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Cameroon. Prof Ephraim Ngwafor is new SOBA President
Eminent Cameroonian Professor of Law Prof. Ephraim Ngwafor is the new President of the Sasse Old boys association, SOBA. The university don took over from another colleague, Prof. George Dopgima Nyamndi, Lecturer, University of Buea, who served as SOBA president for the last three years.
Prof Ngwafor. Easily floored his much younger opponent Barrister Kameni
The event was the Elective General Assembly of SOBA, which took place Saturday, August 10 2013 at the assembly hall of the college in Buea. Prof. Ngwafor, from the SOBA Yaoundé Chapter easily won the hotly contested election against Barrister John Kameni of the Buea Chapter. Prof Ngwafor floored Kameni with an impressive 75 votes. Kameni managed to garner just 6.
Following the SOBA constitution, the following members were nominated as Vice Presidents; Barrister Emmanuel Eben of the Douala chapter, Prof. George Elambo Nkeng from Yaoundé, Joseph Ndofor from Bamenda, Dr. Ernest Molua from Buea, Beltus Ntopi from the SOBA USA chapter and Joki Manga of SOBA Europe.
Kameni John . Smiling Loser
The Secretariat of SOBA will be managed by Ebot Mfataw of the Yaoundé chapter and assisted by Takor Takor from Limbe. The Financial Secretary is Douala-based and MTN Cameroon Financial Planning Manager, Ako-Achere Ayuk. Joseph Gana Zanyine, Senior Tax Inspector and Northwest Regional Taxation boss was voted Treasurer of SOBA. Yours truly, Walter Wilson Nana of The Post Newspaper and SOBA Buea chapter was elected PRO and will be assisted by another journalist, Peter Esunji Nkeng of CRTV Television, Yaoundé.
In his acceptance speech, Ngwafor noted that SOBA is one despite the challenges of recent years, while expressing gratitude to all for making the elective AGM 2013 a success story. “Let us take the commitment to make SOBA an indivisible family,” he said.
According to Ngwafor, his administration will constantly source for information from the PTA of Sasse College, the school administration and the Bishop of Buea, proprietor of Sasse College to ensure that the institution stays at the pole position of academia and spirituality.
He took a commitment to get SOBA connected across the world, especially in the build up to the 75th anniversary of Sasse College slated for 2014. “We have to continue with the spirit of living with people. Every ex-student must come and belong to SOBA so that we proceed with the feverish preparations around the 75th anniversary,” he added.
Professor Ngwafor told SOBANS that the expected SOBA House earmarked for Buea will be back on the agenda of his mandate, saying he will take the assignments, difficulties one after the other. “All of us want to see a giant SOBA and we promise to take care of the lapses in the constitution, especially making it airy for SOBANS in the Diaspora to be effectively involved in what we do and their participation,” he mentioned.
Outgoing president Prof. Nyamndi said he has handed SOBA to SOBANS, hoping that the flock will grow and prosper. “Grow and prosper because whoever inherits the exciting baton of shepherd will be fired by the zeal to work for the association and for the association only”, he added.
The varsity don said there is no greater honour than the call to service, inviting all to be ready to surrender, collectively, for the well being of the college that molded SOBANS and the association to which all SOBANS owe their cherished identity.
Some SOBANS look on in amusement
The Principal of Sasse College, Rev.Fr. Peter Nouck wished that Prof Ngwafor still worked closely with Barrister Kameni whom he defeated for the good of the association.
Sasse College was awarded a National Award of Excellence for the Best College in Cameroon by the association, Terre d’Accueil and an international award from an association in Paris, France that ranked the College the best school in Africa in the domain of Quality Leadership.
For the fourth consecutive year, Sasse College has had a hundred percent at both the GCE Ordinary and Advanced Levels examinations in Cameroon.
The college was founded in 1939 by the Mill Hill Missionaries from the UK. Next year, Sasse will celebrate its 75th anniversary.
Dear Publisher
I am scandalized to realize that this communication medium is used as a propaganda machine and an avenue to spread lies. I do not incriminate you because you might be reporting stories you heard from whosoever.
FACTS
1- Professor Ngwafor had 75 votes against nobody, in fact he lost 26 votes to himself as the Kameni you put in your article did not stand any elections against the Prof.
2- The photograph you put of the said Kameni (smiling Loser) is not taken on the day of the elections and Kameni was never a loser he never stood an election and Soba values did not allow him legitimize a Masquerade and an illegality.
3- The Eminent Professor either misread or misunderstood or was extased to have misunderstood Honorary President for Honorary membership and even went ahead to quote the constitution of SOBA. Imagine this catastrophe before his student.
4- Following the Constitution there is no provision for SOBA VPs in the USA and Europe. your right up is a farce and a misrepresentation.
5- You failed to mention that all the SOBANS who paid their national dues who had the right to vote by proxy and who eventually sent same were disenfranchised.
Finally Mr Publisher next time you dare to write an article on sasse or Soba you should be better instructed that we are Cameroonians of a particular intellectual and moral class. I am sorry you were used.
Thank You
Dear Sir, this article has no author, are you sure it is not written by Prof Ngwafor or Leke or Oben?
