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17, November 2020

African countries not progressing in good governance ⁰

Governance progress slowed across Africa for the first time in a decade, even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, with commitment to democracy and civil rights faltering, a major report said Monday.

The Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance, published every two years, gives each country’s government a score according to criteria including anti-corruption measures, protection of civil liberties and caring for the environment.

More than 60 percent of Africans live in countries that made progress in good governance over the period 2010 to 2019, this year’s report said.

But progress has slowed in the last five years and this year, for the first time in the last 10 years, the combined score for all the countries fell year-on-year, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation added.

The foundation, set up in 2006 to focus on the need for good political leadership and public governance in Africa, cited growing curbs on people’s ability to exercise their democratic rights and take part in civil society.

The results use data from last year and do not therefore include the impact of coronavirus.

Since the pandemic began, some elections have been postponed while “the continent had been going through a deterioration of civil society space, participation and rights long before Covid-19,” the report said.

There is “an increasingly precarious environment for human rights and civic participation” as well as a “deteriorating security situation,” it added.

– ‘Worrying declines’ –

Also this year, the incumbent presidents of Guinea and Ivory Coast succeeded in pushing through constitutional changes allowing them to stand for a third term, sparking deadly unrest while adding their names to a long list of leaders with similar playbooks.

Post-election clashes have claimed scores of lives in Ivory Coast and at least 21 in Guinea, where several opposition figures are in police custody over the violence.

In Nigeria, largely peaceful youth-led protests against a hated police unit spilled over into looting and violence.

The UN last week called for urgent measures to protect civilians in Mozambique’s northeastern Cabo Delgado province, where jihadists are wreaking havoc, warning that the population was “desperate”.

Since 2015, countries’ scores for security and rule of law and participation have slowly worsened while scores for rights and inclusion have fallen more sharply, the report said.

Only one country, Ethiopia, has made progress across all areas measured over a decade, the report said — but the continent’s second most populous country is now embroiled in a military conflict pitting the federal government against the dissident northern region of Tigray.

Across Africa, progress in some areas such as economic opportunity has come alongside “worrying declines in participation, rights, inclusion, rule of law and security,” the report said.

– Covid inequality –

Coronavirus threatens gains in economic opportunity, “worsening an already alarming situation,” it added.

For the first time, the report looked at new areas such as digital rights and inclusiveness as well as environmental sustainability.

South Africa, ranked sixth, has declined over the decade, falling more steeply since 2015, and is on a “concerning trajectory,” the report found.

The country’s former president, Jacob Zuma, was forced out by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) over a slew of corruption scandals.

ANC secretary general Ace Magashule was charged last Friday with multiple counts of fraud, corruption and money laundering allegedly committed under Zuma.

Source: Africa News

17, November 2020

Cameroon’s unwinnable war: CDC workers go for months without salaries ⁰

With about twenty thousand contracts of employment and a related monthly wage bill of about FCFA 2.5 billion, the crisis in the North West and South West Regions and the COVID-19 pandemic have weighed down on the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC.

While the CDC is struggling to stand on its feet with government support and the willingness of the workers to get back to work, months of unpaid salaries seem to be throwing a spanner in the works.

For a while now, workers in some of the units of the CDC have staged protests decrying the non-payment of accrued salaries. On November 12, workers at CDC’s Bota Engineering yard went on strike, demanding months of unpaid salary.

A day after the protest, Eric Nzegge, Director of Human Resources at the CDC told journalists that the corporation’s management is exploring avenues to pay the workers, but patience is key.

“The General Manager of the Cameroon Development Corporation is very much concerned about the difficult situation that the workers are going through and CDC strives every other day to ensure that the workers are paid,” The Post quotes Nzegge as saying.

Nzegge said CDC General Manager, Franklin Ngoni Njie urges workers to exercise a little more patience, given that work is only now resuming, albeit timidly, in most of the corporation’s estates.

Since the Anglophone crisis morphed into an armed conflict in 2017, CDC palm, banana, and rubber plantations were forced to shut down. Gunmen kidnapped workers, maimed others, and went on to destroy CDC installations.

As such, the agro-industrial company has been unable to meet its financial obligations. It has, over the year depended on growing oil palms, rubber, and bananas and then selling its produce. The proceeds then go to pay workers and maintain the corporation. As such, when workers work, the CDC makes money and pays them.

