The Foolish African: The Journal of Cameroonian Writers

The epilogue by NKwetatang Sampson Ngueki

All what the African decries is that he was dehumanized by slavery and slave trade, that he was callously colonized, and since then till today, his land is still the harvesting ground of raw materials for western industries. All the African prides himself with, is that he has benefitted from western education, from western civilization, from western camaraderie, and from community development at home. All these notwithstanding, I categorise the African should know that he is the most foolish homo sapient who has ever live on the surface of the earth. The African is foolish to depths unmeasured. I am an African myself. And unless I know that I am foolish, and unless I stamp out that foolishness from my body and soul, I will never be proud to be an African. Never!

The following are some very depressing slogans which you can hear only in Africa and in no other continent in the world no matter how backward it may be. Some of these slogans include, ‘The number of wives and children one has determines his wealth’, ‘Nine children are better than two’, ‘My grand children are my legacy’, ‘A chieftainship title gives someone much respect in his community’, a PhD or a professorship is the climax of education’, ‘That man is successful man he has three children in Germany, two in Belgium and one in the United States of America’, ‘In Africa you are in hell while in Europe or in the USA you are in paradise’, ‘The civil service is the best employment because in your old age, you enjoy your retirement benefits’, “Two heads think better than one’, ‘Building houses and putting them on rents is the best investment’, ‘Life is short’ etc.

Even if I were to stand before God who created me, I would tell Him without shuddering that the African is How can one be proud of the sophisticated infrastructure in other people’s countries rather than in his own country? Such temporal pride is only enjoyed by renegades. If someone settles his success in life on the number of children he has overseas, and they send him  hard currency every month, then, that person is certainly out of his mind. And such a person must be no other than a foolish African. If someone defines his pension as retirement benefits, then, he is certainly a foolish African. Retirement does not have any material or financial benefits. It only has spiritual benefits and the African cannot see them because he is blind. If you show a beneficial project to an African, believe me; you have shown it to a sheep.

foolish to immeasurable depths. How can the number of one’s wives and children determine his wealth rather than his talents and his technical know–how? What other legacy is handed down to grand children in Africa than abject poverty and despicable misery? What pedigree of respect can a chieftainship title gives someone? What bearing does a PhD and a professorship have on education?

Who deceived the African that two heads think better than one? God creates every human being individually. Two people don’t think; since the one can never know what the other is thinking. Only one person thinks and proposes what he has thought to other people who refine and polish it with their own thoughts. All paramount ideas which have changed the world were thought by one person. No doubt, Africans are counted at the bottom when inventors on earth are being counted, because they don’t know that only one head thinks at a time. Consequently, their intuition of initiative is compromised. How foolish they are!

Since the African does not know that investing in the mind is the best investment, why will he not settle on the manual labour of building houses and putting them on rents as the best investment? Since the African cannot create employment for himself, why will he not conclude that the civil service is the best employment because of retirement benefits in his old age? Since the African does not have anything meaningful to do with his life, why will he not console himself that life is short? Foolish African!

Prof. Teresa Nkuo Akenji Is New Vice Chancellor of the University of Bamenda (UBa)

Prof. Teresa Nkuo Akenji

She was appointed by a Presidential Decree of last Friday appointing her to replace Prof. Tafah Edokat Oki Edward.

Before her appointment last Friday she held the following posts of responsibility at the University of Buea; Dean of the Faculty of Science and Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Teaching and Information Technology. Another decree appoints Deans of the Faculties of the same university.

Triumph in Cameroonian Start Ups: $75,000 won through the ANZISHA PRIZE 2015

This year, two young Cameroonians, are among the 12 Anzisha Prize 2015 Finalists across Africa; Vanessa Zommi age 19 – Business Venture: Emerald Moringa Tea and Fabrice Alomo age 22 – Business Venture: MyAConnect. The 12 finalists will share prizes worth 75,000 US dollars with the grand winner making away with 25,000US dollars.

