.

……………….

What about the plan of action in your manifesto.

………………

In my manifesto, I had four main points. These four points were the agro-pastoral activities, socio-cultural activities, Energy and Infrastructural Activities and Health Education. In the domain of Agro-pastoral activities I intend to introduce new cash crops that are not yet cultivated in our area or those crops that are cultivated in small quantities. I was thinking of setting up demonstration farms which have already been earmarked. From there people can learn how to propagate the production of Garlics, Onions, Ginger, and Water melon. There’s also the cultivation of wheat and some grafted fruit trees as well as the cultivation of spices. In the Agro-pastoral sector, we have already created the CIG pending registration. We have already created the Executive and Farmers Cooperatives. This is to facilitate better yields and marketing.  We will look for market outlets and market the products for them. We will also teach them how to preserve what they produce and methods of basic transformation. This will permit the produce to last for longer periods and give us time to look for markets. We will also do the transformation of vegetables and potato flour and look for the markets. Considering that Djottin produces a lot of honey, we will also look market outlets in this direction. We will also source for funding and provide modern farming tools for farmers. In the Socio-cultural domain, we intend to lay emphasis on education. We already started with the Back-to-school-scheme though it was at a very small scale. Apart from books and partial scholarships, prizes will also be given to best students. We intend to create a Youth Vocational Training Center to take care of especially those our daughters who have given birth at a very early age during the peak crisis period when schools were not open.  

In this light we will be collaborating with three NGOs in the domain of Reproductive Health.

We also plan to introduce sporting activities especially in group sports like Football and Handball. DADA is as such going to introduce the DADA cup. We also plan to introduce craft and a museum will be created for this purpose. We are also introducing a branch by branch human investment scheme. Prizes will be given to the two cleanest quarters in Djottin. We plan to introduce Cultural activities through music, story telling sessions amongst others.

This means that we are going to revamp traditional songs and dances that had been abandoned. We are going to give a facelift to our palaces and make them comfortable for our leaders.

In the domain of Energy and infrastructure, we are going to continue with Roads and water supply. This means that we will have to pick up with incomplete projects of the previous President. At the moment there are some contractors working on water catchments in Djottin. We thank the Religious and the Reverend Sisters for the work they are doing on water in the village.

We intend to build two main bridges that will connect the Educational Centre of Djottin to the other distant parts of the village. Students commute frequently from these distant parts of the village to the center of Djottin which constitutes the Educational Heart Beat. We are also continuing with the existing Hydro-Electricity system while hoping that World Bank Electricity Project comes to fruition.

Interviewed by Francis Ekongang Nzante.

 

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National Polytechnic University Institute 2022-2023 Matriculation

Hard Work Prescribed as means For Students to Achieve Dreams

By Francis Ekongang Nzante.

Nine Hundred and Eighteen Students who got matriculated at the National Polytechnic University Institute in Bamenda on Friday the 16^th of December 2022 have been called upon to work exceptionally hard so as to achieve the lofty dreams that pushed them to seek for admission at the Higher Institution of Learning. This advice was given by the guest speaker at the matriculation exercise Miss Emma Akob. 

This maiden motivational speaker at any matriculation event at the National Polytechnic University Institute told the matriculating students that dreams must always be accompanied by hard work because without hard work dreams could hardly ever be achieved. The young guest speaker called upon the students to consider failure as part of success. Failure she said wasn’t the opposite of success but rather an ingredient which brought you closer to it.  She admonished the students to develop their natural individual talents and urged them against the tendency to be conformists.

Mr. Yong Jacques Greeting newly installed Student Government

The matriculation exercise was administered by the Vice Chancellor Akob Christopher Apana PhD and the main activity here was the taking of the Matriculation Oath.

Another highlight of the occasion was the issuing of Admission Letters to the newly registered students. The Students were reminded that just like in any other Anglo-Saxon University in the world, registration at NPUI meant a contract had been signed between them and the institution. Admission Letters are the most important documents that are issued to the students following their registration according to that same Anglo-Saxon Tradition.

Taking Matriculation Oath

As explained by the Registrar, Mr. Adu Francis Ngala, all freshmen were immediately served their Admission Letters. The other newly registered students at the Masters level among others he said would be served their Admission Letters after scrutinising their files at the University of Buea.

The all important duty of issuing Admission Letters was executed by Mr. Yong Jacques, the Director of the institution. During the event, Admission Letters were given to the first students who got registered in the various schools or departments for the 2022-2023 Academic Year. The rest of the students were served with their Admission Letters just after the event in their various departments.

