Pioneer batch with Golden Jubilee Torch

College grotto where Golden Jubilee Torch was installed

Students perform a traditional dance

By Grace Ongey

Cardinal Tumi and pioneer batch infront of college chapel

Douala Emeritus Archbishop His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi has told Lourdes present and former students that successive brilliant academic performances in public exams mean nothing if they are devoid of the fear of God.

                                                                                                                P.O. Box 120, Mamfe,
                                                                                                                South-West Region,
                                                                                                                December 17, 2012

His Lordship,
Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge,
Bishop of Mamfe,
South-West Region.

Your Lordship,

Congratulations!
As we move towards the end of 2012 and your birthday on December 28 that falls on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, we the laity deem it necessary to congratulate you and praise you for the numerous achievements you have made as Chief Shepherd for the past 13 years in the young Diocese of Mamfe.

We cannot forget the magnificent modern cathedral you are building, an edifice that reflects your image as a true shepherd. The cathedral has not ended your fervent desire to make Mamfe Diocese Something Beautiful for God. You have built the Bishop’s Residence, a convent and the secretariat, and the Pastoral Centre is under construction. The concern you have for the poor has prompted you to establish health centres and hospitals that provide affordable health care.

Your Lordship, in cognizance of your task of primary evangelisation you have opened a Spiritual Formation Centre in Bachuo-Ntai, a Minor Seminary at Fotabong, the Monastic Community in Mbindia and re-opened the Catechetical Institute at Nguti. We have realised an increase in the number of Baptisms, Confirmations and the Sacrament of Matrimony. Your inaccesible diocese has not deterred you from reaching out to the interior parts of your diocese to administer Sacraments to the faithful. Your personal life is enough inspiration for your priests in particular and the faithful in general. To assist in the task of evangelisation, you brought in different Religious Communities in and out of Cameroon. Mola, congratulations!

Your fatherly love is seen in your relationship with the clergy and the laity. There is no other time we can laud or praise your achievements other than now that you are about to celebrate your birthday on December 28 that coincides with the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

Another great achievement which Mamfe Diocese will live to remember you for, Your Lordship, is the Diocesan Synod you organised recently on the theme, Evangelisation and Marriage as a Sacrament of Communion. The Centenary Celebration is another memorable event in the history o f our diocese that ushered in the release of the Post-Synodal Exhortation Aliquod Pulchrum Deo (Something beautiful for God.) This celebration tallied with the Pope’s declaration of the Year of Faith.

Permit us to congratulate you on what you have achieved in the field of education. The birth of St. Anthony of Padua’s College, Banya and Light of Hope Women Empowerment Centre, Mamfe are laudable examples. The efforts at reviving Queen of the Rosary College, Okoyong and St. John’s College, Nchang, are also praise-worthy. Your renovation and construction of primary schools is also commendable. The two primary schools at Eyumojock and Ekok are worth mentioning because the Cameroon/Nigerian border had no Catholic school. Beautiful presbyteries and churches, which we are proud of, have also been constructed. The Agriculture projects you have initiated will be of great benefit to this diocese in the near future, and for this, we the laity, are very grateful to you. Finally the creation of a scholarship scheme to cater for Catechists and Catholic teachers’ children is a big relief to these Church workers.

Once more, we want to remind you that the Blessed Newman Spiritual Formation Centre, Bachuo-Ntai and the John XXIII Minor Seminary Fotabong, remain the true nurseries of vocation to the Catholic priesthood in our diocese. We will continue to pray and support their existence. Like “Oliver Twist” we will happily welcome the creation of Retreat Centres in different parts of Mamfe Diocese to help form the laity spiritually and make Mamfe Diocese Something Beautiful for God.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.

Signed:                       

Eno-Akpa Agbor Ferdinand (K.S.M )    Obasi Gregory Ojong   
Chairman of the Council            Secretary of the Council   

Excerpts of Mgr. Samuel Kléda’s homily on the World Day of Prayers for Peace

Dear brothers and sisters,
On this first day of 2013, we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and we are praying for peace in the world, in our country and in our families, for this first day is particularly dedicated to praying for peace.

