President Biden Appoints Cameroonian-American as US Assistant Secretary of Defense

By Christopher Ambe

 President Joe Biden on May 13 announced his nomination of Cameroonian-American Dr. Laura D.Taylor-Kale as US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy.

Dr. Laura D.Taylor-Kale

  Laura Taylor-Kale, who is the daughter of Architect Julius Kale and the granddaughter of the late Paul Monyongo mo'Kale, Speaker of the West Cameroon House of Assembly and President of the House of Chiefs, is highly expected to secure the US Senate confirmation to the coveted position.

Reacting to Laura Taylor-Kale’s nomination, emeritus Professor Ndiva Kofele Kale noted, “As the head of the Kale family, I can assure you that we're immensely proud of Laura's appointment as Assistant Secretary of Defense. It is an appointment that expresses the high confidence and trust she enjoys with President Biden. This office is among the select posts in the US Government that require Senate confirmation.”

According to Professor Kofele Kale, “Laura’s achievements are a reflection of her illustrious family background as well as her impressive academic pedigree!

“I'm very confident that she'll secure Senate confirmation to this position of trust and confidence.”

Laura’s father, Architect Julius Kale, is the youngest brother of emeritus Professor Ndiva Kofele Kale,who is a member of Cameroon’s opposition Party,the Social Democratic Front(SDF).   

It should be noted that emeritus Professor Ndiva Kofele Kale is a very resourceful member of Cameroon’s opposition Party,the Social Democratic Front(SDF) and Lead Counsel  for imprisoned  Cameroon’s ex-Minister of State Marafa Hamidou Yaya.

Kofele Kale has been challenging what he calls the “arbitrary detention” of his client in various United Nations treaty/based bodies.

PROFILE OF DR. LAURA TAYLOR-KALE

According to the official website of THE WHITE HOUSE: “Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale She serves as the Fellow for Innovation and Economic Competitiveness at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where she researches and writes about strategic innovation, industrial policy, and the changing nature of work, and contributes to CFR’s Renewing America Initiative.

“ From 2017-2018, she was an International Affairs Fellow at CFR and the Deputy Director of CFR’s independent task force on the future of the U.S. workforce.  From 2014-2017, Taylor-Kale served in the Obama-Biden Administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing in the International Trade Administration, and as the Senior Advisor for Policy and Operations at the U.S. Development Finance Corporation. Taylor-Kale joined the Obama-Biden Administration from the World Bank, where she held positions as an advisor to the U.S. Executive Director on the boards of the World Bank and International Finance Corporation and as an advisor to the Bank Group’s Vice President for sustainable development and climate change.

“ From 2003-2012, Taylor-Kale was a career State Department Foreign Service Officer, with diplomatic postings in Afghanistan, India, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

“Taylor-Kale holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and anthropology from Smith College, a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, a Master of Business Administration from the New York University’s Stern School of Business, and has earned a Ph.D. in management science and engineering with a specialization in Organizations, Technology, and Entrepreneurship from Stanford University’s School of Engineering. Taylor-Kale is a native Midwesterner and resides in Washington, DC.”

President Biden’s other May 13, 2022 nominees pending Senate  confirmation are: David Pressman, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Hungary;Heide B. Fulton, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay;Calvin Smyre, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas;Yohannes Abraham, Nominee for Representative of the United States of America to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary;Stacy Dean, Nominee for Under Secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture;Alexis Taylor, Nominee for Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture;Rubydee Calvert, Nominee for Member of the Board of Directors for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Andrew G. Biggs, Nominee for Member of the Social Security Advisory Board

Cameroon:Profile of Award-winning Journalist Christopher Ambe Shu

Christopher Ambe Shu,award-winning journlaist 

By Theobin Fuh Tumfung

Christopher Ambe Shu is a Cameroonian who has consistently practiced journalism  for at least twenty-two years.

He is presently the Editor-in-Chief of AFRICA EXCELLENCE magazine, a Pan-African magazine with head office in Buea-Cameroon and THE HORIZON Newspaper’s  Contributing Editor .The Horizon is a Yaounde-based Newspaper, and   one of the best-edited English newspapers in Cameroon.

 Christopher Ambe Shu was  on  Tuesday May 3, in Buea on the occasion of this year’s  World Press Freedom Day  publicly honored  alongside   several other   laureates  by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) ,University of Buea(UB),Cameroon. 

