Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
The dignity and nobility of members in the education family of the Diocese of Buea is on the spotlight. In the build up to the 3rd edition of the awards of excellence to educational stakeholders in Buea Diocese, Rev. Fr Alexander Nougi Sob, Education Secretary, Buea Diocese, says, amongst other pressing issues, in this exclusive interview, their vision is to exploit the collective empowerment of all and ensure that teachers are loved, respected and trusted. Read On!
The Catholic Education Secretariat of the Diocese of Buea will from April 4 – 6 2013 celebrate excellence. What’s the motivation?
The Education Family in the Diocese of Buea encompasses close to 1,400 teachers. The miracles they perform for the symbolic token we provide as salary is a clarion call for eternal celebration.
What’s the celebration of excellence all about?
Rev. Father Alexander Nougi Sob
Some teachers have been consistent with exceptional conduct, they need be highlighted for others to emulate. Some have served for more than 25 years as teachers, these are our icons who deserve medals. Our thank you can never be commensurate to the sacrifices they render. It does not cost much to make teachers happy. Groomed by an authentic pedagogue of blessed memory, and in my interpersonal relationship with catholic teachers, I say teachers are to be loved, respected and trusted. They are simply fantastic.
What is the peculiarity this time around, being the 3rd edition of the awards of excellence?
Our Bishop and proprietor of all schools will be 40 years as a priest, 20 years as a bishop and 5 years as Bishop of the Diocese of Buea. So far, the achievements of Bishop Bushu, which are the achievements of the people of God in the Diocese of Buea have been outstanding. Some of these include;
Our Lady of Grace Secondary School, Muyuka. He adopted this college at infancy and is now enjoying the status of a veritable high school. St. Anne Girl’s School, Limbe. This is a fallout from the inventive skill and creative vision of Bishop Bushu. The parishioners of New Town, Limbe saw the faith of their children been challenged by Non-Catholics Schools around and requested for St. Anne’s College. Today, it is beautiful for God in its fifth form.
Regina Coeli, Tombel: Kupe Muanenguba Division and Tombel have always felt they have been abandoned by the Diocese. This led to the creation of a School that will meet the needs of that area hence the creation of Regina Coeli Comprehensive College.
St. John Bosco’s Teacher Training College, Buea: From 2006 – 2008, there was a massive exodus of Catholic Teachers to the Government. This led to the creation of a Teacher Training College to address this exodus and also train teachers of Quality and Standard.
Primary Schools: while other denominations are closing primary schools because they cannot run them, the St. Charles Lwanga Primary School, Molyko was opened.
Evening Schools: St. Francis Evening School, Kumba, St. Joseph’s Evening School, Buea and CKC Evening School, Tiko.
Family Farm School: To address the problems of farmers in the community who cannot afford the income to send their children to expensive colleges. In the higher education sector, our Bishop has put in place the University Institute of the Diocese of Buea, UIDB. This is a professional and job creation university.
The UIDB-CERI Procure Bookshop, Molyko. Now a practicum and Professional Business Centre in order to take care of the Christians spiritual needs through meaningful books. The University Institute of the Diocese of Buea Foundation, UIDBF. This is based in Florida, USA. The Diocese of Buea has a Music School thanks to Bishop Bushu.
There is John Paul II Institute of Theology, JOPASIT, Molyko, Buea. We’ve some SPIRITUAL CENTRES; Sasse College Spiritual Centre known as Our Lady of Grace Spiritual Centre, Small Soppo Spiritual Centre and Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine at St Peter and Paul Parish, UB.
In the health domain, there is the Sr. Emmanuella Memorial Heart and Chest Clinic. It is expected to promote, in Cameroon and Southwest Region in particular, preventive medicine in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, sudden death, respiratory failure and complications of diabetes. These achievements make this particular celebration unique. If I venture on other achievements like the Divine Mercy Co-Cathedral under construction, it will be inelastic.
You are executing Bishop Bushu’s vision of education in the Diocese. What’s that vision?
At the heart of his episcopate is his philosophy of Koinonia (fellowship, sharing, communion or participation) in the Divine life of God.) Those who have met him will testify that he is very humble and spiritually profound. He emphasizes sharing and working together as a family. This is seen in the common pool system of our schools. Putting together resources so that everyone in the system benefits. It is thanks to this philosophy that all our teachers are regularly paid; several projects are ongoing and with challenges though. However, nothing will be done if a man waited to do it so well that none will find fault in it.
