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Victoria United Football Team (OPOPO- One People, One Power) proudly presents their trophy of MTN Elite One Football Championship to the Minister of Secondary Education.

Victoria United Football Team, winners of the highly anticipated MTN Elite One Football Championship 2024, presented their hard-earned and well-deserved trophy to the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga, during a ceremony held on Tuesday, 23 April 2024, at the Distance Education Centre.

This ceremony took place in the company of the Minister in Charge of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic, Ghogomu Paul Mingo, the Governor of the Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea, top rank officials of MINESEC and other Ministerial departments.

This trophy presentation ceremony was a moment of great pride and honour for both the football team and the Minister of Secondary Education who is renowned for her avid support of sports development among the youths of the country. Professor Nalova Lyonga expressed her admiration for Victoria United’s outstanding performance and exemplary sportsmanship, while commending them for their dedication and discipline.

The ceremony was a celebration of the team’s remarkable achievement, as well as an acknowledgement of the significant role that sports plays in enhancing national unity, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and nurturing young talents in the country.

The team captain and the team’s president, Valentine Nkwain, thanked the Minister of Secondary Education for her encouragement and unwavering support. They appreciated the Minister’s physical presence during the finals. This served as a moral booster which led OPOPO to the final victory.

The celebration continued with a series of photographs capturing the historic moment, as the players of Victoria United Football Team proudly presented the trophy to, and posed alongside Professor Nalova Lyonga, in the company of some Government officials. This part was briefly followed by a fund drive headed by the Minister of Secondary Education to support and encourage the team. The event ended with a common meal offered by the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga.

Joso Sophie,ARO2/CELCOM

2024 OFFICIAL EXAMINATION SESSION

Practicals of Sports and Physical Education Kick-started Hitch-free Nationwide

The 2024 official examination session is officially on with the successful launching of Practicals of Sports and Physical Education in Baham.

On Monday, 22 April 2024, the Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Nalova Lyonga, and the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, undertook a joint visit to Baham in the Hauts-Plateaux Division, alongside Awa Fonka Augustine, Governor of the West Region.

The aim of this joint visit was to supervise the launching and ensure the smooth running of the practicals of Sports and Physical Education Examinations for the 2024 official examination session.

Emphasizing the importance of Sports and Physical Education in the educational system, both Ministers stressed the government’s commitment to promoting a well-rounded education for the youth of our nation. They recognized the vital role that Sports and Physical Education play in the development of students, not only in terms of physical fitness but also in promoting discipline, teamwork, and character building.

This visit was first to the examination centre of Government Bilingual Technical High School Baham before proceeding to Government Bilingual High School Baham where both Ministers ensured that the practicals of the examination were conducted fairly, adhering to the rules and regulations governing the exams.

Professor Nalova Lyonga expressed her dissatisfaction with the Sports and Physical Education infrastructures found in the two examination centres visited, stating that, not only are these poor-quality sports infrastructures unsafe for candidates, but they also negatively affect candidates’ performances in Sports and Physical Education.

The Minister instructed the introduction of Sports and Physical Education infrastructures development and maintenance in the budgets of various schools as of the 2024/2025 academic year, so as to equip schools with adequate infrastructures which are conducive for sports practice and development of sports talents.

The strict observance of the hours reserved for the teaching and evaluation of Sports and Physical Education as well as the purchase of didactic materials for this discipline were highly emphasized by Secondary Education Minister during the visit.

Aimé Ngidjol

ARO1/CELCOM

With about 95% of programmes covered in April, candidates in Secondary Education are ready for the 2024 official examination session.

The meeting to follow up the progress towards completing the programme coverage and assess the state of preparedness of the 2024 official examination session in the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC) was held on Wednesday, 17 April 2024 at the Distance Education Centre, in Yaounde.

Chaired by Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, this conclave mobilised all officials of the central administration, including, Boniface Bayola, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Secondary Education in charge of Teacher’s Training, Professor Fabien Nkot, the Secretary-General, and Akat Etta Fidelis, the Inspector-General of Services, as well as all regional delegates of Secondary Education who attended the meeting by videoconference.

Professor Nalova Lyonga set the ball rolling with the reading of the general report of the just ended 24^th Edition of the National Finals of FENASSCO League “A” Games in Mokundange-Limbe. She commended the successful organisation of the Games and congratulated all the parties involved. Then, the Minister and the audience keenly listened to presentations made by each regional delegate on class resumption for the third term and the state of preparedness for the 2024 official examination session in their respective regions. Special attention was paid to the practicals of Sports and Physical Education which are slated from 22 April to 10 may 2024.

It emerged that, classes for the third term witnessed a smooth resumption and were running hitch-free, with about 95% of yearly coverage of the syllabi. Regional delegates equally stated the specific provisions they were taking to ensure a safe conduct of official examinations, beginning with the practicals of Sports and Physical Education.

To this effect, Professor Nalova Lyonga instructed the use of pregnancy test to identify pregnant girls who shall be authorised to sit in only for the theoretical part in Sports and Physical Education. The Minister equally urged regional delegates to share good practices in this domain. As such, she challenged them to organise training seminars for all the stakeholders in the official examinations, so that candidates all over the national territory should be assessed on a level playing field.

Aimé Ngidjol, ARO 1/CELCOM

The 24^th Edition of the National Finals of FENASSCO League "A" Games, in Mokundange-Limbe, takes a significant step towards environmental conservation.

In a remarkable initiative dubbed “One Athlete, One Tree”, Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education embarked on a mission to plant 300 trees in GHS Batoke and GBTHS Isokolo in the Fako Division of the South-West Region, on 6 April 2024. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship among athletes and inspire a sense of responsibility towards the planet.

