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23, November 2020

Biya ignoring Boko Haram, regime using foreign counterterrorism aid to fund the brutal Southern Cameroons war ⁰

Paul Biya’s regime is ignoring the battle against Boko Haram and the Islamic State and using foreign counterterrorism assistance to fund its brutal repression of citizens with legitimate grievances.

Cameroon was once thought to be an island of stability in a sea of instability, but that mirage started to crumble in 2016, as President Paul Biya mishandled what many in the outside world call the “Anglophone Crisis,” but what to many Cameroonians (English and French speakers alike) is just further evidence of the lack of political freedom, accountability, and competence that has plagued the country since 1961.

For the second year in a row, the Norwegian Refugee Council selected Cameroon as the most neglected displacement crisis in the world. More than 1 million Cameroonians have been displaced internally, tens of thousands have fled to Nigeria, and thousands more from other countries have escaped to Cameroon to flee Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), or violence in the Central African Republic.

Both the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide report that Cameroon is at risk for mass atrocities and urgent action is needed. Since the beginning of 2020, violence has surged both in the Anglophone Southwest and Northwest regions and in the Far North region, where Boko Haram and ISWAP are resurgent.

The Cameroonian government has conflated the Far North jihadist threat with the Anglophone crisis in an effort to maintain the flow of international support. The Cameroonian government has conflated the Far North jihadist threat with the Anglophone crisis in an effort to maintain the flow of international support. At the U.N. General Assembly in September, Cameroonian Foreign Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella asked for increased international cooperation in support of the country’s ongoing struggle against “terrorism.” His belabored attention to “multilateralism,” however, belied Cameroon’s usual intemperate reaction to any international comment about its internal politics, economic policies, or conduct of its military operations.

Cameroon does all it can to reduce the international consequences of its failed militarization strategy against legitimate grievances in its Anglophone regions. Rather than seeking peace through political compromise and better governance, the regime confuses the international community by describing the crisis as a two-front war against “terrorists” and “criminals.”

After two years of painstaking research using GIS tools and open-source data analysis, we have drawn the conclusion that Cameroon’s military operations against Anglophones in the Southwest and Northwest regions have noticeably weakened Cameroon’s efforts against Boko Haram and ISWAP, leading to broader regional insecurity.

Since 2019, Boko Haram and ISWAP have conducted larger-scale operations again, attacking Nigerian, Cameroonian, Nigerien and Chadian military targets and inflicting heavy casualties on soldiers and civilians alike. In late September, Nigeria’s Bornu state governor’s convoy was attacked twice in two days not far from the Cameroon border. But the Cameroonian regime is willing to ignore Islamist resurgence around Lake Chad because it perceives the Anglophone crisis as a bigger threat to its tight grip on power. And, unfortunately, it is confident the international community will again ride to the rescue if the situation appears out of control. Call it the moral-hazard problem of the global war on terrorism.

Culled from Foreign Policy

23, November 2020

Taking the last kicks of a dying horse: Trump campaign parts ways with Powell after vote-switching claim ⁰

The campaign of US President Donald Trump has distanced itself from Sidney Powell, after the lawyer was widely ridiculed for alleging baseless conspiracy theories related to the disputed November 3 election.

Trump, who has not conceded defeat after the media declared his rival Joe Biden the winner of the election, had tweeted on November 14 that Powell would be a member of his legal team, alongside his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis.

However, in a statement on Sunday, Giuliani and Ellis said, “Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own,” adding, “She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.”

In an interview with Newsmax, Powell said that Dominion Voting Systems “has a long history of rigging elections” and that this is “what it was created to do to begin with.”

The statement comes just days after an extraordinary 90-minute press conference at the Republican National Committee in Washington, during which legal team members argued that a broad “national conspiracy” to deny Trump reelection was underway.

The team has mounted multiple legal challenges to reverse the results in several key states. However, the efforts have so far met with little success in the courtroom or on the ground.

Powell said that Trump had beaten Biden in a landslide, despite the fact that Biden won the state-by-state Electoral College votes, which decide who takes the White House, by 306 to 232.

Biden is also set to win the popular vote by more than six million votes.

Source: Presstv

23, November 2020

G20 leaders pledge fair global distribution of coronavirus vaccine ⁰

Leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies vowed on Sunday to spare no effort to supply COVID-19 drugs, tests and vaccines affordably and fairly to “all people”, reflecting worries that the pandemic could deepen global divisions between rich and poor.

The pandemic and prospects of an uneven and uncertain economic recovery were at the centre of a two-day summit under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia, which will hand the G20 presidency to Italy next month.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact in terms of lives lost, livelihoods and economies affected, is an unparalleled shock that has revealed vulnerabilities in our preparedness and response and underscored our common challenges,” the final communique said.

G20 nations will work to “protect lives, provide support with a special focus on the most vulnerable, and put our economies back on a path to restoring growth, and protecting and creating jobs for all.”

On vaccines, tests and treatments, the leaders said: “We will spare no effort to ensure their affordable and equitable access for all people.”

Source: France 24

23, November 2020

Coronavirus payday: Frontrunners emerge in race for vaccine ⁰

Dozens of companies, from biotech start-ups to Big Pharma, are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine, both to meet urgent medical need and for the potential payday.

Positive results from final stage trials of several vaccine candidates have raised hopes that there is light at the end of the tunnel in the quest to curb a pandemic that has already killed nearly 1.4 million people worldwide:

– How many in the pipeline? –

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 48 “candidate vaccines” at the stage of clinical trials in humans by mid-November, up from 11 in mid-June.

Eleven of them are at the most advanced “Phase 3” stage, in which a vaccine’s effectiveness is tested on a large scale, generally on tens of thousands of people across several continents.