The Anzisha Prize seeks to award young entrepreneurs who have developed and implemented innovative solutions to social challenges or started successful businesses within their communities. 12 finalists from across Africa will win an all–expenses paid trip to South Africa to be a part of a week–long entrepreneurship workshop and conference at the African Leadership Academy in Johnnesburg.

The Anzisha Prize is an annual competition for young African Entrepreneurs under 22 years. To celebrate the two finalists in Cameroon, Youth Employment Service Cameroon with acronym YES Cameroon organized a Press Conference on the 27^th October 2015 at its headquarters in Yaounde. The conference was attended by International and National media, startups, entrepreneurs, students among others.

Vanessa Zommi

 She manufactures and processes the Moringa plant into Moringa tea. Emerald Moringa Tea addresses the chronic increasing death rate of the Cameroonian population as a result of diabetes. According to her team’s research, about 15% of the Buea population within the ages 15 to 99 years suffer from diabetes and up to 80% are not aware of their condition. Moringa tea is the natural solution.

Fabrice Alomo

The lack of visibility and accessibility of African businesses to a wider market coupled with his desire to see better for the continent led to the founding of MyAConnect.

Fabrice dedicated himself to being a fulltime entrepreneur along with his co–founder with the intention to positively impact people in his community, reduce poverty and create jobs.

Source: YES Cameroon.

Special Invitation: Launching! The Journal of Cameroonian Writers

 Dear all,

 Happy ending of the year 2015. We are humbled to invite you to the launching of The Journal of Cameroonian Writers on Thursday 26^th November 2015 at the Big Mankon Metropolitan Cathedral Hall, Bamenda at 3pm prompt. The reading of poems, short stories, articles, book reviews and conference papers shall animate this grand occasion. All the contributors to this maiden edition shall be entitled to a free copy each. They are as follows in alphabetical order:

 

