By Walter Wilson Nana
FCFA 19,404,705 was raised Saturday, January 28 at the Open-air Amphitheatre of the University of Buea, UB. The dual ceremonies were; the 10th convocation ceremony of UB, where 1933 students graduated and the launching of the fundraising for the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences of UB, which will commence in the 2006/2007 academic year.
Justifying the reasons for the fundraising, Vice-Chancellor, VC, UB, Prof. Cornelius Lambi noted:
"The University Council in its wisdom, in its Council Meeting of December 2005, unanimously decided that the Department of Medicine should go operational in September 2006. Consequently, while we call on the parents, Cameroonians as well as the international donors to help us in donating generously to a revived fund raising
exercise for the construction of a Department of Medicine due to start in September this year, we will like to emphasise that we are conscious of the fact that a university exists for the benefit of the community. What it becomes, depends not only on what the state can offer, but also on what the community wants to make of it and prepared to offer for it".
Corroborating the initiative, Higher Education boss, Prof. Jaques Fame Ndongo said; "I encourage the Board of Directors of UB for their ideas in professionalising trainings as well as in that of distance learning, and the promotion of income generating activities. Considering the interest and the necessity that appears in the training of medical staff in a developing country like ours, my fervent wish is that each of us contributes without reserve to the translation of this dream into facts."
Swinging into action, the Prime Minister's representative to the ceremony, Secretary of State for Public Health, Halim Hayatou, produced FCFA 5 million kick-start the fundraising.
The Minister of Higher Education trailed with FCFA 2 million, Amity Bank FCFA 2 million, WHO FCFA 1 million; the UB VC chipped in FCFA 400,000, Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Peter Agbor Tabi offered FCFA 400,000, Dr. Victor Julius Ngoh FCFA 200,000, Presbyterian Church in Cameroon FCFA 200,000 and the Nigerian High Commissioner to Cameroon, H.E Edwin Esakhare Edobor, FCFA 200,000.
Polemics On Convocation
Giving a retrospective view of the 2004/2005 Convocation, the VC said the polemics surrounding the holding of the ceremony, should be classified as an evolutionary trend in the history of UB.
"Time changes everything and time has resolved the problem. A notable landmark is the change in the Administration of players on the podium at the helm of the institution. We pay tribute to the first-ever Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea, Dr/Mrs Dorothy Limunga Njeuma and her collaborators, for their able leadership, ever since the University of Buea was created," he said.
Prof. Lambi saw in the 10th Convocation ceremony, a reconciliation tool for the university community. "This convocation clearly demonstrates that the university community has reconciled with itself on the one hand, and has brought widespread satisfaction and won the acclamation of the Cameroonian public on the other hand. Nothing could be more beautiful than this state of affairs," he said.
According to him, the Convocation has brought with it, plenty of serenity and credibility to the University and its management. Hear him: "We are glad to be part of that entente and rapprochement, traits which have made Cameroon a very peaceful country in the central African region."
Message To Graduands
Prof. Lambi appealed to the graduands to be true apostles of the Cameroonian youths at the service of the nation, as they are the future leaders and pride of the fatherland. "The salient pre-occupation at your door-steps is the fact that you have the Herculean task of keeping the University of Buea flag and banner flying.
Let your light shine before the Cameroonian and international public, so that our institution of higher learning may continue to be held in high esteem. This is the task of worthy ambassadors".
The VC advised the 1933 graduands to be different and special wherever they are and in whatever they do. "By your eagerness to learn, your preparedness to obey your employers, your simplicity and openness towards your fellow workers, irrespective of their administrative status, your cooperation in helping the less privileged on the job, would evidently tell a peculiar story," he said.
The VC reminded the graduands to watch out as they get into a complex human society, which is torn apart by strive, jealousy, and hatred for no just cause.
"You are called upon to rethink what you perceive, reassess what you hear and re-examine what you do. Deeper thought clearly reflects the soundness and acceptability of decisions and policies, which we formulate and/or implement," he alerted.
Prof. Lambi paid tribute to the teaching and support staff of UB thus: "We place on record, the dedication and hard work of our academic staff without whose effort and contribution, these young men and women who have been conferred Degrees and Diplomas, would not have achieved their academic goals of being university graduates. We are proud of the hard work and assiduity of the entire teaching corps of UB and pray that they keep up with these virtues, if we must continue to promote academic excellence by encouraging and reinforcing research and publication in all our disciplines".
Graduation Highlights
Of the 1933 students churned-out, 1788 candidates received Bachelor's Degrees in their respective disciplines, 34 in Postgraduate Diplomas, 117 qualified for the award of Master's Degrees in their respective disciplines and 4 graduates with PhDs. "This is a sign that our hands have always remained on the plough in our struggle towards human resource development and the training of trainers," the VC noted.