A European project led by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca on Monday said an interim analysis of its phase 3 trials showed their vaccine had an average 70 percent efficacy in trials involved 23,000 people.

The statement said the drug showed a 62 percent efficacy when people were given two full doses, but this rose to 90 percent in those given only a half dose initially followed by a full dose.

It said the vaccine could be stored, transported and handled “at normal refrigerated conditions” for at least six months and announced plans to develop up to three billion doses in 2021, if it passes the remaining regulatory hurdles.

The announcement comes after a US-German collaboration between Pfizer and BioNTech reported early in November that phase 3 trials for its mRNA vaccine showed 90 percent efficacy in preventing Covid-19 symptoms and did not produce adverse side effects among thousands of volunteers.

It has since announced further trial results showing the vaccine works 95 percent of the time.

“Efficacy was consistent across age, gender, race and ethnicity demographics,” the company said.

Pfizer is currently seeking Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and expects to roll out 1.3 billion doses by the end of next year.

Also this month, US biotech firm Moderna said its vaccine also showed almost 95 percent efficacy.

Moderna plans to submit applications for emergency approval in the US and around the world within weeks, and says it expects to have approximately 20 million doses ready to ship in the US by the end of the year.

The company is on track to manufacture between 500 million to a billion doses globally in 2021, it said.

In addition, several state-run Chinese labs are also thought to have produced among the more promising candidate vaccines.

Russia, meanwhile, has already registered two Covid-19 vaccines, even before clinical trials were completed.

– What kind of vaccines? –

Some methods for making a vaccine are tried-and-tested, while others remain experimental.

Inactivated traditional vaccines use a virus germ that has been killed, while others use a weakened or “attenuated” strain.

These vaccines work when the body treats the deactivated pathogen as if it were a real threat, producing antibodies to kill it without endangering the patient with full infection.

So-called “sub-unit” vaccines contain a fragment of the virus or bacteria they are derived from to produce a similar immune response.

“Viral vector” varieties deliver fragments of viral DNA into cells, often hitching a lift off of other virus molecules.

For example, a measles virus modified with a coronavirus protein — the apparatus SARS-CoV-2 uses to latch on to human cells — can by deployed to provide immunity to Covid-19.

Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines are based on cutting-edge technology that uses synthetic versions of molecules called messenger RNA to hack into human cells, and effectively turn them into vaccine-making factories.

– Safety first –

Trials of two candidate vaccines — made by Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly — were “paused” recently over safety concerns.

But that is not necessarily bad news, said Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

“The fact that trials are paused should indicate that there should be confidence that the whole process of monitoring the safety of trial participants is working well,” he said.

Recent cases in which recovered Covid patients were infected a second time with a new strain also raise the question of how long vaccines might last.

In October, the US FDA said it would need to see two months of follow-up data after vaccination before giving emergency authorisation for any vaccine use.

“What is different for Covid-19 vaccines is that speed of development and potential approval is much faster due to the public health emergency,” noted the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

But even that pressing need cannot overcome the rules.

“Before approval, all vaccines in the European Union are evaluated against the same high standards as any other medicine,” the EMA said in a statement.

Source: AFP

22, November 2020

US Politics: Federal judge dismisses Trump campaign Pennsylvania lawsuit ⁰

A US federal judge has dealt a new blow to President Donald Trump’s long-shot bid to reverse the results of the disputed presidential election held on November 3.

US District Judge Matthew Brann in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Saturday dismissed a lawsuit which sought to overturn the results in the state, calling Trump’s legal claim a “Frankenstein’s Monster.”

Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat in the election and mounted multiple legal challenges to reverse the results in several key states. His Democratic rival, Joe Biden, was declared the projected winner.

However, his campaign’s efforts have so far met with little success in the courtroom or on the ground.

The court decision paves the way for Pennsylvania to certify Biden’s victory there, which is scheduled to take place Monday.

Brann described the case as “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations,” adding, “This claim, like Frankenstein’s Monster, has been haphazardly stitched together.”

“In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state,” Brann wrote.

“Our people, laws, and institutions demand more.”

In response, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in a statement he was disappointed with the ruling, adding, “Today’s decision turns out to help us in our strategy to get expeditiously to the US Supreme Court.”

Biden won the state-by-state Electoral College votes, which decide who takes the White House, by 306 to 232, according to media reports.

The Electoral College is set to formally vote on December 14, with certifications to occur beforehand.

States’ certification of results of their popular votes is normally routine following a presidential election in the United States.

However, Trump’s refusal to concede has complicated the process and raised concerns that he could cause long-term damage to American voters’ trust in their voting system.

So far, a limited number of Republicans have recognized Biden as the winner. On Saturday and following the ruling, Pat Toomey, a Republican senator from Pennsylvania, said that Biden “won the 2020 election and will become the 46th president of the United States.”

“President Trump should accept the outcome of the election and facilitate the presidential transition process,” Toomey said in a statement that congratulated Biden.

The ruling came hours after Republicans also asked for a delay in certification in Michigan, another battleground.

In a letter that repeated claims of irregularities in the state which Biden won by 155,000 votes, the Republicans called for a delay of two weeks to allow for a full audit of results in Wayne County.

Republican Party national committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and the party’s Michigan chair Laura Cox called on the board to “adjourn for 14 days to allow for a full audit and investigation into those anomalies and irregularities.”

Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has, however, said that audits cannot be carried out until after certification as officials do not have legal access to the documents needed until then.

On Saturday, she posted on Twitter that there had been “no evidence” to put into question the result of the election.

“In a nutshell: 5.5m Michigan citizens voted,” she wrote.

“The results of their votes are clear. No evidence has emerged to undermine that.”

Trump has rarely appeared in public after the media declared Biden the winner of the election, but has not given up on his provocative Twitter campaign.

“The proof pouring in is undeniable,” he tweeted Saturday.

