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Monday, December 15, 2014

ECCUForum Panel Discussion: The Pre-ordained Corridor to Emergence in Mbum Land by Tatah Emmanuel Bantar



Professional Education 
“The Pre-ordained Corridor To Emergence In Mbum Land


 
A proposed Road Map for An Academic Revolution
Presented
By
 Tatah Emmanuel Bantar
President
Association for the Promotion of Professional Education in Mbum Land
(APPEM)
With Inputs from MBANGFON; Dr. Nicolas Y. Ngwanyam
On the Occasion of the ECCUFORUM holding from the 10-14/12/2014 in NDU
 

The Senior Divisional Officer,
The Divisional Officer,
The Lord Mayor- Ndu Council,
The honourable MP for Ndu & Nkambe,
Leaders of political parties,
Traditional rulers, Clergies,              
Fellow Panellists,
Distinguished Guests,
All Protocols Duly Respected,
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Accept My Sincere Greetings!
I am very delighted with the Ndu Council and its partners for organising this event. I am even more elated with them for giving me the opportunity to proposed a roadmap for an academic revolution in our community titled “Professional Education: The Pre-ordained Corridor to Emergence in Mbum Land”. This presentation is an executive summary of the book coming up soon.
1.        Key concepts: Emergence, Mbum Land, Poverty, Professional Education, Stagnation & Underdevelopment, and Unemployment:  
2.        The Genesis of The Problem
The post independent education and training policies in Cameroon were focused on the formation of Cameroonians to replace the departed colonial administrators and to fill-in the public service. This is how the so-called general education implanted itself so deep in Cameroon and by extension in Mbum land.
Fifty four (54) years down the line, society has evolved tremendously; the population has grown rapidly, things have change drastically and the needs of the job market are no longer the same. A number of forces and factors have interactively watered away the value of this general education and thus opened a leeway to professional, technical and vocational education and training.
Also, the implementation of the World Blank /IMF imposed Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) provided for hostility measures such as reduction of salaries of civil servants, reduction of the size of the public service, privatization of public enterprises and the liberalization of the economy (and the job market). When the size of the public service was squashed, and public enterprises were privatized while the economy was liberalized, Specialization, Professionalism and Technocracy took centre stage.
In the private sector, the demands of the job market completely change and continue to adjust to meet up with new trends. Clear cut skills and expert knowledge is now required for the few and competitive job vacancies available.
In the public sector, very few administrative posts are available, compared to the large and ever-growing population still following the outdated colonial curricula. Even where administrative posts exist, access them has been made more difficult than that to heaven. Social ills such as bribery, corruption, tribalism, nepotism and even partisan politics have become the leading criteria by which access into the public service and some administrative post is acquired. Thus meritocracy has been reserve for piece meal jobs, not to say for the dogs.
3.        Measure Taken By Government To Solve The Problem
The new trends in the job market were also taken seriously by the Cameroon government and measures were taken, progressively, to prepare our citizen for this globalised society. Such measures included:
1)      The adoption of a break-through syllabus for technical high school in Cameroon by the Ministry of Secondary Education in 1991
2)      The revision of the 1991 syllabus in 2013 by the same Ministry,
3)      The creation of the ministry of employment, professionalization and vocational education and training in 2004,  and
4)      The creation of the National Employment Fund,
4.        Outcome of these Government Measures
All these measures culminated in the creation of various professional, technical and vocational education and training schools and centres. Unfortunately, these reforms were accepted by the two subsystems differently and with varying diktat.
 Those of Francophone subsystem of education welcome the reform while those of the Anglophone subsystem embraced this change rather sluggishly.  Technical education and by extension, professional education was perceived as that education for the dull. Even within the Anglophone subsystem itself, ethnic grouping and tribes welcomed it differently.
In Mbum land, the situation was catastrophic and remains a major challenge today. The Wimbum people have glued to their public service syndrome, continuously preferring to be grade one teachers if not pastors. 
They continue to pursue general education for academic reasons at the expense of professional education for creative and productive purposes. The current situation is an improved one, with the creation of several technical schools in the area. However the change is at discouraging snail-pace. In the 2007/2008 academic year, for example, the enrolment in the secondary and high school in Ndu subdivision was 1855. Of this number; only 450 students were enrolled in the technical education schools. Simply put, only 24.26% of students could become useful to themselves if education ended at advance level. The majority of 75.74% were pursuing general education at this level.
As of 2014/2015, we have still proven to be less friendly to technical education and vocational training. The vocational training centres (CSAR/SMs) created by Government in Ndu and Nkambe are yet to have a revolutionary enrolment. The one in Nkambe has enrolment about 65 students while that in Ndu has just 18 students. Yet we want to emerged, what a pity!
 It appears like the professionalization train took off from Bamenda for Mbum land via the rings and a breakdown happened on the way. After Ndop, Kumbo and Tatum the train probably got shattered at the entrance to Njifor and only parts got to Mbum land.
5.        The Consequences