“We are hoping, as work is timidly resuming in most of the estates, that whenever there is money, the workers shall be paid,” Nzegge said. He adds that about a month’s salary was paid to the workers a few weeks back, but understands it may not be enough.

A ‘Statement of Assurance’ from the management of the company states: “Conscious of the ongoing difficulties faced by the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) as a result of the current socio-political unrest in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, acknowledging the fact that ten of our estates are almost entirely shut down, putting over five thousand jobs at risk, we wish to state that, being the sole owner of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), the State of Cameroon has duly been informed of the prevailing situation.

“While waiting for the State to provide a lasting solution to the crisis, all workers of the Cameroon Development Corporation are enjoined to remain calm and forward-looking, as management is doing all it takes to ensure that things unfold in their best interest. We are hopeful that the powers that be will do all that is necessary to keep the CDC afloat.”

Culled from Cameroon Info.Net

17, November 2020

French radio station RFI announces Paul Biya’s death ⁰

On Monday, November 16, 2020, the French media announced the death of several public figures on its website before removing them, claiming that it was a bug.

French Radio RFI surprised its listeners on Monday, November 16, 2020, by publishing in advance on its website, the obituaries of several public personalities yet still alive. All in all, about a hundred people of established fame were treated to articles announcing and describing the circumstances of their death. They included Alain Delon, Sophia Loren, Clint Eastwood, Pele, Sir Alex Ferguson, Yoko Ono and the President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya.

Alerted by the outcry caused by these articles, the public media quickly withdrew them and apologized on the social networks, indicating that a bug was at the origin of this situation.

“A technical problem led to the publication of numerous obituaries on our site. We are mobilized to rectify this major bug and apologize to those concerned as well as to you who follow us and trust us,” reads the RFI twitter account on Monday, November 16, 2020.

However, unless official information from the government of the Republic of Cameroon proves otherwise, it is important to remember that Paul Biya is alive and well! We saw him last November 12, at the funeral of his elder sister, Régine Ngonda, who died on October 31, 2020 in Yaoundé.

By Rita Akana with files

17, November 2020

UN General Assembly president reprimands Security Council for ‘failing to do its job’ ⁰

UN General Assembly president Volkan Bozkir on Monday criticised the Security Council, saying it was failing to respond to the world’s biggest challenges due to “competing interests.”

“The council has, on many occasions, failed to carry out its responsibility to maintain international peace and security,” Bozkir, a Turkish diplomat, said at a debate on reforming the body.

“Competing interests among its members and frequent use of the veto have limited the Security Council’s effectiveness. Even in some of the most urgent humanitarian crises, the council could not provide a timely and adequate response.”

There has been growing criticism of the body, which has not been reformed in decades, with France’s President Emmanuel Macron saying in a recent interview with Le Grand Continent that it “no longer produces useful solutions.”

Bozkir said reform of the Security Council was “an unavoidable imperative — both challenging and essential.”

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Security Council has held few meetings devoted to the virus.

It took more than three months to overcome friction between the United States and China to pass a resolution on July 1 calling for more international cooperation and to support a call by the secretary-general for a ceasefire in war-torn countries to help fight the disease.

During the debate on reform, the 193 UN members discussed the right to veto, the privilege of the five permanent members of the Security Council (United States, China, Russia, France and United Kingdom), enlarging the forum and its regional balance.

Modest expansion of council?

Russia, which has used its veto 15 times since 2011 on the Syrian dossier alone, and the US do not wish to see that power reduced.

“The United States remains open, in principle, to a modest expansion of the Security Council,” said American diplomat Ngoyi Ngoyi. But “this must be pursued in a way that will not diminish the Security Council’s effectiveness, or its efficiency, and will not alter or expand the veto.”

Deputy Russian ambassador Anna Evstigneeva argued that “ideas leading to the erosion of the prerogatives of the permanent members of the Security Council, including the right to veto, are unacceptable.”

Using the veto, or even the threat of using it, “have repeatedly prevented the United Nations from becoming associated with dubious companies,” she added.

Later, Chinese ambassador Zhang Jun criticised an “over-representation of developed countries” and called for a larger presence of small and medium nations, particularly African ones.

The Security Council, which can decide on international sanctions and the use of force, has 15 members. In addition to the five permanent nations, it has 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

Germany is a candidate for another permanent seat on the Council, along with Brazil, Japan and India. Africa is seeking two spots but has yet to identify potential future beneficiaries.

