22, August 2022

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Bamenda where only the coffin trade is booming ⁰

Once a thriving city in Cameroon, Bamenda has been ripped of its soul by the five-year war between English-speaking secessionists and the mainly French-speaking government.

Bamenda is all but dead. Only the coffin trade is booming. Bodies are dumped regularly all over the city – in mortuaries, on streets and in rivers.

Council workers pick them up and give them a pauper’s burial.

“It is a blessing to be buried at all, let alone by family and friends,” says a cemetery worker as he comes to pick up 10 cheap coffins from a funeral parlour.

Demand has dropped for the once-popular elaborately designed coffins – shaped like bibles, cars or beer bottles to reflect the lifestyle, interests or last wishes of the dead.

“Coffins that used to sell for a million CFA francs [about $1,500, £1,270] are out of commission because nobody can afford them. Most people can only afford coffins for 50,000 CFA francs,” says an attendee at a funeral parlour.

The regular funerals for young men and boys are a brutal reminder of the conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions of North-West and South-West.

In just five years, that conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, while forcing more than one million to flee to French-speaking areas and a further 80,000 to take refuge in next-door Nigeria.

A woman crying in Bamenda after her child was allegedly shot by police — This woman says her child was shot by police

The war has its roots in grievances that date back to the end of colonialism, when British-controlled territory was unified with French areas to create what is now Cameroon.

Many English-speaking Cameroonians have felt marginalised ever since and have opposed what they see as attempts by the government – dominated by the French-speaking majority – to force them to give up their way of life, including their language, history and education and legal systems.

Tensions boiled over in 2016 when tens of thousands of people in Bamenda and other English-speaking areas embarked on a series of protests against the use of French in their schools and courts, as well as the failure to publish government documents in English, even though it is an official language.

With the government ordering the security forces to crackdown on the protests rather than entering into talks to resolve their grievances, young men took up arms the following year to demand the independent state of Ambazonia, as they call the two English-speaking regions.

Now, military vehicles – including those with mounted machine-guns – constantly criss-cross Bamenda.

Residents say soldiers raid homes, make arrests, burn markets and even display the bodies of their victims, including commanders of militias, at major intersections to warn residents against joining the separatist fighters.

Government forces have also suffered heavy losses in the conflict, with the bodies of fallen soldiers removed from the military’s mortuary in the capital, Yaoundé, every Thursday and Friday.

Widows wail in front of the long lines of coffins draped in the Cameroonian flag, before the soldiers are buried amid the pomp and ceremony that mark military funerals.

Women in Bamenda — Civilians often end up paying the highest price of the conflict

Separatist fighters have also gained notoriety for atrocities against civilians, including beheadings and the torturing of women whom they denounce for “betraying the struggle”, calling them “black legs” – a term regularly bandied about now.

They circulate videos of these atrocities to warn people of the punishment they face if they are suspected of colluding with the security forces.

On Mondays, Bamenda becomes a “ghost town” with the roads empty and markets closed – part of a civil economic disobedience campaign dating back to before the armed struggle. These days, residents who dare ignore the lockdown order are either shot dead or see their shops go up in smoke.

The military and police also disappear from the streets, so that they do not become soft targets for separatists fighters who have a strong presence in the city.

The separatists even ordered the closure of all schools four years ago as part of their campaign. A few have bravely remain open, but children do not dare wear uniforms.

The military enforces a curfew virtually every night in the city, resulting in many of its restaurants, bars and clubs – once reputed to be the best in Cameroon – going out of business, not helped by the now-erratic electricity supply.

“The constant frying of popcorn has driven everybody away,” says a waitress using a metaphor to describe the never-ending sound of gunfire.

She says it has also prevented those who live abroad from coming home. Known as “bushfallers” – a Pidgin term for hunters (in this case seeking greener pastures) – those in the diaspora were responsible for Bamenda’s economic heartbeat, sending back money to invest in the once-mushrooming building trade and coming back at Christmas to share their largesse.

But the authorities accused them of bankrolling the Anglophone rebellion. Visiting returnees soon found themselves arrested – some are now in the maximum security prisons of Yaoundé or Douala – while others simply disappeared. Bushfallers’ money has dried up and none of them now visit.

Long-time resident Peter Shang, who once loved life in the city, says people now take one day at a time: “Life is a lottery. Too many things remind you about untimely death. You talk to someone today and tomorrow they are gone.”