Whereas elsewhere around the world customers are demanding not just good but great services from service providers, many businesses offering essential services in Cameroon have, on the contrary, cultivated a regrettable reputation of offering scandalously poor services to their customers. From the energy, through the potable water supply, to the telephone sectors, customers have been caught in a spiral of despicably and scandalously poor customer services and many are wondering if anyone is really in charge as no one is being held accountable.

Many telephone users have definitely heaved a sigh of relief now that the festive period is over and the quality of mobile telephone communication has improved, but this is not to say poor telephone communication is only restricted to festive periods, no! Poor telephone services are common in Cameroon at anytime and anywhere and the most annoying part of the story is that service providers never lose a franc, while customers continue paying exorbitantly for poor services.`

Did we get the President right during his New Year address to the nation when he said Cameroon has won or will soon win the energy deficiency battle? If we got him right, then he is yet to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation on the ground as a day hardly goes by without blackouts in many residential and business areas in some parts of Cameroon. It even takes months sometimes to replace fallen power poles that have become a danger to residents. The situation is even worse in rural areas. The privatisation of the former State owned power company has not improved the situation; if it has not only become worse.  It is common to find agents from the lone power company struggling to disconnect homes for unpaid bills in a residential area that has gone for days and/or is still without power. 

A hygiene lesson in elementary school states that good drinking water is colourless and tasteless, but despite its coloured nature; and which customers are left with no choice than paying for, many residential areas go for weeks, if not months, without a drop of water in their faucets. The pipes may be dry, but not the bills that come in handy every month. What about the broken pipes that are left leaking for weeks when households are without water? It is hard for enterprises and businesses to please everyone all of the time, but it is the current expectation and the standard that more and more customers are holding businesses accountable these days, but not so in Cameroon. Customers in Cameroon are simply tired of poor services.

In a competitive market environment it does not take a lot for disgruntled customers to start looking for a replacement, but when they find themselves in situations of absolute or near monopoly, what choices can they make? Nothing important gets done in any business unless it is measured and individuals are held accountable. What have the powers that be done or are doing to ensure that customers in Cameroon get the value or quality of the services that they are being milked for? Are customers in Cameroon not paying too much for poor services? Some hold that a country only has the quality of services it deserves, but it is hard not questioning if this is what customers in Cameroon really deserve as far as energy, potable water and telephone services, for example, are concerned? Cameroon is evidently one of the few countries in the world where any courageous business venture can come into and make whatever profits to the detriment of its population.

To provide services to people far below what they expect is to deceive or lie to them and the Catholic Church considers lying and cheating as misrepresenting the truth in people’s relations with others. Offenses against the truth therefore express, by word or deed, a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness. They constitute fundamental infidelities to God and to his people.

Successful companies usually implement a customer relationship management system which help them measure, track their performances and customer perception with a view to making adjustments where pitfalls are uncovered. Based on continuous poor services in Cameroon, one wonders if the afore-mentioned service providers ever make use of this approach. If service providers are comfortable making money through “Poor Service Obstinacy”, then it is up to customers to hold them to account for Cameroonians do not deserve the poor services they are presently receiving.

Bishop George Nkuo and Bui Administration receiving Apostolic Nuncio

Christians turned out in their numbers for the event

Entrance Procession

Who could ever imagine? Nso Notables lead Lectionary procession

Rewarded for contributing to evangelisation

His Grace Cornelius F. Esua, Apostolic Nuncio, PM P. Yang and Mgr. George Nkuo cut Centenary Cake

By Emmanuel Verdzeka

Priests, religious and the lay faithful in Kumbo Diocese have been exhorted to renew their commitment to the Catholic faith as she enters a new dawn. The Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, Mgr Piero Pioppo, made the call during the peak celebration of 100 years of the Catholic Faith in Kumbo Diocese on January 25 at the ceremonial ground of St. Augustine College Nso.

