ForeverMissed
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His Life

Life Story of Charles Akwa Munji

April 24, 2019
by T Munji

Charles Akwa Munji was born on January 4 1964 to Pa Alose Tingen Munji and Mama Felisita Endam Munji in Guzang village, Batibo Sub division. To many people he was Charlie,  Mr Munji, Mister Charlie, Engineer, Chinese man, Ni Charles, Daddy etc.

He attended Presbyterian Primary School, Guzang and then proceeded to secondary school at Cameroon Protestant College (CPC) in Bali, and then on to high school at Cameroon College of Arts, Sciences and Technology (CCAST) in Bambili. In every school that he attended, he stood out for his academic abilities.

After high school, Charles initially enrolled in the University of Yaounde but shortly thereafter won a scholarship to study architecture in The People's Republic of China. And yes, he studied architecture in Mandarin (main Chinese language), a language he knew not a word of when leaving Cameroon in 1985.  Like he had done countless times before, he excelled and completed his education and graduated as an Architect and Structural Engineer from the University of Shanghai.

After 9 years abroad working for Chinese and American multinational construction companies, he returned to Cameroon mainly with his education, solid work experience, a few architectural drawing boards, but most importantly, a determination to build a construction company from scratch in Bamenda, Cameroon. 

Over the last 25 years, Mister Charlie has left his mark on the construction industry around  Bamenda, across Cameroon and in other Central African countries. He has changed the skyline of Bamenda's busiest business district, Commercial Avenue, by designing and constructing several high-rise buildings. The architect from Guzang village used his creativity to design and build majestic homes, commercial buildings and architectural master pieces such as Azam Hotel, Credit Union Head Office and St Louis Clinic and Institute, all in Bamenda. Munji Construction also built  many of the bridges on the Bamenda- Batibo stretch of the Trans African Highway . The Company designed and completed projects in other parts of Cameroon, Gabon and Equitorial Guinea. At the time of his death, Charles was constructing the tallest building in the coastal city of Limbe

Mister Charlie, (as family fondly called him) strove to change the world not just with bricks and mortar, but also by how he related to people. He loved family, and always made everyone feel special. He gave up so much of himself for family. The Munji family has lost someone who always brought family together, who was always available when needed and who was always the life of the party. We miss you, Ni Charlie.
Beyond his immediate family, he was a very generous and sociable person. His motto was " work hard, play hard". Charlie had many friends, some of whom he'd known for decades and who had always stood by him and shared in many lows and highs of his life.  These special people were not just friends to Mister Charlie: they were equally his family and our family as well.
At the time of his death, he was the Vice President of the National Order of Architects. He was a member of his alma mater, Bali Old boys Association class of 1982. His home Church is Presbyterian Church Azire.
He leaves behind three kids, two sisters, many half brothers and sisters, scores of cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, friends, business associates, employees - all of whom will sorely miss him.