POINT OF ORDER

By Amindeh Blaise Atabong 

Time to invoke Epasa Moto to deal with thieving UB officials! 

In God’s Name is a startling revelation by British author Davip Yallop, of gross atrocities which are built in the Vatican system. These ills consisted and to a large extend still consist of deep-seated mal-practices perpetuated by highly- placed officials of the Roman Catholic Church. Curiously, this corrupt and immoral group is made up of bishops and even cardinals.

The classic, In God’s Name, which was published over three decades and unsuccessful pursued out of circulation in a crusade mounted by Yallop’s major character also identified the church with mafia.  Ace reggae musician, Jamaican-born Max Romeo, also put up a song in which he sang stealing In God’s Name. He illustrates the extent to which professed believers under the banner of Christianity rob the society.

From this partial chronicle of atrocities in God’s name, it is easily seen why the church suffers! Corruption is rife that there is so much politicking and materialism with professed Christians at the helm.

Away from the church which obviously serves as a reference point of most officials of the University of Buea, UB, the situation is not quite different. Corruption in UB has sharply jumped to frightening figures and it is presumed that corrupt UB officials who are highly-placed Christians; sorry, church-goers, are master-minders or mentors of the act.

Wait a minute! It is still in mind that two years ago, an Economics lecturer was said to have wilfully set a very difficult re-sit exam, with the intention of failing students while expecting them to oil his corrupt palms. And of course, many who could not beat the system had to oil not only his hands but also his mouth with colossal sums of money.

Meanwhile, one of the students who had the guts to challenge the orchestrated ill, faced his Golgotha as he was chased on campus with a machete by the lecturer in question.

Again, last September, another marks-selling allegation in the History Department surfaced. Be it factual or fictitious, it should be something to by and the authorities should jerk into appropriate action to wade off the ill; factual ill or malicious claim.

The above-mentioned situation is not an isolated case. On several occasions, wanton lecturers have sexually-assaulted vulnerable female students and/or shamelessly taken money in return for marks.

Other officials coerce desperate graduates into paying fines which are uncalled for, in a bid to get clearances from especially the central library and the sports service.

No one is bothered when officials in UB’s accounting office cannot account for the thousands of refundable students’ caution fees, even several years after they have graduated with proof of non-indebtedness or without destroying school property.

Apart from the direct financial mafia perpetuated by some UB officials, another category of corruption is that carried out by student leaders, usually in complicity with staff officials.

At one point in time, a faculty president siphoned huge sums of money out of faculty coffers. It was even reported that all withdrawals from the faculty student association are okayed by the faculty officer. So how come authorities of that same faculty were surprised on hearing the financial squeeze?

Student leaders have on several occasions been allowed to squander students’ money with impunity.

 The above mentioned atrocities alongside many others are evils which the well-meaning and tenacious vice chancellor, Nalova Lyonga should address, probably with immediate effect as the 2014/2015 academic year gathers steam.

Nalova Lyonga who has been christened by many as a no-nonsense lady of substance should put behind her, all conflict of authority she is having with her subordinates and accomplish the good university governance task that was entrusted onto her.The VC must endeavour to get rid of the bad eggs in the house, mindless of whose ox is gored.

Since the University of Buea, The Place To be, has collapsed from holistic to secular status, from the misdeeds therein, secular punitive measures must be applied to stem the rising tide.

So, what is the way out? The top must be crime-free to punish the crime-infested underlining. Some UB officials have been allowed to go hay wire. You can’t cure aggravated madness.

UB is caught in a situation whereby the man who is best placed to ensure law and order is paradoxically the biggest crime-buster. The guilty are afraid, and so are incapable of dealing with the other guilty. Let’s carry out a total house cleansing from above!

Nalova Lyonga, being a daughter of the soil on which UB is perched, should call on Epasa Moto or God Almighty to use her in bringing the sanity UB deserves. I rest my case!