UB Welcomes registration caravan for Biya’s laptops

-UB students queuing to register for presidential laptops

By Boris Esono in Buea

Students Queue to get themselves registered

The caravan for the much awaited presidential laptops promised University students in Cameroon has last Thursday August 17, 2017 reached the University of Buea. Most students in the University of Buea had speculated fears that the government could leave out the university in the distribution process.

                This resulted from the fact that students in most public universities in the country had already had their students registered for the biometric distribution process.

                Cameroon in general and the Anglophone regions have been plunged in disorder since October 2016 and have affected the smooth running of the University of Buea which finds itself in one of the Anglophone regions.

                Since President Paul Biya made the declaration of offering five hundred (500) thousands laptops, students have expressed skepticism as to whether he will actually fulfill his decision.

                The President is known for making lousy political premises and never fulfilling them. One of such could be his announcement of personally overseeing the tarring of the Ring Road in the North West region.

Students received the message of the biometric registration for the laptop with mixed feelings.

                According to a final year student in the university of Buea, the biometric registration is not the best idea in an institution that claims being digital. ” it demonstrates that Cameroon is still in the dark ages”. He pondered why after a year since the offer was made, registration is commencing now. ” It pains me that after almost a year that this promise was made effective distribution is yet to start “.

                On the issue of students having to stand in long queues to get their biometric registration, he lamented. ” After students were asked to verify information online, why should students repeat the tedious process? This delay shows that the gift of laptops was a political gift that will only materialize in 2018. He added.

                University of Buea students are not strangers and will have to sacrifice classes during this very hectic moment leading up the examinations to register.

                The university authorities had released an earlier press release urging students to register and verify their information on the university of Buea timeline to guarantee them a laptop. However the desire for queues pushed the administration to require students to do the biometric registration.

                Most students continue to express disgust at the fact that they have to miss classes. While others complained of the time to be wasted in the procedure.

                However, despite all the noise and haze, it remains a welcome relief for final year students who had feared they will miss the opportunity presented by the head of state President Paul Biya to university students in Cameroon.