Dr. Herbert Endeley, University of Buea's Pioneer Registrar Laid to Rest

By Harry McYemti and Ben Nakomo in Buea (Originally published in The Entrepreneur)

The mortal remains of late Dr Hebert Nganjo Endeley, the pioneer Registrar of the University of Buea has been buried in his native Mokunda village in Buea Town, Cameroon.

Herbert Endeley who until his death was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) in charge of Research and Cooperation at the University of Buea (UB) died after a brief illness at the Reference Hospital in Douala on Tuesday, November 28, 2006.

The Demise of an Academic Don
Dr Endeley was given academic honours at the University of Buea, Cameroon, on Friday, January 12, 2007. The Prime Minister of the Republic was represented by his Director of Cabinet, Mr Paul Meoto Njie. The representative of Cameroon's Minister of Higher Education bid the Late University don the last farewell from the University family. Tributes were presented by various sections of society, the Cameroon GCE Board, CAMCOF NGO, the University of Yaounde I and the administrative personel of the Division of Research and Cooperation where he served.

(c) Harry McYemti

Dr Dorothy Limunga Njeuma, the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea, who worked closely with Dr Endeley in transforming the University of Buea into a centre of excellence in Central Africa, gave a moving tribute that aroused cheers, albeit in a solemn ceremony.

The Departure of a Local Hero
The remains were later conveyed to the family residence. “Though my brother believed in destiny and took death as a normal thing, I must tell you here that his death is really a blow to our family", said Ndemba Endeley, younger brother to the deceased. Ndemba qualified the brother as pillar of the family who could stop at nothing in making the family happy and firmly united.

“The death of Herbert Nganjo Endeley is a rude shock not only to the Endeleys but the entire Bakweri tribe and why not Cameroon. For all that I knew him and for all that he did was not only for the tribe” reported Mr Eko Bwange, a retired teacher. To him the late DVC of UB had a sense of belonging and knew that everything he did was for the interest of his people.

“We will miss him because his services are no longer there. There is nothing he would do for us again”.  According to Mr Kinge Namanga, the departure of Herbert Endeley should serve as a clarion call for the unity and devotedness of University of Buea Staff, the Bakweri ethnic group and Cameroon. "We need to serve each other for the good of all."

The enterment of Dr Herbert Endeley followed immediately after a funeral service at the Presbyteran Church Buea Town.

Biography
Dr. Herbert Nganjo Endeley holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours, and a PhD in Agriculture from the University of Ibadan in 1975 and 1979 respectively. He was Graduate Assistant from 1975 to 1979 in the Faculty of Agriculture of the Universiy of Ibadan, Nigeria, Assistant Lecturer from July 1979 to October 1979 in Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique in Nkolbison, Yaounde; Lecturer from October 1979 to 1999 in Ecole National Superieure Agronomique in Nkolbison, Yaounde. He was promoted Associate Professor of Animal Science in January 1999.

He was Head of the Teaching and Research Farm of the Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique in Nkolbison from January 1980 to August 1981. He was the Deputy Director of the Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique in Nkolbison from August 1981 to September 1984. He was the Director of the Institute des Techniques Agricole of the University of Dshang from September 1984 to August 1986. He moved to the Ministry of Higher Education from 1986 to 1993 where he served as Chief of Service in charge of Higher Technical and Professional Training and Chief of Service in charge of Graduate and Higher Technical Education respectively.

In 1993 he was appointed the Pioneer Registrar of the University of Buea, a position which he held for over 12 years without interruption until September 2005 when he was appointment to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Research and Cooperation.

He was also the Chairman of the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board from April 1997 to March 2005; and since the year 2000, he has been Chairman of the Cameroon Mountains Conservation Foundation (CAMCOF), a Non Profit Public Society Trust Fund for conservation and improvements of livelihoods.

In his capacity as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Research and Cooperation at the University of Buea, he played significant roles in international research cooperation and capacity building. He laid a solid foundation in biomedical research with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and Biosciences, Eastern and Central Africa (BecA) which has reached an advanced stage and which earned UB the status of serving as the focal point of BecA activities in the Central Africa sub-region.

His dream, , was to see WRAIR and BecA facilities installed on the campus of the University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Cooperation of Buea which unfortunately did not come to light as he passed on at the critical stage of these developments. He has published a good number of scientific and professional articles, manuals and conference communications. Dr. Endeley was born on 13 March 1952 at Buea Town.

Comments

[endeley ethel]

late Dr herbet endeley was loved.i know we all liked and love loved him ,i especially keeps on askx god why he made the day 28th november 2006 the day i lost my daddy,the day i lost my love,who will be there to seat my me at my first case in court,who will addres me as my barister all i can say is goodbye dad the bond we share can not be broken adieu

[Mbella Usman]

An academic giant fell on the 28th of March 2006. The mother elephant was no more the gong was played announcing the dead of a Lord in the Academic world one that cannot be replaced so easy. I keep asking Nature why only good people are called by him just so often. We all missed him the only figure the Bakweri man could boast of is gone let all the corners of the earth mourn a departed hero, a caring father, a tribesman and above all a great man adieu "Mola Abi" till we meet to part no more rest for ever in peace we love you.

[ebane endeley]

My Daddy is gone,who will stroke my nose,who will buy me a phone,daddy i cant still belive your in the past now i keep on tryx ur phone number 7602478 and i still believe you will be back. its me daddy fat baby, daddys baby .i will miss you

[ebane endeley]

My Daddy is gone,who will stroke my nose,who will buy me a phone,daddy i cant still belive your in the past now i keep on tryx ur phone number 7602478 and i still believe you will be back. its me daddy fat baby, daddys baby .i will miss you

[Chief Atem Ambrose, Sweden]

Late Dr.Endeley was my lecturer both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the university of Buea. He was what i termed a western lecturer, that lecturer whose teaching inspires,less stressful and indeed more practical than theoretical. From a distance and his strick way of doing things right, many thought he was a very hard person but if you go closer to him you would have found out that he was the simplest person to deal with. He had always been fighting for a modern way of teaching in the university of Buea which reflects the less stressful western method admist critics from our traditional lecturers.

He had alot of vision for research in UB but he left the scence just with the foundation stone.

I will live to remember you for your inspirations. I hope your spirit lives to continue to inspire those of us that think in your direction.

May you have peace in God"s kingdom

[MONANGAI JOHN MONANGAI, Germany]

ALL OF US ARE STRANGERS IN THIS WORLD AND WE KNOW THAT ONE DAY WE SHALL ALL GO BACK TO MEET OUR CREATOR, BUT AS THEY SAYING GOES THAT GOD LOVES THOSE WHO DIE YOUNG BUT IT IS SO PAINFUL WHEN WE LOST OUR LOVED ONES IN A TIME WHEN WE NEED THEM MOST, MOLA HUBERT ENDELEY WE LOVE YOU BUT GOD LOVES YOU MOST AND I BELIEVE YOU ARE SLEEPING IN THE THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, SLEEP, SLLEP MOLA UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN ADIOS