Prof. Lambi had other significant landmarks of the graduation to be proud of. "We have produced four First Class Honours Degrees; in Accountancy, Women and Gender Studies, Biochemistry and the other in Chemistry. It is significant to remark that the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences graduated four PhDs in Geography, who were personally supervised or co-supervised by the University of Buea Chief Executive, the VC, himself," he said.
Minister's Prescriptions
Fame Ndongo said constant dialogue between the administration, the students and the staff that has brought calm in the UB campus, should continue to prevail. "These three stakeholders, must resort to constant dialogue in the spirit of good governance that must remain the watch word in the university," he said.
The Minister told the graduands they were ambassadors of their alma mater and their country, Cameroon. "You must exhibit sterling qualities in your behaviour and attitude towards work, so that you can make your contributions to national development," he said.
Reactions
George Njuacha Ebesoh, best student at the undergraduate level, who grabbed the President of the Republic's Prize, with a Grade Point Average, GPA, of 3.71 on 4, securing a First Class Honours in Biochemistry attributed his success to hard work. "I advise most of my friends, especially those who could not make it this year, to take a resolve to make it next year. There is nothing else than determination."
Anne-Marie Sevidzem, Best female student who received the First Lady's Prize with a GPA of 3.53, securing a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in Nursing, said her magic was hard work, determination and prayers. She was positive about her future. "I will love to continue to the PhD level and contribute in decision making to better the profession and the future of my carreer," she told this Reporter.
The best student in Journalism and Mass Communication, Queenter Misori Nukwa, placed her success on being goal-oriented. "It is a matter of being goal-oriented, inspired and a target to achieve," she said. To her, the future is still long; "I will continue my studies with a Master's Degree in Journalism, with focus on broadcasting."
The Nigerian High Commissioner to Cameroon, H.E Edwin Esakhare Edobor, said he will solicit help from his country to prop UB. "The UB is a very great university, if they are encouraged. They need to work with other universities on the continent, to bring about peace. I will suggest to my country to assist UB as much as possible; technical aid, exchange of lecturers/professors, exchange of students. I think it is worthwhile for this continent," he said.
Prof Lambi; this initiative of yours and your cohorts is gradually restoring credibility to your entire team and distinguishing our lone university from other universities in the country. Some of us are now seeing for the first time the assiduity, and probity of the anglosaxon machinery. Though some of us have not been fortunate to be part of the team, we hope are brothers and sisters would benefit from this good work. I believe our froggy ministers and other top political brass are seeing for themselves how a typical anglophone institution works. I hope they leave our administrators and academicians to do their job! My congratulations to Prof Lambi and the entire team of UB.
Posted by: Sammy Ndingi | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 08:18 AM
The new leadership of UB is on the right track. I only pray that the team is left intact to continue the good work. At last there is a graduation ceremony-bye bye Mbamba.
Posted by: neba funiba | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 10:08 AM
The creation of a Medical School at UB speaks volumes on the vision of the new leadership in this great institution. We defintely need more professional schools opened at UB in due course to meet up with current trends and demands in a vey high competitive labor market.
Posted by: JOHN MORFAW | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 12:03 PM
The creation of a Medical School at UB speaks volumes on the vision of the new leadership in this great institution. We defintely need more professional schools opened at UB in due course to meet up with current trends and demands in a very highly competitive labor market.
Prof. Lambi, more grease to your elbows.
Posted by: Sir Johnny Mor | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 12:05 PM
Let hatred for Dr Njeuma, former VC not cloud objectivity. Groundwork for starting a Medicine Department was being worked on for years during her administration. Professor Lambi will succeed by building on that foundation.
Posted by: Ma Mary | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 12:35 PM
No body wants to deny Njuema of her archievements in UB.
What is true is that Njuema did not realise that UB was a state institution.
UB was never a Buea University as she asserted several Times.
Ub was , and is The University of Buea. No mans property.
Posted by: Letia Boy | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 01:01 PM
Starting the Medicine department in the Faculty of Health Sciences in UB next year is a good progress in the university and will be of great help to anglophones. We need more professional schools in the university of Buea to reduce the stress and frustration most anglophones face in the Yaounde, Douala,Dschang, etc.
Posted by: Mayong | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 01:13 PM
The University of Buea is doing a marvelous job of graduating students that will take their places in future professional careers in Cameroon and maybe some countries in the continent of Africa and beyond. I am glad that tribal politics is giving way to reasoning as people are beginning to work together to realize goals for the university. Faculty, staff & students must work together to achieve greater learning objectives at this noble institution. Let the University of Buea be the pride of the anglophone and not the "curse" that put brothers & sisters from the Nortwest/Southwest provinces against each other in the times of the former VC (Dr. Njuema).
