Madame,

Je viens vous exprimer toute ma sympathie à l'occasion du décès du Pr. Martin NJEUMA. Devant la perte d'un être cher  nous sommes tous faibles. Pour ma part, j'ai toujours vu en vous une femme exemplaire et forte. Je sais que vous trouverez les ressources nécessaires pour vous relever. Je voudrais juste vous dire que mes prières vous accompagnent. Que le Seigneur vous bénisse!

Madame,

Aux noms de mes parents et à mon nom propre, je vous prie de recevez Madame, nos sincères condoléances à l'occasion du décès de Papa Njeuma qui a été pour nous tous un père. Que son âme repose en paix et que la terre de nos ancêtres lui soit légère. 

Famille Teuma

Buéa

Dear Dorothy  

You have been very much in my thoughts ever since I learnt of the passing away of your husband. I have been struggling to find the right way of expressing my profound solidarity with you.  

A partner for life who goes first, takes with him a great part of the one who remains. Life changes forever, life is never the same. It’s a very deep sense of loss. It’s a very tough journey of adjusting to the new reality.   

Please cherish every moment you shared together, count the blessings he brought to your life. Gather the pieces of your inner strength to accept that for now, anything you do, you do it for yourself, but you also do it to honour him, to keep his memory alive. May he rest in eternal peace!   

Please remember you have in me someone you can count on. 

Lots of  love to you, Dear Sister!

Graça Machel

Condolence Message

On the occasion of the death of Prof. Dr.  Zakary Martin Njeuma

Family and Dear Friends,

Today, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Humboldt Association Cameroon join the Njeuma family and friends to mourn a Dear friend and senior colleague. News of the departure of our father, elder brother and mentor came to us as a great shock and many of us who depended on his experience and guidance in shaping the policy guidelines of the Humboldt Alumni Association here in Cameroon are still to come to terms with this sad news.

Professor Martin Njeuma was the first Cameroonian to be awarded an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship in 1972. After his first research stay in Germany, he has since returned to that country for many research visits during which he contributed much in fostering academic and diplomatic relations between Cameroon and the Federal Republic of Germany.

The nascent Humboldt Alumni Association of Cameroon comprising about 35 members has benefited much from his distinguished status of First Humboldt Fellow in Cameroon. In this capacity, he served as the first technical adviser to the association and has done just so much to ensure that the young association, like a new-borne baby, takes its first steps and walks into life. The main objective of the association is to further the aims of the Alexander von Humboldt foundation in Cameroon and to facilitate scholarly exchanges between Humboldtians and other researchers in Cameroon and Germany. These aims of the association are simply a continuation of work which professor Njeuma had started way back in 1975 as the first Humboldt fellow in the country. At the time of his untimely departure, he was working with the scientific committee of the association to design their first collaborative research project between Cameroonian universities and institutions of higher learning out there in Germany. The scientific committee will find it very difficult to fill the gap that his untimely departure has left.

Despite his numerous commitments and the distance that separates Yaounde from Buea where he lived and worked, Professor Njeuma attended all Alumni meetings in Yaounde even when informed at short notice. His active participation at the last meeting which held in November 2009 was particularly inspiring. He brought along with him five junior scientists who presented high quality papers and received information on how to become a Humboldtian. The Prof himself presented a paper which generated lots of scientific debate. In addition to this presentation, he chaired a plenary session and helped shape and direct discussions during many parallel sessions. His presentations during Alumni meetings, including the Humboldt  Kolleg 2008 paper  titled “Research and Development: Reminiscences of the First Cameroonian Humbodt Scholar 1972-present”  have always borne the following famous words: “Sacrificing for others’ growth is bliss already earned”. Sacrificing for others’ growth was a real source of happiness for Prof Njeuma. Many messages delivered here today have made reference to this with ample illustrations and we do not wish to belabour that point any further.