Source: AFP

17, November 2020

Russia’s Putin approves establishment of naval base in Sudan ⁰

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the establishment of a major naval base in Sudan, which will improve Moscow’s ability to operate in the Indian Ocean and expand its influence in Africa.

In a decree released on Monday, Putin announced that he had approved a Russian government proposal to set up a naval logistics hub in the North African country and ordered the Russian Defense Ministry to sign an accord to go ahead with the venture.

According to a draft document related to the agreement and unveiled earlier this month, the naval facility would be able to moor no more than four ships — including nuclear-powered vessels — at the same time.

The document further said the hub would also be used for repair and resupply operations as well as a resting place for Russian naval service members.

16, November 2020

US: Trump says Biden ‘won because the election was rigged’ ⁰

US President Donald Trump seems to have implicitly conceded defeat to his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, while claims the presidential election was rigged.

Trump took to his official Twitter account on Sunday and said Biden “won” the presidential election on November 3 because the vote was “rigged.”

“He won because the election was rigged. No vote watchers or observers allowed, vote tabulated by a radical left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn’t even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more!” Trump tweeted.

“All of the mechanical ‘glitches’ that took place on Election Night were really them getting caught trying to steal votes. They succeeded plenty, however, without getting caught,” the president added in a subsequent tweet. “Mail-in elections are a sick joke!”

The tweets, like many of Trump’s recent posts about the election, were flagged by Twitter as containing disputed claims about election fraud.

Reacting to the Republican president’s tweets on Sunday, Biden’s incoming Chief of Staff Ron Klain said the election result was a decision made by the American people and that he accepted the tweets “as a further confirmation of the reality that Joe Biden won the election.”

Klain went on to say that, “He won because he got more votes, in the popular vote by a lot and he won the same number of electoral votes that President Trump called a landslide four years ago.”

16, November 2020

Syria mourns top diplomat & seasoned politician Walid Muallem ⁰

Syria’s Foreign Minister and deputy Prime Minister Walid al-Muallem has died at the age of 79.

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that Muallem died at dawn on Monday.

According to the report, he would be laid to rest later on Monday in Damascus.

There were no details on the cause of his death, but Syria’s top diplomat had for years been suffering from a heart condition.

“He was known for his honorable patriotic positions,” the government said in a statement.

According to a source close to the Damascus government, it is widely expected his deputy, Faisal Mekdad, will succeed him as foreign minister.

Muallem first took on the portfolio of the foreign minister in 2006. He was also designated deputy prime minister in 2012.

The veteran diplomat held a succession of top diplomatic posts, including ambassador to the United States.

In his last statements, Muallem denounced the persisting and unilateral economic sanctions against the Syrian nation, saying on October 25 that the sanctions have deteriorated the economic situation, particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic raging across the globe.

He also condemned the Western role in setting conditions and fabricating flimsy pretexts to halt the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, slamming the West for politicizing the purely humanitarian issue and its use as a card for advancing their political agendas.

Some 5.6 million Syrians have been forced to flee abroad as refugees, mostly to the neighboring countries of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.

Moreover, one million Syrian children have been born as refugees ever since the foreign-backed militancy began in their country back in March 2011.

Syria’s top diplomat repeatedly slammed the US role in the conflict that plagued his country.

In August 2012, Muallem said Washington was “the major player against Syria” in the war, noting that the US was supporting terrorism in Syria in spite of its claims to be fighting it.

He also said in his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 that “tens of thousands of foreign terrorist fighters have been brought to Syria from more than a hundred countries, with the support and cover of States that are known to all”, in an apparent reference to the US and Turkey, who maintain an illegal military presence in northern Syria.

Muallem also warned that the Western claims of alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government served as a pretext to launch a military campaign against his country.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding the Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.

Government forces have already managed to undo militant gains across the country and bring back almost all of Syrian soil under control.