The next important component of the busy day at the National Polytechnic University Institute was the installation of the new student's Government. This was carried out by the school administration led by the Director Mr. Jacques Yong. The newly installed President of the students Government appreciated the dedication of the entire staff of the institution and drew the attention of the students to the motto of the institution which is “knowledge, Service and Self Actualisation.” He discouraged hate speech and xenophobic tendencies and encouraged the students to be selfless. “Ask yourself what you have done for the nation and not what the nation has done for you” he advised.

New Student Government

In a brush with the press the Vice Chancellor Akob Christopher Apana PhD expressed his appreciation of the event in the following manner:

Vice Chancellor Akob Christopher Apana PhD,  greeting Student Government

“National Polytechnic University Institute is a place for Academic and Moral Excellence. The Clergy, the university chaplain were all present at this important event to start the ceremony with a church devotion and prayer. This was then followed by the Academic procedures. We've got the best staff around. We have superb infrastructure and a serene environment. All of these contribute towards providing a unique environment for teaching and learning. That’s the secret of our success.”

 

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Victims Of the Seven Year Old Anglophone Crisis On The Rise!

The Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon has been raging on for seven years and counting. But while the war rages on, the amount of attention that has been given to its unfortunate victims has increasingly been on the decline. Many desperate victims have been caught in the web of the war in various and different ways.

While a good chunk of them escaped into neighbouring Nigeria, many have escaped to Europe and the Americas and many of them have died in the process due to the precarious conditions under which they travel. Examples of desperate victims of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon abound.

This article is inspired by the difficult situation in which the residents of Ground Zero usually find themselves because of the uncompromising stance of both the Government of Cameroon and the Separatists.

On the 4^th of November 2022, some administrative authorities amongst whom were Mr. Adolphe Lele l'Afrique, Governor of North West Region, Mr. Achobong Paul, City  Mayor of  the Bamenda City Council, the Military Commander of the Region and some local chiefs launched an appeal for business operators to open their shops every Monday. This proved to be problematic because Mondays in the two English Speaking Regions of Cameroon are generally observed as “ghost town.” This means that sit-down strikes are imposed in the two Regions by pro-independent fighters. Briefly put, on Mondays, there’s the restriction of movement. This compels denizens to shut down their businesses in the two regions in order to show their resentment against the  government and the military which they consider to be colonial occupying forces.

Local business operators found themselves in a fix because if they disobeyed the lock-down call made by the Separatists and opened their business places, they would be opened to attacks from “amba fighters” as the Separatists fighters are generally called. On the other hand, if the bewildered business owners decided to disobey public authorities and obey the call for a lock-down by the Separatists they would be seen as being pro-separatists by the government.

The business Community was assured by public authorities that they would be provided with maximum security to protect their lives and property especially on “ghost town” days if their businesses were opened. This was an attempt by the administration to stop the observation of imposed “ghost towns” in the two English Speaking Regions.

These “ghost towns” or lock-downs in the two English Speaking Regions of Cameroon have been going on for close to six years now and is part of their strategy to stifle the country’s economy.

In the first week of November 2022, pressure from  government officials urging the business Community to open its shops increased.

This prompted some business people to  open their shops. Amongst this category of business people was a certain Kingsley Vuyof. This young business man alongside other like minded business men did so out of fear that their shops would be sealed by the City Mayor of the Bamenda City Council if they didn’t obey. They also believed they would be offered protection by government officials.

Unfortunately for Kingsley Vuyof, Nestor Waki Ngang amongst others who obeyed public authorities and opened their stores, their business centers were burnt down in the night of the 7^th of November by Non State Armed Groups certainly because they disrespected the call for a total lockdown. Because they  opened their shops on a Monday which was and still is a day that a complete lock-down is imposed on everyone, they were tagged as “Black Legs” by pro-secessionist fighters locally referred to as “amba fighters.”  Worthy of note is the fact that defaulters of lock-downs imposed by Separatists are usually killed instantly if caught.

Because of the failure by Public Officials to protect their shops as promised, the victims of this arson staged a protest march in the streets of Bamenda asking for compensation from Government officials. They surprisingly met with stiff resistance from the Forces of Law and Order who violently dispersed them with gunshots and teargas.

