THE LUNCH I HAD AT ASTI WITH Dr. MOFOR FIDELIS

THE LUNCH I HAD WITH Dr. MOFOR FIDELIS OF ASTI

The Advanced School of Translators and Interpreters (ASTI) is not just one of the institutions of the University of Buea but the very first of them. Furthermore, ever since its creation in 1985 it has became an indisputable pole of reference for translation and interpretation in the whole of Africa. This is no surprise because from independence, Cameroon  was the only country on the continent with two official languages – French and English. So making it the continent`s laboratory for training translators and interpreters was simply the icing on the cake.

At the time of its creation, ASTI was the lone institution at the then University of Buea. I was in France training at the School of Translators and Interpreters in Lille. So when I obtained my Diplôme de Traducteurs-Interprètes (Niveau Maîtrise) and returned to Cameroon for the first time in seven years, I made it a point to visit the Buea campus. I remember that the day I stepped into the Buea university grounds, the first person I saw was my childhood friend in Bambili, Leo Suh who was a student at ASTI. After graduating, Leo was posted to the General Delegation for National Security as a translator. There he also joined the police force and later rose to the rank of Senior Commissioner of Police. 

  The Director of ASTI at the time was Dr. Mofor Fidelis. He was overjoyed to see me. He took me to greet the Director General of the University Centre, Prof. Mbuagbaw. After that we went back to his office where I asked him a lot of excited questions about the institution.

At lunch time he took me home and his beautiful wife treated us to a sumptuous meal. At one point during the meal, Dr. Mofor said something to his wife in their native Lebialem language which made her laugh so heartily that I asked what it was about.  

“My husband just told me that he has a request to make of me and when I asked, he said the stew is so nice that if I did him the favour of adding a little more, he would never ask me for any other favours.  .” I also burst out laughing. Madam added the sauce not just for her husband but also for me. It was a good lunch and very good company. After that, Dr. Mofor drove me to the Buea Park where I boarded a vehicle for Douala. To this day, I have not forgotten that lunch at ASTI.

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