A medical school where anglophone students will be taught in one language (English) will create a better learning environment for students who would have to struggle in Yaounde learning a third language (French) in other to take classes at the medical school in Yaounde. While you are at it, could you folks in top places in Cameroon also think about creating an Agricultural University in Bambili to mirror what we have at the University of Dschang. Take care and keep up with the good work Prof. Lambi and others involved in this tranformation of an anglophone university. Great job!
Posted by: Dr. John Tembei | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 01:53 PM
I now understand why Cameroon is one of the most corrupt nations on Earth ! Where did the Prime got CFA 5,000.000 cash do dashed out as his own contribution? Was this money donated on behalf of the government or as a personal contribution? From what I read in this article , it was handed out as a personal contribution from the PM...Now how much money does the PM makes a month to dash out 5million ?These are the reasons why the IMF which is presently in Cameroon should be forcing the Government to Implement article 66 of the constitution which states that those in higher government positions should /must declare their assets before entering and when leaving the government .
Sinkod
Posted by: Sinkod | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 05:13 PM
Sinkod,
Calm down. If a percent of all the money stolen in Cameroon by these bigwigs were to be re-invested in the country in any shape or form,I will have no qualms with their endemic theft genes. This is one which the guy did not know how to hide, so he gave it to charity. Take it before it gets lost.
Now, to all of us, whether graduates of UB or not, should be finding ways on how to send in our own contributions to help get this school off the ground. If we can put our heads together and make giving to UB a priority, it will soon become the pioneer institute in the country in conducting research. It is uniquely located to take on studies in such areas as marine sciences to enhance our fish stock, forestry, to regenerate lost wood species due to over harvesting, and with its proximity to CDC, can go into partnership in the production of hi-breeds for future growth. Without financial resources, and especially generous giving to the university, the Biya regime will continue to propagate rhetoric, with no substance.
Remember what the VC said, "A university is what the people can make of..." Lets all stand up to be counted.
Posted by: Che Sunday (Dr.) | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 08:10 PM
It is a good thing that Pr. lambi implement projects that were designed by Njeuma's administration. This medical school will definitely be of benefit to all the children of cameroon, and not only to those from the nw and sw.
Posted by: ben | Tuesday, 31 January 2006 at 10:09 PM
A medical school at UB. Who ever said that a serious medical school could be set up with 200 million FCFA????? I think the idea is good but it simply lacks the realism that should go with it. A medical school at 200million is a big joke for anyone. That money can't even buy a good apartment in a developed country, it can't even buy an MRI for practicals, it can't buy any serious equipment in a true medical school. Lambi should be told that medicine today has turned over a new page - it is no longer history where students read and reproduce notes got from books that were published ages ago. Medicine today is equipment, technology, specialization in various fields, modern equipment and nothing else. Equipments do everything. If you have the equipment, you can diagnose all diseases and cure patients easily. If students will be trained like in CUSS to read and reproduce notes, then I think we are dancing the same old music of the past. Students will learn the rudiment of causing abortion in the quarters like in CUSS, taught to read and memorize notes and come out to be inefficient as they are today. They will fall back on witchcraft when they can't cure patients - they themselves consult witch doctors which is really pitiful. Doctors in Cameroon cause a lot of confusion in the society due to their ignorance. There are oceans and oceans of equipment they have never seen in their lives. In other serious places, they won't even be qualified to work as nurses. They are working like those of the 15th century with just their noise. I think we should not keep repeating this phenomenom in our society. The death rate is already too high for us to bear and aggravate with more doctors of this callibre. The confusion in our medical landscape if alarming. We beg Lambi to hold on for a moment, give this idea a thought that will be based on realism and the practice in the field, and come back to it when he shall be able to provide the funds to buy the equipments necessary to run a medical school. This is very serious. We are tired from losing our relatives in the hands of theoretical doctors.
There are many things begging to be addressed immediately - a website for the university. Why not begin with a befitting website for UB? How can a big university like that exist in the world of today without a website? When you attend meetings with your colleagues and they ask you which university you come from, what do you tell them? What do you give them as your web link? My dear professor, begin with the simple things first, and step by step, go up to the more serious ones.
Posted by: ateba | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 03:14 AM
Mr Ateba,
You said so many lofty things about the initiative of Prof Lambi but demonstrated ignorance on the website issue. Who told you that UB does not have a website? Have you tried to search? I once tried searching the website and realised that there is a website of the university. To prove me right, you may go to www.ub.cm( www.ub.ac.cm, if you fail to go through the first) and you will find yourself in the website of the university. I wish you a happy perusal of the site.