Thousands of Christians from Kumbo and beyond, priests and religious and even people from other faiths, were part of a beautifully animated celebration, which many described as historic.  The beautiful singing and culture-styled lectionary procession, which some traditional rulers led, added colour to the event. Cameroon's PM Philemon Yang represented the President of the Republic of Cameroon.

The Apostolic Nuncio, who presided over the Pontifical High Mass, conscious of the growing challenges of today's church, asked the laity to proudly profess their faith as only faith can deliver them from indifferences. He called on parents to transmit their faith to their children, who in turn must not treat it as a private matter, but use it to contribute to their Church’s and community’s growth. He enjoined priests and religious to love each other and to listen to the voice of the Spirit.

Alluding to the day’ s scriptures , Mgr. Pioppo likened the encounter of early Christians with the first missionaries in Kumbo 100 years ago, to St. Paul's conversion on his way to Damascus. He said the early Christians received what St.  Paul received directly from Christ from the first missionaries.

He explained conversion is not a result of personal engagement but rather Grace from God. He asked the congregation to reflect deeply on what St. Paul's conversion means to them today. He encouraged Christians to always walk in the early Christians’ path and to ask Holy Mary, Star of New Evangelization, to shine her light on their path to keep their Catholic Faith alive.

Welcoming guests, the Mayor of Kumbo, Donatus Fonyuy Njong, acknowledged the enormous sacrifices which the early Christians made to implant the Catholic faith in Kumbo. He also recounted the numerous contributions the Church has made especially in health and education. He wandered what could have become of Kumbo without the Catholic Church. Even with the growing challenges the Church is facing today, the Mayor called on all to embrace the next century with determination and faith.

The visiting German delegation from Limburg described the celebrations as God's blessings. Limburg and Kumbo Diocese have enjoyed 25 years of fruitful relations. Mgr Charles Hammawah led the delegation from the neighboring Nigerian Diocese of Jalingo.

 Fourteen Bishops took part in the Eucharistic celebrations including Cameroon's lone Cardinal, Christian Tumi.

At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, the Apostolic Nuncio handed certificates and awards to some Christians who have help in the Church’s growth in Kumbo.

Brief History

On December 31, 1912, six Sacred Heart Missionaries of St. Quentin, who Rev. Fr Lennartz was heading, arrived in Kumbo from Germany. Peter Wame and his wife Elizabeth Yaadiy guided them to Nso.

 On January 1, 1913, the first mission station was opened in Shisong on the same day the first Mass was said. In May 1914, a second group of 12 missionaries arrived. The German Sacred Heart Missionaries departed in 1915 after the Second World War. French Sacred Missionaries only replaced them in 1920.

All along the early church suffered persecution from the already established traditional institutions and rulers. The first church and the catechist's house were burnt to ashes On December 20, 1920. The early Christians were caught, tried in the traditional court and imprisoned.

Today, Kumbo Diocese covers the administrative units of Bui and Donga-Mantung Divisions, North West Region, Cameroon. It has 95 priests, over 30 religious congregations and thousands of Christians, who worship in 27 parishes.

 By Rev. Fr. Giles N. Forteh

I truly shudder at the thought of being told at the end of a long and tortuous race, and after much exhaustion, that I was running on the wrong tract. Students are very familiar with some of the evaluation tags which examiners use to evaluate their script content.

By Jude Abanseka

Past editions of Cameroon Panorama

The Bishop of Buea, His Lordship Immanuel Bushu, has called on Christians to sustain the Catholic monthly, Cameroon Panorama, either financially, morally, by contributing articles or in any way they consider necessary.

Bishop Bushu was speaking in Holy Family Parish, New Town, Limbe, on January 6, 2013, while presiding at a Solemn Mass to launch the first edition of what shall be known from now on as "Cameroon Panorama Day."

