06/01/2026
A Life of Service Ends: Celebrated Principal of Schools, Ajuoh John Ngam Now Rest in the Lord
Colbert Gwain | The Muteff Factor (formerly The Colbert Factor)
Students of Muteff extraction in the Fundong Local Government Area—otherwise known as Fundong Subdivision in Boyo Division of Cameroon’s North West Region—who attended the lone Government Secondary School (GSS) Fundong in the 1990s, and were accustomed to trekking home to Muteff every Friday afternoon for the weekend, shared an unusual and invisible companion on that long journey: Ajuoh John Ngam, their ambivalent but unforgettable principal.
As they made their way through the rugged footpaths and shortcuts from Fundong through Ngwah to Abuh and finally to Muteff, they animated their trek by imitating his distinctive gestures—borrowed from stern morning assemblies and intermittent encounters in and out of campus. His mannerisms, facial expressions, and turns of phrase became the steady menu of their conversations, transforming an otherwise exhausting journey into a moving theatre of remembrance and mimicry.
Throughout the weekend—and until their return to Fundong on Sunday evening—these students mesmerised villagers with Principal Ajuoh John Ngam’s British English intonations, his measured pauses, and the ease with which he captured and presented otherwise complex experiences. For a man who had such mastery of the English language and school administration, imitation became the sincerest form of admiration.
Indeed, not only students of Muteff extraction but those from across Komland and beyond spent much of their leisure time, both in and out of school, mimicking Principal Ajuoh John Ngam. His voice, posture, and presence lingered far beyond the school gates, imprinting themselves on the imagination of young minds who were still discovering the power of language, authority, and self-expression.
It is therefore little surprise that his passing into glory on November 8, 2025, ushered in a wave of collective