“Many more votes than needed. This was a LANDSLIDE!”

Source: Presstv

22, November 2020

Al-Qaeda in North Africa appoints new leader to replace Droukdel ⁰

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has chosen a new leader to replace Abdelmalek Droukdel, who was killed in June by French forces, the SITE monitoring group reported Saturday.

Algerian Abu Obaida Yusuf al-Annabi, the head of AQIM’s “Council of Dignitaries”, was named as Droukdel’s successor, SITE said.

Al-Annabi has been on the American “international terrorist” blacklist since September 2015, according to the Counter Extremism Project.

He has regularly appeared in the group’s propaganda videos, and in 2013 famously demanded that Muslims retaliate against France’s intervention in Mali.

AQIM also confirmed the death of Swiss national Beatrice Stoeckli, who was abducted in Timbuktu while working as a missionary in 2016.

It blamed her death on an attempt by “French crusaders” to free her.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb emerged from a group started in the late 1990s by radical Algerian Islamists, who in 2007 pledged allegiance to Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network.

The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on troops and civilians across the Sahel region, including a 2016 attack on an upmarket hotel and restaurant in Burkina Faso that killed 30 people, mainly Westerners.

France has more than 5,000 troops deployed in its anti-jihadist Barkhane force in the Sahel.

Source: AFP

22, November 2020

Biya and the rule of law in the two Cameroons ⁰

Many Cameroon political commentators including the renowned Prof PLO Lumumba have described President Paul Biya as a prominent and successful failure. To be sure, Biya has spent all his adult life chasing monetary deals, young Cameroonian and Ghanaian women and hiding from the media both at home and abroad. Biya has never sat in any library in Buea nor in Yaoundé pondering the nuances of Cameroon’s geopolitical structure and constitutional order.

Correspondingly, we of the Cameroon Concord News Group believe that for the past 38 years, when it comes to governing the two Cameroons, Biya simply does not know the rules as laid down by the founding fathers. Take his declaration over the killing of four gendarmes in the Manyu County upon his arrival from the Ivory Coast which was complete and total and which eventually started the war in Southern Cameroons. Biya is like the child on the back of an adult crossing a river and each time the adult smashes a fish, the child arrogantly claims he is the one who has killed the fish.

This is not to say Biya is unfamiliar with the French teleguided legal system running the two Cameroons. To the contrary, he and his family have invested in companies in the two Cameroons that have been the subject of extensive litigation! They include among others CDC, Beauty Voyage, Sitabac, Fokou, Nextel, Groupe Fotso, Camair-Co that have all gone bankrupt numerous times.

One of his first acts as head of state was to organize a fake coup that was poorly staged; seeking to prevent the Grand Nord of the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo to continue to dominate the politics of the two Cameroons. After widespread outrage and internal protest within the National Gendarmerie – Biya abruptly divided the Grand Nord into North and Far North and the Fulanis and their crowned prince Minister Amadou Ali became the revised version of neo colonial forces.

The United Republic of Cameroon was downhill from there. The two Cameroons have since been mired in one crisis after another, including Lake Nyos, Stolen Victory, Ghost Town, Nsam Fire Disaster, Eseka Train, National Assembly Fire, numerous indictments of Biya cabinet officials, the convictions of Biya’s Prime Minister Chief Inoni, Minister Secretary General at the Presidency, Jean Atangana Mebara and longtime political acolyte Edzoa Titus, Defense Minister Mebo Ngo’o – to name a few.

The 87 year old President Biya has for 38 years cast aside basic norms governing the greatest bilingual nation in Africa about social, economic, religious and legal matters. For example, Biya now uses Twitter to address very sensitive issues in a country that millions cannot access the internet, makes baseless accusations on Ambazonia Restoration Forces fighting for the independence of Southern Cameroons and prosecuting his political rivals.

This bellicosity has confirmed the narrative that Biya is not just a primitive and lawless frog, but a tactless and reckless leader who has destroyed the United Republic of Cameroon. Biya is indeed a French Cameroun Monarch and only his will goes. Biya has turned the two Cameroons into a concentration camp and there’s nothing left. And today, Biya’s Minister of the Interior is an ex-convict-Paul Atanga Nji.

All the judges from the divisional and regional level including the Supreme Court are Biya appointees and none can rule against him. Biya and his Francophone Beti Ewondo regime have destroyed the healthcare system, shattered the National Assembly, the police force and the army and the entire Cameroon public service machinery must bend to Biya’s will. By some strange happenstance, Biya’s claim of total authority over the nation is more evident regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. This is why Cameroon Radio and Television’s senior political man George Ewane regularly opines that Biya is the Living Christ and the Messiah!!

Yes Dr. Ewane, Biya is indeed the best and greatest dictator in the world backed by the French that has successfully consolidated power and effectively craft and exploited the rule of law to advance his family and tribal ambitions.

Yes, Paul Biya is a real dictator transforming the two Cameroons to his advantage and that of his young family and his kinsmen. He is a corrupt leader who – while Dr. George Ewane and the world watches – fails to understand what it means to lead a nation.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

22, November 2020

Paul Biya is offering Cameroon’s Anglophones too little, too late ⁰

The announcement of the elections and the implementation measures comes as Cameroon is embroiled by a conflict in which separatist fighters in the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions seek to create an independent state called Ambazonia. This conflict stems from the systematic marginalization of Anglophones, who comprise nearly 20 percent of the country’s population, but was sparked by the repression of demonstrations of teachers and lawyers in the fall of 2016 who demanded linguistic autonomy within their respective institutions.

Now, four years after these demonstrations and in the midst of a war of secession that has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands, Biya’s government—which has consistently been ranked as one of the most corrupt and authoritarian in Africa—is seeking to enact decentralization measures. While enacting such reforms at the outset of the crisis may have addressed some of the demands of the demonstrators, doing so now is simply another effort of the Cameroonian government to present the image that it is responding to the crisis and grievances of the Anglophone population without engaging in any meaningful dialogue or negotiations with civil society or separatist leaders.