In his homily Bishop Bushu said that Jesus shares His light with Christians at Baptism. Inspired by the day's Gospel passage, Mgr. Bushu said the visit of the Magi who hailed Jesus as Light, Priest and King, is a sign that Christians are the same from their baptism.

He said Christians have to suffer for Christ who was not crucified on a bed of roses but with a crown of thorns. "As his followers, therefore, we have to accept suffering but with the understanding that we shall not suffer in vain," the Bishop said.

He said like lights, Christians have to shine in their families, their work places and where ever they are. Mgr. Bushu added that if Christ was born on earth it means Christians can also be born in Heaven. Noting that in life we become what we eat, the preacher said Christ has given his body for us to eat to become like him.

"Only Christians," he went on, "have this wonderful gift of being able to eat their God as they do in Communion after consecration." He explained that God was humble to allow himself to be written as a book.  "He thus makes it easy for Christians to know Him because it suffices reading the Bible often to know God."

Being the Feast of the Epiphany, the Bishop noted that the Epiphany reminds Christians that they have to strive daily to be like Christ. He stressed that there should be an Epiphany wherever Christians are because Epiphany means "showing outside". He concluded good Christians are known through what they do, not what they say.

The event's second part continued in the Parish hall after Mass with three talks. The first, which Rev. Fr. Joseph Awoh gave on the Year of Faith, explained what it is all about. He noted the Year of Faith seeks to move one's faith to a higher level. He explained to achieve this Christians are called to go on pilgrimages like visiting the birth place of Christ and Marian Shrines, do devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary and study the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Vatican II texts.

Rev. Fr. Eric Akongnui presented a talk on the media and responsible parenthood. He noted that with the rapid development of science and technology nowadays, the media is influencing all aspects of life.  Fr. Eric Akongnui therefore advised parents how to prevent the media from having a negative influence on their children.

Two journalists, Kevin Njomo and Charles Ndi Chia, present at the occasion, reiterated calls for parents to raise their children properly. While Charles Ndi Chia advised parents with decoders to always use the parental control button to block channels they do not want their children to watch, Njomo Kevin urged Fr. Eric Akongnui who works with young people, to pull off rings from boys' ears and chains from girls' ankles.

Kevin Njomo also presented the third talk in which he presented the history of Cameroon Panorama, tracing the magazine's roots from Fiango Parish Kumba 50 years ago, with a Mill Hill Missionary, Rev. Fr. Bernard Stuggart as its first editor, to its present site.

A question and answer session, which will continue in subsequent editions of the monthly magazine, followed the presentation. Speaking to L'Effort Camerounais after the event, the present editor, Rev. Fr. Wilfred Emeh, said he was satisfied with the first edition, and especially so as the priests who delivered the talks prepared thoroughly.

He said more Christians of the host parish were expected to participate, but the hall was barely full. Fr. Emeh said "Cameroon Panorama Day" has been instituted to evaluate the work the production team is doing and to look for ways to improve the magazine's content.

The next edition will be commemorated on January 6, 2014 at a venue the     committee will decide.
                                                                          

It has been revealed that over 40 percent of adolescents and pre-adolescents in North West, West and Centre Regions of Cameroon have suffered and are still suffering from abuse and exploitation.

By Percy Ngwainbi Afuh

Japanese Ambassador, traditional authorities and administrative authorities

A project to construct new classroom blocks in 18 primary schools in the North West Region has been launched.  Cameroon's Minister for Basic Education, Yussuf Adidja Alim, and the Japanese Ambassador to Cameroon, His Excellency Tsutomu Arai, laid the foundation stone of the Japan- sponsored project on December 21 in Government School, G.S, and Government Bilingual School, G. B. S, Ngomgham, Mezam Division.

