Students of secondary and higher institutions of learning have been advised to work with zeal and use the opportunities made available by the Government to create jobs for themselves.

The call was made by the Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, during the launching of the 2015 edition of Students’ Forum in the University of Buea, UB, on October 20.

The Forum was hinged on the theme; ‘The contribution of guidance counsellors to peace building and national unity’.

Minister Fame Ndongo preached on the values of tolerance, peace, unity and national cohesion to the thousands of students and dwelled on the role of Guidance Counselling in enhancing the educational system.

The erstwhile Minister of Communication also encouraged Guidance Counsellors to implement their mission with devotion as they play a vital role in the education of Cameroonians.

“The Guidance Counsellor has a very strategic and important mission to help the students of all State universities, private and higher education institutions to love alike; peace, unity, because, our country is that of peace and unity and we cannot do something beautiful, if we are not be united,” Prof. Fame Ndongo stated.

The Minister further outlined the goals of the forum such as; to foster partnership between Higher Education and Civic Education, sensitise people of the chart in various universities, educate participants of the stakes of the Head of State’s project, adapt new entrepreneurial teaching and programme and to increase Cameroon’s entrepreneurship.

In her presentation, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea, Dr. Nalova Lyonga, stated that the aspect of wrong choices makes the forum highly indispensable as UB desires everybody to have a professional edge.

“Government has realised that the university is a place for transforming students. Those who are heading the educational system are not sleeping; the Government is not sleeping, so you should not sleep,” the VC asserted.

The Director of Student Assistance and Welfare in the Ministry of Higher Education, Theresia Ndoko, emphasised on the importance of the forum as the Ministry of Higher Education has made it a duty to organise such forums annually.

“This is in keeping with one of the missions assigned to the Ministry in the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper, that of training human capital that will enable Cameroon attain emergence by 2035.”

With some of its objectives being that of bringing students together to be better informed and counselled on choosing a profession, taking into consideration their academic and physical potentials, parents and the public were also advised to help students make informed choices that would enable investors to be aware of the availability of trained manpower needed for the growth of their industries.

The occasion, which took place for the first time out of Yaounde, was also attended by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, the SDO of Fako, the DO of Buea, Traditional, Municipal and Religious authorities.