Professor Mbarika has issued a public apology following what he described as an intemperate outburst during a recent television interview, expressing contrition for remarks he said fell short of the decorum expected of a scholar and public figure.
“In a recent interview that I provided to a TV station, I spoke in a manner that did not reflect the dignity or restraint expected of me, especially as a scholar and a leader that people look up to,” Mbarika said. “I regret that my words were spoken in a moment of personal strain.”
The professor disclosed that only hours before the interview, he was preparing to bury his grandmother, a loss he said profoundly affected his composure.
“Many of you may not be aware. Just a few hours ago I buried my grandmother,” he said. “The things I said and the way I said them — she wouldn’t have been proud of me, with the kind of upbringing and Christian values I inherited from her.”
Mbarika characterized his remarks as an unfortunate conveyance of frustration rather than the spirit of respect and collaboration he espouses.
“What I did was conveying frustration rather than the spirit of respect and collaboration that I hold so dear,” he said. “I regret these words.”
He expressed “great admiration” for the University of Buea, noting he did not study at the institution.
“It will shock you that I did not have the necessary points to qualify to study at the University of Buea,” he said, adding that his parents instead sent him to the United States to pursue his studies.
Prof Mbarika extended a direct apology to Prof. Horace Ngomo, vice chancellor of the University of Buea.
“To him goes my first apology. I am sorry for the words I used,” he said.
He also apologized to Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, Cameroon’s minister of higher education, saying he feared he had disappointed him.
“No human being I know in the world is perfect,” Mbarika said. “I think I have disappointed him. I don’t think as his son I represented him well.”
He concluded by extending apologies to his colleagues and the university administration, acknowledging what he described as a lapse in judgment and a deviation from the equanimity expected of his office.