The repercussions are glaring. Many of our youths, who for the most part do not go beyond the high school levels (A/L), are found crisscrossing towns and cities and roaming streets in quest for jobs - many of which they are not qualified for. For the few who go beyond the A/L, fewer is the number that opt for professional studies. Greater proportions prefer humanities when it comes to sciences. In effect, the consequences of this misguided educational path are numerous and alarming:
1)      Dependency is unacceptably high and persistently increasing,
2)      Unemployment is famous and joblessness seems like an acceptable status,
3)      Poverty have subjected many to ridicule,
4)      The economy of Ndu and Nkambe municipality experiencing stagnation and
5)      Mbum people seem to be married to underdevelopment.
6.        The Wrong & Misleading Causes As Advanced By Politician & the Clergymen
This very sympathetic situation is made even more frustrating by the causes as advanced by some opinion holders in the community. In a desperate attempt to gain firm (political, economic or social), some enlightened member of the Mbum community have; over the year; generated and fuelled wrong and misleading impressions amongst the youths as regard their poverty and joblessness. Many a youth have been made to think that their inability to integrate the job market is as a result of their attachment to or failure to attach or identity with this or part political party.
The clergymen of the community have not been any good. While the most ignorant thing that the solution lays in session the clergy have dramatize the situation, at their altars generally referring to impoverishing economic and geographical happenings as sign of the end.
7.        Case Studies and Examples
Example One: Fai Louis was born in Ngarbuh-Ntumbaw village. He abandoned the studies without an O/L and enrolled in a vocational training centre. There he learned wood work furniture and carpentry for 4 years. Today, Fai Louis, who is in his late 20s, is a professional, a wood work engineer, carpentry and furniture expert. He runs a mega carpentry workshop at the Tobin Roundabout in Kumbo. He has six (6) Apprentices under him. His lucrative activity has permitted him to accumulate savings enough for further education.
Example Two: Nkwinte Nicoline Yuh is a native of Wowo, she obtained the CAP from G.T.C. Ndu (then) and later enrolled at the ALGAYU COMPUTER And VOCATIONAL TRIAINING CENTER-NDU. Here, she graduated with a diploma in secretariat duties (office automation).Today, Nicotine is the private secretary to the Lord Mayor of Ndu council. Those who have visited Ndu Council of late will agree with me that, Nicoline is a hospitable and dynamic staff of the council. Nicoline lives happily with her family in Ndu and is one of the pillars on which the family stands. She has plans to further her education in future.  The examples are bound.
The case study of “Alphonse Melancholy” portrays how Alphonse suffered with a Bachelors’ Degree in History for two year without securing a job. He eventually fines himself in the waiting trial for months for advocating secessionist ideas. His younger ones are not spare the price of ignorance and deceit. Beatrice suffers with her Ordinary Levels for three years and finally found herself in Yaoundé as a house girl. She is tested positive for HIV and pregnancy. Timothy dumps his Advance Level in the house and goes riding a motorcycle owned by his primary school classmate who is now a plumber.
An accident takes away his right leg and he; like the detainee and other family members, are cared for by Irene the younger sister who is a Hair dresser. Irene has replaced their father who died shortly after he was shockingly sack from the Ndu Tea Estate when it was privatised. 
8.        The Real Causes
At a time when the country is yearning for emergence and the Mbum people are craving for survival, it is important for any elite or alien, who has the opportunity, to contribute his or her quota to ensure that the Mbum people are rationalized. This will permit them to have a level playing ground and can compete at least to some extend with other Cameroonians in job creation and job seeking. Identifying the real causes of unemployment is central to providing a lasting solution. Let us look at four of these causes:
i.          Ignorance Is The Biggest Problem
Gemuh E.V (2009) says “if the tail of ignorance is drop offs man, he will live well, both in the lord (God) and in the world”. This assertion is supported by the Bible in Hosea 4:6, when it states that “my people parish because of lack of knowledge”. The legislator queues in by saying “ignorance of the law is no excuse”. Mbum people suffer from invincible, vincible, and affected ignorance. Most of our youths suffer from A.I.D.S. i.e. Acute Information Deficiency Syndrome. They continue to pursue general education for academic reasons at the expense of professional education for creative and productive purposes.
ii.          Selection of Career Paths which are  Incompatible With Available Resources:
Most youths take career paths which require a lot of resources and time to permit them gain financial independence, while they hardly have the required resources. Consequently they almost always do not reach the productive stage of their educative path due to inadequate resources. The most often lack Career orientation, Educational coaching (mentoring) and Guidance counselling.
iii.          Deceits:
Some politicians and clergymen like other opinion holders have deceived the youths and lured them into blame games. This is how they have, over the year, generated and fuelled wrong and misleading impressions amongst the youths as regard their poverty and joblessness. Many a youth have been made to think that their inability to integrate the job market is as a result of their attachment to or failure to attach or identity with this or part political party. The clergymen of the community have not been any good. While the most ignorant thing that the solution lays in secession, the clergy have dramatize the situation at their altars generally referring to impoverishing economic and geographical happenings as “sign of the end”.

