UBa ARE WE BUILDING OR TEARING? Ndikum Peter

On the 9 of December 2010, President Paul Biya on the occasion of llie commcmorution of the 50 anniversary of our armed forces said, "Ceci ne nous empecherapas, a plus long terme, de prevoir la construction d'un barrage hydro-electrique sur Ie cours de la Menchum.Mais Ie developpement c'est aussi I'accession du plus grand nombre aux sciences et aux techniques. C'est ce quo nous nous sommcs appliques a faire en ouvrant a I'Ecole Normale Superieure Annexe de Ramhili,en Mars 2009,18 departements couvrant autant de disciplines au niveau des lers et des 2emes cycles de I'enseignement superieure. L 'ojfre deformation a I'ENSAB est dvsormais I 'une des p]us importantes au Cameroun .Elle accueille actuellement environ 3500 ctudiants et pourra ulterieurement en recevoir davantage lorsque Ie programme d'extension des infrastructures en cows aura ete mene a bien. Ainsi se trouve deja pose Ie probleme de Sa Transformation en universite de plein droit, jouissant de I'autonomie que sa taille et son role justificnt pleinement. That is 'why I am pleased to announce to you that I have decided to create the University of Bamenda!" By decree No 2010/3:72 of 14th December 2010,President Paul Biya rendered his declaration Concrete by creating the University of Bamenda. On October 1st 2011 the Pro Chancellor and Vice Chancellor were appointed and on the 3rd of October 2011, they were installed in Bambili by the Chancellor of Academic Orders, Prof Jacque Fame Ndongo. This was in the Presence of a cross section of North West elite, those who lobbied for this University and who had that responsibility of making it grow. This was the realization of the CCAST Complex Vision that the fathers of this nation in the likes of Pa John Ngu Foncha had. Naming and Locating Like other state universities, UBa needed both a physical and an intellectual setting. A close look at these Universities will tell us that they came as a result of the transformation of some existing educational institutions. University of Ngaoundere—Food Technology School (ENSIAC) University of Buea—School of Translation and Interpretation (ASTI) University of Douala—Higher Technical Teachers Training College (ENSET) University of Dcshang— School of Agronomy (ENSA) ENS and ENSET Bambili therefore served as pillars of the University of Bamenda. The vision of UBa is "to be a leading national institution of higher learning geared towards meeting present and future development challenges through efficient teaching, research and sterling innovation". The challenge is now ours, as citizens of this nation, to build the school and help the officials of UBa keep the vision alive. That a university of this caliber (six faculties and five schools) can operate on a single campus, is an intellectual farce given the resources we have. On the basis of this, some political elite and traditional rulers from the North West Region, began speculating, Suggesting and lobbying for the placements of faculties, schools or offices in ''x" or "y" Locality for purely economic and/or political motives; Aware of all these, ProfJacque Fame Ndongo in a letter to the Vice Chancellor dated 18th April 2012 writes "I kindly wish to draw your attention to the fact that the inhabitants of Bamenda have to feel the presence of the University in their region although there is no argument with the seat of the said university, it is practically impossible for its structures and Establishments to be located entirely on its current site". Discord; On the 8th of January 2013, the SDO of Mezam published prefectoral order No 03PO/E29/712/S2 setting up a site board commission for the selection of a parcel of land for the construction of the chancellery and residence of the vice chancellor of UBa in Bamendankwe, considering letter No 012/1614/UBa/VC/Cab/nyf of 11th December 2012 from the vice Chancellor ofUBa. Few days later, in his meet the people tour in Tubah Suh-Division, the SDO met with fierce arguments and protests against the attempts of the Vice Chancellor to move the seat of UBa out of Dambili-Tubah Sub Division. On the 21st of January 2013,the youths of Tubah staged a public demonstration in llambili where they handed a memorandum through the DO of Tubah to the Head of State in which they questioned "why the 112 Hectares of land reserved by our forefathers in pre independent Cameroon for the development of higher education in the then Anglophone Cameroon has been ignored by ProfTafah Edokat" They assert, "we the youth of Tubah, -are not against decentralization -are against the decentralization of what is not yet built -are pleading that the reserved land be used before the tentacles of UBa begin to spread -are requesting that politicians of North West desist from tearing this new bom baby apart". The meeting of 6th February summoned by the SDO of Mezam: In attendance were all the Fons of Tubah (Bambui, Kedjom Keku, Kedjom Ketingoh, Bambili). From Bamenda 1,2 and3 were the Fons of Mankon,Bamendankwe,Nkwen,Nsongwa,Banja and Mbatu-Thefons and elite of Tubah held the SDO responsible for the tussle because during his tour, he disclaimed the order, on grounds that it was done by his predecessor and that he was going to annul it, but later stood as the architect. The Fons of Nkwcn, Bamendankwe, Nsongwa and Banja stood for the implantation of the seat of UBa in Bambili. Some elite from Mankon argued that the university was named Bamenda and that it should be in Bamenda and nowhere else. The Vice Chancellor on his part argued that the 112 Hectares of land in Bambili-Tubah was earmarked for some schools of the University. "What Comes first the Chancellery or the schools? This is putting the cart before the horse. Where is the master plan that the government spent more than 200million to produce under the University of Yaounde 1 with Prof Dorothy Njeuma as Rector?" Tubah Fons questioned. The SDO at the end advised the population through the Fons, to stay calm and that he was going to channel the hearings to the appropriate quarters for action. What Next? Tubah fons and elite gave the SDO's declarations, serious doubts. They have since then been Collecting signatures for a memo to the Head of State, that the SDO of Mezam and the Vice Chancellor want to parcel and auction UBa to bidders and that they (the Fons and their Subjects) are for the maintenance of the seat of UBa in Bambili-Tubah. They equally wish to mobilize funds for the renovation of underused government structures in Tubah for the benefit of UBa. Fortunately enough, the time ultimatum and instructions from the Head of State through the Minister of Higher Education ordering the Vice Chancellor to declare to the Press that no Chancellery is moving to any where and that most of the Faculties will remain in Tubah, brought the population new found glory in the Party. As such motivated the youths and the entire Tubah Population to take the street on Saturday in thanks giving March to President Paul Biya declaring their unalloyed and unflinching support. Promising to take back the constituency Mezam V from the hands of the SDF held captive for over 11 years now. The great question now is who is the winner or the looser? as the struggle continues, an uneasy calm plays host within the University