The regional elections, which are slated to occur on Dec. 6, will elect a total of 90 councilors to each of the regional bodies—70 divisional delegates and 20 traditional rulers. The traditional leaders will be selected by regional chieftaincy bodies, the majority of which are dominated by supporters of Biya’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) and have backed the party in previous elections.

The Regional Councils have their origins in a 1996 law that amended Cameroon’s 1972 constitution. This constitution was Cameroon’s second following the abolition of a federal form of government by the country’s first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo. Federalism had existed since the former British colony of Southern Cameroons merged with the former French colony of Cameroon in 1961. The constitutional reform of 1996 was announced with the intent of quelling dissent from ethnic and linguistic groups that had been excluded during the first decade of Biya’s government as well as that of his predecessor. The groups that suffered from such marginalization included those from the West and Far North regions, although the predominant group was the Anglophone minority of the Northwest and Southwest regions.

Many years ago, the Cameroonian government agreed to constitutional reforms that had the potential to lead to a devolution of governance to the regional level but refused to implement them.

The discontent that the Anglophone minority felt was compounded by the first multiparty elections held in 1992, during which John Fru Ndi of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) came in second with 36 percent of the vote while Biya won 40 percent. Allegations of electoral irregularities led to a prolonged period of unrest and a deep sense of marginalization within the Anglophone population.

In response, leaders from Anglophone Cameroon convened the All Anglophone Conference in 1993 that resulted in the Buea Declaration, which called for a return to the federated government that existed prior to 1971. In 1994, the second All Anglophone Conference convened and issued the Bamenda Declaration, stating that if Cameroon did not return to a federal form of government, the Anglophone regions of Cameroon would demand independence.

It was largely in response to these growing demands from Cameroon’s Anglophone community that the National Assembly of Cameroon adopted constitutional reform measures to create a more decentralized state. At the time, the National Assembly was dominated by the ruling CPDM party, and the reform measures were backed by Biya and the government. The amendment stated that regions would be given jurisdiction over land management, budgeting, education, and other areas of governance. It also promised that the main organ responsible for overseeing the decentralized form of governance would be the Regional Councils that were established in the amendment. In addition to regional decentralization, the amendment also made the Cameroonian legislature bicameral by creating the Senate, which comprises 100 members; 30 of the senators are appointed directly by the president with the other 70 being selected by municipal councils across Cameroon.

Despite the fact that the constitutional reforms were approved by the National Assembly, the power to convene elections for both the Senate and Regional Councils that the amendment created was given solely to the president. And although nationwide elections occurred for both the presidency and Parliament the year after the amendment was enacted, Biya did not call elections for the Regional Councils or the Senate, meaning that the new bodies were never created.

Culled from Foreign Policy

21, November 2020

Eto’o en route to Spanish third division club Racing Murcia ⁰

Racing de Murcia president Morris Pagniello has confirmed ongoing talks to bring former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o to the Spanish third division.

The Cameroon legend retired from football in September 2019, after spending a year at Qatar SC but he could make a surprise return to the pitch to help Antonio Pedreno’s side ahead of their Copa del Rey outing against Levante on December 16.

According to the club president, the deal is at a ’50-50’ level with support from their sponsors and a decision on the transfer would be made in the coming days.

“At this time of the morning I would say that the signing of Samuel Eto’o by our team is at 50-50,” Pagniello told Marca.

“Next week we will know if we can sign Eto’o. If not, we have a Plan B prepared.

“We have several investors in Mexico and the Emirates who can financially compensate the operation.

“If we sign him, it is the manager’s job to align him. But we are clear that the game against Levante is very important and that it is time for there to be exceptions.”

Racing de Murcia are the most successful club in the Spanish second division with eight Segunda Division titles.

Eto’o is historically the most decorated African Footballer of the Year recipient alongside Yaya Toure with four awards each.

Aside from his achievements on the international stage with Cameroon, the 39-year-old enjoyed a successful career in Europe at Barcelona and Inter Milan where he won four Champions League trophies in total, amongst other domestic honours.

Source: Sportingnews

21, November 2020

An Encomium to Rev. Dr Jervis Kebei Kewi on the occasion of his nomination as Secretary of the Cameroon Episcopal Conference ⁰

An Encomium is a Latin word deriving from the Ancient Greek enkomion, meaning “the praise of a person or thing.” Another Latin equivalent is “laudatio”, “a speech in praise of someone or something”. This encomium is dedicated to one of my most cherished and highly esteemed educationist, erudite formator, in the person of Dr Jervis Kebei Kewi on the occasion of his nomination as “Secretary General” of the Cameroon Conference of Bishops. Dr. Jervis Kebei was officially nominated as Secretary General at the end of the 45th Plenary Assembly of the Bishops of Cameroon, which was held from November 3 to November 6, 2020, in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon, the country of great ambition.

Education of Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei

From 1981 to 1983, Rev. Dr. Jervis Kebei earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, Italy. From 1984 – 1987, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, Italy. Father Jervis Kebei was ordained a priest by late Bishop Pius Awa in Buea on the 15 April 1987. He is a priest incardinated in the diocese of Buea. He celebrated his 33rd Priestly Anniversary last April 15, 2020.

Four years after his priestly ordination, his Bishop, Bishop Pius Awa sent him for further studies from 1991-1994; Rev Dr Jervis Kebei did his Master’s degree in Theology/Theological Studies at the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome, Italy, where he did a Master’s Programme in YOUTH PASTORAL AND PSYCHOLOGY.