As a junior soban present during my first ever attended AGM. I was disappointed with the behavior of three eminent professors who were so desperate to prove that they failed during their administrative life and want to use Soba to regain popularity. In fact i was so ashamed that I had to stay and vote for the composed Barrister who gave a vision for the college. I was shocked to hear that all soba rules had to be violated in order to make the professor win. It was like a man carrying an elephant still struggling to pick up an ant and collapses under the weight of what he has. If I were a Soban in the diaspora I will not attach my self to such shame to have been appointed in absentia when there is no provision for that. All I heard was the 75th Anniversary, is it all about the money? well we could have been preps but we watched and listened attentively. We had no listens to take home.
Danny
Erudite Barrister, the phrase is write-up not ‘right up’ for starters. I would urge you to graciously back down as these outbursts do nothing to help your course. Some people cannot help but wonder if it is the money coming in next year that makes you toss and turn and loose sleep at night or whether you genuinely love the SOBA brand? Because if it were the latter, you would seat back patiently and honourably awaiting the next elections. You should take this precious time to build your network nationally and not locally; only then would you stand a chance. I would have thought you could afford to hire a bus or two to enable your supporters commute the short-haul distance between Sasse and Buea, surely that would have demonstrated more commitment. There is no evidence to suggest that if the other chapter brought in their own list of proxy voters nationally and worldwide you would stand a chance. This argument lacks umph and does no justice to you. It makes sense to do the honourable thing and concede. Finally, your choice of words show your desperation because an honorary president can only be conferred upon an honorary member whose definition is clearly underscored in the constitution, except you propose changing the texts?
As for you Danny, in life they say do something about it or shut up and stop complaining. You are exactly the problem that needs eradication in Cameroon. Seating on the fringes at times of moral uncertainty, hiding behind keyboards and talking gibberish. At least the esteemed barrister stands for something. You Danny I am sorry to say stand for nothing. You talk about Professors so callously, I wonder whether Sasse college really passed through you because if you have failed to understand the sort of gritting, grinding and grafting needed to become one. The Professors you refer to I wonder if you have any idea what they represent nationally and not just at SOBA level. Be careful Danny, you could find yourself quarantined and isolated on the internet platform. Focus on yourself and your own achievements and let those who have made a name for themselves bask in their glory.
Jeff Kinyang, which class of Sasse do you belong? Thanks for at least mentioning after your itchy write up that I stand for something. I spend sleepless nights on issues concerning Soba and that is what I would do as President of Soba but that will never erase my desire for the truth and righteousness. That is the virtue I took out of Sasse. Many people think that societies, especially African, that people accept wrong things and allow the society to suffer because it is a way of life(That my friend is a borrowed attitude from Francophones), I will never acquiesce to that. Jeff you have written much about nothing and I hope you tell us what you stand for if not a mere misdirected ranting Praise singer. I accept your ignorance and forgive you when you try to cover up that Honorary Presidency is given to Honorary members, SHAME! honorary membership is given to non Sobans but Honorary Presidency is for distinguished Sobans.
Class of 74. John I have no problem with you and have no intention to engage in a verbal scuffle. I’ll leave you with this–A setback is a set-up for a come-back; lift your head high. Based on your sleepless nights, I am confident you will make a formidable president in the near future. And just so you know I am a francophone who happens to be Cameroonian like you.
@Jeff Kinyang. Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones. Go back to what you wrote and spell check.
I hope new President, Professor Ephraim Ngwafor, will bring some many needed renovations and a better look to Sasse College. I visited the school twice last year and was ashamed of myself. The place did not look like the Sasse College Professor Ngwafor went to. From the main gate all through to the top of the hill where the Convent is located, Sasse College looked like an abandoned place. Sasse College deserves much better: the gate, the road into the college campus, the buildings on the main campus, staff houses… Haba, Rev. Principal, does paint no longer exist? Does the word, “repair” still exist? If Sasse had been kept by others like I saw the place last year, I am not sure you would have met it! As a visitor in August 2013, I felt ashamed of the Sasse College I knew in the 1970s when I first visited the place.
Sobas. Be on the look out for attempts by the evil french cameroun govt to destroy our
heritage and culture
Through their illegal tool of bingualism. A euphism for frenchification. Especialy via awards
By france. As well as french
cameroun sponsored scharsbip and
French cameroun cultural confision
they did tje same
Thing to ombe college and litterall
y destroy it with their frenchification
agenda. Ccass kumba. Bambili
pss. Etc all have faen victims
Sobans should Be on the look out for attempts by the evil French cameroun govt to destroy our
heritage and culture through their illegal tool of bilingualism, a euphemism for “frenchification” especialy via awards
by France. As well as French cameroun sponsored scholarsbips and French cameroun cultural confusion, they did the same thing to Ombe college and practically destroyed it with their “frenchification” agenda. Ccast kumba. Bambili, PSS etc all have fallen victims. Soba should build a University of Science and engineering in limbe of in Buea modelling it on British Universities and link up with Nigerian entrance exams
This option must be only for southern cameroons citizens
It will be of the best of interest for all of you socalled students of sasse to stop cackling in public and comfirming to the public that the sasse that we heard of did not give u any training.