By Bless Zoshe
Buea, Cameroon
Legal experts and operators in the insurance sector in Cameroon have been enriched with a new reference document to aid their practice.
A new book titled Insurance Law in Cameroon by Professor Martha Tumnde, was launched on Wednesday February 6, at the University of Buea.
Reviewing the 600 paged book, fourth grade magistrate, and President of the Fako High Court, Justice Charles Namme Menyoli said the publication was a perfect dissection of the CIMA Code, which addresses pertinent concerns on issues of insurance law and policy in Cameroon.
Prof. Martha Tumnde, Author "Insurance Law in Cameroon"
Using several hypothetical cases, Justice Namme Menyoli explained that “insurance issues are one of the most misunderstood in the world, because of its complex procedures. Some insurance companies make money from risks which may never materialize, while victims usually suffer. Thus, Insurance Law in Cameroon provides insightful analyses on ways to cushion the effects of such occurrences, with examples of cases from across Africa and Europe”.
On his part, the chief launcher Barrister Ntumnfor Nico Halle described the book as a must-have “insurance bible,” referring to its author, Professor Martha Tumnde, as an academic colossus, a guru, an icon, and a gem.
“600 pages of well refined research and profound drafting, in an area that has undergone a lot of changes, and which is so checkered in Cameroon, is the first of its kind. You heard me say it is obligatory, mandatory to insure your cars, but the law does not also say it is mandatory and obligatory to pay claims. I think those of us who are practitioners have gone through hell, to have claims for victims of car accidents. So we are happy that this sector is evolving positively. Our economy can only have its place, and get stronger, if the insurance sector is vitalized, the law more streamlined, made more profound, more practical, and easier for people to recover claims for insured loses,” Barrister Nico Halle stated.
Chief Launcher Nico Halle, Tambe Tiku Christopher, & Author
Commenting on what contribution Insurance Law in Cameroon would make especially among Anglophone legal practitioners, the president of Fako Lawyers’ Association, FAKLA, Barrister Ajong S. Anu, said “it is settled that Professor Tumnde’s book has changed the landscape of the application of the insurance law in Cameroon in general, and in the Anglophone section in particular. This is because the CIMA Code was originally published in French, and it took some time for us to really grasp the issues discussed therein. As English practitioners, the translation was not very clear, but what she has done is a concise translation, which fits well with the English legal perspective. She has gone into all the articles of the code, and given the correct interpretation, to facilitate our understanding and application on the field”.
Speaking to the press at the end of the book launch, the author, Professor Martha Tumnde declared that the project was the fruit of three decades of research and hard work.
President of Fako Lawyers, Barrister Ajong (arms folded), and other legal experts
“I started off in the early 80’s when I saw that a lot of victims of motor accidents were suffering from lack of compensation, so I decided to investigate the reasons why. So I went in to do my PhD, which I finished in 1986. Since then, I determined that I must come up with a comprehensive book of not only motor vehicle, but also other types of insurance policies. The purpose of this book is to disseminate the law on insurance law and practice in Cameroon, and make it accessible to Cameroonians.”
“I thank the successive University of Buea administrations, who have not stopped encouraging me and other members of staff through research grants. I will continue my research in this area which is little known, thus, largely misunderstood. Professor Tumnde added.
The book Insurance Law in Cameroon comprises sixteen chapters, and treats a variety of topics, including; the Evolution and nature of insurance law in Cameroon; Formation of insurance contracts; Conditions and exceptions in insurance policies; Settlement of insurance claims; Government control and supervision of insurance companies; as well as the translation of the new CIMA Code from French to English.
Professor Martha Tumnde is Dean of the largest Faculty, Social and Management Sciences, University of Buea.