Source: Presstv

16, November 2020

Tribute and account on Monsignor Theophilus Ibegbulam Okere of Nigeria ⁰

Cameroon Concord News Group’s Nchumbonga George Lekelefac is more than thrilled to write an account of his extensive experience with Msgr. Professor Theophilus Okere before his death on October 20, 2020 in Owerri, Nigeria. As young people, we have heard our own elders, teachers and priests say-“Okere Bu Agbara’’–(Okere is a deity) in clear deference to his prodigious attributes and awesome intellect. Nchummbonga had the privilege to interview Msgr. Okere on Saturday, October 10 at his residence in Owerri. He travelled from Cameroon to Nigeria to carry out a scientific research on Prof. Dr. Bernard Nsokika Fonlon and his first stop was in Owerri, where the classmate of Dr. Prof. Fonlon lived. He is Msgr. Alphonsus Aghiazu, and happens to be the oldest Monsignor in South-East Nigeria. After his conversation with Msgr. Alphonsus, he recommended we also get the opinion of Msgr. Okere who lived nearby from his parish of residence: St. Paul Parish, Owerri. Msgr. Alphonsus was so helpful and even sent his driver to take our Nchumbonga Lekelefac to Msgr. Okere’s house. When he arrived the house of Msgr. Okere that Saturday, October 10, 2020, Msgr. Okere was very strong and active. He was putting on a white shirt and white shorts, and he was sitting in his extremely large sitting room writing. He later said he was writing a book on Monsignor Martin Maduka. He remembered most of the Cameroon seminarians he had studied with like: Archbishop Paul Verdzekov, Bishop Pius Awa, Christian Cardinal Tumi, Fr. Clement Ndze.

Later he changed and dressed in his Monsignor Cassock and we began the three hour interview. We began by asking him what his secret was because he looked quite young and active. He smiled and said: “The grace of God is the secret, and of course, discipline in whatever goes into his stomach. He was very excited and strong during the interview. We were able to video the entire conversation.

After the interview, he gave us a handwritten tribute he had produced on Prof. Dr. Fonlon on Saturday, October 10, 2020, barely ten days to his death.

Msgr. Okere informed us after our conversation that he was not in the best of health. He revealed that with his age, he was on drugs.

Biography of Msgr. Okere

Msgr. Okere was born on August 2, 1935 in the bucolic village of Nnorie, Ngor-Okpala, Imo State, he has left indelible marks on the sands of time.

As was noted by one of his students, Professor Obi Oguejiofor, a Catholic priest, and lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Monsignor Okere “is indeed a great theologian, in any case, one of the greatest we ever had in Nigeria. He is also one of the few Nigerian philosophers repeatedly quoted in internationally published works both in discussions and in bibliographies. There is indeed hardly any comprehensive work on African philosophy, especially from the United States, which omits a mention of his name.”

Msgr. Okere had his elementary education at St. James School, Nnorie (1942-46), St. Finbarr’s School, Okpala (1947-48) and St. Desmond, Mbutu Okohia (1949). In 1950, he enrolled at the Holy Ghost College, Owerri, for his secondary education but a year later, he proceeded to the St. Peter Claver Seminary, Okpala, as one of the pioneer students. In 1956, he proceeded to Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu, and was ordained a priest on August 5, 1962 by the then Bishop of Port Harcourt, G.M.P. Okoye.

Msgr. Okere: The Philosophy Teacher and Seminary Founder

He returned to his alma mater, Bigard Enugu, in 1972 where he taught Philosophy for four years before crossing over to Bigard Memorial Seminary, IkotEkpene (now St. Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot-Ekpene), in 1976. He later became the Rector of the school in 1981, a position he held for two years when he founded the Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Owerri, where he was between 1983 and 1992. A man adept at multi-tasking, as the Rector of Seat of Wisdom Seminary. It is his long stay in the seminary system that has made him pre-eminent as the spiritual and intellectual father of more than half of the priests serving today in Igbo land. Hundreds of these men of the cloth adoringly greet him with “OkerewuAgbara” as a tribute to what they perceive as his versatility and his encyclopedic wealth of knowledge.

Msgr. Okere: The Editor

Msgr. Okere was also the founding editor of Journal of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN) and its first president.

Msgr. Okere: The Erudite International Professor of Philosophy

On leaving the seminary system after 21 years of service, in 1992, Msgr. Okere taught Philosophy at the Jesuit University in Philadelphia, United States of America.

Msgr. Okere: Man of Initiatives

Later, he returned to Nigeria in 1999, and was the initiator as well the first president of Whelan Research Academy for Religion, Culture and Society founded in memory of the first diocesan Bishop of Owerri, Joseph Brendan Whelan (CSSP). In addition, he was the first President of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria and has between books and articles, lecture and homilies, over 200 titles to his credit.

Msgr. Okere: Magister Magnus to Bishops and Archbishops

A measure of his greatness as a teacher can be gleaned from the fact that out of the 16 Catholic dioceses in the old Eastern Region made up of nine states, only the Archbishop of Owerri and bishops of Nnewi and Abakaliki, did not pass through his tutelage. The other bishops, including Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha, Archbishop Joseph Ekuwem of Calabar, Bishop Callistus Onaga of Enugu, Bishop Godfrey Igwebuike Onah of Nsukka and Bishop Lucius Ugorji of Umuahia were all his students.