Professor Njeuma was a great historian and an icon in his domain. While Cameroonian scholars of history remember him for what he did in writing and shining the light on the history of our great nation, we in the Humboldt association remember him for painting a very clear picture of the role of the Federal Republic of Germany in the development of the nation – Cameroon since 1868. His research and personal efforts contributed much in setting up the German Historical Museum which features, among many other things, the colonial history of Germany in Africa in general and Cameroon in particular.

While many young Humboldt fellows from Cameroon will remember Prof Njeuma as a great source of inspiration, other more elderly members of the association remember him as a great friend with an inspiring personality. His human qualities have made him a mentor to many of his students and younger colleagues who have recourse to him to nourish themselves from the fountain of Knowledge. He mentors and encourages even those who are not in his field of history by showing concern about the state of their application files for a Humboldt fellowship.

Dear family and friends, we know the depth of the pain and anguish that is in you during this very trying moment. We must however remember that only the Almighty knows why this has happened at this moment. The president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany joins the Humboldt Association in Cameroon in imploring the Almighty to grant you the strength that you need to get through this very difficult moment.

Accept our heart-felt condolence.

Dr. Mrs. Dorothy L. Njeuma

Dear Madam,

Letter of Condolence

The entire University community was indeed saddened to hear about the death of your dear husband and our colleague, Professor Martin Z. Njeuma.

As Pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Arts, a member of Senate and Council, Professor Martin Njeuma was one of the Founding fathers of the University of Buea.  During his sojourn at the University he mentored a generation of students and administrators and served as a reference for University traditions and good practices.

We had the honour and pleasure to have known him, to work with him and to appreciate his sterling humane qualities. We wish to convey our sincere condolence to you and the entire family and to inform you that we have you in our thoughts and prayers.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Vincent P.K. Titanji

Vice-Chancellor

To the Njeuma and Effange Families:

My sincere sympathy goes out to the Njeuma and Effange families for the untimely death of Uncle Zack as most of us were fond of calling him. I am still in total disbelief about uncle Zack's death because, I was in Cameroon in March 2010. I went to the house in Small Soppo to greet him, unfortunatetly for me, he was still asleep. I left his letter I brought from sister Bernedette with his wife. I never knew that will be my last visit. The last time Uncle came to visit in the US about four years ago, he came and spent some time with me. And as always, he gave me all the advice that he was fond of dishing out to all those who were so dear to him. Uncle Zack was a brother inlaw to our family, but he never treated any of us any different from his immediate family. He is obviously gone, but all his benevolent and invaluable deeds and contributions in our lives will never die. So, I can safely say, good bye uncle Zack.  May the almighty God bless you. R.I.P.

Sincerely,

Gabriel Nkengfack

Maryland, USA

on behalf of the Nkengfack Family.

I want to add my sincere and profound condolences to the many you have received. I was shocked to hear about Martin’s passing away. I am in Houston unwell also and so it might my turn next. We are always  surprised and saddened by these events.  We should make room for others. May his Soul rest in peace. Courage!

Victor Ngu

Dear Madam,

I learnt of Prof's death in London where I was held down by the volcanic ash from Iceland. On this very sad occasion Jessie and I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to you, Christine, her sister and the entire family that is mourning this loss. I will always remember Prof's good and kind words to me each time we met. He was so simple even when I first met him in the University of Yaounde. He was my Dean but paid special attention to me and a few other colleagues. I know his passing away will leave a vacuum that will be difficult to fill in the years ahead. For now, we can only remember his smiling face but more especially some of his good qualities that will linger around us forever. To you,Madam, I say:you have braved it all for so many years of your full life. You played your key in the synphony and The good Lord will reward you accordingly. Do accept or condolences because your present grief is ours too. 

Robert EKUKOLE

Bonjour Madame,

J'ai appris avec douleur la triste nouvelle du décès de notre père le Pr. Njeuma.
Le Pr. a été non seulement mon enseignant, mais aussi mon Directeur de Thèse et mon tuteur dans la vie quotidienne. Il était un Grand Homme. Qu'il repose en paix!
Mes condoléances les plus attristées à vous et à toute la famille.

Bon courage!

Dr ABDOUL-AZIZ YAOUBA