Professor Victor Anomah Ngu: A Brief Biography
Prof. Victor Anomah Ngu, the first of six children came to life on February 19th 1926 in Buea, Cameroon to Monica Ngum and Nazarius Anomah. He began his primary education in Government school Bamenda then continued his secondary education in St Joseph’s College Sasse, Buea from 1941 to 1943. Admission number 0071 typically referred to as the Soban number or Saban71. Between 1944 and 1946, he moved to Nigeria and continued his education at Government College Ibadan. He later went to the Higher College of Yaba in Lagos from 1948 to 1951. In the years between 1951 and 1954 he travelled to England and attended St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School University of London were he graduated as a surgeon.
During his time in England in the mid-1950s, he met and fell in love with his soul mate, Clara Etso Ugbodaga. They got married in 1960 and had four children; Aza, Anomah, Achiri and Ola. They lived together until her death in 1999. She is buried in Bamenda and now pleasantly awaits him.
The professor’s professional experience spans over five decades. He began as the Senior Surgical Registrar at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria between 1960 and 1962. Then from 1962 to 1964, he was a lecturer at University of Ibadan and Consultant Surgeon to the University College Hospital in Ibadan. He later won the Rockefeller Foundation research Fellowship in Cancer Chemotherapy at the Children’s Cancer research foundation and Harvard Medical School in Boston Massachusetts between 1962 and 1963. From 1964 to 1965, he was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ibadan and also the Exchange Professor in Surgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland. He later became professor of surgery at the same institution from 1965 to 1971. Between 1971 and 1974, he was Professor and head of surgery at the University Centre for Health Sciences in Yaounde, Cameroon. His early educational life clearly revolved around acquiring knowledge and sharing it with others.
Professor Victor Anomah Ngu also had a vast array of management experiences. He was Vice Chancellor at the University of Yaounde with the sole responsibility as the head of the institution from 1974 to 1982. He was General Manager for Science and Technical Research for the entire Republic of Cameroon between 1982 and 1984. His entire career was marked by a seamless transition from one role to the other as seen from 1984 to 1988 when he became the minister of health in the Republic of Cameroon. While acting as Minister of Health he was also Professor of Surgery and Director of the Cancer Research Laboratory C.U.S.S from 1984 to 1991. He always maintained one, two or three jobs at a time. Prof. Victor Anomah Ngu was a hard worker, dedicated colleague and a good boss. He was president of Cameroon Academic of Sciences from 2001 to 2006 and the Pro Chancellor in the University of Buea from 1993 to 2005. He also founded Hope Clinic (Clinique d’Espoire) in 1991 were his relentless efforts for the eradication of pain and diseases such as Cancer, Sickle Cell Anemia and HIV/AIDS from his curious mind going back to the days of his childhood in Bamenda where he was mesmerized by the stars from the vantage point of the hills in Bamenda led to his landmark discovery vaccine (VANHIVAX) for HIV/AIDS. It is being administered today to patients with the HIV/AIDS virus and impacting lives at a very large scale in Cameroon.
Prof. Victor Anomah Ngu also had several Honorary and Consultative posts and awards such as; The Albert Lasker Medical Research Award in Clinical cancer Chemotherapy in 1972. The Lasker Awards are amongst the most respected science awards in the world since 1945. This award recognizes the contribution of scientists, physicists and public servants who have made major advances in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of human diseases. According to the Lasker Foundation, he was recognized for his outstanding contribution to the expansion of the successful chemotherapeutic treatment of Burkitt’s tumor. When the Queen Mother of England, Queen Elizabeth, came to St Mary’s Hospital Medical School University in 1954 to preside over the graduating class, she also awarded Victor Anomah Ngu the Max Bonn Prize and Medal in Pathology with a hand shake. It was the same award she had given the illustrious Alexander Fleming for his discovery of penicillin. He was the only black student in the graduating class. He was a former President for Africa in the International Union against Cancer from 1966 to 1970. This is a global non-governmental union with a vision for a world where cancer is eliminated as a major life-threatening disease for future generations. He was a winner of Dr. Samuel Lawrence Adesuyi Award and Medal by the West African Health community in 1989. He also won African International “Research and innovation” trophy in 2002 and O.I.C International “The Rev. Leon H Sullivan Achievement Award for the fight against HIV/AIDS and VANHIVAX in 2003. Prof. fought in the Nigerian Army as a Colonel during the Nigerian Biafran war from 1967 to 1970. He was a founding member and President of the Nigerian Cancer Society from 1968 to 1971 and founding member and President of the Association now known as West African College of Surgeons from 1972 to 1974. Prof was a former President in the Association for African Universities from 1980 to 1982 and a member in the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group for Tropical Disease Research for the World Health Organization for five years. He served as member in the Consultative Group for UNICEF from1986 to 1990 while also serving as President of the Bernard Fonlon Society. Dr. Bernard Fonlon his late longtime friend. He was president of the Humanitarian Association for the Socio-economic reintegration of ex-convicts and other delinquents in 1989 and believed strongly in reintegrating people and giving them a second chance in life. He was at the 5th Sir Samuel Manuwa Memorial Lecture. “A Surgeon Takes Another Look At Malignant Tumor Disease” in Monrovia, Liberia on January 26th 1988.
Prof. was also very deeply religious and spiritual in the later part of his life. As a patron at Opus Dei, the catholic institution founded by St Josemaria Escriva to help people turn their work and daily activities into occasions for growing closer to God. He would always pay his respect to the Washington, DC chapter whenever he was in the States. He meditated for hours and days in search for light and the healing power of his scientific pursuits. Luxury, title and wealth meant nothing to him. He never cared to be called “monsieur le ministre “, but took great delight and smiled when a patient said “merci mon pere”.
Prof. Victor Anomah Ngu also won some National Decorations; Grand Officier, de l’Odres Nationalde la Valeur Francais, 1986. Commandeur, de l’Ordre National de la Valeur Cameroonias, 1991. Grand Commandeur, de l’Ordre National de la Valeur Cameroonais, 2001
Professor Ngu attended several conferences, congresses and seminars on Scientific, Medical and University matters in Africa, Europe, North America and Canada. He wrote or co-authored at least 59 Scientific Publications. Prof. Ngu cured so many cancer in his early career and treated the masses with HIV in the later part of his career. He touched lives through his giving as philanthropist to his alma mater Sasse College and the Church. Saved lives as Physician and served his country as a minister. He left everything he learnt along the way in his teachings as a professor. He remained remarkably humble and his integrity guided all his actions from the beginning to the end. He leaves behind four children, five grandchildren, four brothers and one sister, several nieces and nephews to carry on his gigantic legacy.