By NDIMUH B. SHANCHO
The Saint Joseph College in Sasse, Buea will run the 2019/2020 academic year that begins, early September, 2019, in the campus of the Regina Pacis College (REPACOL) Muntengene.
An announcement to this effect was sent out, July 5, 2019, by the Principal, Father Kevin Sakwe. In a separate communique, the Principal explained to parents the reason for this action.
“Dear parents, for reasons not foreign to us, the surroundings of our legendary campus at Sasse is still not friendly to receive our students. We would not want to repeat the experience we had last year in Tiko. So we shall run in Mutengene as an independent boys’ college,” the communique reads.
This decision by the Management of Saint Joseph College, has begun harvesting varied reactions from members of the Sasse Alumni Association better known as SOBAN. “My humble opinion is that it would have been safer, logical and genotypically healthier to transfer Sasse students to merge with Bishop Rogan students. Who are our advisers and decision makers? Please reconsider,” an alumnus requested.
“In addition Bishop Rogan is a grammar school, doing both arts and sciences, and has a lot of space and halls. REPACOL is purely commercial and has limited space for boys or a Science Laboratory. Let’s brainstorm,” he added.
Reacting to these concerns, the Catholic education authorities noted that their requests are not feasible:“Emeritus the problem with Bishop Rogan option is that first it is a minor seminary. Secondly it is under all the BAPEC Bishops. Bishop Bushu doesn’t have exclusive rights over Bishop Rogan. I am sure the logistics handicap can be handled well in time,” they explained.
The management is also skeptical about the security situation at Bishop Rogan. “Bishop Rogan College is not absolutely safe though it is yet to experience an attack. What happens if Sasse students are moved there and the school is attacked?” they questioned.
Saint Joseph’s College, Sasse is one of the several mission schools that have been heavily affected by the ongoing Anglophone crisis. Last September 2018, armed men attacked the school wounding more than 20 children. Few months after the incident that is in March, 2019 the school was forced to shut down with some 200 students transferred to Christ the King College, Tiko where they camped and prepared for the General Certificate of Education, GCE. The Bishop of Buea Mgr Immanuel Bushu, attributed the shutdown to regular clashes between security forces and separatist fighters in Buea, which according to him, made learning difficult and put the life of the students at risk.
Classes will not go on here next academic year