PETER NDUMBE

I first met Peter Ndumbe around 1987 when I joined the University of Yaounde as a lecturer.  Our first mutual interest was drama and theatre. I had just formed a drama and theatre group, THE FLAME PLAYERS, in Yaounde and Peter was one of our enthusiastic fans who hated to miss any of our performances. Later in the early 1990s, he became a fan of a newspaper column, NO TRIFLING MATTER, I wrote in the CAMEROON POST under the pen-name Rotcod Gobata and it soon generally became known that I was the columnist. Under his Deanship of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, Medical Ethics and Medical Research Ethics, as modern interdisciplinary fields of concern and enquiry, emerged from hesitant tentativeness and flourished for a while in the faculty. In 2005, Peter Ndumbe, with me and a handful of other scientists and academic researchers, founded the Cameroon Bioethics Initiative (CAMBIN), an independent non-governmental organization dedicated to ethics in medicine, biomedical research and bioethics generally. In 2010, as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, he hosted the General Assembly and annual Conference of the CAMBIN at the University of Buea. He had multi-disciplinary interests but was, first and foremost, a great researcher with many scientific achievements to his credit and I used to count him among the hostages of medical practice to medical research, until I learnt recently that he had actually practiced as a physician in Nkambe after his MD graduation before going for further studies and specialization. On this sad occasion of his precipitate departure to the world beyond our senses and experience, I wish to register, on behalf of myself and particularly on behalf of all CAMBINites, our heartfelt condolences to his immediate and extended families, to his friends, colleagues, acquaintances and admirers.

Godfrey B. Tangwa (Chairperson of CAMBIN)

Peter,
Nous étions confiants quand il nous était annoncé régulièrement par Pr. Martin Ekéké Monono et notre soeur Stella Anyangwe que tu récupérais progressivement et que tu avais su trouver la force de t'en sortir. Une récidive ce triste lundi soir t’a éloigné définitivement de nous.

Plus qu'un collègue, Peter, tu as été un grand ami a moi; nous partagions en permanence, - dans nos discussions -,  le souci de la performance de l'Organisation, mais aussi de notre continent, de nos Elites; Plus qu'un collègue, Peter, tu étais aussi mon voisin, un voisin pas comme les autres; un des rares à frapper à ma porte, à tout moment, sans protocolae aucun. A chacune de tes visites, tu te sentais chez toi et cela me faisait plaisir. Nous prenions le moment de nous "relacher" sinon de nous relaxer en refaisant le monde au gré de notre imaginaire. Nous revions ensemble et savions que c'est en partageant les reves que les hommes baptissent et realisent. Nous sortions manger un bout après une journée éprouvante; nous écoutions de la bonne musique car tu avais aussi une grande sensiblité pour l'art et la culture. 
Les grands hommes partent souvent prématurément. Ce fut malheureusement encore vérifié avec toi.

Peter, saches que tu as laissé un orphelin a la grande Cité froide de l'OMS ou ta présence et ton charysme savaient insuffler de la chaleur.

Cher Peter, Repôse en Paix. Nous ne t'oublierons pas. 

Sincères condoléances à toute la famille et a tous seux qui l'ont connu et aimé.
Que le Tout-Puissant leur donne la Force et le Courage de surmonter cette pénible et inattendue épreuve.
 
Khaled Bessaoud
Country Analysis & Support Unit - CAS -
Regional Director's Office
WHO Regional Office for Africa
Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
Tel: +47 241 39284
Fax: +47 241 39563
Mob: +242 065 081 085
http://intranet.who.int/afro/cas/
http://www.afro.who.int/en/rdo/country-analysis-a-support.html