Letter to CNA: Unbearable delay in certificate issuance by the univesity of Buea
Dear CNA,
I pray this information reaches your office in time.
Please kindly broadcast it to the world so all and sundry can see the frustrations which students from the University of Buea (UB) are going through.
The University of Buea, once a beacon of academic excellence, is facing a growing crisis that threatens its reputation: the inexplicable delay in issuing academic certificates. Recently, the university celebrated the graduation of four cohorts—2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024—yet shockingly, almost none of these graduates have received their certificates.
In the 21st century of digital solutions, this expectation should be met with certificates processed and issued right after releasing final results. What is happening now at the University of Buea is not acceptable at all; it leaves the graduates in limbo, thus compromising their career and academic prospects.
The million-dollar question now is: where do these backlogs come from? Why should students who complete their courses in record time then wait for upwards of two years to have this accomplishment officially certified? It’s an administrative disaster that really hits graduates hard and makes it difficult for them to seek jobs, further studies, or verification of qualifications.
My case is a good example. I finished my undergraduate studies in the year 2016 and returned to the University of Buea in 2020 for a master’s in public health to add to my job prospects. In July 2022, I graduated from the Faculty of Health Sciences but up to this date am not sure I can confidently say I have a master’s, since I have nothing to prove that. This lack of documentation has dire consequences; in 2023, I missed a crucial scholarship opportunity for a Doctor in Public Health program at a prestigious university simply because my attestation of results was not ready in time.
This is not only personal; it also costs the University of Buea a reputation. It’s just a smear, part of the image at the University of Buea that makes the meaningless efforts that students put in. Those behind this backlog should do something about it.
The timely issuance of certificates is not an issue of administrative efficiency but an imperative that concerns the future of students who have invested their time, energy, and resources into education. We, therefore, call on the university administration to make this issue a priority and regain its lost glory as “a place to be.” The future of so many graduates depends on this issue, which needs the pragmatic attention of the University of Buea.