Posted by: Sammy Ndingi | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 06:40 AM
Ateba.
My good friend you have a point . i think you are right to say medical equipment are very expensive, but to say that cameroon is producing only theoritical docs is too simplistics and foolish of you because we have home trained Docs like Andras Chiabi,Changang of Yaounde and limbe respectively that have proven their worth.Second we have to start some where and to say that we should keep on waiting untill all equipment is got is very unrealistic.
Please you seem to be well versed with medical training can you then contribute to the growth of UB?
Posted by: Emmanuel | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 07:18 AM
Ateba,
I am afraid you are just a noise maker who claims to know something. Opening a medical school not necessarily mean opening all specilised departments. Little drops of water make an ocean ! You must start with a foundation to build a house. You talk about MRIs as if its an old technology. I am based abroad and working not only in the medical field but working with these machines and I will tell you that hospitals that have these machines never had them when they first opened thier premises. You cannot start a medical school and start talking of MRIs. Kudos to Prof. Lambi
Posted by: Nigga | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 09:15 AM
Ateba
You are a typical example of those who retard development and progress in southern Cameroon.
You look like someone who can start building a house from the roof.
Even the best medical school in the world had a starting point.
You must start somewhere to get anywhere.
Good start,forward march Pr. Lambi and co.
Posted by: Eya | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 10:34 AM
Good initiative anyway. We are elsewhere training other people to save their siblings'lifes...
Weither we could have an MRI or not, it is always good to dream big then get little..
Is it true that, this is the third medical faculty in the country? or the fourth if I might name the catholic university.
Posted by: Natchov (Prof.) | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 10:35 AM
A good begining for Prof Lambi.Finally ,the anglophone medical students will have an opportunity.More grease to your elbow.
Posted by: knganjo | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 11:48 AM
Instead of wasting time with Njeuma bashing and Lambi glorification, why don't we show that we really care about this institution by contributing to the Medical School fund????
As for Mr. Ateba, does he recall what was said back in 1993 when UB started practically no dime to its name? Well, the naysayers have been proved wrong haven't they? From the foot of Mt. Fako, a medical school shall rise like a Phoenix. come back in 10 years time let's talk...
Posted by: Ambe Johnson | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 01:29 PM
The most important instruments of a medical doctor are not outside but inside the person. The medical doctor must use his or her eyes, must be able to listen to what the patient has to say and ask the right questions to get maximum information. The medical doctor must then be able to examine the patient and come up with a diagnosis. That is three quarters of what it takes to be a doctor apart from getting a basic stock of information.
All that fancy equipment does is to confirm or refute what the doctor has found with her senses. A doctor who depends on high technology exclusively is not practicin good medicine. Ateba is talking from a technician's point of view. A technician who operates an x-ray or ECG machine must have a technological view and is useless without the machine. A doctor must be able to do something for you even when facilities are crude. This means different professions and different orientation.
As some have said, where there is a will there is a way. Time to start the medical school is now. All we need are good role models or good teachers. Ambe is right. People need to stop comparing Lambi and Njeuma negatively so that we can all come together to generate a fund and not be divided. A lot of our top medical professionals have been brainstorming about this project for many years. Time to move is now.
Posted by: drdann | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 01:56 PM
Congratulations to Prof. Lambi and his team for waisting no time in implementing projects that were approved for execution by Dr. Njeuma. We hope that an engineering school is next in the pipeline and would open its doors in 2007.
Medecine and Engineering are applied sciences, they go hand in hand and are both crucial for our technological, social and economic take-off. We see better times ahead for our aspiring students wishing to be trained as medical doctors and engineers at the University of Buea.
Engr. Dr. John Bandon Bilikha
Secretary General,
Cameroon Society of Engineers.
Posted by: Engr. Dr. John Bandon Bilikha | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 02:44 PM
Congratulations to Prof. Lambi and his team for waisting no time in implementing projects that were approved for execution by Dr. Njeuma. We hope that an engineering school is next in the pipeline and would open its doors in 2007.
Medecine and Engineering are applied sciences, they go hand in hand and are both crucial for our technological, social and economic take-off. We see better times ahead for our aspiring students wishing to be trained as medical doctors and engineers at the University of Buea.
Engr. Dr. John Bandon Bilikha
Secretary General,
Cameroon Society of Engineers.
Posted by: Engr. Dr. John Bandon Bilikha | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 02:46 PM
Hi All,
After reading the article on a Medical school in UB, I want to say it is a formidable ideal and infact a dream that one day will come true.
