Donga Mantung in Tears as Lone Pilot Pa Shei Sammy Njamnshi is Laid to Rest

By Tamngwa Marcel Kwalar

Late Pa Shei Sammy Njamnshi

Grief there was and disapproval too as hundreds stormed Mbiyeh-Ntalah village to pay homage to the departed Wimbum hero. In fact, the untimely departure of Pa Shei Sammy Njamnshi took the entire Donga Mantung Division like a bombshell. The crying was much that it could only be compared to the monasticism theory: that tears are both a gift from God and a tribute to him. What transpired during the burial of Pa Shei Sammy Njamnshi could only be contextualized through St. Anthony, the father of monasticism who in a letter to his disciples wrote that they should weep in the sight of God. Not only were tears one means of prayer, according to Benedict, they were the only pure form: "We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words." This apocryphal story shows the extent to which tears were shed over the departure of the lone pilot from Donga Mantung Division and the entire Wimbum land.

It was last Saturday February 22, 2014 that the first ever pilot of Mbum origin Pa Shei Sammy Njamnshi alias Pa Pilot was laid to rest in his Mbiyeh home town Ndu Sub Division, Donga Mantung Division. The highly profiled Pa Shei Sammy Njamnshi a former Amexian and alumnus of Hellenic Air Force Academy, Athens Greece where he trained as an Aeronautical Engineer returned home and served as a staff sergeant with the Cameroon Air Force before resigning from this position.

In 1980 after emerging first in a concour launched by the Cameroon government to recruit flight engineers, he under went training in the USA (San Francisco, aviation school). He returned to Cameroon in 1953 and served with the Cameroon Air Lines (Camair) where he played a dual role that is flight engineer and pilot. However he soon ran into conflicts and misunderstandings with his superiors at camair. A thing that caused his departure from the arena in the 90s. He was later called back to Camair but in a lower position and he turned it down and remained unemployed till the day he breathe his last. 

The late Pa Shei Sammy Njamshi was a devoted Christian as well as development luminary who was always at the beg and call of the Tallah Abi, wimbum cultural and development association and his Mambanda neighborhood in Douala. He became bed ridden since the 8th of March 2009 until last February 1st 2014 at 2:00p.m when he passed into glory. He leaves behind a wife, 5 sons, family members and friends who in various occasions during his funeral family and friends took turns to describe him as a strong, principled and man who was a perfect example of a family head. 

A perfect example indeed but what is happening to the old guards of Mbum extraction: is the worry of this reporter. Adieu Pa Shei Sammy Njamnshi, Adieu Pa Pilot.

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