Daddy, i write this with tears in my eyes. it is hard to believe u are gone. wish i had the opportunity to hear your voice before your gave up your last breathe. You were an uncle everyone counted on. I remember so many times i will come to your office in CITEC to tell you i was broke and u never let me go empty handed. Your house in yaounde was our family house. You were always there for us. 

Daddy, thank you such much for my send off party in 2010 before i left for Belgium. It was a memorable one at your residence. I thank God for the happy moments we spent together when you visited us in the US.

Thank you so much your generosity and kindness.

Go well Daddy, till we meet to part no more 

I AM SPEECHLESS,MY EYES ARE HEAVY WITH TEARS,EVERY MOMENT I HAD WITH YOU ARE STILL FRESH, ADIEU DADDY

I am privileged to have known Professor Martin E. Amin since the early seventies when he returned from the University of Cape Coast Ghana. At that time, I was a classmate with one of his younger brothers (Alexander Amin or Nkematem) and his lovely, humble and hardworking would-be better-half in Seat of Wisdom College Fontem. Having a first degree at that time and especially in Mathematics was very rare. Despite that, he was very ambitious to go for a terminal degree in Canada from the University of Ottawa.

      He and his better- half facilitated my joining them in 1976. I lived and attended school in Waterloo at the University of Waterloo which is about two hundred miles from Ottawa where they lived. I was always very happy to go to Ottawa where they lived for holidays since I was sure that I was going to have free meals and will not also have to pay rents. Moreover my presence was highly welcomed and I had the facilities to enable me have a driving license. It was during these occasions that I had the opportunity to meet nice people like Julienne Tchama Ndongmo, Prof. Leke, Perry and Elizabeth Cockburn, Nancy and Siga Asanga et al.

   When they were returning to Cameroon in 1978, they had a stop-over in London where they spent some time with my would-be better-half. During that short period of stay in London, the cajoled my would-be wife and we finally got married and are blessed with six children. When we finally returned to Cameroon in 1984, we went to Yaounde on the eve of the coup d’Etat and he had to shelter and feed my two children at the time, my pregnant wife and myself. Immediately after that experience, we moved to Muyuka and eventually settled in Kumba. However, on leaving Yaounde, I left with some ideas that I admire in him. The first and of which I have implemented is the architectural design of his first house in Yaounde. Our house in Kumba is a replica of that house though with very slight modifications. The second idea I took from him is hard work and that has paid off for I have been recognized and two medals of labour were awarded to me by the government while serving with the Ministry of Secondary Education.

           After my retirement in 2012, I moved to join my family in the U.S.A in 2013. We were privileged to have him spend a night over at ours and on the following day, we drove to Virginia only to visit our son Letia who was finishing his specialization training with the United States Army. Letia was a special son of Ndi Nkemamin’s house when he was opportuned to live with them while attending CITEC.

   About five months ago, I went to Yaounde just to say “Thank You” to them for I was to leave for the U.S.A. I subsequently announced my safe arrival. Only on Monday 21 December, Henry Ntitebem called me to announce the passing over of Ndi Nkemamin and I was exasperated and finally called Franklin in Ottawa and he confirmed the pathetic situation.

  On behalf of the Fondong’s family, may I say fare well to Ndi Nkem-Amin and one can only say take courage to the beloved wife and children, Nkematem and family and to Mbe Amin Maurice and family.

                                 Chief Fondong Victor.

People often think a father is always biological; Daddy, you completely changed that definition in my life forever! My father died when I was too young to understand anything about life. You stepped in and filled the vacuum leaving an indelible mark in my life. You made me the first child in our compound to go straight to secondary (Seat of Wisdom College), breaking the tradition of sending primary school graduates to Francophone schools.  You proceeded to train me in computer programming, a rare technology inAfricain the eighties & nineties, and you instilled in me the spirit of hard work, and everything I needed to know in life to succeed.  That is how I helped to bring my siblings to the limelight. You chose to take me to your numerous impactful travels around the country which earned me a nickname “Mbendong”.  The high quality people and places you took me and introduced me to are just invaluable making me the person I have become today.

When you visited theUSAlast year (July 2015), it was a red carpet treatment and a marathon granting to so many people you had impacted over the years and their desire to acknowledge and pay you honor while you were still alive and strong. My house instantly became a bee hive with guests of good will and appreciation. Humility, kindness, simplicity and service are just some of the adjectives uncountable lips keep singing about your personality. Your next trip to USA was planned for 2016 but God decided to call you home. Daddy, I hear you calling me “Henn” in your characteristic soft spoken voice; here I am on the phone, Daddy, would you speak back to me please? My heart aches with loneliness! My mind is dim!! My body, numb and I am tongue tight and confused. Mami Stella is here with your favorite breakfast inviting you to join us with the children at the table!!

Here is my pledge: I will continue your legacy; the spirit of oneness, family-hood, solidarity and pure goodness in a world often predominated by greed and nonchalance. I will comfort your beloved sister, my mother, Mami Mafua Regina Fonjia who is so heartbroken and dumbfounded right now. I pray the hire to your noble title Ndi Nkemamin  and the rest of the family will continue your legacy. Daddy, we loved you so much but God, loves you even more. We know you are gone in body but your spirit is still with us.

Go well, stay well and may the Almighty God grant you eternal peace.

Your son, Henry A. Ntitebem