SAINT MONICA UNIVERSITY TAKES
KUMBA BY STORM
Saint Monica University (The American International
University) which is located along Kumba Road in Buea, stormed the city of
Kumba on Saturday 2 July 2016 and left practically everyone in the city talking
about it.
The occasion was the official launching of the university`s
campus in that city and the modus operandi consisted of a field trip that staff
and students undertook to Kumba, traveling in the university`s high profile
bus.
The caravan made its presence felt from the moment it
approached the city entrance in Barombi. It then proceded towards the town
centre, going past the roads that branch into the multiple educational
institutions in the vicinity: KUCAS, CCAS Kumba, GTHS Sofati and GTHS Kang
Barombi. The convoy drove past other public structures such as PCC Buea Road, Azi
Fiangep Hotel, Ejeg Clinic and into Town Green, after which it continued to 3
Corners Fiango, Kosala, Kumba Station, Mbonge Road, Kumba Town, and then back
to Buea Road. Here everyone alighted for a brief but memorable tour of the new but
temporary premises along Buea Road and at Alaska Street Junction. The building
stood out conspicuously, resplendent with the SMU signboard displayed on its
facade. Below along the road was a giant poster which said everything anyone
wanted to know not just about Saint Monica but also about the Kumba campus.
A major highlight was the visit that took the convoy to the
twenty hectares of land that have been acquired by the university. The piece of
land which is located in the quarter of Mabanda, is strategically placed near
the one that has been earmarked by the government of Cameroon for the
Kumba-based Higher Technical Teachers` Training College (HTTTC) that is an
extension of the University of Buea, and not too far from that of the Catholic
University of Buea (CUIB). It was with a lot of feelings of accomplishment that
the President of SMU, Prof J.J. Asongu, led the team on a guided tour of the acquisition.
Everywhere the party went, cheering crowds of Kumba residents
came out in large numbers to welcome them. There was every reason for them to
respond in this manner because what they saw in front of them was not just a
convoy but a closely-knit family of like-minded people belonging to the same
institution and all of them happy to be actors in yet another act that was
marking a milestone in the life of the institution. That was why while some
rode in the school bus, others rode in their own vehicles and yet others on
motor bikes. It was impossible not to notice Mr. Christoph Messner, Associate
Vice President of International Cooperation not only enjoying a ride from the
back of a bike but also ceaselessly motioning to the cheering crowds to step
forward and pick up the publicity leaflets that were being dropped by members
of the convey. A good number of the convoy members proudly wore the SMU Tee
shirt, a factor which added a lot of local colour and excitement to the show.
There was, of course, at the very front of the motorcade, the vehicle of the
university`s President which blazed the trail and set the pace.
After the tour, the caravan returned to the temporary site at
Alaska Street Junction where still exuberant, members chilled out while the SMU
President granted interviews to waiting media men and women. Since the
university was like a new baby in town, the president devoted a lot of time to
giving details about it to the anxious journalists in front of him. He
explained that the idea to set up Saint Monica stemmed from his own personal
experiences in Cameroon, Nigeria and the United States. He explained that it was
easy for him to identify a need for such an educational establishment because
he realized that in life, the best students in class were not necessarily the
most successful. In order to succeed, one needs “soft” skills such as honesty,
patience and integrity. He said that Saint Monica offers courses that are
practical and can easily lead to job creation. He also stated that the
university was offering courses at less than half the normal price, in order to
give a chance to as many people as possible.
In response to a question concerning how the institution came
about choosing the name of a saint, for its own name, the president said Saint
Monica was the patron saint of the institution. He further disclosed that Saint
Monica was an African saint who gave birth to a son whom she groomed through
thick and thin and he also later became Saint Augustine. Asked whether still
because of the name choice, the university was catholic-owned, he replied that
Saint Monica University in deed offered everything one would find in a Catholic
university without being one itself. He also pointed out that there was something
definitely catholic about the university in the sense that it included ex-seminarians
and even the Finance Director who is a Reverend Sister, not to mention other clerics
who had graduated from the university and those who were still studying there.
Then followed the famous “Item 11” across the road at Savoury
Restaurant where the President of SMU expressed pleasant surprise at the speed
and accuracy with which the Kumba campus team headed by its Director, Dr. Henry
Eneme Ekah-Kunde had within an incredibly short space of time prepared the neqw
campus for the opening ceremony that was taking place. The President gave the Director
the floor to introduce the members of his team which he did. They were Dr.
Elvis Akomoneh, Campus Registrar; Ms. Juliana Asahguebui, as Human Resource
Officer; Mr. Eric Mesumbe Ediage as Finance Officer; Mr. Princely Tongte as
Admissions Officer; Ms. SeraphineOrock as Marketing Officer; and Ms. Stella
Asong as Administrative Assistant. Two guests joined the party later. They were
Mr. Shengang Richard who is Station Manager of Ocean City Radio, Kumba, and Mr.
Louis Nkembi, the CEO and Executive Director of ERuDeF, an NGO which is working
on conservation issues in the South West region of Cameroon. The President
still found time to have a one-on-one chat with each of them.
The Kumba Campus offers courses at the HND and Bachelor’s
levels in all the four Schools of Saint Monica University. Courses in the
School of Arts, Education and Humanities include communication, education,
philosophy and theology. In the School of Business and Public Policy, students
can study public administration, business administration, human rights,
international relations, accounting, marketing, banking and finance and varies
fields in management. Courses in the School of Health and Human Services
include nursing, medical laboratory science, pharmacy technology, public
health, and clinical psychology. The School of Science, Engineering and
Technology offers agriculture, information technology, various fields in
engineering, geology and mining and environmental science. Scholarships are
available and a gratification amount of 5000 FCFA is available to persons who
refer students to the institution and they register.
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