Catholic Education Secretaries and principals

Catholic Education Secretaries and principals of Catholic colleges in Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province held their annual meeting in Mamfe  from January 14 to 16, 2012. During the meeting the Catholic Education Secretaries examined deficit which is one of the factors crippling education in the four dioceses that make up the ecclesiastical province.

His Lordship Agapitus Nfon and Catechist Marcus Nkwi

Christians of St. Anthony’s Parish Njinikom and beyond joined in a thanksgiving Mass on Friday, January 4, 2013 to celebrate the retirement of Catechist Marcus Nkwi alias “Mali”. The Mass, which started at 9am, had as chief celebrant the Auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda, Agapitus Nfon, assisted by the Vicar General, Mgr. Engelbert Kofon and twelve priests.

He said he himself passed through the hands of a Catechist before becoming what he is today. While thanking Catechist Nkwi for his long service to the Church, he prayed that God should continue to bless and protect him and his family.

He also prayed that God should keep him healthy so that he could continue offering his services to the Church when the need arises. He, however, said we cannot ride a willing horse to death, but stressed being a catechist is not a profession, but a vocation. “Once a catchiest, a catechist forever,” he indicated.

The Auxiliary Bishop also quoted Pope John Paul II who in his address to catechists in Angola during his last pastoral visit to Africa laid emphasis on the importance and indispensable role of catechists in the Church.  “So many times it has fallen on you to strengthen and build up young Christian communities, and even to found new ones through the proclamation of the Gospel. If missionaries could not be there for the first proclamation, or had to leave before it could be followed up, it was you, the catechists, who instructed the catechumens, prepared people for the Sacraments, taught the faith and were leaders of the Christian communities.”

He continued, “We give thanks to the Lord for the gift of your vocation, through which Christ has called you from among men and women, to be instruments of His salvation, to respond with generosity to your vocation and your names will be written in heaven”.

He related Pope John Paul II’s message to the work and life of Catechist Marcus Nkwi explaining that he has strengthened and built up Christian communities, instructed catechumens, prepared children and adults for the Sacraments, and taught the Faith.


Exhibiting the Word he helped in propagating

He said Christians and many priests and religious today owe a lot to Catechist Nkwi as they all passed through his hands, thanks to the strength from the Almighty who has made him an instrument of Salvation.

After Mass, the Parish Pastoral Council, PPC, Chairperson, Bobe Gregory Kuh Chia, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Cletus Tita and Catechist Marcus Nkwi all rendered thanks to God for what has been accomplished this far. They wished the retired catechist good health and a long life

A civic reception followed in the Parish hall during which gifts were presented, more speeches made, and traditional dances performed accompanied by feasting. We wish Bobe Marcus Nkwi alias “Mali” a peaceful retirement.

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.

For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff.

 With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

The conclave that will elect Benedict XVI's successor will have 117 members on the day his resignation becomes official, at the end of this month.

The country with the greatest number of cardinal-electors is Italy, with 21. Sixty-seven of the electors were created by Benedict XVI and the remaining 50 by John Paul II.

The conclave will proceed according to the rules of "Ordo Rituum Conclavis," established by Pope John Paul II's apostolic constitution "Universi Dominici Gregis."

During the time between the Holy Father's resignation and the election of the next pontiff, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, as the cardinal camerlengo, will have the fundamental role in governing the Church.

While the conclave is ongoing, the cardinals reside within the Vatican. They are not permitted any contact with the outside world.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, reported that Benedict XVI will go to the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo when he leaves office on February 28. After that he will reside in a cloistered monastery within the Vatican walls.

Source: Zenit.org

Interviewed by Ireneaus Chongwain Chia

The African Leadership Academy is offering ambitious young men and women in Africa an opportunity to acquire upright and ethical leadership skills that the continent so desperately needs. One of its officials, Elmahdi Oummih, was in Cameroon recently and explained in greater detail what his institution is doing to ensure transformational leadership for Africa. Excerpts:

You have been in Cameroon for close to a week now. May we know what has brought you to Cameroon?