iv.          Attitude or Mindset:
The difference between the Wimbum youths and others, “say the Bansos or Bamilikes” also lie in their mindsets or attitudes. It constitutes 75% of success requirements. Give a Bamilike man Alphonse’s Bachelors Degree in History, he will succeeds with it by creating a job or jobs. Our own youths who have it successfully establish themselves as secretary in “Sha-a” and Raffia wine oriented Njangis. While others use the very general degrees to create micro enterprises and benefit from projects like “PIASSI”, “PAJER-U” and “PIFMAS”, we use ours to antagonise villagers, emitting “high terms” from bars.  We continue looking at our problems with magnified glass lens of fear and intimidation. The roads are too bad for us to succeed but traders from, as far as, Mbuda and Kumbo are succeeding. The tax policy is too bad but even foreigners have invaded our towns so as to enjoy the fair business climate. The youths lack values such as honesty, hard work, , tolerance, merit, self discipline, excellence, respect for others and for nature, love for others and for nature and the fear of God.
9.   The Perspective: Vision 2035, 2015 Budget and the Three-Year Emergency Plan.
Cameroon’s Vision for the next 25-30 years is "Cameroon: An Emerging, Democratic and United Country in Diversity ". The overall objective of the vision is to make Cameroon an emerging country over the next 25-30 years. The vision, which is now backed by the emergence and security budget of 2015 and the Emergency Plan which comprises a Three- Year Investment Programme, has the following medium-term objectives;
-          poverty alleviation;
-          becoming a middle income country;
-          becoming a newly industrialized country and
-          Consolidating democracy and national unity while respecting the country’s diversity.
The vision is therefore a reference framework that should guide sector (or communities), regional and national policies. It requires that every country (and by extension and simplification community like Mbum people) spells out its own development policy freely so that donors or government interventions only come to back it initiatives. To meet up with these objectives, the government has identified competences needed in Cameroonians to accompany her in this dream.



These ten competences areas are:
-          Information and communication Technologies:
-          Consolidating democracy and enhancing national unity:
-          Economic growth and employment:
-          National, foreign languages and culture:
-          Socio-demographic;
-          Urban and regional development:
-          Good governance:
-          Technical, industrial and professional skills at all levels:
-          Agricultural skills and
-          Mastery of institutional, political, sociological and international factors.
These are the competences at the national level. For this principle to be useful there is need for contextualisation of these competences to fit into the realities of Mbum land. These areas of competences are simply the skills which shall be required. Consequently any education or training not aligning with these areas is out of place
Therefore, Mbum youths need to train in ICTs, ensure unity and love while embracing democracy; accepting that Democracy has come to stay and that multipartism is its major ingredient. The Mbum community would have to create a competitive industrial sector, making for education that can result in the production of flour from corn, cassava; etc and the developing local craft like the production of tooth pick etc.
With 1,150 Billion FCFA allocated for public investment in 2015, and assuming the incremental rate of 13.5% as was the case this year, we project a PIB of 1,305 Billion FCFA for 2016 and 1,481.18 Billions FCFA for 2017.  When this amount is added to the 925 Billion FCFA set aside for Three- Year Investment Programme, we get A No Nonsense Sum of 4,961.18 Billion FCFA to be invested in sectors such as urban development, health, agriculture and livestock, road infrastructure, water, energy and security within the next three years.  This simply means that there will be mass construction in the days ahead and construction related jobs will overflow in Cameroon. Moreover, through the multiplier and accelerator principles, non construction sectors shall also boom.  
10.    My Premise
A lot of words-works have been done without any concrete action on the ground, even though some sensitization tours have been carried out. This has been largely due to the lack of a clear cut blue print or road map. This publication is natured by the need to address this pre-occupation.

