University of Buea Emerges Winner of Cameroon Students’ Challenge.

Dr. Ernest L. Molua, Academic supervisor of UB win team, highly praised.

By Christopher Ambe  

Dr. Molua being congratulated by UB VC

   University of Buea (UB), state-owned and Cameroon’s first Anglo-saxon university, last Friday May 31 emerged as the Champions of the pioneer Cameroon Students’ Challenge (CSC), which had as competitors, teams from seven of the eight state-owned universities of Cameroon.

    Dr. Ernest L.Molua, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, who was the academic supervisor of the UB team at the CSC, was particularly applauded for coaching the UB competitors to victory. The four- student UB team went home with a trophy and cash prize of 1.2 million Fcfa.

The four postgraduate students who did UB proud are:Donald Malomba Esembe(team leader);Tangi Livinus Ngu,Tibetius Ndzelen Ashu and Ongbile Yoko Nadege

    The University of Yaounde II, which had competed with the UB team (debaters) at the finals, came second, with a cash prize of 700,000 Fcfa. And the University of Dschang came third, bagging 500,000 Fcfa.

    The CSC, which ran from May 28 -31, on the campus of the University of Buea, held under the theme “Stakes and Challenges of Cameroon’s integration and Emergence” 

The first edition of CSC came in the context of celebrations marking fifty years of Cameroon’s Independence and Reunification.

    Designed and organized by the Foreign and National Press Observatory (OPEN) in Yaounde, the CSC was intended to “detect, recognize and promote the worth of brilliant, ingenious and talented students and to challenge them on themes and interventions that contribute to Cameroon’s emergence; hence, the slogan of Cameroon students’ challenge-“Youth are ingenious!”

    OPEN (www.opencameroon.net) is a non-profit association and think-tank exploring cultural and scientific issues.

    The CSC held under the patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education(MINESUP)and the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development(MINEPAT) and was inspired by the country’s Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP), the Government‘s blueprint for Cameroon to become an emerging nation by 2035.

    OPEN, in organizing the CSC, had as strategic partner -Paul Ango Ela Foundation for Geopolitic   in Central Africa (FPAE) and as privileged partners CERDOTOLA and OAPI.

Sponsors were: Banque Atlantique and Guinness Cameroon SA

The seven participating universities were: Dschang, Buea, Maroua, Douala, Bamenda, Yaounde 1 and Yaounde II. The University of Ngaoundere did not participate in the CSC.

Professor Victor Julius Ngoh, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UB was the President of the CSC Jury, made of other University dons

Dr. Nalova Lyonga admires trophy won by her students

    In her closing remarks, Dr. Nalova Lyonga,UB Vice-Chancellor acknowledged that, it had been three days of real intellectual discourse and congratulated the organizers, sponsors  and the participating universities.

“CSC is born and is alive”, the UB Vice-Chancellor said, noting that University of Buea is a “great promoter of national unity.

She added, “We can only hope to have more of these situations to tickle the brains of these post-graduate students. It is a learning experience. I do believe that the outcome of this competition challenges all of us. It is a challenge for us to build; CSC is opened now in Buea.The Head of State is listening”

    Other speakers at the closing ceremony included Executive Secretary of OPEN, François Herve Moudourou,who  expressed gratitude to UB Vice-Chancellor for giving total support towards the successful organization  of the first edition of CSC.She equally thanked other stakeholders of the development initiative.

UB  students  emerged  pioneer CSC champions

Mr. Moudourou reiterated the objective of the CSC, earlier mentioned. He hinted about African Students Challenge (ASC) in the near future.

    Mbote Emmanuel Nasako of UB emerged

 first in an artistic drawing competition and Ntui Oben Obi Agbor of UB also presented the best poem titled “Emergence Soonest.” Both male UB students received cash prizes .UB choir also received a handsome cash prize for composing and singing the official CSC anthem.

    The emergence of UB in flying colors as the pioneer CSC champion, observers said, has emphasized the fact that UB is for academic excellence e.

   UB academic victory over other state varsities has also doused memories of a recent UB students’ rebellion that resulted to vandalism and bloody violence.