For Marie Clair Bisu, there is a silver lining – she sees more of her husband, because he gets home before curfew.

“He has now discovered his children. This is a man who used to come back late sometimes drunk and would just head to bed. Now he can play with the kids and check their books. This conflict has reunited us,” she says.

“The only problem is that the gunshots always spoil our nights.”

Map of Cameroon — Cameroon’s two English-speaking provinces are North-West and South-West

And after a night of shooting, residents have to make several calls and listen out for traffic to check the situation is safe before venturing out. Even so, gunfire has become so common in Bamenda during the day that people no longer immediately flee at the sound.

“What would we eat if we keep running? I have children to feed,” a vegetable seller says.

“We simply dive for cover and get back to business when the gunshots stop.”

Another woman says her child has got so used to the sound of gunfire that she knows who is shooting.

“My daughter is seven and she can tell whether the sounds are from machine guns of the army or the AK-47 rifles of ‘The Boys’,” she says, referring to the separatist fighters.

Some nuns who I meet by a road in the city centre say they are waiting for a taxi to go to the Abangoh Orphanage.

The war has seen an explosion in unwanted teenage pregnancies, they say – with girls who have been forced to flee their homes becoming victims of sexual violence and exploitation by both sides. One angrily says: “Rape as a weapon of war is despicable.”

At every corner, there is evidence that the very fabric of this once-glitzy city, where piles of billowing rubbish now tumble, has been permeated by the stench and misery of what many here regard as an unnecessary war.

Cameroon – still divided along colonial lines:

French commentary on the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885: Otto von Bismarck, then Chancellor or Germany, is portrayed here wielding a knife over a sliced-up cake, labelled "Africa". His fellow delegates around the table look on in awe. — Image caption,Africa’s borders were “carved up” up by colonial powers

Colonised by Germany in 1884
British and French troops force Germans to leave in 1916
Cameroon is split three years later – 80% goes to the French and 20% to the British
French-run Cameroon becomes independent in 1960
Following a referendum, the (British) Southern Cameroons join Cameroon, while Northern Cameroons join English-speaking Nigeria
Culled from the BBC

22, August 2022

Wärtsilä to provide automation upgrade for an iconic power plant in Kribi ⁰

The technology group Wärtsilä will carry out an upgrading project of the electrical and automation systems to ensure optimal reliability of the Kribi power plant in the Republic of Cameroon. The 216 MW plant has been in operation for nearly ten years, operating with 13 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines running primarily on natural gas. At the time of commissioning, it was the largest gas engine power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa. Wärtsilä will also support the customer’s operational and maintenance performance with a 10-year long-term service agreement.

The order with Wärtsilä was placed by Kribi power development company (KPDC), a subsidiary of Globeleq, an independent power producer (IPP) and the owner and operator of power generating facilities across Africa. The order will be booked in Wärtsilä’s order intake in Q3/2022.

“The Kribi power plant has a vital role within the African energy sector. It is still today supplying two-thirds of the thermal energy in Cameroon. Cameroon’s energy system relies heavily on hydropower, but has uncertain resources of water. The Kribi plant, therefore, plays a key role in ensuring a supply of safe, cheap, and reliable energy. For this reason we are keen to upgrade the power plant’s automation systems to the latest design to ensure optimal reliability, and to strengthen our cooperation with Wärtsilä, leveraging their competences on a continuous basis within the framework of the long-term service agreement,” commented Gionata Visconti, Chief Operating Officer, Globeleq.

Wärtsilä has a strong regional presence, which enables us to provide valuable technical support that optimises engine performance and maximises the production capabilities of this power plant which has such a significant role in Cameroon’s power supply. We are also in a position to ensure the availability of critical spare parts, and this is an essential element within the long-term service agreement between our companies. All in all, this is a very important project, both for the customer and for Wärtsilä,” said Markus Ljungkvist, Vice President, Services, Wärtsilä Energy.

The project is scheduled to commence in 2023. To ensure the continuity of the plant’s output, the work will be carried out on one engine at a time. The long-term service agreement includes remote operational support, maintenance planning, technical advisory and remote troubleshooting services, as well as spare parts.

Long-term service agreements are an integral part of Wärtsilä’s lifecycle services offering. They are based on utilisation of the latest digital technologies, and supported by the company’s extensive know-how and understanding of power generation installations.

