Shouts of joy rose over the city of Douala Wednesday, August 1, following proclamation of results of 2012 General Certificate of Examination (GCE). Successful candidates burst into ecstasy after a week of suspense following doubts raised earlier by the GCE Board Registrar, Humphrey Ekema Monono, as to power supply problems in Buea last week.
News about the proclamation finally came like an unexpected bomb on Wednesday. After the announcement was made for the first time early that Wednesday on the CRTV Buea, then on CRTV National Station in Yaounde, a good number of the candidates in Douala were unable to wait once again. In a desperate attempt to know what their results were, they made rapid searches on the internet. Some stayed close to their radio sets at home, while others stayed in seclusion listening to the results from phones or other handsets.
Shortly before the suspense was over, and with the publication of results by some newspapers, groups of students, parents or relatives of candidates could be seen around newsstands and schools to find out if they or their friends made it.
In GBHS Deido, impatience rippled across candidates awaiting Advanced Level results as late as into the evening. Only results of Ordinary Level were available on newspapers until evening. However, those who succeeded jolted gleefully all around; some jumped and bumped into friends and family members in warm embraces, ironically, shedding tears even after securing brilliant passes. One of such was Merveille Guiho of GBHS Deido, who expressed deep happiness having passed. "Thanks go to the Almighty God and my class teachers who supported me spiritually and academically throughout the year." Successful students holidaying in Douala like Shey Precious Bonyu of Kumba College of Academic Standards promised to work harder in the Lower Sixth after her brilliant performance. Hear her: "Spiritually, there is a thanksgiving I will make to God for giving me a pass in the Ordinary Level."
With results of both Ordinary and Advanced levels now known, merrymaking between students and their loved ones continued for 48 hours after the results' proclamation. Congratulatory or consolatory SMS messages took the order of day.