Alot of people have reacted negatively and with outrage to what Ateba has said, but frankly contry men, he is DEAD RIGHT. We shouldn´t compare a Medical school to a Hospital or should we compare a Medical school build in the 60´s to that to be built in 2020. Those in the medical proffession will agree with Ateba absolutely.
While a drop of water will definitely if it continues like that will make an ocean,what Ateba is saying is, even 200million will NEVER EVER build a department worths its name in a medical school this days. What kind of doctors do we envisage in the 20th century in Cameroon?
While, I am not talking about very sophisticated equipments, of which MRI is amongst the lastest in clinical diagnostic use,we must move with advancement in what ever thing we aspire to do. Why do we always take mediocre positions? Why don´t we think we can do it big?
200 million frs cfa or even I billion for a medical school is a clear Joke, but the idea is a great one.
Briefly I will enumerate what a Medical school entails. It must have a Precilinical and a clinical levels. In preclinical levels,the following departments should be envisaged, Department of Anatomy, Department of physiology, Department of biochemistry etc, when we talk about for example department of Anatomy, we are not talking about an amphi theatre with 100students listening to lectures, those who are into it know what i am talking about. In the clinical levels, apart from the four main departments of SURGERY, MEDICINE, O&G, PAEDIATRICS(with many subunits), we have alied departments, Microbiology, Haemotology, Pathology, Chemical Pathology etc, Not forgeting schools of Nursing, Laboratory Technicians, teaching and other allied staff.
For it to function well, any medical school, MUST have a TEACHING hospital: countrymen this is no Joke, not more when you talk of medicínce in the 20th century, we can`t afford to be in the 18th century.
Remember, Buildings don´t make a medical school.
This is my humble opinion and Ateba has said it well.
It may hurt but is the Truth.
_
Posted by: Emah | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 03:04 PM
Point of correction Engr. Dr. John Bandon Bilikha
projects that were 'EAR-MARKED' (NOT 'APPROVED') for execution by Dr. Njeuma.
Posted by: JB Samba | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 04:29 PM
Cher frere Vincent,
Bienvenu sur le forum frere. En tant que Camerounais, je ressens le patriotisme et la volonte de vouloir aider notre pays a sortir du sous developpement avec des idees claires et concises.
Notre pays est "Bilingue" et nous en sommes tres fiers.
CAADIM (CAmeroonians Against the DIvision of our Motherland) a le but precis de lutter contre les gens qui ont pille et encore pillent notre pays de ses biens. Notre objectif c'est de promouvoir dans la paix et l'harmonie entre les peuples Camerounais, les bienfaits de la Democracie et des droits de l'homme.
Notre pays a ete mal gere par nos Dirigeants et nous le savons tous.
Des Provinces "specialement la Partie Anglophone" a ete pas mal negligee aussi...
Grace au dynamiste de certains Camerounais, il ya eu des Provinces qui ont connues certains points de developpement...
Mais notre Beau Pays serait dans une bonne situation financiere aujourd'hui si on avait des Dirigeants qui faisaient leur travailler sans piller les fonds publics...
L'Universite de Buea devrait avoir une base et education anglo-saxone avec toutes les facultes (y compris) Medecine qui aideraient encore plus a etre completement bilingue et par la suite jouir du transfert de technologie anglo-saxonne. Mais ce n'est pas le cas.
Gardons notre unite pour combattre la corruption, le laxisme, le nepotisme et tous les maux qui malheureusement sevicent notre societe.
Merci de votre apport a nous instruire avec votre experience passee a l'Universite de Buea.
VIVE LA DEMOCRACIE!
VIVE LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN!
GOD BLESS A UNITED, DEMOCRATIC, PEACEFUL CAMEROUN!
Riccardo
President and Co-Founder
CAADIM (CAmeroonians Against the DIvision of our Motherland)
Americas Division.
oneworldcenter@hotmail.com
Posted by: Riccardo | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 05:55 PM
What Emah says is true to a point, but the project must start. Most times universities start on a shoe string and build on that. It is ill-advised to wait until billions have been accumulated or we would never start. If you have 10,000 francs, contribute it. The UB Medical Education Foundation should be established in the EU and the US so that citizens in these places should be part of the process and make regular contributions. A target contribution amount needs to be established based on need. Equipment requirements need to be established so that institutions and individuals all over the world could contribute in cash and in kind. The Foundation needs to work to straighten out and preempt the kinks and bottlenecks that Cameroon government always seems to place infront of good projects.