Wärtsilä has altogether supplied 550 MW of generating capacity to the Republic of Cameroon, and 7.5 GW to the whole of Africa, of which more than 25 per cent are covered by Wärtsilä service agreements.

21, August 2022

The Holy Father Pope Francis ‘concerned’ after Nicaraguan bishop detained ⁰

Pope Francis said Sunday he was “concerned” by rising tensions between the state and the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, two days after bishop and regime critic Rolando Alvarez was detained.

Francis said he was following “closely with concern and sorrow” the situation in Nicaragua, amid a worsening standoff between the Church and a government accused of increasing authoritarianism.

“I would like to express my conviction and hope that through open and sincere dialogue, the basis for respectful and peaceful coexistence can still be found,” the head of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics said after the Angelus prayer.

A spokeswoman for the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU was “following closely the situation with concern”.

She repeated Brussel’s position that “Nicaraguans have to find a peaceful and democratic solution to their political crisis through dialogue”.

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua has been under increasing government pressure since opposition protests in 2018 were met with a crackdown that left hundreds dead.

President Daniel Ortega maintains the protests were part of a Washington-backed opposition plot to unseat him, and accuses bishops of complicity.

The Vatican has said Nicaragua expelled its ambassador to the country in March.

Taken ‘with violence’

Alvarez was detained Friday for “destabilizing and provocative” activities aimed at destabilizing the Central American country.

His detention followed two weeks under police siege at his official residence in Matagalpa, central Nicaragua, after he criticized the closure of Church radio stations and news channels.

Supporters said Alvarez was taken “with violence” to an unknown location, prompting the United Nations and Organization of American States (OAS) to express concern.

Eight others, including five priests, who had been holed up with Alvarez were taken to Managua with him, according to the Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM), and were all under investigation.

Later, the church said Alvarez was being held at his “family home” where Cardinal Lepoldo Brenes was allowed to visit him.

Brenes reported the bishop’s “physical condition has deteriorated” but his “spirit is strong”, the archdiocese of Managua said in a statement.

The other eight were being held at El Chipote prison, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh). El Chipote is a notorious lockup for government critics.

According to the European Union, Nicaragua has more than 180 “political prisoners”.

In the first half of 2022, the bloc says, Nicaraguan authorities closed down over 1,200 civil society organizations.

Earlier this month, Borrell’s office called for the liberation of Nicaragua’s political prisoners, denouncing the government crackdown on opposition activists.

Source: AFP

21, August 2022

Notice to Rev Fonki Samuel Forba to resign as Moderator of the PCC ⁰

It is with profound humility and privilege for me to reassure all Presbyterians that the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) is not owned by any group and no department is independent under appropriate laws that govern non-profit organizations in Cameroon and abroad. All departments are interdependent on each other as the body of Jesus Christ, to which Christ is the Head. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and I Corinthians 3:5-9 and John 15. This is scriptures that captures and explains the whole theology of social justice, under which PCC was founded for all of to live in dignity spiritually and physically.

Therefore, the PCC is our church founded by Basel Missionaries for all of us and we are all stakeholders. Those who now own private shares in the PCC are scammers and the response from Pastors, workers and devoted Christians have demonstrated that the PCC is going to rise and shine again as a true church under the light of Jesus Christ moving forward.

First of all, congratulations to all the students in Cameroon who have passed the GCE /AL public examinations. To all those who did not make it, please, do not give up. Our heartfelt condolences to families who have lost loved ones during these tough times in Cameroon. Many people would be alive today where it not of the violent conflict that has resulted to innocent people killed and millions internally displaced and facing severe humanitarian crisis. We pray for strength, peace and forgiveness as well as continue to advocate for all Presbyterians and co to be proactive prophetically and conscientiously. All Presbyterians students/ children who are suffering because their schools have been closed and cancelled by the PCC authorities should not give up.

The background and contextual analyses for the resignation of Rev Samuel Forba

Whereas in the recent days, the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) has witnessed the ever growing spirit of “righteous anger “against the satanic theology and activities of Rev. Fonki Samuel, which are not befitting of the office of a Church leader (Moderator) in a politically troubled society.

