Mr. Yong
Francis 68. A towering colossus according to Colbert Nkwain a journalist was a
professional secretary following his training sanctioned by a diploma in
secretariat Duties at the government combined professional school in Buea.
Employed in July 1964 by the Government Printing and stationary Department Buea
as a clerical assistant, Mr. Yong did not satisfy himself with the job as in
1965 he applied and was admitted in the government combined clerical school
Buea in October 1965. On completion he was posted to Bamenda in the Northwest
his region of origin to serve as a Clerical and confidential secretary to the
Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam. Following his transfer to the then Bamenda
central subdivision as a clerical staff and later liquor licensing officer, Mr.
Yong Francis in seeing a bigger vision and the need to be a true family head in
1985 requested to be placed on reserve for two years. At the expiration of his
two years in 1987 he voluntarily took his retirement. While in service in 1977
he started the secondary comprehensive and vocational college SCVC which will
later become Comprehensive High School Bambui. As CHS Bambui showed signs of
progress with an influx of students Mr. Yong before his retirement opened a
school of stenography now known as Progressive Comprehensive High School PCHS
Mankon in a bid to hand down his expertise to younger Cameroonians to permit
them earn a decent life. With over 22years of Government Civil Service experience and conscious of his background Mr. Yong gave his all for his two schools that will soon become the talk of the country.
In 1991 he decided to provide his fellow countrymen in Ayajua of Kom Country an opportunity to acquire formal education just like he had done in Bambui and Mankon reason why he created Kom Comprehensive High School Anyajua Kom (KCHS). To be sure that his objectives were attained Mr. Yong gave those who wanted to go to school but lacked physical cash an option of paying tuition in kind that is either in buckets or bags of corn and beans. Even though the growth of his baby school will be at snail pace, Mr. Yong will not stop his drive to bringing professional education closer to his people.
In 2002 he dared into higher education with the creation of National Polytechnic Bambui that his progress will later change its name to National Polytechnic Bamenda. With its professionally oriented programs, National Polytechnic Bamenda now has its roots almost everywhere in Cameroon and beyond as ex-students have become indispensable to companies and institutions in search for professionals. Following his contributions to education, he was in 1990 appointed to serve as Education Secretary for Secular Private Education in the Northwest Province.
While still in the civil service, Mr. Yong started a career in football as a referee. He worked at the level of a first Division referee for 18years. This love for football took a new dimension in 2004 when he decided to open the Yong Sports Academy training center Bamenda simultaneously with Yong Sport Academy Fc and later National Polytechnic Bamenda Fc. The success of the two teams in their respective division One and Two championships as well as the National Challenge Cup with YOSA Fc emerging as the 2013 champions can attest to his mastery of the arts of football management.
As far back as the 60s Mr. Yong Francis became a member of the Red Cross Movement. After attending several national and international training sessions with the Red Cross, he was in the late 70s appointed Provincial Coordinator of the Red Cross in charge of training and Administration in the Northwest.
Born on January 8, 1945 Mr. Yong Francis is a knight of the Cameroon Order of Merit, holder of the National Sports Medal and winner of the Paul Harris Fellow Award by Rotary club International, he is married and father of 10 children.