In the violence and confusion that followed, the unfortunate group of business men were referred to as Separatist Activists who were tactfully benefitting from the chaos in order to pepetrate  their attacks and take government forces by surprise. Unfortunately, Nestor Waki Ngang,  Kingsley Vuyof and a host of others were arrested and reportedly brutalized and taken to the Judicial Police Station in Bemenda where they were detained in filthy cells that are characteristic of detention centers in Cameroon. The conditions and treatment received from uniformed officers were extremely uncomfortable and life threatening.

Many Cameroonians who have been arrested since the crisis started in the two English Speaking Regions of the country have suffered three different outcomes. Firstly, in desperation some usually succeed to escape sometimes with the help of sympathetic uniformed men. Secondly, some are transported to bigger detention facilities in Yaounde. Thirdly, some of them who can’t support the life threatening conditions in detention usually end up dying. Lucky ones like Nestor Waki Ngang, Kingsley Vuyof and others whom this reporter hadn’t the luck to be informed of by sources ended up escaping.

However, the fate of escapees is usually a very tricky one. They end up being hunted  by uniformed officers or by Separatists. In the case of these escapees who were arrested during the protest march in Bamenda, both government uniformed officers and Separatists were on the look out for them.

It comes therefore as no surprise that  Nestor Waki Ngang, Kingsley Vuyof and a host of other escapees have not been accounted for and are reportedly missing. Of course with the prevailing circumstances, their homeland remains an area that they certainly can not dare to visit.

Thousands of English Speaking Cameroonians have become victims of the Anglophone crisis and have been forced out of their homes and country for reasons completely beyond their control.

Recently, Senator Barrister Kinyang George from the North West Region in a chat with this reporter said many people have been victims of illegal detentions since the crisis started. He said as a Senator and as a legal mind, part of his efforts have been dedicated to using legal procedure to get many people who are illegally detained out of detention cells.However, a majority of desperate victims remain in precarious situations and completely helpless and with no way for their cries to be heard.

 

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2022 GCE Results

War Thorn Bamenda Churns out Best overall Students!

By Francis Ekongang Nzante

The results of the 2022 General Certificate of Education has revealed that some Institutions in Bamenda, Capital of the War thorn North West Region of Cameroon have churned out some of the best students on the National Triangle.

This is remarkable considering the circumstances under which students in these parts of the country have been going to school during the past five years. After some years in the doldrums due to the crisis and the subsequent closure of schools, results in the NW Region started improving after last year’s GCE results. The 2022 results have however proven that the NW Region formerly considered to be the  power House of Education in the country is gradually regaining that prestigious position.

The traditionally good results of the denominational establishments have been completely re-established. Schools like Sacred Heart College Mankon, Our Lady of Lourdes Bamenda, PHS and young institutions like the Baptist Comprehensive High School Nkwen go a long way to give credence to this claim.

 This reporter also noted that this resurgence of good results had not only gained grounds in  Lay Private Institutions as well, but that this category of schools were gradually occupying center stage.

A close look at this year’s GCE CommercialAdvanced level results reveal that among the best students in the country is a certain Nyoh Alvin Nyuyfoghan from the Saint Michael’s Academy of Science and Arts Bamenda who came out on top with 8 A grades bagging 40 points in the process. Still from the same Institution is another student, Teh Hendrine Ma-ah who is undoubtedly amongst the second best students on the national territory. This student passed in eight subjects with 7 A grades and a B grade.

Apart from top quality results, the Saint Michael’s Academy of Arts and Science SMASA registered a 95.35% success with at least 34 students making it in six or more subjects.

At the GCE Ordinary Level, SMASA Bamenda scored 86.36% with 18 students succeeding in ten or more subjects. A certain Abbia Anna distinguished herself with a pass in eleven subjects bagging 8 A grades and three B grades.

SMASA also maintained it’s streak of good results at the GCE Advanced Level Grammar registering an 88.75% success. Twenty two students passed in Five Subjects and 43 in Four Subjects. Meantime the best student, Ndi Winston Nfor Kanjo had Five A grades thus bagging 25 points in the process.

With such quality results in Lay Private Institutions of learning in Bamenda, one can safely say that Bamenda and the North West Region at large is slowly regaining its place as the Educational Power House of the nation.

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Back To School 2022-2023

Institutions in Bamenda Fine-tune Conditions To Accommodate Economic Hardships!

 

By Francis Ekongang Nzante

Against a backdrop of very difficult times in the English Speaking Regions of Cameroon which are hard hit by an unprecedented hike in the prices of basic commodities and school needs, many establishments are cutting down on fees and segmenting the payment of fees into installments to ensure that these difficult conditions don’t keep too many children out of school.

