Dept. of Journalism, JMC, UB:

Dr. Kingsley Ngange is new HOD

By Boris Esono in Buea

After the shakeup of Pro-chancellors and Vice chancellors of state Universities, new persons have also been appointed to head Academic Departments. In the department of journalism and mass communication of JMC, UB, Dr. Kingsley Lyonga Ngange was appointed as the new Head of Department, HOD. The appointment was made public on Monday August 21, 2017.

                Reacting after the appointment, the new HOD said he was thrilled to have been given the opportunity to head the leading Journalism and Mass Communication training institution in Cameroon.

                Recognizing the enormous challenges in the job especially considering the limited human and technological resources in the department, Ngange said he counts on the support of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ngomo Horace to succeed.

                Talking about reforms in the department, he said he is coming in with a lot of experience from the field to lift the department to its rightful place in UB.

                “There is always room for improvement in whatever we do such as bringing in more people from the field in training the students and improving on their competences,” he enthused.

Responding to what made him a suitable candidate for the position, called on his 20 years of teaching in the department and asserted that he had “completely imbibed the culture, the practice and principles necessary to prepare exemplary professional practitioners and scholars for journalism and the communications fields,” and hoped to generate and exchange new knowledge about these fields.

                Students of the department of JMC have expressed joy and optimism following the appointment of Dr. Kingsley Ngange as new HOD. According to the station manager of the campus radio, Marvelous Ngaleit, it is good news for the students because the new HOD, who is equipped with a vast experience, will bring in new ideas to make the department to grow.

                “The school radio has a lot of issues. Many at times the lecturers are not fully committed to its production, leaving it all to the students. The radio does not have enough equipment to compete with other private stations out there,” Ngaleit regretted.

                These same issues of limited equipment for the radio and limited staff were reechoed by some students who all called on the new HOD to re-energize the department which is slowly losing its place as a creator of manpower for Cameroon’s media sector.

                Dr. Kingsley Ngange replaces Dr. Julius Che-Tita who was posted to Bamenda after serving for close to 4 years as HOD of JMC, UB.

                He is the first Ph.D graduate from the department of Journalism and Mass Communication and the first former student to become HOD of the department. Avisiting professor to several Universities in the USA, Dr. Ngange has several published research papers to his credit. He was recently recognized by JCI as the most outstanding lecturer of his category in UB.