When he returned from further studies in Rome, Italy in 1994, Dr. Jervis Kebei served as the Youth Chaplain of the Diocese of Buea before being appointed as the Rector of Bishop Rogan College in 1998. Rev. Jervis Kebei served as Rector of Bishop Rogan College from 1998 to 2006, a long period of 8 good years of fruitful service to the Diocese of Buea and to the Church. He also served as principal of Sasse College and Buea University Chaplain. With the creation of the Bamenda Catholic University, Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei was appointed at the Catholic University (CATUC) Bamenda, as Vice Registrar in charge of Students Affairs, CATUC BAMENDA from March 2010 – July 2016, a period of 6 years and 5 months. Dr. Jervis Kebei has an excellent and highly distinguished track record in Youth Affairs. He holds a Master’s degree in Theology with speciality in Catechetics and Youth Management. In addition, he served as Buea University chaplain before being appointed as Dean of Students’ Affairs in Bamenda Catholic University.

In April 2016, he was appointed as the Assistant Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon. He served there for 4 years and 8 months before being appointed as General Secretary this month. From 2011 – 2019, He did a Doctorate Degree in Educational Psychology, at the University of Buea, Cameroon, and successfully defended in April, 2019.

Rev. Dr. Jervis Kebei: Appointment as Secretary General of the Cameroon Episcopal Conference

I got to know of the appointment of Dr. Jervis Kebei from one of my cherished classmates, in the person of Mr. Ngoumbah Leonard, who posted a two-page Final Communiqué of the 45th Plenary Assembly of Bishops of Cameroon in our “Bishop Rogan whats app group,” on November 9, 2020, last Monday. While reading through the Communiqué, at the end it noted inter alia: “At the end of their meeting, the Bishops made appointments, replacing those who have reached the end of their mandates: Secretary general: Dr. Jervis KEBEI KEWI; Assistant Secretary General: Fr. Jean ETOUNDI (cumulatively National Chaplain for Prisons)…”. This Communiqué was signed by Bishop Benoit KALA, General Secretary. It should be noted that Mr. Ngoumbah Leonard’s postings have been positively noted and appreciated in our “whats app group.” In addition, he has been an expert to the core in updating our “Bishop Rogan Class Whats app group” with daily updates from all works of life ranging from ecclesiastical News to world general news, including administrative documents and postings worldwide. I must openly appreciate him for this selfless duty to his classmates from this perspective. Continuing from where I ended before Mr. Ngoumbah Leonard positively distracted me, it would be of primordial and capital importance at this interval for me to kindly expound to you what an Episcopal Conference is, so that we may get to understand the magnitude of the appointment of Dr. Jervis Kebei as Secretary General.

What is an Episcopal Conference?

An Episcopal conference, sometimes called a Conference of Bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The first assembly of bishops to meet regularly, with its own legal structure and ecclesial leadership function, was the Swiss Bishops’ Conference, which was founded in 1863. (See Histoire : Les origines de la CES : première expérience au monde d’une conférence épiscopale nationale (in French), Fribourg : Service de presse de la Conférence des évêques suisses).

Eventually, more than forty Episcopal conferences existed before the Second Vatican Council (See McAleese, Mary (2012), Quo Vadis? Collegiality in the Code of Canon Law (Kindle ed.), Blackrock, Ireland: The Columba Press, locations 2463-2466). However, their status was confirmed by the Second Vatican Council and further defined by the illustrious Pope Paul VI’s 1966 motu proprio, Ecclesiae sanctae (See Christus Dominus: Decree Concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church, 28 October 1965, §36–38; Ecclesiae sanctae, 6 August 1966; The Limits of the Papacy, p. 97, by Patrick Granfield, Crossroad, New York, 1987.

Furthermore, Episcopal conferences are commonly defined by geographic borders, often national ones, with all the bishops in a given country belonging to the same conference, although they may also include neighboring countries. Certain authority and tasks are assigned to Episcopal conferences, particularly with regard to setting the liturgical norms for the Mass. In addition, Episcopal conferences receive their authority under universal law or particular mandates. In certain circumstances, as defined by the Code of Canon Law, the decisions of an Episcopal conference are subject to approval from the Holy See. Moreover, Individual bishops do not relinquish (renounce) their immediate authority for the governance of their respective dioceses to the conference. (See, John Paul II (May 21, 1998), Apostolos suos; On the Theological and Juridical Nature of Episcopal Conferences, Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, §19).

Finally, the operation, authority, and responsibilities of Episcopal conferences are currently governed by the 1983 Code of Canon Law especially canons 447- 459 (See Code of Canon Law, 1983, §447-459; John Paul II (May 21,1998), Apostolos suos; On the Theological and Juridical Nature of Episcopal Conferences, Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, §5).

From the above brief illumination of what an Episcopal Conference is, we can now say sin dubbio (without doubt) that our own Rev Dr. Jervis has been nominated to a Verantwortung as the German would say (that is: responsibility), not only of utmost national importance in Cameroon, but also of universal prominence. Whenever there will be the next visit of the Bishops of Cameroon to Rome for the “quinquennial visit ad limina,” more fully “ad limina apostolorum” or simply an “ad limina visit,” which is an obligation of residential diocesan bishops and certain prelates with territorial jurisdiction (such as territorial abbots), of visiting the thresholds of the [tombs of the] Apostles, in Rome. Msgr. Dr. Jervis will coordinate and join the Bishops in the plane to the Holy See to visit the Vatican and to meet the Holy Father, Pope Francis. At this indefatigable interval, I would like to focus my target on my personal relationship with Rev. Dr. Jervis Kebei.