Registrar, SHIPS, Bamenda

This reporter caught up with Mr. Bonkishir Aloys Fondreyuv, Registrar of Saint Michael’s Higher Institute of Professional Studies at Upper Bayelle in Bamenda to get a feel of the situation and he said things had been made easier for students who find themselves in a very difficult situation imposed upon them by the crisis. Fees he said had been slized down and were to be paid in installments. Hear him, “we are considering the hard times parents are facing as the school reopening draws near. We will as such take fees in as many installments as possible. This will involve entering specific agreements with parents and students who come to us for admission. Once both parties stick to their own part of the agreements the students are free to attend classes.”

 

Mr. Bonkishir Aloys Fondreyuv intimated that the idea of creating the Saint Michael’s Higher Institute of Professional Studies known in its English acronym as SHIPS was hatched in 2009. Given that Cameroon was an emerging country and that students graduating from the first and second cycles of the establishment were graduating and finding it impossible to put food on the table, the founders found it necessary to create this Higher Institute of Professional Studies. The aim was to professionally empower students graduating from their secondary school. It was also aimed at building in the students the ability to take initiative and to create so as to independently become creators and managers. The Registrar explained that the approach was to engulf students from their Secondary School; Saint Michael’s Academy of Science and Arts into the Higher Institute of Professional Studies.  These students were intended to be empowered in order for them to be able to create jobs and employ people instead of the other way round. Their vision he said was translated into the good results that the school had in 2015. The results were exceptionally good and one of their students of Civil Engineering who did urban planning stood out exceptionally as the best student in the country at the time. “This student today holds a Master Degree and is presently a PhD Research student. There are a couple of them who constituted the group that produced the good results in 2015 who also travelled abroad to further empower themselves. This was a concretization of the vision we had when SHIPS was created. Unfortunately, the Anglophone  Crisis set in a year after and  most of our dreams were shattered by insecurity. However SHIPS is back on course today like most establishments in Bamenda” the Registrar said.

SHIPS benefits from the services of teachers from Higher Institutions of learning in Bamenda with lots of experience in preparing students for HND, degree Programmes and much more.

SHIPS the Registrar said offers HND studies in Business, Education, Home Economics, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Engineering and Technology, Agriculture, Legal Carriers and Medical and Biomedical Sciences.

 SHIPS he further said was also into Fashion, Clothing and Textile as well as Bakery and Food Processing.

 One of the challenges that has been brought to bear on educational service providers by the crisis is insecurity. Hinting at efforts put in to ensure the security of students the Registrar said SHIPS campus which is located along New Road at Bayelle was completely fenced with guards permanently on duty at the entry point.

SHIPS CAMPUS

He didn’t fail to draw attention to the fact that the establishment had a state of the art Science Laboratory and a Food and Nutrition Laboratory that has been tested and confirmed by inspectors to be among the best.

“We are a bilingual country and we have language remedial courses for those who come in from the French background with just a little mastery of the English Language. Be sure that we will fill up the language gap and you will catch up as far as lectures in English are concerned. As far as security guarantees are concerned, we have already made arrangements for those coming in from foreign countries. Arrangements have been made for them to be given affordable hostels in a very secured environment.” He said.

 

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"Peace House Bamenda Urges Gov't to Review it's Policy of Disarming Citizens"

-Jude Nforngang

Mr.  Nforngang Jude Thaddeus, Director of Peace House CIG Bamenda has urged the Government of Cameroon to review it’s policy of disarming Citizens in Local communities. This he says has given armed robbers an upper hand.

He is a Legal Advisor and Mediator at the Peace House CIG Bamenda. He is an expert at law, professionally trained in Great Britain at the Institute of Legal Executives of England and Wales (CILEX Law School). He is equally a Community Development Expert and Philanthropist with over 23 years of work experience in Cameroon and other countries and has conducted several long-term researches relevant to solving problems on why majority of Africans remain poorer even with aid from the west. He co-founded the Peace House CIG Bamenda, the Elites Credit Union Cooperative, the Campus School Management System, the CashTelephone Project amongst others. He begins this interview by stating what  inspired them to create Peace House Bamenda.

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The Peace House Common Initiative Group  Bamenda was founded as a solution to provide urgent help and support to destitute people affected by conflicts, majority of whom are women and children.

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So what exactly are the objectives of Peace House Bamenda?

