One of Cameroon’s finest medics of recent times, Dr Mathias Fobi ,has cast doubts and uncertainty on what the future holds for Cameroon. The California- based surgeon who was on a brief visit to Bamenda, his boyhood town, spoke to The Horizon at the close of a 5-day workshop designed to equip school prefects cum leaders of Sacred Heart College Mankon in best leadership practices and qualities. The seminar which held at the Mawa Hotel Mile2 Nkwen,26 August gave room for the Sacred Heart Alumni and pioneer batch member to give his insightful drill to the “lads” whom he considers as the light for the institution and future leaders of Cameroon. In an interview he told the Horizon “specifically Sacred Heart gave us a strong foundation of discipline…it was 7 days a week. We were taught at that time to focus our attention to what we wanted to accomplish. Over time, most of us being of the first batch have done very well”.
Dr Mathias is believed to have run a foundation in Cameroon for about 30 years. Throughout this period he dedicated resources both material and financial to shape the lives of underprivileged children and many ranking as such. This is understood to have given him delight.
Additionally, he has also been at the frontline of humanitarian assistance to numerous foundations and NGOs within Cameroon whose goals and project objectives seemed to match his line of thought and reflection.
But why this strong attachment?
The latter who was a one-time SDF militant has always believed in a better Cameroon. It is that Cameroon where opportunities are open to all and whose services both medical and otherwise are affordable and reachable even to the underprivileged. How to attain this there is a definite step to take. Hear him:
“To be honest with you, I’ve been in Bamenda for 3 weeks….I’ve seen a lot. I am not going to say it all now. There are 2 Bamendas, one on social media and another in reality. The real Bamenda is functioning well. Tuesday morning to Sunday evening 6am to 8pm. As long as people respect “contri Sunday everything is normal”. Occasionally I have heard gunshots but people are living their lives..and I think this is the message I am taking back. I’ll urge my friends and whoever colleagues to visit home and contribute their own quota to improve our community”, he said. This to him is the most essential thing, creating a better society for everyone with the possible resources available.
If You were to advise Cameroonians and young men on Nation Building what will it be ?
Dr Mal Fobi opines that building a better society entails sincerity and a genuine trust on the arm of the Lord against the arm of flesh. The erstwhile SDF strong man holds that to make a difference entails patience and preparation. He opines that dreaming is not enough to make a difference, after dreaming you must work for it. This is the lone way to effect meaningful and valuable change.
On what future he sees for Cameroon, he told The Horizon ” …to be sincere with you it will take a long time . A lot needs to be redressed and so much adjusted. I can’t say with certainty but truly we are behind and there is so much to be done.”
Prof Fobi Mathias is currently a Clinical Professor of surgery at SAIMS and the Clinical Director of research and training at Mohak Bariatric and Robotic JIO University, in Indore, India. A graduate from the school of pharmacy at the University of Michigan, Dr. Fobi completed medical school from the University of Cincinnati and a surgical residency from Charles R. Drew/Martin Luther King Hospital where he served as chief of the division of general surgery through 1981. He opened the Center for Surgical Treatment of Obesity in Los Angeles in 1981 and hosted the annual international symposium on bariatric surgery from 1981 through 1992. He has served as the President of the California Chapter of the ASMBS, the President of the ASMBS Foundation, the President of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of IFSO. Dr. Fobi, the innovator of the banded gastric bypass (Fobi-Pouch) and banded sleeve gastrectomy serves on many editorial boards, has published and lectured extensively on bariatric metabolic surgery.
Amongst many others Dr. Fobi has performed his procedures on several Hollywood celebrities such as Roseanne Barr and Randy Jackson.