Msgr. Okere: Internationally Recognized

Prof. Oguejiofor weighs in: “Okere’s voice has been heard in many forums and in different contexts. That voice sounds louder in philosophical studies. Internationally, he owes much of his reputation to his ground-breaking thesis, ‘Can there be an African Philosophy?’ part of which was published as ‘African philosophy: A Historico-Hermeneutical Investigation into the Condition of its Possibility’. These two works belong to the most influential writings in contemporary African philosophical discussion and became the foundation of the hermeneutical current in African philosophy, where it viewed that the philosophy of a people, and a fortiori, African philosophy should emerge from the hermeneutics of their culture, to became the rallying point for such thinkers as Tsaney Serequeberhan of Eritrea, Ntumba Tsahiamalenga and NkombeOleko of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).“In his recent book, Brief History of African Philosophy, Barry Hallen gives this current and Okere himself a special place among the important philosophy movements in the African continent in our time. Hence, Okere’s prowess in philosophy has earned him a special place on the pages of the history of African Philosophy.”

Msgr. Okere: Intellectual Giant

Recognised as an intellectual giant, Monsignor Theo Okere was an enigma to our generation; to the extent that his outstanding intellectual personality, uncommon achievements made people think that a god was sent to them in form of a human being. We have been awed by his intellectual records and breakthroughs in Nigeria and in different parts of the world particularly the noble record he left at Catholic University of Louvain. Fr Okere led the way as the first PhD holder in Philosophy from the oldest and the most celebrated Catholic University in the world; thereby blazing the way for Nigeria and Africa with his seminal thesis “Can there be an African Philosophy? A historical-hermeneutical investigation into the conditions of its possibility.” It was wondered how Father Okere, a mere mortal, had won scholarships with which three other Nigerian priests studied in Louvain. His philosophical and theological prowess in Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, where he lectured and revolutionized philosophy from 1972 to 1976 and in Bigard Memorial Seminary Ikot-Ekpene (now St. Joseph Major Seminary) from 1976 to 1983 where he also lectured and later served as Rector before moving to establish a new Major Seminary in Ulakwo Owerri-The Seat of Wisdom Seminary as the Rector and builder from 1983 to 1992 was highly distinguished.

Msgr. Okere: Man of Publications

Ugo Jim-Nwoko wrote from Abuja noted that despite the burden of administrative and pastoral duties of running and managing senior seminaries, Msgr. Okere found time to do some notable book publications, such as, African Philosophy: A Historico Hermeneutical Investigation, Identity and Change – Nigerian Philosophical Series; Religion and Culture; Public Lectures in Washington D.C, Rome and in his alma mater Louvain Belgium. A collection of all his writings over the years was written, sponsored and published by some of his students entitled: “Theophilus Okere in his own words.” It is a fitting tribute to a man who has lived his 80 years on earth and still counting for others. After the conference, Msgr. Okere showed me these two volumes and I was very elated to see all the wonderful and exceptional work he had done over the years.

Msgr. Okere: The Priest, The Scholar, The Teacher

Martins UbaNwamadi notes in his Tribute to Monsignor Theophilus Okere, priest par excellence, literary icon that: “The anecdote of ‘the Blind men and the Elephant’ keeps popping up each time one thinks of the perception of very Reverend Monsignor TheophilusIbegbulam Okere by different people. Many see him as priest. A priest! Yes, that is what he is, first and foremost, and a very good one at that. Some see him as a teacher, a teacher indeed of the scholastic tradition with pedigree linking him to St. Thomas Aquinas. Yet, for others he is Rev. Fr Theophilus Okere, the accomplished literary man”.

Msgr. Okere: A Polyglot

Msgr. Okere was fluent in his native Umuonyike, Nnorie dialect of Igbo land, English, French, German, Latin. During my interview with him, I marveled at the way he quoted sentences in Latin.

Msgr. Okere: Perfect Gentleman

For those who have had close social contact with him, he was the fine, humble and perfect gentleman in whom all that is perfect in every culture blends. My personal experience with him testified this. Despite all he had achieved, he was very humble and outgoing with me in his house.

