Noni's Academic Strides

 

“The British Neglected The Development of  NW & SW During the Mandate and Trusteeship Periods”

-Dr Kenneth Ndiyun Yufenyuy

After a brilliant defense of his PhD Thesis entitled Development Agencies in the “North West and South West Regions” of Cameroon: 1956-2016, Dr. Kenneth Ndiyun Yufenyuy in a brush with the press intimated that what inspired him to dwell on this topic was the glaring need for more emphasis to be laid on development. The lack of meaningful development he said was  consequent to the fact that the  British as the Administering Authority had neglected the development of the territory during the Mandate and Trusteeship Periods. He further explained that despite the lofty goals behind the creation of development agencies by the state, the successes registered have been minimal because the state is the sole proprietor of these Institutions and its “attendant power-centric maneuvers combined with other corporate governance dissonances” have diminished the efficacy of the schemes. Doctor Yufenyuy Kenneth hails from Noni, specifically from Djottin and is one of those young illustrious sons who has recently pushed Noni forward in its unprecedented Academic Strides.

He was interviewed by Francis Ekongang Nzante

He begins by shedding some light on the focus of his Doctoral Thesis.

“My PhD Thesis was entitled; Development Agencies in the “North West  and South West Regions” of Cameroon: 1956-2016. This academic work centers on the development agency paradigm of the Northwest and Southwest regions, conterminous with the British Southern Cameroons over time and space. It sheds light on how strategic socio-economic development of the area was coordinated by State-Owned Institutions (Parastatals) at the close of, and after independence in the interest of creating a stable economy to guarantee sustainable livelihoods. It also exposes some contending positions surrounding the ephemeral lifespans of some key state institutions of social and economic change and argues that they deserved to live longer than expected given the mission and visions for which they were established.”

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What inspired you to choose that specific domain as your area of focus?

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Since the dawn of our independence in 1960, the state took the establishment of development institutions to foster desired progress as a matter of absolute importance. This was consequent to the fact that, the British [as the Administering Authority] had neglected the development of the territory during the Mandate and Trusteeship periods and also that the Private Sector was not very buoyant. In spite of this very lofty goal by the state to create development agencies with multifaceted domains of intervention, the presence of the state as sole proprietor in these institutions and its attendant power-centric maneuvers combined with other corporate governance dissonances to diminish the efficacy of the schemes. Consequently, the gains in the performance of these development agencies over the years continued to appear far below expectations and some were forced by circumstances to fold up with very ephemeral life spans.

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As you enter that illustrious class of revered academics, we would like to get your appreciation of the general conduct of Djottin and Noni youths in general. What advise can you give them?

Thank you again for this very pertinent question touching on my beloved homeland. Djottin and Noni youths are not only obedient and academically vibrant, but are strategically endowed with talents that cut across all domains of society. We have young Academics, Medical Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers and you name them. An increasing number of them are spread in universities across the world. Gone are those days when educational/career success was the prestige of a certain class, age group, rich ones and the ‘more privileged’. Everyone is trying to make it recently. Yet, there is still an increasing number of our youths who do not truly “Believe in themselves.” Many do not carefully define their objectives and establish goals to follow while others still shy away from several opportunities which are clearly spread these days in terms of career options. It is my wish that my successful completion of this academic milestone degree becomes a ray of light and hope to those who are scared of their own abilities.

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From a purely developmental perspective, what do you think is the major problem facing Noni at large?

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Our people for a long time now have been married to the erroneous belief that [meaningful] development can only come down from the state. This top-bottom approach has practically made the people not to see that the bottom-top approach is more reliable as it makes them part and parcel of their own progress. The prevalence of Village Development Associations (VDAs) in the various villages in Noni should be the foundation of every community development endeavor. While each village tries to internalize its own development, the umbrella development organ; Noni Cultural and Development Association (NODECA) should be strengthened to vent for more collective projects. Put simply, the collective will of the people of Djottin and Noni should be the foundation of their own progress and what comes in from the state through its annual investment budget will be an additional advantage. It is also my wish that our men and women in positions of power and authority continue endlessly to use their high offices to channel our development needs to the government for consideration.

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Despite the upsurge of academic achievements in Noni, the low number of school going children remains disturbing. What do you think accounts for this? What is the best way forward?

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To begin with, the negative impact of the ongoing Anglophone crisis since 2016 on the rate of school dropouts in Djottin and Noni cannot be overemphasized. Significant numbers of children have not only diverted attention away from school but have abandoned it entirely. Also, the rate of information gathering and sharing on diverse opportunities appears insignificant and children are diverting attention from school to other fields. As if that is not enough, the rate of teenage pregnancy among our girls has been on the rise lately and seriously distracts them away from school. As a way forward, I join my voice to that of the Noni Students Association (NSA) with branches in all major towns of Cameroon which tries to educate our children and to disseminate useful information that exposes them adequately to the benefits of schooling. I also want to encourage our parents not to relent their efforts in anyway in the interest of pushing their children to higher heights on the education ladder.

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Any last message?

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I am deeply grateful to you and the media organ you represent for giving me this opportunity to share to the public my feelings, ideas and suggestions regarding the general development situations of my beloved homeland, Noni. I will not end without encouraging my brothers and sisters, the general population and re-emphasizing that true success largely depends on how well you set your goals at any given level of your life and how well you strategize and position yourself to achieve them. Thank you immensely!

Interviewed By Francis Ekongang Nzante

Noni News

Email: francoeko@gmail.com

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