Scandal Rocks UB At Eve Of Titanji’s Departure

- Nalova Dissociates Self As Ex-VC on Same Trace of Bruno Bekolo, Jean Tabi Manga

By IO Fossung

An outburst was rumbled shortly after Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, Minister of Higher Education and Grand Chancellor of the Academic Order installed Prof Nalova Lyonga. The new University of Buea (UB) Vice Chancellor (VC) declared that her appointment was to bring back UB to its past glories. To commentators, Nalova Lyonga openly recognized the fact that her predecessor Prof Vincent P.K Titanji ‘finished’ UB. Her pronouncement, Chronicle gathered, was timely given the collapse of academic ethics at UB. A case in point, Chronicle learnt was the scandalous attribution of marks for would-be MSc and PhD students in the Faculty of Education at UB.

Last weekend, Chronicle gathered that a disciplinary board would be set up to look into the malfeasances of some four (4) lecturers (names withheld, though are Professors, Associate and chargedecour) in that faculty. Even before Titanji’s departure, Chronicle learnt that some of them had acknowledged their flaw: it is alleged that they confessed how they had been indulged in such academic abuse over the years.

Prior to his ‘dismissal’, Chronicle gathered that Titanji had been aware about the anomalies at the Faculty of Education. According to a source, lecturers were accused of having changed marks of some students in order to favour them undertake the masters and PhD programs. Chronicle even learnt that this was the first time such a scandal was being heard in the history of UB, which has had just 3 VCs - Dorothy Njeuma, Cornelius Lambi and Titanji.

Yet, as Chronicle gathered, Titanji is alleged to have urged his collaborators not to make it public: that it would run down/discredit the image/degrees accorded students at UB. This had been kept mute until the decree fell replacing Titanji and installing Nalova Lyonga last week.

Titanji, Chronicle has been told, might had done many good things in Buea as VC, yet his billings are negative. According to a source, like Bruno Bekolo Ebe, ex-Rector of the University of Douala and Jean Tabi Manga, ex-Rector of the University of Yaounde II (Soa), Titanji could be probed.

Sources at the UB Senate hinted Chronicle on grounds of anonymity that Titanji’s financial manager and administrative management were not good. It is believed that like his colleges at Douala and Yaounde, Titanji too may be probed, though out. Justifying, Chronicle was told that if Lifanda Samuel, former Government Delegate to the defunct Limbe city council, was probed 5 years after quitting office, what more of Titanji.

Analysts have been quick to interpret what actually transpired at Nalova Lyonga’s installation last week. Apart from her pronouncement, which dissociated her from Titanji, that turned out told a story. Bakwerians & South West was mobilized. In fact, the crowd was huge and it was understandable.

A presidential insider hinted Chronicle that Biya would have made a mistake, if he settled on a non Bakwerian: that Nalova Lyonga is not only a compromise of Bakweri interest but seen as an extinguisher to the flayed tempers, after the arrest and detentions of Chief Ephraim Inoni.

With President Biya expected in Buea later this year for celebration marking the reunification of Cameroon, Chronicle gathered that it would be amiss, should a Bakwerian not taking a front seat as minister, secretary of state from South West: the VC portfolio is an equivalent of a secretary of state.

As Titanji is off/out, he would be quoted as the most unpopular VC UB ever had. The scandals at the Faculty of Education then, Social and Management Sciences; then of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Chronicle gathered that next year, the first batch of medical doctors would be graduated, the issue would be on the quality of the product.

Worse still, under Titanji, the UB campus was like a dust bin, except of occasions when there was an event on campus, like the university games (affair a suivre…)