Encounter with Rev Dr. Jervis Kebei: How I was transferred from Sasse College

I met Dr. Jervis for the first time in 1998 when I betook myself with my mum to Bishop Rogan College for interview into the College. Before then, that is between September 1997 to June 1999, I was a student in the celebrated St. Joseph College, Sasse, a College where I had been admitted in 1997 by Msgr. James Toba. I must say that my admission to Sasse College was providential. I will elucidate that in another article entitled: “My Experience in St. Josephs College, Sasse College from 1997 to 1999.” I still remember trekking from Bongo Square to St. Joseph’s College, Sasse College on foot because we found no car going down to St. Josephs College, Sasse. To cut the long story short, while in St. Josephs College, Sasse as a form two student in 1998, I saw Bishop Pius Awa and Msgr. James Toba, having a conversation. It was easy for me to distinguish between a Bishop and a Monsignor. Do you know the difference? A Monsignor does not have the following: 1). a pectoral cross; 2). The zucchetto, in Italian, meaning small gourd, from zucca, meannig pumpkin, which is a small, hemispherical, form-fitting ecclesiastical skullcap worn by Bishops.

Well, Bishop Pius Awa had a Pectoral Cross, and a Skull Cap. I admired both of them from a distance. That was a Sunday. Later, Bishop Awa celebrated Mass with the students of Sasse College. I quite admired the demureness (decorum) and momentousness with which he celebrated Mass. That was in 1998, I was in form two in St. Josephs College, Sasse College. A day later, after evening Mass, as Msgr. Toba was strolling to his home, I ran up to him and disclosed: “Monsi, can I tell you something?” He answered: “Of course, George”. He had known me because I always sat just in front of his seat in the Sasse Chapel. So, I continued: “Monsi, I would like to be a Bishop like that Bishop who celebrated Mass last Sunday: Bishop Pius Awa”. I still remember vividly that Msgr. James Toba laughed aloud. I had never heard him laugh so loud. I was frightened. He then said: “come with me”. So, I went with him into the Sasse father’s house. That was the first time of entering that house. I was totally distracted by the wonderful smell from the kitchen. Msgr. Toba took me to the living room and said: “George, you really want to be a bishop?” I said: “Yes Monsi”. He said: “I will send you to Bishop Rogan College. That is a College for Bishops”. And he smiled. I also smiled with him. Later, at the end of that academic year, Msgr. James Toba transferred me to Bishop Rogan College in 1999 to begin form 3, and it was that year that I came in contact with Msgr. Jervis Kebei for the very first time in Bishop Rogan College. Well, I would say that I did not even know who a Bishop was. However, I did not end up becoming a Bishop, but I ended up mingling and living with most of them in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Italy. As young children, we sometimes have ambition when we do not even know what they are and their responsibilities. I came to realize that it was the worst ambition to have. I was still a young boy of 13. Being a Bishop is not a dream to ever have. It is a vocation to be surprised with by the Holy Father because it is indeed a heavy cross to carry. It was important for me to narrate this anecdote in order for you to understand how I was transferred from St. Josephs College Sasse to Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, Soppo, Buea, South West Province of Cameroon.

First Physical Encounter with Msgr. Jervis Kebei in 1999

I met Msgr. Jervis for the first and last time in the year 1999. When we arrived Bishop Rogan College, we were asked by the Secretary to have a seat in front of the Rectors office. I could see the picture s of former Rectors of Bishop Rogan College. Then, after some minutes, we were led to Msgr. Dr. Jervis’s office. I still vividly remember that I quite liked Msgr. Dr. Jervis the first time I set my eyes on him for two reasons: 1). He was putting on glasses; 2). He had a bald head. As a child, I had always knelt down every day in prayer to ask God to give me two things: “a bow head and glasses.” This might seem funny but seriously, the very first missionary priest I met in my life was Fr. Katua from France, and he had a bald head and glasses on his face. As a child, he had told me one day on our way to an outstation that those with a bald head and glasses were extremely genius and intelligent people, intellectual to the core. Since then, I have always as a child asked God to give me glasses and a bald head. He gave me only one: “glasses.” I am still waiting for a bald head. Eventually, my first impression when I set my eyes on Msgr. Dr. Jervis was totally optimistic and absolutely admiring. I also enjoyed the Gregorian chant which was playing in his office. The environment looked absolutely solemn, and totally serene, like heaven. He greeted me and my mum and asked us to seat down and the discussion continued. During the conversation, I just smiled and spent all my time admiring “his bore head and the glasses he was putting on.” In fact, I do not even remember what he asked me because my mind and all my attention was fixed on his bald head and the glasses he wore. After the long-awaited interview, I was accepted and admitted into Bishop Rogan College as a form 3 student in 1999.

Msgr. Jervis Kebei appoints me as Assistant Spiritual Prefect in BIROCOL (2000)

The following year that is in the year 2000, in form four Msgr. Dr. Jervis appointed me as the Assistance Spiritual Prefect of Bishop Rogan College. I assisted Rev. Fr. Dr. Benedict Ehinack, who was the Senior Spiritual Prefect, who is presently in the United States of America. With this post, I became a bit closer to Msgr. Dr. Jervis. This was due to the fact that I had to submit weekly reports to him about the spirituality of the Minor Seminarians. In my report to him, I did not fail to write in details and to mention the names of notorious seminarians who constantly came late to the Chapel or those who constantly made noise after the magnum silencium (great silence), or those who constantly made noise in the Chapel. As a Spiritual Prefect in form four, I knew all the noisy students and the quiet and disciplines ones. Magnum Silencium: great silence had to be respected. My duty as a Spiritual Prefect among other things [leading prayers in the Chapel] was to go around the dormitories after every Compline to find out those who did not respect this rule. That is why students in Bishop Rogan adjusted whenever they saw me especially after compline. Suffice it to say that I was awarded the price of the most frowned student in that institution by Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei, Rector in 2002. Why was I awarded that price? Why was I always frowning as compare to today when it cannot be understood why I am doing just the opposite, that is, constantly laughing? As a Spiritual Prefect in Birocol, I had to frown almost all the time so that some notorious students would adjust. I still have the price which was given to me: a lovely book.