The preclinical program starts with perhaps 5-10 students, using borrowed facilities if needed. Other medical schools have been developed in the same way. From this point, it is important to develop relationships with other institutions. In the USA for example, medical students do not only rotate in the home hospitals of their universities. They are free to pick rotations say in Obstetrics in another hospital, as long as it meets certain standards. Medical students from small medical schools West Indies, such as Grenada rotate in American Hospitals of a certain standard. If Buea needs to send students to Nsukka or Ibadan or Legon for certain rotations it should do so by developing relationships. That is how it is done, until facilities are developed or hospitals in Buea, Bamenda and other towns are upgraded.
Nothing is worse than waiting for things to be perfect. Medical education is mostly about learning a way of thinking and acting. People trained in good institutions in Africa adapt and excel very fast in Europe or America at institutions with more advanced technology, because it is very easy to adapt to technology, but it is very difficult to train a person to think and act like a doctor.
Pioneering is always challenging because of the uncertainties but anything worthwhile starts from nothing. The most important part of the process is to build the mission and spirit of the institution. It has to be clear and simple and aim to produce people of the highest medical ethic and excellence. You get that wrong and it is almost impossible to change. You get it right from the beginning and it stays for ever, soaked into the very walls of the institution. That is why old doctors like Victor Anomah Ngu and many others who know what we are talking about here need to be involved in fashioning this school. We should not be ashamed to seek outside help.
Posted by: drdann | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 06:00 PM
Great news! It may be advantageous to locate the medical campus away from Buea, say in Victoria or Kumba.
Kumba offers a cross-roads town, burgeoning hospital and PLENTY of accommodation and food, plus railway access to Douala. There is less volcanic hazard.
K-town is special!
Posted by: Kumbaboy | Wednesday, 01 February 2006 at 06:27 PM
GOOD NEWS. TO MEET PRESENT DAY CHALLENGES, UNINVERSITIES OF MEDICINES, ENGINEERING AND AGRICULTURE WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE. THESE THREE DISCIPLINES WILL MAKE CAMEROONIANS NOT TO BE TOO DEPENDENT ON GOVERNMENT. THEY WILL MOTIVATE MORE PEOPLE TO START THINKING OF PRIVATE ENTREPRISES.
NB: MANY CAMEROONIANS ARE USING THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN CAMEROON TO SUCCEED VERY WELL ABROAD AND IN CAMEROON AND THEREFORE THOSE FROM THE MEDICAL SCHOOL WITHOUT EQUIPMENTS WITH EQUALLY SUCCEED. PLEASE NO TURNING BACK AND LIKE ONE THE MEMBERS IN THIS FORUM SAID, MAY BE KUMBA, LIMBE OR TIKO WOULD BE SUITABLE SITE FOR THE MEDICAL CAMPUS.
OKOLLE.
Posted by: OKOLLE | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 02:20 AM
Dear All,
Congratulations to Prof Lambi and team for picking the queue from where Dr. Njeuma stopped.
The question I'd like to ask Ateba and co is do we need this facility at this point in time? Of course, only an insane person would answer this question in the negative, considering the high scarcity of medics in Cameroon in general and Anglophone Cameroon in particular.
So do we have to wait until thy kingdom come to see the billions rain down from Heaven before we could build the most modern of a medical school? I think that Prof Lambi is trying to match faith with action instead of living in a world of hypotheses and speculation.
My point is if we cherish this project for posterity, there's no point in advancing counter-arguments just to exhibit our medical. A more practical approach to my mind is not only to laud the initiative but for each and everyone of us should contribute financially for the the realisation of this lofty project.
Feed us on how to send contributions please!!!
Posted by: Ghogah Hosia (Shandong-China) | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 05:00 AM
I think there has been no counter arguements here. I think the points for or against have been very constructive. Just nobody has said, what prof. Lambi is envisaging is wrong, But men, it takes more than what you read.
We Cameroonians ASSUME too much.
Somebody mentioned Prof. Anomah Ngu. Yes, resourceful people who have insight into this be consulted. if we start wrongly, it will never go right and we shall live to wished we had better started later.
Again a medical school is not Buildings. Those who understand knows what this statement means.
A pre-clinical school with 5 to 10 students? Oh my God. Then actually we don't know what we are talking here.
In any case I rest my case
Posted by: Emah | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 07:36 AM
Emah,
You keep using phrases like "those who understand" This forum is for everybody to understand, so you shouldn´t be writing to selected individuals on the forum becuase you need to convince everyone about what you are saying. Besides, how much have you contributed for the kick start of the medical school? I see you have an idea about the organisation of a medical school, but from every view of yours, you belong to the "I belong class" Stop being myopic ! If you assume too much don´t think all Cameroonians are same. This is the 20th century as you rightly said.