Msgr. Okere: Man of Music

Msgr. Okere was considered as a distinguished singer. He could sing well. His angelic voice at mass and digital dexterity with the songs and musical instruments were the first and the only way we could make meaning of the biblical and catholic assertions of the quality of voice and of songs the Angels use daily; singing praises to God in the heavenly places.

Msgr. Okere: Intellectual and Man of Letters

In order to capture the quintessential Theophilus, Martins UbaNwamadi notes that one sees him as encapsulating all of these in optimal proportions and blend. In the performance of any role, he brought in every attribute of every other role. At the pulpit, he made parishioners realize that he was also a literary icon, a philosopher, a teacher, a polyglot, and so on. In his conversation, it was clear that he was a priest, an Alter Christus (Another Christ).

Msgr. Okere: Fluent in the English Language

Msgr. Okere proceeded to Ireland in 1962 where he read English Language and Literature at the University College, Dublin, for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English at the University College, Dublin, graduating with honours in 1965. Msgr. Okere was considered as a great orator who knew how to transmit his messages across to his audience.

Msgr. Okere: The Erudite Philosopher

Msgr. Okere studied Philosophy at the prestigious Catholic University of Louvain, obtaining a PhD in Philosophy in 1972, the first Nigerian to do so. His Doctorate dissertation, “Can there be an African philosophy”: A Hermeneutical inquiry into the condition of its possibility” was groundbreaking, for it set the stage for later researches in African philosophy, having demonstrated definitely that philosophy, any philosophy and therefore African Philosophy, can be itself, only as a hermeneutics or interpretation of its culture. And since his own culture is Igbo, the logic of his thesis has placed him as one of the foremost Igbo thinkers.

Msgr. Okere: Man of Culture

Msgr. Okere’s commitment to and familiarity with Igbo culture were all manifested in his conversations, writings, lectures and sermons to the extent that he was once dubbed as “an unrepentant native”.

Msgr. Okere: The Roman Priest

Monsignor Okere served the church in various capacities including a tenure as consultor to the Vatican Dicastery at the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with non-believers.

Msgr. Okere: Laureate of Prestigious Lectures

He is a laureate of the two prestigious lecture series in Igbo land; Odenigbo (1997) and Ahiajoku (2007) both of which he delivered in Igbo Language, which was later adapted from the “Biography of Very Rev. Monsignor Theophilus I. Okere” written by Dr Augustine Okere and Fr. George Nwachukwu.

Msgr. Okere: Man filled with Anecdotes

It was at the Seat of Wisdom that some of Msgr. Okere’s anecdotes became accessible to many. Looking at his young and new students of philosophy at the Seminary in the late 80’s; Msgr was quoted to have told the seminarians “you have got the Seat, but yet to get the Wisdom”. And perhaps, contemplating on the challenges at the rudimentary stages of the development of the seminary and its students said: “The Wisdom is not yet seated”. As a man of quality and substance, he was inclined to promote innate grit in a human being than outward shadow, when he said: “Height was not one of the characteristics of a homo sapiens”.

Msgr. Okere: His Faithfulness in Friendship

Late Geoffrey Jim-Nwoko narrated the wizardry of his classmate, the young Theophilus Okere at the elementary education in St. James Catholic School Nnorie, Ngor-Okpala between 1942 and 1946. He mentioned that Fr Okere visited Umuchie Eziama to see his old Catholic teacher and in-law, Michael Jim-Nwoko whom he credited with bringing football to Nnorie his community, for the first time in the 1940s.This gesture of his demonstrated his humility and gratitude. Many also observed the high degree of Msgr Okere’s faithfulness to friendship and brotherhood, in good and in bad times, by the way he related with his friend, schoolmate and brother priest, Msgr Clement Chigbu.

On Thursday November 12, 2020, Monsignor TheophilusOkere’s remains were laid to rest. He has just left to meet with his and our God. May Msgr. Okere rest in peace. Amen. James White Comb Riley said of death: “I cannot say, and I will not say that he is dead. He is just away. With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand, he has wandered into an unknown land. And let us dream how very fair, it needs must be since he lingers there… I say, he is not dead; he is just away”. Monsignor Theophilus Okere’s prints will forever remain in the sands of the history of Nigeria, Africa in particular, and the entire world in general. Please. Msgr. Okere, when you get to heaven, do not forget to extend our greetings to Professor Doctor Bernard Nsokika Fonlon. He will be very happy to continue a fruitful philosophical discourse with you, and Dr. Fonlon will be happy to thank you for the wonderful tribute you wrote on him.

