By Walter Wilson Nana
Prof. Theodosia Eyong Ojong-Tambia McMoli who died on Tuesday, June 5 2012 in Bamenda has been buried in her home town, Small Mamfe.
Prior to the Saturday, July 14 2012 funeral and burial rites in Small Mamfe, an Academic Honours was organised for the deceased at the University of Buea, UB, on Thursday, July 12 2012.
Late Prof Theodosia McMoli
UB’s Vice Chancellor, VC, Dr. Nalova Lyonga said death is the commonality of the human race, while pleading to the government of Cameroon to reinforce the security of all, living in the country, foreigners not left out. “The pain in our hearts is as a result of the uncomfortable circumstances in which this great woman died. She does not deserve the way she died. There is no reason, why she should have fallen the way she did. It is a very cruel dead,” she said.
The UB boss recalled how Prof. McMoli, pioneer Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, UB, set the faculty on its rails before retiring many years after.
According to the VC of UB, the death of Prof. McMoli should be the pathfinder for UB and the Cameroonian Christian University, CCU, in Bali, Bamenda, where the deceased was also the pioneer Dean, Faculty of Medicine, to collaborate the more and give visibility to the contributions she made in academia and the practice of medicine.
The colleagues of late Prof McMoli take out her casket from the UB Amphi 750 after Academic Honours
The VC of CCU, Prof. Emmanuel Nges Chia said from her cursus studorium and professional life, Cameroon has lost an icon, yet a simple, motherly and compassionate individual. “She completed a brilliant career of no mean scholarship in the field of medicine, where she had become an international professional. This is discernable in her gleaming studies and professional practice in and out of Cameroon,” the CCU VC said.
He said Prof. McMoli’s passion has been to improve and maintain the health of humankind and the public through the advancement of knowledge and the provision of comprehensive patient care.
UB VC Dr. Nalova Lyonga leads her administration at the Academic Honours for the fallen heroine
The other tributes that followed from Dr. Eric Akum Achidi, Acting Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, UB, Dr/Mrs Mary Bi Suh Atanga, Chief/Dr. Sylvester Ndeso-Atanga, Dr/Mrs Martina Zinkeng, James Ako-Egbe, Director of Development & Finance Controller, CCU, her students and the Vice President of the Cameroon Medical Council, Dr. Edmund Agbor, brought out Prof McMoli’s creativity, diligence, enthusiasm, humility, tenacity and meticulous approach to academia and the practice of medicine. “She’s an example to emulate,” Dr. Agbor added.
Victor Mbome Njie Southwest Regional Delegate of Health leads members of the medical corps at the Academic Honours
The Baptist and Catholic Chaplains of UB, in their meditations and reflection petitioned the state to reinforce security for Cameroonians, while adding that death is once a life time event, so, human beings must prepare for it and reflect as they live.
Bio-data
June 15 1939, Theodosia Eyong Ojong-Tambia was born in Mamfe to Mathias Ojong-Tambia and Susannah Oben Ebai Ojong-Tambia, all deceased. She was the first in a family of five children.
After her primary school from 1946-53 in Gov’t School, Mamfe, she moved on to Queen’s School, Ede, Western Nigeria from 1954-58 for secondary education. She will do her high school at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science & Technology, Enugu from 1959-61.
Cross section of the deceased's family members
1961, she enrolled into University of Ibadan, Nigeria and in 1967; she graduated with an MB & BS Degree. She will become the second female in West Cameroon to qualify as a medical practitioner after Dr/Mrs Gladys Martins.
1971, she jetted off to the UK, where she took a Diploma course on Ophthalmic Medicine & Surgery at the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons, London. May 18 1972, she graduated. Subsequently, she specialised in Ophthalmology and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on March 26 1976. Other fellowships and honorary degrees came after in the UK and Nigeria.
From the UK, she returned to Nigeria in 1982, where she began working as a General Practitioner from June 1967 – September 1971 in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos Teaching Hospital as an Ophthalmologist.
1986, she rose to the rank of Associate Professor and returned to Cameroon.
Back home and from March 1986 to her death, she served the medical corps and the academia in various positions and universities. These included; CHU (1986-93) and CUSS (1993) all in Yaoundé, pioneer Vice Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, UB (1994-96), Professor of Ophthalmology and pioneer Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, UB (1996-2004), Emeritus Dean & Emeritus Professor of Medicine, UB (2005-2010) and from 2010 till death, pioneer Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, CCU.
Prof. McMoli also authored twenty-four scientific publications in national and international journals. She was an enthusiast of team work as seen in her publications.
While in Nigeria and on the request of late Prof. Ramsome Kuti in 1975, she participated in drawing up the STANDING ORDERS FOR HEALTH SERVICES in Nigeria. With Prof. Ernest Moukouri in 1996, they wrote a manual for Ophthalmology Diagnosis for use by medical students and general practitioners in Cameroon.
Besides being a member of many national and international societies, she also took part in WHO organised medical education conferences in Arizona, New Mexico, Atlanta all in the USA, Bahrain and Eldoret in Kenya.
She is survived by her two sons; Ojong & Malafa, two brothers, two sisters, extended family members, friends, the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon and the university communities to mourn her.
In the medley of people that turned out at Small Mamfe to inter the medical icon were; Dr. Dorothy Limunga Njeuma, ELECAM Board Member, Prof. Rose Leke, Chief/Dr Samson Negbo Abangma, UB Registrar and representative of the Ministry of Higher Education, Hon. Rose Makia Abunaw and Nfor Tabetando, CEO, Euroil.