1. Akongoh Innocent Ngwa (a book review, a conference paper)

2. Angu Pride Bih (a poem, an article)

3. Ashing Moses Nebafu (two poems, a short story)

4. Atigi Samuel Motom (an interview)

5. Beatrice Fri Bime (two poems, a biography)

6. Clara Enni Asubo (Ennivi Cooky: publicity)

7. Diagar Paul (a poem)

8. Doh Simon (an article)

9. Douglas Achingale (a poem)

10. Dugar Charles Fofung (a poem, an article)

11. Ernest L. Veyu (a poem)

12. Feh Demian Akwo (a poem)

13. Felix Che Tumaju (a poem)

14. Fotung Luma Magdalene (a poem)

15. Fru Nixon (a poem)

16. Gemoh Vekeblegah Evaristus (an article)

17. Gladys Nwi Anyangwe Focho (a poem)

18. Gwedeng Ngala aka Pa Ngala (a poem)

19. Hans Bokwe Itoe (a poem)

20. Imargard Anchang Langmia (three poems, a biography)

21. Jonas N. Dah (two poems, an article, a book review)

22. Joshua Akemecha (a poem)

23. K. K. Bonteh (a poem)

24. Lawrence Nobugh Nchinda (a poem)

25. Limfenyuy Kongnso Cyrille (a poem)

26. Liyong Emmanuel Sama (a poem, a short story, a novel excerpt)

27. Lucas Ntang Tasi (a poem, recent publications)

28. Magdalene Shiri Halle Awa (an interview, recent publications)

29. Martin Sama Njeke (a poem)

30. Matty Fru Fombong (two short stories, an interview)

31. Meshachin Epah-Elad (a poem, a biography)

32. Nchinda Fabrice Mbuna (a poem, a biography)

33. Ndashi Collins Itambi (a poem, recent publications)

34. Ngobesing Suh Romanus (a conference paper)

35. Nkongmenec Vivian Ntemgwa (a poem)

36. Nkwetatang Sampson Nguekie (three poems, an article, a conference paper)

37. Nsah Mala (a poem)

38. Peter N. Chateh (a book review, an interview)

39. Priscillia M. Manjoh (a poem, an interview, a biography)

40. Richard C. Kumengisa (a short story)

41. Ruth Ngozi Aben (a poem)

42. Sammy Oke Akombi (a poem, recent publications)

43. Tah Richard Ndey (a poem)

44. Tatah Emmanuel Bantar (a poem, a conference paper)

45. Tengwan Frederick Ambe (a poem)

46. Umeta Timothy Ufoka (a poem)

47. Valentine N. Tameh (a poem)

48. Wirsiy Elvira Leinyuy (a poem)

49. Yai Bala Daniel (a book review)

 

Yours sincerely,

Nkwetatang Sampson.

Police Concour Results 13 November 2015

For more details of the respective entries for the concour see

www.http://dgsn.cm/?page_id=973

UBa 2015/2016 School Year Registrar Calls For All Unadmitted Candidates to Re-apply

The Registrar of the University of Bamenda hereby announces that, candidates who applied for admission into the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Faculty of Law and Political Science, and Faculty of Arts, but whose names did not appear on the admission list may reapply latest Friday 20th November 2015.
The application should include the following:
- A photocopy of the G.C.E Ordinary Level and Advanced Level certificates
- A photocopy of the preregistration fee receipt
- The submission receipt
The complete application file should be deposited in the Admission and Records Office, Room 108 in the Central Administrative Building.

Prof. GALEGA Samgena Daiga
REGISTRAR

Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Countries 2016 Now Open for Application

Brief description: Application is now open for the CSC Commonwealth Scholarships for Masters and PhD students from developing Commonwealth countries to study in UK, funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
Subject Areas: All subject areas are eligible, although the CSC’s selection criteria give priority to applications that demonstrate strong relevance to development.
Levels of study: Masters and PhD
About Scholarship
Each year, Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study in the UK are offered for citizens of developing Commonwealth countries. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.
Scholarship Offered Since: 1959
Scholarship Type: Masters and PhD Scholarship
Who is qualified to apply?
To apply for these scholarships, you must:

• Be a Commonwealth citizen, refugee, or British protected person
• Be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2016
• By October 2016, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a second class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)

The CSC promotes equal opportunity, gender equity, and cultural exchange. Applications are encouraged from a diverse range of candidates.
Selection Criteria
Applications are considered according to the following selection criteria:

• Academic merit of the candidate
• Quality of the proposal
• Likely impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country

Selection process
Each year, the CSC invites selected nominating bodies to submit a specific number of nominations. The deadline for nominating bodies to submit nominations to the CSC is 17 December 2015.
The CSC invites around three times more nominations than scholarships available – therefore, nominated candidates are not guaranteed to be awarded a scholarship. There are no quotas for scholarships for any individual country. Candidates nominated by national nominating agencies are in competition with those nominated by other nominating bodies, and the same standards will be applied to applications made through either channel.
Number of Scholarships: Approximately 300 scholarships are awarded each year. The CSC invites around three times more nominations than scholarships available – therefore, nominated candidates are not guaranteed to get a scholarship. There are no quotas for scholarships for any individual country. Candidates nominated by national nominating agencies are in competition with those nominated by universities/university bodies, and the same standards will be applied to applications made through either channel.
Duration of Scholarships: 12 months for Masters and up to 36 months for PhD
Eligible Countries: Developing commonwealth countries including African countries
To be taken at: UK Universities
Application Deadline: All applications must be submitted by 19 November 2015 at the latest. Please note that this is an earlier deadline than in previous years.
Offered annually? Yes
How to Apply
You must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance – the CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:

• National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application. See link below
• Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff. See link below
• Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies

All applications must be made through your nominating body in your home country. Each nominating body is responsible for its own selection process.
Visit Scholarship webpage for details. Read carefully for guideline.
Sponsors: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) and UK Department for International Development (DFID).
Important Notes: All enquiries about these scholarships should be directed to your nominating body in your home country.