All those who went through Bishop Rogan College at that time knew me very well. I remember I was given a blow by one Upper Sixth students in 2003 for having written his name and submitted to the Rector as I normally did in my report because this Upper Sixth Student was noted of constantly making noise in the Chapel. This blow almost shattered my glasses. As far as Spirituality was concerned: relationship with God, there was no joke about it. I was stern – strict, and I handled all the culprits accordingly who did not respect the rule of silence in the Chapel and Magnum Silencium.

Msgr. Jervis Kebei appoints me as Spiritual Prefect in BIROCOL in Lower Sixth (2000)

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei appointed me for the second time as Spiritual Prefect of the institution. I guess he was impressed by my duty as an Assistant Spiritual Prefect in form four. So, I continued with my way of administering to the students as far as spirituality was concerned and worked closely with Fr. Basil Sede and later with Fr. Emmanuel Epie. As a Spiritual Prefect in Form four and Lower Sixth, my sight and frown made students to adjust and follow the rules on spirituality accordingly. If students had constantly seen me smiling, they would not have taken me seriously. That is why I frowned most of the times as a student in Birocol, especially in the Chapel.

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: An Empathetic Administrator

After the G.C.E Ordinary Level results had been published, those who had passed had come to Bishop Rogan for interviews to be admitted to high school. As usual, I travelled to Bishop Rogan from Mbalmayo. When I arrived Bishop Rogan, I was totally elated to see my classmates. After the interview with Msgr. Jervis, I was admitted and accepted for formation in high school in Bishop Rogan on one condition, which I had to pay 120,000 francs as deposit to reserve my place. The money had to be paid in some days, and I knew that I would not be able to pay then. It was August.

I took the letter of admission stating the condition and left for Mbalmayo. I was aware of the financial situation in my family. Normally, my parents gave us our complete school fees only after the Rentre (That is when Schools begin, because they needed that capital to buy books and resell them in our Bookshop, which was the only Bilingual Bookshop in Mbalmayo at the time). I did not want to explicate all these to Msgr. Dr. Jervis. So, I left for Mbalmayo and did not inform my parents about it. I was very sure that Bishop Rogan was my place and that nothing will make the Rector or the administration to give up my place to anyone. I was just confident about myself. One month later, Bishop Rogan resumed and I was there in the evening around 5 pm and behold, I did not find my name in the list of lower sixth students. I had no dormitory.

I went straight to see Msgr. Dr. Jervis in his office to complain that I had not seen my name in the list. He asked me: “You did not pay the deposit which was a condition”. I then expounded to him the reason why I could not have paid the money before August. He looked right into my eyes and asked: “I am sorry George; your place has been taken”. He asked me to wait outside his office and I went outside in mental prayer, knowing fully well that Divine Providence will safe me, and it did save me. Some 15 minutes later, Msgr. Dr. Jerivs called me into his office and asked me if I had the deposit with me. I retorted: “I have brought the complete school fees: That was about 350, 000 Francs”. My parents always preferred to pay the complete fees for all their 8 children during the “Rentre season”, which was the only time we sold many books. I removed the 350, 000 francs and showed him. He asked me to take it to the bursar. The bursar gave me a receipt. Msgr. Dr. Jervis asked me to go to the dormitory which was just opposite the clinic. I remember that it was there that I got to know Prosbert Arrey very well. We spent a year in that dormitory. That was how I began lower sixth in Birocol, in God’s providential hands. From this experience, I came to know Msgr. Dr. Jervis as a human being in toto (totally). As a person who is empathetic, who feels for others. The fact that he made it possible for me to be admitted into lower sixth after I had not paid the deposit was a clear sign that Msgr. Dr Jervis was an empathetic educator and formator to the core.

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: The Erudite Disciplinarian

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei is an erudite Disciplinarian: a person who believes in or practises firm discipline. I have an anecdote to narrate an incident that happened in 2003, while I was in lower sixth in Bishop Rogan College. One Friday morning, as a lower Sixth student in 2003, and Spiritual Prefect of Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, seventeen years ago, I decided to brush my teeth in front of St. Kitts Dormitory because the bath room was so full of other students. I did not know that Msgr. Dr. Jervis had seen me brush my teeth outside from a distance. Those his glasses could see quite well from a long distance. After Mass that day, in his usual short conferences after Mass, he came in front of the Altar and began his speech by saying: “Nchumbonga, were are you? Could you stand up where you are?” I immediately urinated in my “celebrated apaga trousers” and my legs were trembling like the legs of a cow in a slaughter house. Then he continued: “What were you doing today in front of St. Kitts Dormitory?” And the entire students turned and looked at me in awe. I was confused. I did not know what to say. What had I done this morning that was wrong or incorrect? I began brainstorming like google. Then he continued: “I saw you brushing your teeth today in front of St. Kitts Dormitory this morning like a village farmer, true or false?” I retorted like a baby in front of spilt milk: “True Father:” He continued: “That should be the very last time that I catch you brushing your teeth in front of the dormitory. Teeth are brushed in the bath room”. And I retorted: “Yes Father.” and the court interrogation ended. I never ever made that mistake again. This is to illustrate how Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei inflicted discipline on us his students. He never spared the rod to spoil the child. He took note of almost everything that we did and was always ready to correct us and put in in the right track for the future.

