FCFA $3 million raised as S.J.C.C.C. Mbengwi celebrates 10th anniversary

Hundreds of people, especially sons and daughters of Momo Division, converged on St. Joseph Catholic Comprehensive College, S.J.C.C.C, Mbengwi on Saturday, September 19, 2009, to witness activities marking the 10th anniversary of that college.

As early as 6.30am Mbengwi Park was jammed to capacity with passengers travelling to Mbengwi for the event. Mbengwi park officials immediately increased the transport fare from FCFA 600 to 1000. That notwithstanding, the Mbengwi road, with numerous potholes, was still the busiest road along that strip.

The event began with a concelebrated Holy Mass with the Catholic Education Secretary for Bamenda Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. John Ambe, as the chief celebrant. Some dignitaries who were present at the event included Momo first assistant senior divisional officer, Dieudonne Ngimbous, Mbengwi Central District divisional officer, Walters Takang, Momo Secondary Education divisional delegate, Roland Fokum and the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC, Meta Presbytery coordinating Chaplain, Rev. Michael Tegui.

Key anniversary Mass highlights included a solemn lectionary procession, a long and splendid offertory procession and a chorographic liturgical dance that characterised the singing at Mass.

The college chaplain based his homily on Catholic education. He said, among other things, that Catholic Education is not aimed only at training intellectual giants but also at integral formation. The pioneer rector of Mbengwi Quasi Parish said true knowledge does not undermine faith. To build a good foundation for their children, he called on parents to shun knowledge that undermines faith and embrace Catholic Education.

He described the college as a milestone in Widikum Deanery which covers the same zone as Momo Division. Fr. Viban eulogised the school’s Marist Brothers for accepting to take care of the college on the archdiocese’s behalf since it was founded. He also paid tribute to one of the college’s founding and committed teachers, Mr. Mangong, who died on July 1, 2009, after a brief illness.

A grandiose reception followed immediately after Mass during which a number of speeches were made. The current college principal, Br. Ivo Njongai, traced the college history to the present and made a thrust into the future. He commended the pioneer principal for accepting the challenge to lead the school from nothing. He attributed what the college is today to the solid foundation the pioneer principal laid.

In the academic domain, Br. Ivo Njongai enumerated the college’s success in public exams. He said the college has taken part in the Cameroon GCE O/L six times and has scored 100 percent five times and 98.6 percent once. He said the quality of results has continued to improve remarkably over the years, placing St. Joseph College Mbengwi as one of the reference colleges in the country.

He announced the theme for the 10th anniversary as: Change the Face of St. Joseph College Mbengwi. He said that the administration has come up with a 10th anniversary project to raise funds to construct a new administrative block.

Taking the queue, the college PTA president, Dieudonne Nfonsam Mbepson, commended the first batch for putting the college on the map of prominent colleges in the country. He noted that the 100 percent score in the GCE seemed to have found a fertile ground in the college. He thanked the Bamenda Catholic Education Agency for authorising the college and the pioneer principal and his successor for what he called “their sense of direction, responsibility and commitment,” which he said, has brought the college to where it is today. Mr. Nfonsam appealed to parents and people of good will to support the anniversary and other projects in the college to help realise the dreams of its founders. He preached by example as he contributed FCFA 1million to support the college PTA anniversary project.

On behalf of the current college proprietor, His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua, who was unavoidably absent, the Catholic Education Secretary for Bamenda Archdiocese, Fr. John Ambe, thanked the school’s Marist Brothers for its care and good administration. He praised parents who were not afraid to send their children to be the founding batch lest the college would not have begun. He said the school already has five ex-students studying for the Catholic Priesthood, one studying to become a Marist brother and many girls in female religious congregations across the country. He commended ex-students for beginning an alumni. He exhorted them to be good ambassadors of the college.

The peak event was the cutting of the anniversary cake and the launching of the anniversary project. About FCFA 3million in cash was raised on the spot for the anniversary project. SJCCC Mbengwi was formerly known as Comprehensive Secondary School Mbengwi. The land and the buildings were later sold to Bamenda Archdiocese. On May 28, 1999 an authorisation to create St. Joseph Catholic Comprehensive College Mbengwi was granted.

The first batch of students was admitted to the college on September 6, 1999. The Emeritus Archbishop of Bamenda, Fr. Paul Verdzekov inaugurated the college on November 18, 2000, and dedicated it to Saint Joseph.

The college has a present student enrolment of 565 students. The college has an ultra modern science laboratory and offers science, arts and commercial subjects in the Cameroon GCE and LCC. SJCCC Mbengwi is a co-educational boarding school and admits students of all creeds.