For your life of selflessness, industry, simplicity, humility, total selfless service, honesty, and integrity, you – Msgr. Okere- will remain as an enduring compass and example to those who strive for moral rectitude. Adieu ‘OkerewuAgbara’.

Written by Nchumbonga George Lekelefac

16, November 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Power goes abegging in Yaoundé ⁰

When the Southern Cameroons crisis started very few people actually gave Southern Cameroons a chance.

The Yaoundé government always thought it had everything under control, especially as it had crushed the country’s political opposition which almost it out in 1991 political upheavals that rocked the country and in 1992 when the opposition leader, John Fru Ndi, beat the incumbent, Paul Biya, in an election that was marred by intimidation and corruption.

The ruling party robbed Mr. Fru Ndi of his success and since that election; the country has not been the same again.

But the Southern Cameroons crisis turned out to be a different crisis whose ramifications extended beyond the country’s borders.

While the fighters on the ground have been local boys with little or no military training and some mercenaries from neighboring Nigeria whose cardinal objective has been to strike fear in the military and to make some fast cash by exploiting the local population, the financing that has driven the insurgency for four years has come entirely from Southern Cameroonians leaving abroad.

The government did not know that the country’s English-speaking Diaspora was going to get involved in the crisis. An error of judgment on the government’s part dragged the Southern Cameroons Diaspora into the conflict, making it hard for the government to wrap its hands around the problem.

By arresting the leaders of the teachers and lawyers who started the protests in 2017, the government clearly demonstrated that it unwilling to engage the English-speaking minority in a detailed, meaningful and fruitful dialogue.

This costly mistake was really going to bite the government where it hurt the most. The conflict moved abroad and the government’s reputation – that is if it had any – took a beating with the Diaspora ensuring that Cameroon government officials did not feel at home anywhere except in their Yaoundé enclave.

As the country’s corrupt and incompetent president, Paul Biya, declared war on his fellow citizens in 2017 just because they were calling for an end to their marginalization, little did he know that he was pouring fuel into a burning house, a situation that has hurt the country’s economy in a big and bad way.

The Southern Cameroons economy which, prior to the conflict accounted for more than 40% of the country’s economy, has taken a nosedive, leaving many Cameroonians unemployed and many children out of school.

The country’s second largest employer, the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) has been limping since the insurgents shut down some of its operations in the country’s Southwest region.

PAMOL, another agro-industrial giant, is the hardest hit with most of its facilities in Ekondo-titi, Mondoni, and other locations completely put out of operation following the burning of its infrastructure.

Thousands of its workers have simply fled and many are very reluctant to return to work as the limping government is unable to provide much-needed security.

Even the country’s lone oil refinery, SONARA, has been dealt a severe blow. Though the government, known for its lies, has been defending its unsubstantiated thesis that the burning down of part of the refinery is an electrical accident, many people are simply not buying the government’s version.

For years, many Cameroonian have seen Mr. Biya and his bunch of destructive collaborators as snake oil salesmen and no Cameroonian with a good head on his shoulders will put any stock to what the government says.

For almost 40 years, Mr. Biya has been lying through his teeth. You can never take his word to any bank. He has promised Cameroonians many projects, but not many have been implemented and this has reduced him to clown in the eyes of his people.

But the biggest impact of the crisis and the one that will linger for a long time is the drying up of multiple revenue streams, a situation that has dumped the government in real financial problems.

SONARA, CDC and PAMOL were the government’s ATMs and ever since the insurgents destroyed those companies, the government has been losing sleep, with many of its officials seeking to obtain loans from multilateral financial institutions which, in many cases, are not prepared to extend fresh new sovereign loans to a country that has the bad habit of defaulting on its loan payments.

With its coffers rapidly running low and the president becoming a colony of diseases, much is falling apart in Yaounde and this is causing huge confusion and fear among those in power.

Power is going abegging in Yaounde. The vacuum is obvious but Mr. Biya has already compromised the military, making hard for anybody within the army to think of throwing the final blow at a government that is clearly on its last leg.

Most decisions in Yaounde are being taken by the Secretary General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, who is simply implementing decisions taken by Chantal Biya, the president wife who has distinguished herself with her flaming red hair and penchant for colorful dressing.

Many Western countries know that Biya is a lame duck and they will support anybody who overthrows the regime through a people power revolution.

Most Western countries have been counting on Prof. Maurice Kamto, the winner of the 2018 presidential elections who is currently under house arrest because he has been calling for a popular uprising in Cameroon.

