Dear Daddy,
This is supposed to be a tribute, but how does a child write a tribute about his father?
I don’t know what was on your mind when you choose this point in time to give up. Of course you owe us no apology because you never postpone any responsibility. You provided us with guidance and support where ever and whenever it was required.
I first knew that I had a great uncle in Canada when your brother,Mbe Fidelis Ntonghanwah gave me your primary school mathematics for class 5 to 7 in January 1975, when I joined him in Bambili to complete my primary education. I was inspired not just because I was using a book written by my own uncle, but also because it was the best and only book for Primary mathematics in those days. Before then we studied arithmetic using European books or books from Nigeria.
Daddy, like every god's creation, you were born and Original but unlike most god's creation, you lived and left as an Original not a copy. Thank you for making us so proud when your name is mentioned.
Since our first meeting shortly after you returned from Canada in 1979, our relationship has been beyond that of an Uncle and nephew. You and mami Stella have been exceptional parents to me. From 1982 when I first visited you in Yaoundé to last December when we spent the Christmas together, you and Mami Stella have always treated me like a Prince. When my father departed last year, you filled part of the void in the week we spent. We discussed everything, relived our many good happy times – your visit when I was in UK, the project, the book projects, time at Makere and the book on Research Methods that you wrote then, the new projects everything. As always, mami ensured our comfort, always. We spent time at CITIC, discussed its progress and future plans. You remained a pioneer to your last breath.
Most people know you as the Mathematician. Few know that you are probably the best Statistician that Cameroon has hard. This semester, I shall be teaching an undergraduate course in probability to Social Sciences and Business Students, and the material from chapter 7 of your book “Descriptive Statistics for the Social Sciences” will form part of the teaching material.
As you know, my undergraduate degree project was co-supervised by you, using data you collected from the first study of its kind in Cameroon, that investigated the Predictive Validity of the Government Common Entrance Examination into Secondary Schools in Cameroon. My supervisor at the University College was so impressed by the topic that we kept the original topic that you had given to me during the visit you paid to me in London on your way to Canada to visit Franklin and Edmond. On your return to London the flight developed problems and was returned to Canada and you returned only the next day. You shared with me how the flight announcement that the plane had developed engine problems had left you looking for even toilet paper to write a message to the family in case you did not make it. An Indian airliner with the same craft make had crashed due to the same problem over the Atlantic and killed all 500+ on Board. Well, God protected you then, knowing how much contribution you still had to make. This time God made sure, you did not need a paper to say farewell by making sure your most beloved was next to you. If it was not god's time you would still be with us.
As I flew by the same Canadian Airline to London last Sunday, your mortal remains laid in the mortuary and I wondered were in that plane you might have sat. A few days before, I had a dream and saw you watching with admiration the great farewell that the family and friends had put together for you. In my dream, I wondered if you noticed that I was not there and felt so ashamed. Unfortunately, I just could not change by travel arrangements to be at your farewell. I hope that both you and mami Stella would forgive me. For although, I have followed your mentorship and guidance and today I am almost at the top of my career as a Statistician thanks in great part to you, I have nevertheless postponed several important projects that you wanted to guide me through, including our standing book project, and failing to be at your farewell feels like another failure to appreciate all you have done for me.
You research, taught and published articles and books on educational measurement using statistical tools of uncertainty. Yet as you depart, we are uncertain of the tools to use in order to adequately measure and quantity your enormous contributions to the family, the Nweh people, to Cameroon and to the discipline of Statistics and mathematics. In his tribute to you, Prof Asongangi asked: “And who will praise the iroko tree that falls itself?” and in his usual wisdom he answers for us: “Of course, all the animals and birds that were perching on it! Professor Nkem-Amin was an iroko tree!” So we shall continue to remember you and live by your example as the only means left to pay our gratitude to all you did for us.
I know you gave all you had when you were with us, but I am making one request – tell the angels that surround you to give mami Stella the strength to survive your untimely departure. We still need her strong, happy and resilient as she has been over the 40 odd years that you spent together.
Until we meet again.
It your “big Ntonghanwah”