The senior education official and traditional ruler passed away on the afternoon of August 18, 2025, while receiving medical care in Yaoundé.
The Pro-Chancellor of the University of Buea, His Royal Majesty Professor Edward Ako Oben, has died at the age of 74. Professor Ako Oben had a long and distinguished career in academia spanning several decades, including 43 years as a professor.
He obtained his PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Illinois in the United States in 1982. His extensive administrative service within Cameroon’s higher education system included serving as the Rector of the University of Maroua from 2008 to 2017, after which he was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Buea. Before his rectorship, he held the position of Vice Rector in charge of Research and Cooperation at the University of Yaoundé I from 2000 to 2003.
He also served the nation as a Technical Adviser at the Presidency of the Republic between 2003 and 2008. Beyond his academic duties, Professor Ako Oben was also the Chief of Ossing Village in the Eyumojock Subdivision of Manyu Division and was an influential figure in the Manyu Elements Cultural Association (MECA).
A collection of reactions paints a vivid and deeply respectful image of Prof Edward Ako, highlighting a great loss for the community. Born on May 15, 1951, he is survived by a legacy of significant contribution to national education and cultural life.