But Kamto seems to be riding a dead horse. He has been counting on the Francophone majority which is simply not willing and ready to create that environment that may result in Mr. Biya’s dishonorable exit.

The country’s English-speaking minority has weakened the government and it is now up to the Francophone majority to deliver the last blow that will rid the country of a government that has made corruption and incompetence its hallmarks.

The writing is on the wall, but the Francophone majority is incapable of decoding because it is written in English. Francophone Cameroonians are illiterate in English. Somebody may have to interpret things for them to know that the heavy lifting has already been done.

They surely have to take out pages from political books published by Sudanese, Egyptians, Tunisians and Malians if they have to rid themselves of the millstone the Biya regime has placed around their necks.

Nobody will do it for them. They must take the risk. They have nothing to lose. Power is already on the streets looking for someone to own it. It is time to come together to make the ruling CPDM also known as the crime syndicate a distant memory.

The ruling party clearly belongs to the ash heap of history. All it takes is a little courage. If Cameroonians need that change then they must listen to opposition leaders who want to reverse the damage the corrupt Biya regime has inflicted on the country.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Group Chairman/Editor-In-Chief

15, November 2020

Yaounde Says COVID Worsens Diabetes Burden ⁰

This year’s U.N. World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14 was observed in Cameroon with medical staff all over the central African state encouraging those with the disease to return to hospitals for treatment.

Health workers say patients scared of COVID-19 stopped going to hospitals for control of their glucose levels. Although the disease is spreading rapidly due to Cameroonians’ sedentary lifestyles, experts say, health workers complain that 80% of patients do not know they have diabetes.

A medical doctor told scores of people at the General Hospital in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, to go to the nearest hospital if they get tired and thirsty regularly, drink water and urinate frequently. She said while at any hospital, such people should immediately ask for their blood sugar levels to be measured.

Diabetes educator Agnes Koki said the campaign is part of World Diabetes Day activities. She said medical staff members want to encourage people to find out whether they have diabetes.

“There were so many people out there without the knowledge of diabetes,” she said. “We educate them on what diabetes is all about, how to feed and so many other things. We do free consultation, free screening.”

Sixty-year-old carpenter Hilary Lingalia said he was diagnosed with diabetes after his wife forced him to go to the hospital. He said the African traditional healers he counted on for treatment from nerve pain, a diabetes-related condition, instead told him that he had been bewitched.

“It was a strange sickness to me because my father did not have diabetes nor my mother,” he said. “In 2014, I had this complication on my leg until it was amputated. To face the reality, I accepted it.”

3 million cases

Cameroon’s National Diabetes and Hypertension Program reports that the prevalence of diabetes has increased from fewer than 1 million cases in 2010 to more than 3 million in 2020. The report says 80% of people living with diabetes are currently undiagnosed. Cameroon also blames sedentary lifestyles for the increase in the disease.

Solange Essunge leads an association of diabetic patients in Yaoundé. She says many people fear being screened for diabetes because they believe the disease kills slowly and cannot be treated.

She said the Association of Diabetic Patients she heads wants the government to immediately provide free treatment to everyone whose sugar level is very high. She said the government and donor agencies should show more commitment to the well-being of patients by making treatment available in all hospitals and supplying all patients with blood glucose meters so they will always be able to measure their blood sugar levels.

Essunge said that since Cameroon reported the first cases of the coronavirus in March, many diabetic patients have avoided going to the hospital for fear of contamination. She said a majority of the more than 500 people who have died of COVID-19 in Cameroon were diabetic patients.

Vincent de Paul Djientcheu, director of the General Hospital in Yaoundé and official of Cameroon’s health ministry, said people should guard against diabetes by watching their diets and getting regular physical exercise.

He said Cameroonians should work harder toward preventing diabetes because the rapid spread of the disease has severe consequences for patients, their families and the community. He said diabetes drains family resources and makes people poorer. He urged patients to return to hospitals for routine checks and said patients should make sure they always respect COVID-19 prevention measures, such as wearing face masks, regularly washing their hands, and keeping 2 meters apart.

Djientcheu said people should stop considering diabetes a death sentence because they can live with the disease if they control their diet and take regular treatment.

The United Nations instituted World Diabetes Day in 2007 in recognition of the urgent need to improve human health, provide access to treatment and health care education.

The U.N. says globally, 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980, and that diabetes prevalence has risen faster in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.

Source: VOA