African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to enroll the brightest young people from every country on the continent. Cameroonian students at the Academy have historically stood out. Recent ALA graduates Marie Elimbi Moudio and Stanley Ewala are prime example. They are at MIT and Williams College in their first year of university. They were also top performers in the Southern Africa Science Olympiad last year.

http://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/news/ala-students-sweep-2012-science-olympiad

Listening to you talk to American Language Center students recently one would conclude that present leadership in Africa has crossed a point of no return in bad and uninspiring governance. Is the present governance pattern so irretrievable that hope is only embodied in the young?

The Academy was founded on the premise that the root cause of all of the continent’s problems is poor leadership. We focus on grooming ethical leaders who are opportunity seekers and have a true passion for Africa. We believe in the promise that young people hold.

You also cited some African countries that are leadership models, yet these countries are not governed by young people. Does this not indicate that through thoughtful actions the present dreary leadership can still be overhauled?

A person’s leadership journey begins when they are young and impressionable. Old habits die hard, bad habits die harder! We look to instill strong values and take our students through real leadership challenges while they are young so that they are ready to face the challenges that are bound to come along when they become leaders in various fields across the continent.

But many professional schools in Africa are training young people to assume leadership positions eventually.

There are not many that focus on combining African studies and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Africa is the land of opportunity and we are building leaders who understand the context of the continent.

What’s your academy’s unique selling proposition? In other words, how is your institution different from these professional schools in different African countries?

We are also unique in that we stay connected with all of our students even beyond the two years they spend at the Academy. Once you are part of African Leadership Academy you join a lifelong network of transformative leaders. We are excited to see the impact of this network on our continent.

ALA students in South Africa

It is too early, perhaps, to measure the impact of the work your academy is doing, but are graduates from the African Leadership Academy already making their presence felt in their different countries? If yes, how?

Many of our students have been making an impact even before they arrived at the Academy. Indeed this is one of our selection criteria. Below are a few notable examples:

o   Sophie Umazi a recent graduate started the “I am Kenyan project”  which seeks to bring together persons from all over the world including Kenyans through photography to promote peace and unity during the 2013 upcoming Kenyan elections http://www.iamkenyan.or.ke/

o   Madelle Kangha our first college grad started an organization called  “Youth for change” http://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/nurturing-network/alumni-experience/alumni-news/words-ala%E2%80%99s-first-college-graduate-%E2%80%93-madelle-kangha

o   Joseph Munyambaza started “COBURWAS” an education services NGO in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement ,Uganda. http://www.coburwas.org/

What is African Leadership Academy’s long term objective? When do you expect graduates from your academy to have a positive massive influence on governance in Africa?

The ALA long term objective is to create 6000 Leaders over the next 50 years and over 150,000 Finalists who will be a part of the Network of Africans that will one day transform the continent. Our Graduates will have an ever increasing impact on the continent as time progresses, but it is clear from some of the initiatives launched by our recent alumni that they have already had a positive influence on governance in Africa. For example, Jihad Hajjouji and Hafsa Anouar won the $10,000 Davis peace prize, leveraged that with a large grant from a foundation and ran an entrepreneurial camp for youth for a week in Morocco! I believe that the world will know ALA in the near future much the same way they have come to know Harvard, but while it took Harvard centuries to build their reputation, it will take us less than one decade.

 So, what does it take to enroll in your academy?

The enrollment process is very simple. Send me an email at eoummih@africanleadershipacademy.org and ask me for an application in French or English. I will send it to you. Complete the application, email it back to me, and you will have started the process towards a better Africa. Telling people about this opportunity is the best gift you could give anyone.

Douala Emeritus Archbishop, Christian Cardinal Tumi, participated in the last conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Though no longer eligible to be part of the conclave that will elect Pope Benedict XVI’s successor when he finally retires on February 28, he, however, clarifies the circumstances that can lead to a Pope’s resignation and much more.