Prof. Martin Zachary Njeuma

Chère Madame le Recteur,

J’ai appris avec regret et consternation le décès de votre époux que j’ai très bien connu. En effet, quand je me suis inscrit à l’Université de Yaoundé en 1980, votre époux était le Doyen de la Faculté de Lettres et vous étiez Vice-Ministre de l’éducation nationale. À la suite d’un problème que j’avais rencontré lors de l’inscription, mes parents et moi avions rencontrés le professeur Martin Njeuma qui avait fait venir Madame Noumbissi, une française mariée à un Camerounais et qui travaille aujourd’hui à la Coopération Française. Le problème avait été réglé. C’est depuis cette époque que je connais votre défunt mari. Quand je suis revenu des Etats-Unis, il a été nommé Doyen de la Faculté des Lettres de l’Université de Buea. Puisque j’enseignais dans la même Université comme vacataire au Département d’anglais tout en étant permanant à l’Université de Yaoundé, je rencontrais fréquemment.
Le professeur Martin Njeuma et nous avons toujours entretenu des rapports très  cordiaux malgré le fossé social et généalogique qui pouvait nous séparer.
Je vous adresse mes sincères condoléances, à vous et à vos enfants. Je regrette amèrement de ne pouvoir prendre part aux obsèques du distingué professeur disparu par ce que je quitte le Cameroun lundi le 17 mai pour un séjour de trois semaines au Nigéria.

May God bless you.

Pr Edmond BILOA
Université de Yaoundé I
Chef de Département de Linguistique
BP 755 Yaoundé - Cameroun.

Prof Njeuma, initiated me to the historical arts.

Thanks to him for who I am today. My condolence to the entire family.

Gwanfogbe Mathew Basung

Dear Madam Njeuma,

It is with deep sadness that we learnt about the passing of your dear husband Professor Martin Zachary Njeuma.
No doubt, Africa has lost one of its very best. Although it is of little consolation at this time of sorrow, may you find comfort and strength from the wonderful legacy he leaves behind.

May his soul rest in perfect peace.

In sympathy,

Rachel Mukamunana

Dear Auntie Limunga,

It is with heavy heart and profound sadness that I received the passing away of your husband. I have been away and only came back at the weekend.

I cannot express how shocked I was when one of my students in the Faculty burst the news to me. I immediately called Uncle Paul who confirmed.

Auntie, I know you will be asking the question why me. It can be a trying moment for you. I can feel it myself.

We shall keep praying that God continue to sustain you. He has done it this far, so never turn your back on Him.

I will find time and pay you a visit soonest. I know this is a busy period for you, but know that you are not alone.

Have a good day. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Best regards,

Charles Fokunang

FMBS-UY1

Dear Prof. Njeuma,

I read about the death of your dear husband, Prof. Martin Zachary Njeuma with deep sadness and since then I have been trying to put together some appropriate words of sympathy after going through the lovely and very touching website created for him.

Judging from the tributes and photos, I believe your late husband was a truly wonderful person, having touched many lives and he will undoubtedly be sorely missed by many members of the family and friends.

May the good Lord grant you the courage and strength to go through this difficult time of bereavement.  Unfortunately some of us cannot join you during the funeral, but we will be praying for you and be there with you in spirit.

May the Angels rise up to meet him and grant him his well-deserved rest.

May the soul of Prof. Zachary NJEUMA rest in perfect Peace

Warmest Regards,

Alida Baeta

Office of the Secretary General

Association of African Universities

Dear Njeuma Family:

We are praying and thinking of you all during this sad moment.

May it comfort you all to know that your Father is safe in God's care and that friends are praying for you all in your time of sorrow. We wish sincerely that the passing of time will give you all strength and surround all of you with loving memories. May the kind Lord receive your father in His Kingdom. We know the pain may not completely go away, however it will gradually subside with God’s own help.

God bless you all.

The EJEDEPANG-KOGE Family
In African, USA and Europe

Madame La Professeur Dorothy L Ndjeuma

C'est avec costernation que j'ai appris le déces de votre mari Monsieur Le Professeur Martin Zachary -un authentique serviteur de la cause Africaine qui a mis ses connaissances et son savoir à la disposition de notre continent.En cette pénible circonstance, je tiens avec ma famille et toute l'équipe de la Commission Nationale sur la Gouvernance d' Algérie à vous présenter ainsi qu' à votre famille et à vos proches nos sincères condoléances.

A dieu nous appartenons et à lui nous retournons.

Bien respectueusement

Abdelouahab KARA-MOSTEPHA

It is extremely sad to learn about brother Zach's death.  The Cameroon nation as a whole has lost a very important person and his family has lost a very, very important and dear family member.  For those of us who knew Brother Zach and interacted with him on several occasions, it was a great  pleasure and very rewarding experience.  For those of you who did not have the opportunity to know or interact with him personally during his life here on earth, it is an unfortunate and missed opportunity. 

May God bless his soul and comfort everyone who is saddened by his death.

Maryl Brown
New York City 

Dear Dorothy,

It is with great sadness and deep sorrow that I have learned the terrible news of the passing away of your beloved husband. The sad news came to me as a great shock. I could not believe that he would have left us at this moment.

Having seen the obituary you have published in the local newspapers, including the tentative funeral programme, I would like to apologize for my inability to personally attend the funerals as I have to travel to Kampala, Uganda, to participate in the International Criminal Court’s Review Conference, which will also begin in the same week-end.

The untimely passing away of your beloved husband was dearly felt by all of us, who were friends and brothers to him. It goes without saying that the death has really robbed the whole humanity and mankind of a true panafricanist.

Your late husband was an embodiment of a human repository of African history. His tremendous in depth knowledge of strategic issues relating to fate of our dismembered mother continent was admirable. We all shared, along with one of our dearest friends and brothers, his peer from Senegal Professor Abdoulaye Bathily, a great African political leader, a common and shared vision of the dreams that we have always harbored for our continent.

I will never forget the endless debates and animated discussions that we enjoyed during his visit to Arusha (Tanzania). I was hoping to honour the invitation he extended to me. Indeed I did plan to visit Cameroon in this year marking the 50th Anniversary of its Independence. I was looking
forward to have fruitful discussions and benefit from his wisdom.

God has decided otherwise! God gives and God takes away and we can only give Him thanks for the life of your husband, my brother and friend Martin.

While conveying my sincere and deepest heartfelt sympathy and condolences to you and the bereaved family, I wish to assure you that at the very first opportunity, I will come to pray at his graveside and pay my respects to you, the children and the family.

Please take comfort in the fact that only GOD knows why events of that nature must happen to us. May The Almighty bless his soul and ensure that my friend and brother, Professor Martin Zachary Njeuma enjoy an eternal peace in paradise.

May GOD give you and your family solace in these challenging times and may his soul rest in peace!!!

Adama Dieng
Assistant-Secretary General

United Nations and Registrar of ICTR