“He who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 26:23

This is a tribute to our beloved dad, granddad, brother, uncle and friend; Papa Samuel Awamunang Abam (or Papa Abam), who received the ultimate call from our Lord and Savior Jesus, on Friday, March 13, 2015 at 12:40pm, to come home and rest peacefully in his bosom after 86 years on this earth.

Papa Abam was born on the 29th November 1928 in Melong, Nkongsamba to Pa Jacob Abam, a tailor, and Ave Monica Agwa Abam, a homemaker, both now resting with the Lord. He attended the Government Primary School Up Station Bamenda, in 1948, where he earned his Standard 6 certificate. A brilliant student, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Government College Umuahia, Nigeria Nigeria – a cradle for learning where his schoolmates were the likes of Chinua Achebe—the father of African literature, and other notable Cameroonian and Nigerian would-be pioneer leaders of post-colonial Africa.

Upon graduation from college, dad returned home and joined the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) as a Laboratory Technician. After working for the CDC for 2 years he was hired by Pamol as an Oil Analyst. During his employment with Pamol, he won another scholarship to attend the School of Pharmacy in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.

He graduated with a Pharmacy Diploma in 1959 and accepted a position at CDC as a Pharmacist.  He worked for the CDC in this capacity at their hospitals in Tiko, Ekona, and Bota until 1961, when he left the corporation to join Dr. Effiong and the Rainbow Chemists Ltd. He started his career with Rainbow as Pharmacist at the Victoria (now Limbe) branch and was later transferred to Port Harcout, Nigeria.  Papa Abam was working at the Port Harcourt branch in 1967 when the Nigerian civil war broke out. He returned to his native Cameroon and was posted to Bamenda to lead the North West provincial branch of the Rainbow Chemists Ltd. Soon after he took charge of this branch, the government of Cameroon passed a law prohibiting franchising of the pharmacy business. Papa Abam obtained his Sole Proprietorship Pharmacy License, bought the Rainbow Chemist branch in Bamenda in 1968 and renamed it City Chemist. Today renowned nationwide, it grew to become the groundbreaking powerhouse that set the standards for Pharmacy excellence this side of our beloved country, Cameroon.

Some say that a man’s success in life depends on how well he raises a family. A moment of great significance in Papa Abam’s life was marked on the 14th February 1960, when he took as wife a young beautiful lady, Rebecca Keng née Ngoh— now the highly respected matriarch of the family, fondly referred to by everyone as Abot. Together this quiet couple travelled through the concourse of life as devout Christians, putting their faith in God and taking care of each other as well as members of their family and community. True companions for life with 55 years in holy matrimony, they shared the vicissitudes of life—endured every pain and enjoyed every blessing as one. With 7 children and 15 grandchildren, there is no doubt that Pa Samuel Awamunang Abam accomplished his mark on earth as a man with a pedigree, helped in this feat in no small way, by the unyielding support of his wife, soul mate, best friend and our mother, Abot.

To paraphrase a well-known biblical quip in Matthew 16:26,

 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

To that, we ask a similar question: what is the value of material wealth to a man without his character? A man’s character is the reputation he builds over time and the impression he leaves in the lives of others. Papa Samuel Awamunang Abam  was a man whose sterling achievements were only dwarfed by his exceptional character—a character which elevated him within the community, established him to be renowned by his peers, made him an accomplished businessman, helped forge remarkable friendships with a wide diversity of people, earned him the honour and respect of his colleagues, endeared him to his family—and most importantly left him in good standing with his God.

Papa Abam was a follower of Christ. A Presbyterian by faith, he strived to live his life showing love and working for peace.  He had a deep trust and belief in the power and mercy of the Lord and drew strengths and comfort from his Christian beliefs. In this respect, he successfully pulled up and carried the family along with him —leading by example to walk in humble faith before God, and to give thanks for the endless blessings received. As an active member of the Presbyterian Church Ntamulung, he served in various capacities—as a member, an Elder, philanthropist and strategist for its continuing success.

Renowned for his transparent integrity and honesty, Papa Abam was entrusted with the duties of a treasurer in many associations.  He carried out his community responsibilities with meticulous care, great organizational skills and due diligence.

He is a founding member of one of the most successful Credit Unions in Cameroon; the Azire Credit Union where he also served as its president for over 30 years.  He was an elder of the Presbyterian Church Ntamulung for over 50 years, and served as the treasurer for more than 25 years. He was elected / named tresurer of several cultural associations including MECUDA, BADA, and the North West Provincial arm of the SDF party. He served as Commissioner of the Red Cross  and Member of the Lions Club. He was Chairman of several PTAs; including PSS Batibo, PSS Mankon, and CPC Bali.
    
When people talk about Papa Samuel Awamunang Abam, these are the words which they use generally to describe him: He is kind with a wide latitude of tolerance, loving, soft-spoken, a gentleman personified, very affable, the epitome of generosity, approachable, transparently honest, loyal, caring, understanding, a visionary, clever, respectful, nurturing, trustworthy, a man of absolute integrity, an impressive family man—and above all, a devout Christian. These are the simple qualities that make a man to stand out, the humane impulses that transform an ordinary servant into a community leader to whom many look up for inspiration.

The relationship between children and their parents are not always very smooth. And so we have many families which have been torn apart by simple family disagreements. We are lucky, to have had a unifier in our parents and for that we thank God abundantly. We couldn’t have been more blessed to have two exceptional people who love peace to call our parents.

So here is a vivid portraiture of the man whose life we celebrate, through the earnest voices of his children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, friends and colleagues. In honouring Papa Abam, we are also applauding our mum, Abot— a big thank you beloved mother—you were the quiet force behind a great man, and we have all drawn strength from your bosom.