Mayor, Donors seek to scrap scholarship scheme from politics

The Mayor of the Social Democratic Front, SDF-run Kumba III Council, John Kona Makia, and a host of donors to an annual scholarship scheme for outstanding students, have declared that the exercise is void of politics.

Makia made the declaration on February 23 on the campus of the Cameroon College of Arts and Science, CCAS, Kumba, during the launching of the scholarship scheme, which saw about 68 students from secondary schools in Kumba III Subdivision awarded FCFA 50,000 each.

“It is not party politics. It is all about the building of character and morality; society is full of greedy men and women. This exercise comes after two months of rigorous work by the committee that was put in place, comprising college principals. I was not a part of it,” Makia said.

Makia’s justification comes amid public speculation that the Mayor could be using the exercise to earn political aura. On the other side of the political divide, particularly the Cameroon Peoples’ Democratic Movement, CPDM, there is anxiety following the active participation of Thomas Eyambe, one-time senior official at the Prime Ministers’ office in Yaounde, who recently went on retirement.

Eyambe, who has been described as ‘PM’s man’ is resurfacing after he organised a football tournament that caused CPDM barons in Kumba III to quake, as they saw it as him preparing his way back home in the last quarter of 2014.

Though Eyambe was not available to talk to the press at the scholarship award ceremony, there are already fears that he might run for elections as CPDM Section President in Meme IC.

Quizzed on the continuity of the scheme, Makia disclosed that FCFA 500,000 has already been made available for the next edition of the scholarship award.

He said the scheme came into being because the Kumba III Council and other private individuals, who attach much value to education, saw the importance of encouraging and rewarding hard work.

Makia challenged other public officials, particularly the CPDM officials, to support the next edition.

“I look forward to see scholarships coming in, even from CPDM Section Presidents, for the good of our children,” he said.

Reacting to the gesture, Kunz Mbai Muelle, Principal of CASS Kumba, said the scheme was a mustard seed planted to grow and harbour God’s people. He challenged the donors to make it an annual event which should come up, preferably at the beginning of every school year.

A total of FCFA 3.75 million was shared out to the laureates based on instructions from donors and the class results of the 2013/2014 academic year.