It is bizarre for Christians to decry corruption by the political regime whereas they, too have to deal with corruption in the church. Did the corrupt Moderator of the PCC institute corruption in the PCC to glitter and litter while the Presbyterian belief system inspired by Jesus Christ will fade and faint into oblivion? The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon was not founded to glitter. It was founded to shine the light of Jesus Christ upon the darkness of sins,injustice,oppression,greed , condemnation and corruption as reflected in John 1:1-5

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.”

On July 22, the Cameroon Intelligence Report published this article captioned“PCC Cameroon under Rev. Fonki: Corruption runs rampant. Who should we hold responsible?” In spite of an intelligence report like this, it is obvious that Rev Fonki Samuel thought it was just another ferocious attack on his person without any proof!Did Rev Fonki Samuel and his cohorts think about their ferocious attacks on Presbyterians they have persecuted, teachers they have dismissed for asking for better pay and better working conditions, pastors they have retaliated against for speaking?

Yes, the PCC is glittering with wickedness, corruption, greed, exploitation, bullying and dictatorship. These vices were brought into the PCC by Rev Fonki Samuel, who has deformed the gospel to establish his heretical doctrine of “Transformed transformers” with no scriptural backing to his outlandish theology because these are Pastors who have transformed themselves into tyrants, plunderers, thieves and liars.

Therefore, as we are alarmed by the threats posed to our faith and belief system as Presbyterian believers, being shaken by the fear of being stuck into the hell Fonki Samuel has forced us into on earth, it is no surprise that desperate situations call for desperate measures.

It is unconceivable for a group of young people to turn the church of Christians, elders, laity and ordained ministers into a club of “The winning team.” Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba established a club of friends to ensure that PCC is operated and run as a private profit corporation. Contrary to his hanky- panky games, all Presbyterians are one people living under the grace of God through Jesus Christ by striving to imitate him everyday. Philippians 2: 1- 11. Nobody is better than the other as we are all sustained by his grace and justified by our faith. Ephesians 2:8.

By their devotion and discipleship, Presbyterians have earned the right to become stakeholders of the PCC with a sense of belonging, collective conscience, collaboration and ownership guided by their faith, hope and love in God’s community of Presbyterian believers. I Corinthians 13: 1-13 and 1 John 4:1-21. By virtue of our membership, we are more than conquerors in the Lord Jesus Christ with a winning spirit that galvanizes all Presbyterians to keep running towards the race to win the price of salvation, which Jesus Christ won for us all. Philippians 3: 14- 15.

Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba who is notorious for boasting that he and his friends in control of the PCC are the “winning team” has violated the Presbyterian belief, polity and pastoral calling. According to his satanic notions, all persons he has appointed to key positions in the PCC are untouchable, unaccountable and incapable of mistake and discipline.

This doctrine perpetrated by him is a carnal secular humanism whereby Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba now sees himself as the “sovereign god” of the PCC with absolute power to himself that has legalized their racketeering, corruption, embezzlement and theft of PCC funds to enrich themselves. These wolves in sheep clothing are no longer worthy of their calling. They may glitter but Jesus Christ came to shine his light for everyone and not only for a select few who glitter while others fade and languish in abject misery and poverty.

The corrupt activities of Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba span a period of 7 years during, which time he and his club of greedy friends transformed themselves into monsters. Their ungodly and unbiblical activities have played out with the current instability reigning in some PCC congregations where their autocratic and “unpresbyterian” ways have clashed with genuine Presbyterians fighting to uphold the Presbyterian belief system and practices through transparency and accountability. Anything that has to do with Christian stewardship, transparency and accountability is shunned by him.

Many Pastors of the PCC are terrified by the tyrannical conduct of Rev.Fonki Samuel Forba. That is just a clear evidence that he had a hidden agenda campaigning to be Moderator of the PCC. Their bloated ego doesn’t align with the calling of Pastors. We are called into the ministry to serve God through Jesus Christ out of grace, humility, mercy, compassion, equity and fairness as well as extend these Godly virtues to everyone in the secular world. Unfortunately, the Presbyterian Church has a system of grace, justification, sanctification and social justice that must be upheld, thanks to the reformed theology of John Calvin.

A. Cross-examination of the dubious schemes Rev Fonki Samuel against the PCC

1. In order to create the environment to foster his dubious plans, the first thing he did was to change the Constitution to suit him. That is to concentrate all powers to himself and suppress free speech amongst Pastors, elders and workers.