The place of professional education and by extension the corridor to emergence is largely enshrined in the bible, the greatest book that ever existed in human History.
The scriptures made us to understand that Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was a carpenter, wood work engineering). Matthew was a tax collector (taxation and tax consultancy); a number of biblical characters were fishermen (fish production). Luke, mark, John etc wrote important portions of the bible (writers). The neglect of professional education, technical education and vocational training was not just a visionary failure on our side; it went closer to sinning against God The issue at stake here, therefore, goes beyond educational philosophy, visions and objectives to include salvation. The revival question thus is “What Must We Do to Be Safe?”
-          To be safe from unemployment
-          To be safe from poverty and ridicule.
-          To be safe from stagnation
-          To be safe from further ridicule and
-          To be safe from under development
By and large, there is enough imposing reason to pray as if all depended on God while working as if all depended on hard work.
11.    Recommendation / Appeal
  1. Recommendation to the Pupils Students and Parents:
Before you chose your educational path i.e. the choice of school: general or technical; and the choice of programme or series, consider the following decision tools:
-       What is the cost of the educational path?
-       What are the career openings? Are there any short cuts?
-       What is the duration for it to give you financial independence?
-       Who is the sponsor; is the learner self-sponsored?
-       Who is the stand by sponsor if the main sponsor is no more?
-       Does the sponsor enjoy job security?
-       What is the age of the sponsor and that of the stand by sponsor?
-       What is age of the learner?
-       Who is the learners’ role model?
-       Etc
Remember that you can change the strategy without changing the goal.
Finally chose the shortest, surest reliable path to sustainable financial independent education and. Professional, technical and vocational training offers this. “For more detail, please, sees the Book”

B.  Recommendation to Ndu/Nkambe  Council, WICUDA, Elite and other stakeholders:
In general, the ideal will be to Work in a synergy to adopt a blue print to be followed, Source for funding for identified projects, and establish an implementation strategy.Specifically, the groups cited above, working in synergy and perhaps with the technical support of APPEM should:
1)      Create a scholarship scheme for the promotion of professional education in Mbum land
2)      Create occasional vocational training centre for professions such as plumbing, and enterprise creation not available in standard vocational training centres.
3)      Professionalised the potential revenue generating sporting and cultural activities of Mbum land
4)      Develop a Career Orientation and Education Mentoring Centre in Mbum land to provide up-to-date information about professional education through radio communication, print documentation and oral discussions.

12.    Conclusion
Professional education; technical education and vocational training results in job creation and job securing. This reduces some of the ills, like prostitution, gambling and theft, associated to unemployment and poverty. Until we do what we have never done, we cannot get what we have never gotten. Professional Education is
Employment focused and job oriented,
A prerequisite for growth and progress,
A condition Sin Qua Non for poverty alleviation,
A necessary and sufficient condition for development,
The preordained corridor to emergence in Mbum land and
Thus, the Surest Way to Make Heaven,
Because “in times of universal deceit; telling the truth will be a revolutionary acts (George Orwell)”, I hereby launch a revolution, by tell you the truth; the truth that our parents, our politicians and our clergymen deceived us and we followed the wrong course of education. Today some still want to deceive us further to join them in playing blame games. I appeal to you to assess them using the Assessor and say NO to cloudy educational paths, and choose professional education the pre-ordained corridor to emergence in Mbum land.
The time to act is now;
The person to act is you;
The action to take is to pursue professional education;
The action to take is sponsor technical education and vocational training.

