Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
The University of Buea, UB, is one of the institutions that has benefitted from Cameroon’s stay in the Commonwealth of Nations.
In the commemoration of Commonwealth’s Day, Monday, March 11 2013, UB’s Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Research, Cooperation and Relations with the Business World, Prof. Victor Julius Ngoh, representing the UB Vice Chancellor said; “Some members of UB’s teaching staff have benefited from Commonwealth scholarships and staff fellowships.”
UB officials and students at Commonwealth Day celebrations
According to the varsity don, UB’s research community is increasingly cooperating with other leading researchers within the Commonwealth, in the areas of social science, science and medicine.
He saw in the Commonwealth a community of nations with a historical relationship to the Crown of England. “Within the Commonwealth community, there is great diversity of cultures, voices and opinions. There are different nationalities, ethnic groups, faiths and political beliefs, But they all share common values such as democracy and good governance, while respecting our differences. The Commonwealth works to promote international understanding, equality and mutual respect in its multicultural world,” Prof. Ngoh added.
Prof Victor Julius Ngoh
Making meaning out of this year’s theme of the Commonwealth; Opportunity through Enterprise, the Moderator of a roundtable conference organised by UB, Dr. Molem Sama, Head of Department, Economics & Management, UB, said the core value of life is to do business, how to do it and how to make it.
Breshnev Langwa, CEO of a promising financial institution in Cameroon, RAVEN GREEN said there is need to inspire young entrepreneurs in Cameroon, whose responsibility is to solve problems, identify a problem, give it a solution and subsequently add a price tag to it.
Langwa told the audience to think about a business, how to set it up, how to legalise it and how to sell it to the public and those close to the individual who conceived the business idea.
students of the Commonwealth Association UB
A graduate from UB and now a successful international business woman, Mirabelle Umenjo entreated all to be courageous if they intend to succeed in the business world. “There are difficulties in operating a business venture but we must be ready to over scale them. We’ve to be open-minded and upright as we pursue our business plans. These go with a lot of hard work, while planning for the future,” she noted.
Dr. James Abangma of the Department of Political Science, UB explained that the goal of an entrepreneur is to provide value to the society and in the process bears risks.
From the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, in charge of Short Courses, Max Ntangsi said there is need for a platform and political will to get the business environment going on.
Penalists on the roundtable conference on Commonwealth day.
He blamed the economic constraints of Cameroon to the colonial masters, who are still tied to Cameroon, the academic environment, which is still linked to the European style, poor road networks across the country, the labour market, which has been converted to jobs on sale and the fiscal atmosphere, which is exorbitant.
Ntangsi said the aforementioned bleak picture has a negative impact on the country’s GDP and in the process not much is improving for the better.
He made a request for Cameroonians to be aware of what is happening around them and the importance to read widely. “We also need a credible judiciary system, the need to fight against institutionalised tribalism and corruption for the betterment of our country,” he added.
Other participants at the conference debunked the culture of dependency exhibited by Africans, while highlighting the importance to develop businesses that go beyond sole proprietorships.
The Queen’s & SG’s Messages
In her 2013 message to the 2.4 billion people, who make up the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II reminded; “Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We must reflect on how the Commonwealth theme applies to us individually, let us think about what can be gained with a bold heart, dedication and team work.”
The Queen enjoined all to bear in mind the great opportunity that is offered by the Commonwealth – of joining with others, stronger together, for the common good.
Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary General said; “On Commonwealth Day 2013, let us think of how, using the power of Commonwealth connections and our own personal contributions, we can multiply the opportunities and work together dynamically to build a future that is more equitable and inclusive.”
The Association of Commonwealth Students in UB spiced the day’s activities with sketches, which brought to the fore the relevance of entrepreneurial and technical education as well as the need to boost the private sector.