Posted by: nigga | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 08:10 AM
Mr Nigga,
I totally agree with you that the forum is for everyone, you and me alike.
Is it also true that two of us CAN'T understand and appreciate a situation or an article in the same terms for many reasons you can guess? If your answer is YES, then I need not go further.
I need not tell you how much I have or can contribute. Don't you think writing like this is my own QUOTA, what do you think about that? I am not been myopic but realistic Mr Nigga. For your information, I belong to the grassroot, the down trodden.
While you pass judgement Mr Nigga, give your own valid contribution, that is what counts . This is my humble opinion and it remians so. You may not like it, but is the truth.
Nice day Nigga
Posted by: Emah | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 08:56 AM
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.Dr.Lambi is qualified, has got the experience, and organisational skills required to instill orderness and orderliness in our most cherised Anglo-Saxon University. A true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some direction.
He is got a direction.We love to expect;and,when expectation is disappointed or gratified,we want to begin expecting again.His predecessors were too politically obsessed to oppress.Keep going Dr.Lambi
Posted by: NjifenztBD(U.K) | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 11:30 AM
The School of Medecine and the Faculty of Engineering should be moved to Bamenda and called "University of Buea, Bamenda Campus". What do you guys think?
Posted by: Achu Tata | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 03:34 PM
http://www.camerooninjustice.com/shame-8.htm
Posted by: shuche | Thursday, 02 February 2006 at 03:58 PM
Thanks Sammy Ndingi for the information about the UB website. I contacted it and was glad some progress has been done in that domain. I hope they develop it better and make it look befitting. More so, it has be advertized somehow so that many more people know it.
On the medical school issue, I still maintain my stance. Most of you arguing against me and those who bought my idea forget to know that of the earmarked 200 million, only 19.5 million is at hand for the intended kick off of the project next acadamic year. How is the rest of the money to be collected before September ending. Or is it through another coup de coeur? Some of you said many other universities started in that way. I agree but what did they start with - 19.5 million? or even 200 million? I keep asking - what kind of doctors do we want to produce in Buea? This is a university where there are no exchange programs worth the name with for students , whose surrouding medical infrastructure is not good enough to be relied on, which has no properly equiped laboratories and the list is can go on and on.
The basics of a medical school, the very basics indeed require the use of human bodies (dead) for basic anatomy lessons. Here I am not talking about equipments anymore. Does the university have a mortuary where these can be kept and used for practical lessons? Why are the authorities in a haste? When I look around UB, I see nothing, nothing and nothing on which a medical school can be built. The training of lab technicians is not even effective yet? You will agree with me that this has to be improved upon.
Like all of you, I agree that the idea is more than a good one. But as I said before, the timing is wrong. Let's not politicize it like we politicize everything in Cameroon.
And the aim of Buea should not just be to imitate what is going on in Yaounde-training theoretical doctors who are inefficient on the field. If that is the intention of Lambi, then I think I am arguing wrongly and should keep my mouth shut from now. But if he intends to produce medical doctors worth the name - my fellow country men, 20 million, and even 200 million is far too insignificant to begin a project like that one.
Posted by: ateba | Friday, 03 February 2006 at 09:05 AM
After reading many of the good comments, I have noticed that some people like NjifenztBD(UK) really do not have anythink to contribute. Why does he think the best place for the engineering school and that of medicine is bamenda? Why bamenda? why not Limbe, Mamfe. This is what I call the hiden agenda. Please bro keep this idea in your head. Do not hurt old wounds. Why not take the whole University to Bamenda? then the mission must have been completed. Beef
Posted by: ebong fidelis | Saturday, 04 February 2006 at 03:37 PM
Mr ebong if Mr Ndif is a beef then you are a goat. You write trash and sow seeds of division and mistrust we are talking of the Univ of Buea not Buea university or Southwest univ. What is wrong if the engineering school is located in say ombe and the medical school in Bamenda? A university is not just one campus. It is a couple of locations. Oxford, Bristol are in varoius locations. Listen the anglo saxon univ. should represent the interest of the anglo saxon provinces and cameroon as a unit. it will therefore be of economic advantage to other towns like bamenda or Limbe/ombe if they can host other schools. I am in 100% agreement for the medical school to be located in Bamenda and the School of engineering to be located in Limbe or Sonara. Why? the school of engineering located in the south west province will better serve the major engineering markets of cameroon like Douala and Limbe(SONARA/CDC) while the medical school in Bamenda will serve a predominantly vast number of medical students from the northwestern regions of Cameroon NW and West)and a vast availablity of land to allow room for construction and expansion of the medical school in the future and also serve the economy of bamanda as UB and the school of engineering would serve the economy of Buea and Limbe. Anyway would 200 million be enough to locate a medical school in Bamanda? That is my worry.