 The  well-attended ceremony took place in the  Dorothy Limunga Njeuma Amphi 750 of University of Buea,chaired by Professor Emmanuel Yenshu,Dean of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences,who was representing the Vice-Chancellor Professor Horace Ngomo Manga.

Ambe Shu was   honored with an award as the “Most Professional Journalist” from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Buea-Cameroon” since its creation in 1993,according to Associate Professor Kingsley L. Ngange,head of  Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Buea .

Ever since his graduation from the University of Buea in 1996 with a BSc(Hons) in Journalism and Mass Communication, Ambe Shu has been practicing journalism uninterruptedly and professionally for over 22 years:from a reporter for various national newspapers, senior editor for magazines and newspapers to the Publisher of The RECORDER Newspaper.

This seasoned journalist is one of the fourteen (14) pioneer graduates of the Department of JMC, UB.

Chris Ambe was admitted to read Journalism and Mass Communication in 1993, the same year the JMC-UB went operational and he graduated in 1996 with a BSc (Hons, 2nd Class lower).

Presently, he is not  only the Editor-in-Chief of AFRICA EXCELLENCE but also  Senior Editor at  FOOT PRINTS magazine,a Cameroonian  magazine.

Chris Ambe is also Publisher of The RECORDER Newspaper, founded in 2007; but he has suspended the publication of the English bi-monthly for some time now. But there are indications that the newspaper may resume publication 

It should be noted that as a JMC UB student, Chris Ambe was Features Editor of THE CHARIOT (the JMC -run campus newspaper) and he stringed for several critical newspapers such as TODAY of Veteran Journalist Ntemfac Ofege and The Herald   Newspaper of Media Icon,Dr.Boniface Forbin.

In 1997, Chris Ambe volunteered as a journalist at the Southwest Provincial Delegation for Communication for six months, during which period his reports were published by CAMNEWS/SOPECAM (Cameroon Tribune).

In 1998, he would become a reporter for CAMEROON POST Newspaper and later for The BEACON Newspaper

Noted for his quality reports, Chris Ambe was contracted by the publisher of The HERALD Newspaper, Dr. Boniface Forbin, in July 1999 to report for the paper. He served dutifully as Southwest Bureau Chief of The Herald Newspaper for seven years.

Journalist Christopher Ambe Shu(right) receiving Award as the "Most Profesional Journalist" from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Buea-Cameroon.The award is being handed to him by Professor Emmanuel Yenshu, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, University of Buea,who was representing the Vice-Chancellor,Professor Horance Ngomo Manga

He resigned from The Herald Newspaper in August 2006 and in 2007 he started The RECORDER Newspaper, noted for its objective and critical reporting.

Chris Ambe also blogs, publishing a blog called The RECORDER Newsline (www.recorderline.blogspot.com)

In 2006, Chris Ambe served as acting President of the Southwest Chapter of the Cameroon Association of Commonwealth Journalists (CACOJ) and later as Vice-President of Cameroon Union of Journalists, Southwest Branch.

 He also occupied, for several years, the post of Financial Secretary of Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) Buea Chapter.

 He has attended many journalism seminars/workshops, some sponsored by the British High Commission in Yaoundé, US Embassy Yaoundé and the Commonwealth Secretariat, London; the UN Human Rights Center in Yaoundé, the UNDP Office in Cameroon etc.

With his wealth of professional experience, Chris Ambe has been a facilitator at several workshop/seminars for Cameroon journalists.

Chris Ambe was a regular panelist of the famous CRTV (Radio)-Buea Press Club program, aired every Saturday Morning from 2006-2014 which critically discussed topical issues in the news.

 A native of Bafut in Mezam Division of the Northwest region of Cameroon  who has lived in Buea for several decades  , Chris Ambe is married to Claris Dudzernyuy, a career teacher( presently,HeadTeacher of LIGHT OF EXCELLENCE Nursery And Primary School,Great Soppo,Buea);the couple is blessed with three children.

He is a Presbyterian (Christian). He loves reading/research/music/sports/tourism

 He holds posts of responsibility in many socio-cultural groups.For example,he was, in April 2022, elected PRO of the Bafut Development Manjong (BDM),Buea Branch .In 2021,Chris Ambe  was  appointed by  His Majesty Fon Abumbi of Bafut  ( of Northwest Region) as Technical Adviser for  the Bafut Cultural and Language Center in Buea.