What is your contribution to Education in the Diocese of Buea?
Connected to Koinonia philosophy is what I adore as the Kaizen approach to life and growth. I believe in transactional and transformational leadership style. Supervision of instruction to me is a process and function not a title or position. It can never be the task of a single soul or a selected minority. None of us is smarter than all of us. We either sink together or swim together. I believe in efficient collaboration; using the gifts of everyone for the benefit of everyone. My vision then will be Koinonia-Kaizen, which is adequately, exploiting the collective empowerment. The Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy which advocates that you can do great things in life not by waiting to have what it takes to be great but doing and making sure that you improve on it constantly. It is a philosophy of constant improvement and innovation.
What is your take on the creation of the Buea Diocesan Teachers Trade Union?
Dialogue is a concept we must all embrace. Constructive criticisms, irrespective of the source are to be accepted. I don’t have a problem with the Trade Union. However, they must keep in mind that the Church is (mater et magister) mother and teacher. As the Chief Shepherd reiterates our schools are a voluntary agency. The Catholic Church has made giant strides for more than 2,000 years as a voluntary system. We shall continue to face our challenges as a family with mutual love, trust and respect.
Scholarship is an important element in education . How is it managed in the Diocese?
The biological children of permanent teachers enjoy full scholarship. There is also a BEPHA scheme that handles their health issues. The proprietor is doing his best within our means to render their condition better. We shall never relent. The dignity and nobility of our teachers warrants continuous attention
How different is Catholic Education in Cameroon?
Catholic Education everywhere is for evangelisation and the integral formation of the heart.
What’s your contribution to the education sector in Cameroon?
A cream of the genuine intelligentsia we have in Cameroon today are products from our schools. We strife each day to better our products. It is not easy due to the ferocious attacks of secularism.
There is the Bishop’s Educational Council, The Provincial Council, what are their impact on education in the Diocese.
The Bishop gets inspiration and technical expertise from these structures to effectively pasture the flock entrusted to his care.
The Diocese of Buea is into University Education. Tell us more about it.
The University Institute of the Diocese of Buea is a professional and business university. It trains job creators and not job seekers. In the next two years, we shall be celebrating the miracle of the millennium, where we shall see a product who has gone through our nursery, primary, secondary and university levels of education. Those are the future “Sancti et Scholari” saints and scholars of the nation.
Like any other human endeavour, what are your own challenges at the Education Secretariat in the Diocese of Buea and probably that of the Bishop?
It is a continuous battle to better the welfare and working conditions of our teachers. Blending individual and institutional goal is no mean task. Being in the education family for four years now, I consider the following challenges of our Bishop’s five years stewardship in the education family;
Mindset: The greatest challenge for any innovator or visionary of the likes of Bishop Bushu will always be one of mindset. Changing the mindset of Clergy and Christians to see another way of being Church is one of the greatest challenges of Bishop Bushu in the education sector. Mindset challenges are very difficult to address because it deals with attitudes, refusal to accept change, the tendency to think that the old is better than the new and above all the natural human desire to resist what is new especially when it is counter cultural.
Selfishness: The Koinonia philosophy fosters the common good. By so doing, proper accountability is needed to foster the culture of common good. In a country that corruption and selfishness is the order of the day, accepting such a vision and philosophy by the clergy and community can sometimes be a bitter pill to swallow. Those who have been profiting from a system that did not foster the common good will certainly fight against it.
Clericalism:This has been a challenge for the Bishop who took over the Diocese where clericalism was the dominant style. Accordingly, some clergy think he is not interested in their welfare but only that of the Laity. Clergy and Laity must learn to see that they are both needed and play an important role in the Church and the department of education. The struggle continues, but the principle of the Church is explicit; the Church is the people of God. Both Clergy and Laity must work hand in glove to build the Church of God. We are all equal in Dignity in the Church but different in Functions. Hence, the Laity must respect their Priests as head of their communities. At the Education Secretariat, God has placed me there now to be a blessing to others. I am showing love and serving people. The challenges are unique occasions for service. “The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mt 28:20.
Interviewed By Walter Wilson Nana
