By Ernest Sumelong
The Buea Chapter of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ, is now bracing up for the launching of a multi-media centre following a fundraising over the weekend.
Kingsley Ako, CAMASEJ Buea President
The Association raised over FCFA 2.8 million in cash and pledges for the ambitious project, Saturday, January 31, during a fundraising ceremony at the King David Square Hotel Muea, Buea.
The centre, which is to serve as a press club, will comprise a library, a cyber café, a restaurant and a bar. The project, expected to be a landmark project in the life of CAMASEJ, has already had the endorsement of major companies, embassies and diplomatic missions.
According to CAMASEJ Buea President, Kingsley Ako Tanyi, a major company in the country has pledged to donate some 30 computers and internet line to the Association. Meanwhile, diplomatic missions, organisations and individuals have indicated to support the project in terms of providing about 10,000 books for the centre's library.
Saturday's fundraising that was placed under the patronage of the Cameroon GCE Board Registrar, Humphrey Ekema Monono, with the CEO of EurOil, Chief Tabetando as Chief Launcher, had the President of the Cameroon Union of Journalists, CUJ, Charly Ndi Chia, the Southwest Regional Secretary of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Chris Tambe Tiku, the WCPDM President for Fako III, Hannah Etonde Mbua, and a cream of journalists in attendance.
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Speaking at the occasion, Ndi Chia lauded the initiative, which, according to him, would accord journalists the dignity they deserve. He urged journalists to take issues concerning them seriously since, going by him, the society looks up to them. He also advised journalists to get up from lethargy and kill the vices that have crept into the exalted profession.
"What moral authority do we have to criticise government or individuals in public office for perpetrating one vice or the other if we cannot show an example worth emulating?" the CUJ President questioned.
On his part, Johannes Mbong Ngole, Deputy Registrar in charge of Examinations at the GCE Board, who deputised for the Registrar, enthused that they are pleased to witness the first ever giant plan of CAMASEJ. "This indicates CAMASEJ's wish to diversify their activities, by not only limiting themselves to giving information, educating the public, analysing events and entertaining their audiences, but also providing the Buea population with a cyber café, a library and a documentation centre.
In this way, CAMASEJ wants to promote research activities inevitable in a University Town like Buea," Mbong said. On behalf of CAMASEJ Buea, Ako pledged that the money realised would be well husbanded for the fruition of the project. "In the days ahead, we would be inviting the public to witness the launching of the multi-media centre," he said.
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