BIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS XAVIER NJUANGWE NKUO

 Mr. Francis Nkuo, fondly called “wulatum ni Kube” or Bo Con was born on January 30th 1936 at Njinikom, of bobe Felix Nkuo Muso and Emilia Ngoinjang. He was the second in a family of nine children, three boys and six girls. His siblings are, Veronica Nkeni, Pauline Ndowo Mbang, Hilda Noh, Primus Ndichia, Anthonia Nange, Lawrencia Feuen Song, Sr. Bridget Ankungha Nkuo and Joseph Keti Nkuo.

He attended primary school at St. Anthony’s Catholic School Njijnikom from 1945 to 1952 and upon completion; he was employed as the sales manager of Kom Improvement Association. Later in 1953, he was employed to teach at his alma mater; where he taught for two years and also served as the school sacristan.

In January 1955, he was admitted at St. Peters Teacher Training College – Bambui. He completed in 1957 as a grade III teacher and he was posted to Mankon Parish where he taught at Ntambeng from January 1958 to December 1959.

Thereafter he was admitted at the Government Teacher Training College – Kumba where he completed in 1961 as a grade II teacher. While in Kumba he played football so well that he was honored as a football star. When he left Kumba, he taught with the Catholic Mission Authorities at Babanki Tungo, Binju in Nkambe, Akum, Baingo and Njinikom.

He got married on the 18th of September 1967 to Neng Catherine Nkuo and was blessed with five Children, namely: Ntoh Conrad, Ngong  Ludwig, Song James, Kafain Roland and Nain Josepha. He has thirteen grandchildren.

During the 1969 to 1970 academic year, he attended the Coady International Institute of St. Francis Xavier University Antigonish, Nova Scotia Canada where he obtained a Diploma in Social Leadership and Cooperative Management. In June 1970 he was a participant at the inauguration of the World Council of Credit Unions which held in Madison in the United States of America. In August of that year he participated at the first ASCOSCA meeting which held in Buea Cameroon.

Upon his return to Cameroon, he was posted to teach in Bafmeng.

In March of 1975 he attended a seminar on management and leadership for West African Graduates in Accra Ghana.

In 1977 he was transferred to teach in Fundong parish. He was a member of Fundong Rural Council from 1977 to 1987. He received a credit union Award in 1978 as a Pioneer Voluntary promoter. He was transferred to Njinikom parish in 1984 where he taught until 1992 when he went on voluntary retirement.

He was a board member of the Njinikom Marketing cooperative society and a delegate to the Kom cooperative union from 1993 to 1996 and from 1996 to 1999 he became the Chairperson of the Njinikom society and a board member of the Marketing Cooperative Union. He was also a member of the supervisory committee of the North West Cooperative produce Marketing Association.

As a teacher, he had a passion for the teaching of the mother tongue and in 1989 he published an article entitled “Cameroon: an experiment in literacy teaching: how mother-tongue learning aids literacy, together with Loh Pius and George Schultz of SIL Cameroon http://www.sil.org/resources/publications/entry/5001

In 2003, Mr Francis Nkuo published an essay entitled “Preparing for age and retirement”. In the publication, he writes on the importance of planning and budgeting in all ventures in life. He lays emphasis on shrewd financial management as a means to better manage one’s resources thus preparing for the rainy day for as the saying goes “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

During his lifetime, Pa was a devoted Christian. He dedicated his services to the church as a teacher shunning the temptation to leave the mission for the government to have more pay, as was the case with his contemporaries. He was a member of the Finance committee of Saint Anthony’s parish Njinikom.

He lost his wife in January 2005 and he was deeply aggrieved by the loss.

He spent his leisure time farming and playing Finjang.

He was very fond of his family and remained thankful to them for all they did to keep him alive especially after the death of his wife.. A few days before he died, he offered several mass intentions in Njinikom Parish for the welfare of his family.

On Friday September 23rd, 2016 Mr. Francis Njuangwe Nkuo, called for his neighbor and brother Mr Primus Nkuo and intimated that his heart has been taken away. On that day, he lost appetite but spent the night in his house. The next day, he complained of respiratory difficulties and was rushed to the hospital where he passed away later the same day.

May His Soul Rest in Peace!