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: The Illustrious Homilist and notable Orator

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei is an eloquent and highly skilled public speaker, a celebrated orator. In addition, he is an illustrious homilist during Eucharistic celebrations. Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei is one of the priests of the Diocese of Buea who preaches well. He is gifted in oratory. He can hold an audience “spellbound” for hours because he knows how to convey his message to whatever audience. “Being spellbound is when your attention is caught by something, and you just can’t look away, almost as if you were bound by a spell”. Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei is a good speaker and excellent preacher. I hardly ever saw him preach by reading a piece of paper. His homilies are well prepared, pregnant with Scriptures and they flow from his well-prepared mind. He always has the exact words and story to tell to pass across his message. As a student in Bishop Rogan College, I always wrote down all his homilies in an exercise book because I each word that came out of his mouth was wisdom. In addition, my aunt in Yaounde made the following comment: “Father Jervis is a wonderful preacher. I just can’t miss his Masses. His homilies are very practical and extremely touching”.

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: A Man with a Great Memory

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei has a great memory. I use to wonder how he remembered the name of almost all the students in Bishop Rogan College. No one could escape if caught out of bounds in Bishop Rogan. Msgr. Dr. Jervis will sought you out by name. In addition, during his homilies in Bishop Rogan College, it was very easy for him to call the students by name if he caught them sleeping while he was delivering the homily. He truly has a great memory, and till date, when he sees his former students, he can call them directly by their name. I had this experience with him last Sunday, October 4th in Yaounde. When I went to the Sacristy after Mass to greet him at the Benedictine Monastery in Mont Febe, when he saw me coming, he said almost immediately: “Nchumbonga, what are you doing in this part of the world?”This shows his great memory.

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: An Erudite Youth Chaplain

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei is well-known as an erudite Youth Chaplain nationally in Cameroon and internationally. He served in the Diocese of Buea for some years as a Youth Chaplain. In addition, he travelled to the ends of the Diocese of Buea to organize the world day of youth in the Diocese before he was appointed as Rector of Bishop Rogan College. Four years after his priestly ordination, his Bishop, late Bishop Pius Awa sent him for further studies from 1991-1994 in Rome, Italy. Msgr. Jervis Kebei did his Master’s degree in Theology/Theological Studies at the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome, Italy, where he did a Master’s Programme in YOUTH PASTORAL AND PSYCHOLOGY, specifically in Youth Development and Management. This study prepared and equipped him for youth chaplaincy. He serves for many years as Youth Chaplain of the Diocese of Buea and as Youth Chaplain in the University of Buea. No wonder he was later appointed at the Catholic University (CATUC) Bamenda, as Vice Registrar in charge of Students Affairs, before being nominated as Deputy Secretary of the Cameroon Episcopal Conference. From all indications, Msgr. Dr. Jervis supervised the construction of the University of Buea Church in Molyko to cater for the spiritual life of the Students of that University and he worked there tirelessly as a University Chaplain of the University of Buea.

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: An Erudite Educationist to the Core

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei is a priest – scholar, educationalist. An educationalist is a person who has a special knowledge of the principles and methods of teaching. As a priest, after his ordination, Msgr. Jervis did not stop learning and updating his educational qualifications. He served as an educationalist: rector of Bishop Rogan College, principal of Sasse College and Buea University chaplain. Last year, in April 4, 2019, Msgr. Dr. Jervis defended his doctorate degree Doctorate Degree in Educational Psychology at the University of Buea, Faculty of Education, and Department of Educational psychology. His doctorate topic was titled: “Transition of Emerging Adutls (18-25 years) from Home to University: Implications for Moral Adjustment to University Life in Cameroon, By Jervis Kebei Kewi, (ED106734).” His main supervisor was the Emeritus Professor Therese M.S. Tchombe, and his Co-Supervisor was Dr. Joseph Lah Lo-oh.

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: Man, of Didactic Conferences

A didactic conference is a conference intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. Msgr. Dr. Jervis delivered his conferences every Sunday before lunch in Bishop Rogan College. Almost every good student in Bishop Rogan College was always eager to attend his conferences because he always had something fruitful to tell us. His conferences were like a film show in the sense that, whenever it ended, I always felt sad, because they were very totally thought-provoking, absolutely stimulating and incredibly remarkable. During his conferences, Msgr. Dr. Jervis impacted in us a holistic formation. As far back as 1999, in his conferences, Msgr. Dr. Jervis narrated to us his experiences in Europe, from one country to another, the importance of taking our studies seriously if we wanted to know the world. Little did I know that he was preparing us for the international world. During his conferences, he taught us how to brush our teeth, how to take our bath well, how to look clean. He taught us to take our studies seriously. He taught us to take our spiritual life very seriously. He formed us holistically to integrate well into the society. Most of the students who did not follow the directives of Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei did not fit in well into the society. This is a message of encouragement to all the students in Birocol to take their holistic formation in Bishop Rogan very seriously, so that they do not regret like those who did not take their formation seriously. I have decided not to give a summary of the conferences which Msgr. Dr. Jervis delivered to us while we were in Birocol here because I do not wish to make this encomium very long. I will dedicate a treatise entitled: “My Holistic Formation and Experience in Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary, Soppo, Buea”. There, I will give a summary of some of the conferences he delivered to us. I had an exercise book in which I always wrote a summary while was delivering his conferences. Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei gave as a balanced formation, in which he made us to become noble men in the society.

I would like to conclude this encomium by first of all thanking God for the life of Msgr. Jervis Kebei Kewi. Without God’s Divine Providence, Msgr. Jervis Kebei would not have been able to form so many Youth and students in different parts of Cameroon. Secondly, I would like to sincerely pray for God’s guidance and protection to Msgr. Jervis Kebei as he undertakes this new position of primordial and capital importance in the Church of Cameroon, and the Universal Church in general. May God bless him with long life, good health, constant peace, joy, happiness as he carries out this function. Dear Msgr. Jervis Kebei, be rest assured of my prayers for you as you continue to serve as a selfless priest in the vineyard of God. May you be blessed both now and forever. Amen.

Written by Nchumbonga George Lekelefac