Long live the APPEM;
Long live the Mbum people;
Long live ECCF
Long live Ndu Council;
Long live the Republic of Cameroon
13.    Definition of Concepts Use in the Presentation
Concepts use in this presentation are void of classical definitions which, for the most part, are not applicable to developing countries, talk less of rural areas like Mbum Land. I have made use of contextualised definitions proposed by indigenous writers and home-grown professionals.
      i.     Emergence: Emergence in the context of Mbum land refers to an upward and forward leap in the Socio-Cultural, Economic and Political status of our beloved home town. Specifically, this refers to a plan and action process by which the Wimbum community will metamorphose through industrialisation, agrarian reforms, academic revolutions, technological advancement and cultural tidy up, resulting in improved living standards. It would also mean drastic change in the attitude and mind sets of our youths. Emergence would also require alteration in our perception so that there is no CPDM road or SDF water.
    ii.     Mbum Land: Mbum land shall refer the Wimbum community of Donga Mantung Division in the North West Region of Cameroon. It shall also generically represent the Mbum people who occupy the Nkambe Plateau covering the Nkambe central and Ndu sub divisions. It encompasses the Warr, Yah and Tang clans, cutting across the 33 Mbum villages, without distinction of party lines, gender, religious alignment or development schools of thoughts.
  iii.     Poverty:   World Bank (2002) defines poverty as the state or fact of being in want. That is the lack of material and financial resources to satisfy people's needs, people are poor if they lack enough income to live adequately by the accepted living standard of the community.
I associate poverty with inadequate financial and material resources, ignorance, and inability to reason logically, cumulating in dejected living standards. In this light, we consider that poverty in Mbum land exist in both forms; Absolute Poverty (as in the inability to afford basic needs of food; shelter and clothing, talk less of quality education) and Relative Poverty (as in the living standard of the Mbum people as compare to other tribes like the Nso people, the Yamba, And the Mankon People).
  iv.     Professional Education: Dr Nick Ngwanyam defined professional education as “theoretical studies + skills + character + expert knowledge + wisdom; which leads to creative thinking and productivity”.  In addition, we shall also see professional education as the “learning” which generate skills and expert knowledge in the learner so much so that the learner is able to earn a living either by securing a job or creating one, thanks to the skills or expert knowledge acquired thereof. In this regard, professional education spans from vocational training, through technical education, to the classical professional education.
    v.     Stagnation & Underdevelopment: Stagnation is the stage in an economic cycle in which little, no growth or decline occurs. While, Underdevelopment is closely associated with the so-called dependency school, and it indicates a belief that in the world or country  economy there are centrifugal forces at work, strengthening the position of the already rich core while keeping the periphery poor and in a state of permanent underdevelopment.
  vi.     Unemployment: Gemuh E. Vekeblegah (2009) holds unemployment is a social disease cause by ignorance and human development that leads to gross irresponsibility. Its rate, Gemuh holds, is a balance sheet of the change we did not believes or invest in. I will add that unemployment in Mbum land and amongst Mbum youths is the presence of youths without jobs because they are not qualify for one or cannot create one.
14.    The Assessor
That I presented “going professional” on Sky FM,
I will tell them that I founded and funded APPEM,
That APPEM sensitised Mbum pupils in Ndu West,
Educated hundred other pupils in part of Ndu town,
And that I made this presentation at the ECCF 2014;
What will you tell them was your main contribution,
In promoting professional education in Mbum land?

Dr Nick will say he offered professional training to many,
As a medical doctor and health lecturer for all and sundry,
He funded a mega 85-million FCFA scholarships scheme,
For the professional education our Mbum youths on merit,
As a business tycoon, a philanthropist, and a realistic politician,
What will you tell   Mbum people, was your major contribution,
In promoting professional education in Mbum land and beyond,

As a business magnet and Mayor for Nkambe council,
As a pedagogue and chief executive head of Ndu council,
As a contractor and Member of Parliament for Nkambe,
As a retired teacher and Member of Parliament for Ndu,
As a intellectual and senator of the republic of Cameroon
What will you tell   Mbum people, was your major contribution,
In promoting professional education in Mbum land and beyond,

As business guru, elite politician and regional delegate
As a decent elite, an engineer and director of exploration
As contractor, secretary of state, board chair and politician
As an educationist, financial controller and secretary of state
As administrators colonels, captains, commanders, commissioners
What will you tell   Mbum people, was your major contribution,
In promoting professional education in Mbum land and beyond,

As pedagogues, elite; politician and divisional delegate,
As a pedagogue; politician and pillar of Islamic Education,
As contractor, bulldozer; elite, and new generation politician,
As directors; managers, principals; bursars and head teachers,
As pastor, imams, Fons, sub chiefs, Ardors, sarkis,  and Chaplins
What will you tell   Mbum people, was your major contribution,
In promoting professional education in Mbum land and beyond,

Tatah Emmanuel Bantar
President
Association for the Promotion of Professional Education in Mbum Land
(APPEM)

End!


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