Cameroon :CELLA Members Urged to Use Forum to publish Research works

By Christopher Ambe

Cameroon English Language and Literature Association (CELLA), the only widely known forum for bringing together scholars of English Language and Literature in Cameroon to exchange intellectual ideas, and to publish peer reviewed scientific articles, on 4^th and 5^th November, held its fourth conference in Buea.

Prof. Nol Alembong,Deputy Vice-Chancellor of University of Buea in charge of Teaching , who opened  the conference  on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea,Prof. Horace Ngomo Manga, urged CELLA members  to use the forum to publish their scientific articles.

Prof. Alembong commended the organizers of the conference, noting that conferences give the opportunity for participants to share ideas and knowledge, thereby contributing to development of society in various ways.

He advised that the conference should end with the publication of the various research papers.

The CELLA International Conference in Buea, which was the 4^th CELLA come together, coincided with the 5^th edition of the KASHIM IBRAHIM TALA LECTURE (KITAL), took place at the former Alliance-Franco Camerounaise-Buea.

. The joint event was organized by CELLA in partnership with St. Lawrence University Institute and the Faculty of Arts, University of Buea.

The conference commemorated Emeritus Professor, Kashim Ibrahim Tala, 78,for his enormous contribution to knowledge through and teaching and  mentorship.

 It was attended by 98 participants (scholars) from varsities and other higher Institutes of learning in Cameroon and via online participation by scholars from Nigeria,Kenya and Rwanda.

Feeling honored and speaking at the opening ceremony, Emeritus Professor Kashim Ibrahim Tala, noted:

 “Conferences such as this are the kind of intellectual activities that effectively generate and inspire the level of interest in scholarship that has been absent in Cameroonian academia for quite some time.

“It is a confirmation of the fact that teachers are the greatest contributors to the intellectual, social, economic, political and moral development of any country.”

Prof .Tala reiterated   the responsibility of the teacher as expressed by an eminent guru: The most valuable thing a teacher can impact to children is not knowledge and understanding per se,but a longing  for knowledge and values whether they be artistic, scientific or moral.

According to Prof.Tala, who was the first person to obtain a Doctorate Degree from the then University of Yaounde in 1982 under the tutelage of the iconic and venerable Emeritus Professor Bernard Nsokika Fonlon, “Any teacher who fails to arouse in his or her students, a thirst for knowledge and the search for truth should count himself or herself a failure. Thus, the fact that this conference is premised on the contention that profound appreciation of genuine intellectualism is necessary to foster sustainable scholastic endeavors in our county is in and of itself praise worthy.”

He noted that CELLA is recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and urged its members to support it whole-heartedly and “use it as a forum for the publication of our scientific articles.”

Other speakers at the opening ceremony included Dr. Christina Abonge,head of Department, Women and Gender Studies, University of Buea, who presented the inaugural address  and Emeritus Professor Paul Mbangwana,who presented the KITAL Lecture.

Dr. Abonge‘s paper titled “Gender, Sexuality and Culture: Emerging Issues in Cameroonian Society” provoked interesting reactions from the participants.

Same was the presentation of Emeritus Prof. Mbangwana,titled “Evolving Gender  Roles in the Western Grasslands of Cameroon”

The keynote address came from Prof. Ayu’nwi N. Neba  of the University of Buae,on the topic “ A Linguistic Perspective  on Credible Empirical Data Collection and Analyses for Deciphering Cultural Ideologies of Gender, Sexuality and Ecology in local communities.

Day 2 of the conference, which began with a keynote address by Prof .Rev Fr. Suh Michael Niba,titled “ African Cultural and Christian Wisdom: The Earth  is Burning” work in various sessions