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The main objective of the Peace House CIG Bamenda is to provide Entrepreneur Training, Advocacy, Mediation, and Shelter to the Destitute.

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Let’s look at the modus operandi of Peace House Bamenda.

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The methodology used in achieving our objectives is simple.

Here at the Peace House CIG Bamenda, we have developed in-house methodologies originating from our long-term observations and research in local communities as a primary source as well as correlation from experiences consulting multinational issues on poverty alleviation, Human Rights Advocacy and Conflict Mediation processes.

We have developed the Social Media Community Centered Responsive Approach in its current Campaign on Human Rights Advocacy relevant to the Current raging Anglophone Violent Conflict.

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What are the grounds so far covered by Peace House Bamenda?

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The Peace House CIG Bamenda is currently well known and trusted as a Neutral stakeholder advocating for the Human Rights Protection of indigenous Anglophone people especially women and children. Our observations based on our social media responsive methodologies currently indicate that all stakeholders of the current Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon are looking up to the Peace House CIG Bamenda on the actual facts and data on the effects of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon as we are the main neutral organization visible in the affected local communities able to give a credible report on the actual visible facts.

The peace House CIG also provides temporal Shelter and basic meals to IDPs who are mainly women and children escaping domestic violence and effects of the current violent armed conflict in their local communities. We provide psychosocial support and counseling to affected IDPs and destitute local community members seeking our help both from our Mile 5 Nkwen Bamenda Head Office as well as live online from our social media communication channels.

The Peace House CIG also currently provides Free Legal Advise as seen on topical issues expressed on social media as a tool to help ignorant communities to resolve conflicts and issues related to their Legal and Human Rights processes.

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Given the insecurity that presently reigns in the North West and South West Regions, what challenges have been encountered by your CIG in carrying out its duties?

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The Peace House CIG Bamenda is legally registered in Cameroon as a Common Initiative Group and as a standard not-for-profit charity organization. Our personnel and members are experts professionally trained in different areas relevant to our objectives. Members of the Peace House CIG Bamenda are neutral and do not support or stand for any particular political ideology. Some of our members have been victims of the current raging armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.  The Peace House CIG   Bamenda's current observations show that the Cameroon Government and the Separatist Authorities are Negligent in the Protection of top economically strong elite necessary for the current and future development of the country. A case in point is the recent assassination of Madam Janna Fondo Anna in Bamenda. She was a Philanthropist and an Economics Teacher as well as Co-owner of Janna Enterprises and Super Market amongst other things. This highlights the alarming Security Vacuum in the crisis hit regions. This lady was one of our Key Advisors and Philanthropists. The lack of state protection is no doubt going to affect over 60% of our Philanthropic works in Bamenda.

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What is the outreach of the activities of Peace House Bamenda?

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It is legally registered with its head office in Bamenda. Its area of jurisdiction covers the entire national territory.

Our personnel are currently providing relief services to destitute communities at its head office in Bamenda, as well as directly to other affected communities in Cameroon. We also provide services on call as well as through social media channels.

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What is your take on the quality of Gorvenance in Cameroon?

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Our long-term observations show that Cameroon is a Centralized Democratic Unitary State with a very strong Presidency Unique from its State Government with the use of Elitist Political Governance. It would appear the governance institutions of Cameroon makes great er use of its retired administrators. This class of people are appointed as leaders of its newly created institutions relevant to current national economic and conflict issues.

Our expert opinion would be that, the Government and Presidency of Cameroon should seek credible neutral experts in their efforts of bringing social change, especially relevant to the current economic issues and conflicts raging in Cameroon.

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You certainly have national and international partners.

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We do not yet have international partners. Peace House CIG has relied on the Philanthropic support of its members and participatory inputs of its beneficiaries towards achieving its objectives.

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Any last message?

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The Peace House CIG Bamenda would urge the Government and Presidency of Cameroon to urgently review its policy on disarming the local ordinary citizens. We have observed over three  years and counting that since the disarming of local ordinary citizens in Cameroon  armed robbers are taking advantage of the  Security Vacuum created by the circumstances and causing grievous harm on local communities in Cameroon, especially in the Anglophone Regions occasioning loss of lives and property. This was never So when Citizens were perceived to be armed. Our observations also show that there was no significant misuse of fire arms by ordinary local community members in the Anglophone communities of Cameroon other than accidents occurring during funeral ceremonies (less than 0.3 %).

Interviewed by Francis Ekongang Nzante

 

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