Posted by: John | Sunday, 05 February 2006 at 12:46 PM
DEAR EBONG FIDELIS,
WHAT A MISTAKE YOU HAVE MADE.PLEASE SPARE OF YOUR WRATH OF INSULTS.I HAVE NEVER EVER SUGGESTED IN THIS FORUM THAT THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE SHOULD BE MOVED TO BAMENDA.THE NAME FOLLOWING THIS ARTICLE IS ACHU TATA.I REPEAT; ACHU TATA.
ITS IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS.I DONOT DESERVE TO BE YOUR BEEF FOR AM A VEGETARIAN.WRITE MATURELY AS YOU GROW UP.
Posted by: NjifenztB.D.(U.K) | Wednesday, 08 February 2006 at 12:42 PM
The university authorities should get feedback of How graduates in Nursing and Medical lab programs are faring in the job market. It will be a simple study for sociology majors to go around the country and feedback the university on what these graduates are doing. This will give them an idea on what to do. It is a difficult, but not impossible task. But we have got to be realistic when setting lofty goals. We all want development around the country. But we must set achievable objectives. We mustn't rush into making hasty decisions. However, i believe we have all learnt from the mismanagement that has turned Cameroon into a begger nation. Success is not only measured in big projects. But we expect these authorities to manage the meager university resources judiciously so we all enjoy from a small successful project, than suffer from a failed elephant project. We have miriads of failed projects in Cameroon owing to corruption, lack of funds, and many more. How can we be talking of a medicine faculty, when i understand students were striking because of the absence of sanitory facilities on campus? How can we be talking of medicine faculty, when faculty members can't have university support to do basic research?. We had better be careful in chosing what will benefit our community most. Let us concentrate our energy in areas that we enjoy some advantages. I believe we need more food from agriculture, and processing facilities to enhance storage rather than a large medicine faculty. Opening a food processing plant (food technology) will be less costly than a medicine faculty. Our graduate will be trained on food processing and storage, thereby helping our parents preserve their food for longer term, and not loose more than half of their produce. Oh how i felt hungry during the rainy season when crops have just been planted. Not that enough was not produced during the last growing season, but almost half of what was produced was lost.
Posted by: Celestine Nke Fosung | Wednesday, 08 February 2006 at 06:19 PM
Congratulation to pr. Lambi.After all the graduation, there are still no jobs for the qualified citizens.Therefore cameroonians still have to make their way to diaspora, in search for jobs, hence leaving the country with a more less developed econcomy. It is a pitty.
Posted by: bridget | Friday, 10 February 2006 at 06:37 PM
Greetings,
The idea of creating a dept. of Medicine in UB is a great one! However, as some have already stated, this idea needs to be approached and handled cautiously. Ateba, medschools don't own MRI's, even in the US, hospitals do. Except you're talking in the case of a university hospital that is part of a Medschool. However, I'm not trying to say that hospitals in Cameroon have MRIs.
As for the cream of the crop, we don't want to train inefficient MD's. Cadavers are very important in the study of medicine. Anatomy without cadaver is ...something else. Med. students for instance, in US work with cadavers from first semester of medschool. I know Cameroon is not up to that standard but I also believe that we don't want to train less than excellent doctors. There's a BIG difference between someone who just reads books/notes and regurgitate versus someone who gets a bunch of facts and supplements that with practicals. Yes, medicine has much to do with training someone how to listen to a patient, gather history, diagnose and decide on a treatment regimen. We shouldn't forget that the better a student is able to understand the human anatomy, the better he/she will be able to "picture" what organ/region is related to the patient's complain and how it is probably being affected.
While I support the idea that the dept. of med. might go operational as soon as possible, I want to be real. Those incharge should be aware of the reality and even if by Year 1, students are unable to do certain Lab courses b/c of infrastructure, this should be wooven into the prog. by 3rd Year when perhaps, the school's situation is better. On the other hand, certain courses are necessary as a foundation for others. How can I even start thinking about properly fixing a plumbing problem of a sink in a house when I don't even know which pipes leads to the sink/nor can I recognize them?? With each student paying about 2.5million FCFA (http://www.leffortcamerounais.com/2006/01/buea_university.html), eventhough it really amounts to nothing for a good infrastructure, it could supplement what they have. A non standard, but superb, curriculum should be design such that it takes into account what is not possible now and that the first batch is able to go thru what a real medstudent is supposed to experience prior to graduation. We'll see how it goes....
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