This promotes a holistic approach to athleticism as it educates athletes not only on sportsmanship but also on their role and responsibility towards environmental conservation. With their knowledge on the importance of tree planting in mitigating environmental challenges, athletes are encouraged to be ambassadors for positive change.

To this effect, Professor Nalova Lyonga speared headed the sessions on the campuses of both schools, followed by her close collaborators and 300 young athletes from the 10 regional delegations of Secondary Education.

This tree planting activity is in line with the theme of the 24th Edition of the National Finals of FENASSCO League “A” Games: “School Games, a Guarantee of Peace and Sustainable Development”. It is a sustainable practice which conserves the soil, preserves biodiversity, fosters carbon sequestration, and promotes healthy, friendly and beautiful climate which is necessary for our wellbeing and sustainable development.

Day       two of    the National  Finals of   FENASSCO League “A” Games at Mokundange-Limbe witnessed an amazing display of talents and determination from some of the finest athletes taking part in the competition. As the competitions heated up, champions emerged, showcasing their skills and leaving the audience in awe.

The football matches of the male and female teams at the Centenary and Middle Farms stadia, produced fireworks as the teams demonstrated their tactical dexterity and football prowess in order to qualify for the next round.

The key highlight of these matches is the encounter between athletes from the East Region and those from Adamawa, who locked horns at the Centenary Stadium with the former, demonstrating high level of coordination, discipline, swiftness and dribbling techniques that attracted nothing but victory to their credit.

The basketball matches brought to limelight a display of precision, team work and strategic play, evident by their playing skills, shooting accuracy and defensive abilities. Heart beating moments were captured on the basketball court of the Limbe Community Stadium during the face-off between the girls from the Littoral and Far North Regions. An interesting feat was the Littoral Basketball team leader’s ability to hit and puncture difficult shots from the opponents which brought them nothing short of victory.

Athletics and Paralympics also thrilled the onlookers at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium; the sprints sent across electrical waves throughout the stadium, which led to cheers and ululations from various delegations in support of their teams.

A spectacular fusion of performances marked the beginning of the highly anticipated sporting event on Wednesday 3 April, 2024 at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium.

In appreciation of the warm reception from the Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, the City Mayor of Limbe, Traditional Rulers, the Education Community and the population of the South West Region, Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, praised the successful organization of the 24th Edition of the National Finals of FENASSCO League “A” Games, Mokundange-Limbe 2024.

The chairperson of the Federal Council of FENASSCO League “A” Games set the tone for the event, emphasizing the importance of both sports and academics. “Not only are we organizing Games but we are also organizing academics... as the students are here to show what they can do during games and what they can do as students... Secondary School is the bedrock where we fix our foundation for the future”, the Minister stated.

The City Mayor of Limbe Council, Paul Efome Ngale, set the ball rolling with a thrilling welcome message to all dignitaries and delegations present for the event, including Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Joseph Le, Minister of the Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Jean de Dieu Momo, Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Justice, Boniface Bayaola, the Secretary of State in Charge of Teachers’ Training in the Secondary Education, Bernard Okalia Bilai, the Governor of the South West Region, other administrative, traditional and religious authorities. He expressed Limbe’s excitement to host the 2024 Edition of FENASCO League “A” Games Finals and entreated the young athletes to do their best and be the best.

Then came the Olympic phase which featured heart-warming activities ranging from the presentation of the flag of the Games, singing of the Games anthem, lighting of the olympic flame and handing over to Sarah Etonge, which signifies the passing of the Games’ spirit from the previous to the current host, oath taking, colourful performances and vibrant procession of participating delegations with enriching and thought-provoking messages. The encounter between the female football teams from the South-west and the North-west Regions ended this graceful opening ceremony.

“Not only are we organizing games, we are also organizing academics during FENASSCO League "A"Games, Mokundange-Limbe 2024", Professor Nalova Lyonga.

    Day 1 - Personal Development

Within the framework of the FENASSCO League “A” Games, the common meal is a moment of communion between the Minister of Secondary Education and the delegations from the ten regions of Cameroon. It is in this light that a common meal was offered on Tuesday, March 2, 2024. It was a moment of come together in the course of which came an educative talk on personal development delivered by Mary Litumbe and the famous Cameroonian artist, Sally Nyollo. The highlight was on the word “FOCUS” which Mary Litumbe explained as “follow a cause until successful”. Using the example of the eagle, she encouraged the students to have a target and stay on a particular course until they obtain the expected positive results.

Sally Nyollo’s story about the young girl and the frog was used as an illustration to teach the students about the importance of perseverance and determination in order to achieve one’s goal.

Day 2 – Growth Mindset and Menstrual Hygiene

In line with Professor Nalova Lyonga’s declaration that “Not only are we organizing games, we are also organizing academics”, the same activity took place on day 2, i.e. on Wednesday, 3rd April 2024, with ‘Growth mindset and’ and Menstrual Hygiene’ being the topics of discussion.

Firstly, Dr. Patrick Okwen’s drilling on “Menstrual Hygiene”, focused on raising awareness in men as partakers in menstrual hygiene management, stating the role they have played and contributions that they have made to promote the “Clean School Policy”. He encouraged the girl child to attend school freely during her monthly flow.

Next, was Mr. Lee Jean who entreated the students on what he titled ‘Change Your Mindset’. He alluded to the Korean Development Story, emphasizing the notion of looking beyond one’s limitations and seeing the opportunity in the impossible.

The artist Sally Nyollo employed the story telling technique in order to pass across a message to the student. From the story titled “Zayene” meaning ‘avoiding early pregnancies’ which recounts the story of a girl child who was betrothed to an old man before her birth. She subsequently was forced to get married to the man and later died during childbirth. The moral lesson from the story is to prevent early pregnancies, stop early marriages and promote all that can give the girl child equal opportunities as the boy.