2. Buy the conscience of all heads of PCC departments, intentionally allowed all of them to join him to plunder, privatize, embezzle, steal and exploit the PCC without limit so long as Rev. Fonki Samuel picks his wife to succeed him with their backing to maintain their culture of greed, racketeering and exploitation. Rev Fonki Samuel and his paid agent talk about merits and not tribalism! When a corrupt Moderator (Church Leader) appoints his corrupt wife to serve as Communication Secretary of the PCC, whereas she is not qualified for that position what do you call that? What criteria did he use to appoint his wife Communication Secretary of the PCC? When you set up a constitution that selects the Moderator and Synod Clerk based on tribal origin and not on competence and the word of God, is that merits?

4. When the former Synod Clerk, Rev Babila George Foncham refused to participate in the Moderator’s Racketeering schemes, he was replaced. That shows the PCC is not a representative system of church government because as much as the Synod Clerk and Moderator must work collaboratively, in this case of interpersonal conflict between them, the Moderator was the one abusing power and perpetrating criminal practices. To think that Rev Babila George Foncham would be removed as Synod Clerk while Rev Fonki Samuel was retained as Moderator highlights the degree of dictatorship corruption and tribalism in the PCC. It is obvious that the Moderator of the PCc appoints his successors and that elections are just mere lies.

Consequently,

Mindful of the fact that Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba conspired with his uncle whom he appointed Chairman of the Finance Committee of the PCC against which background his uncle increased his salary, which now stands at 1.5 million Frs CFA a month,

Mindful of the fact that Rev Fonki Samuel Forba orchestrated this scheme of increasing salaries only for himself and his club of friends claiming to be the Proprietor of schools and CEO of the PCC, clearly motivated by greed,

Mindful of the fact that Rev. Moderator Fonki Samuel and his gang threatened and intimidated Pastors with retaliation to change the Constitution of the PCC so that he would make his wife the Moderator under the false pretext of promoting gender equality in the Church, a case that is far from it because both of them are corrupt, now convinced that he was attempting to institute a system of hereditary rule in the PCC against the democratic process of the Presbyterian system,

Mindful of the treacherous attempt of Rev Fonki Samuel Forba to hijack the PCC when he appointed his wife Communication Secretary of the PCC to pave the way for his wife to succeed him is his glittering achievement. It is obvious that the PCC first couple have only one ultimate goal from day one to hold unto the position of Moderator for life. In order to do so , he spent his entire reign focusing on pleasing his gang of friends and did not care about the spiritual welfare of the Christians. The testimony of these PCC Pastors is one of the rare rebukes of Rev Fonki Samuel, yet. Does the spiritual and physical welfare of Presbyterians evolves around elections of the Moderator of the PCC?

Whereas these statements from Presbyterians express the deep frustration and “righteous indignation” among Presbyterians about the level of corruption in the PCC, these are statements from some of the ordained Pastors of the PCC describing the “unpastoral “and hostile atmosphere in the PCC led by Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba and his club of friends,

“The person who sent this to me also said she is convinced an insider wrote this. My opinion is not far from this. They have their clique that are always ready to defend them in the face of the public. I did not understand why they brought in elections into this. We are still in 2022, elections are in 2024. Besides, according to the constitution, he (Moderator of PCC) is not eligible to stand for elections again. They are just trying to cover up and get innocent victims to torment. They feel people are blind to see what they are doing.It’s so terribly that a church is ruled by a group of friends.Do you know that the lay members of the synod exco are all women?I was shocked. I can’t remember. I followed their dedication at the induction of the synod clerk and it did not speak well to me at all.The machine is perfectly in place. Everything about them is limited to elections. All they think of is how to secure their positions in church.The truth is pastors feel oppressed and are scared to talk.Tyrants in the name of leaders. You will not imagine that at a presbytery meeting where pastors had to vote for the constitution change their tyrant Presbyterial secretaries asked pastors to vote by show of hand instead of doing a secret ballot? In other places, where it was secret ballot pastors were reminded that their handwritings are known? So you can imagine. That was induction service of the synod clerk and dedication of synod exco. As you will notice, the only male lay person is the financial secretary of the church. All the non-clergy are women while the clergy in this group are a clique of friends. These are sadly the people administering the PCC”

B. The political activities of Rev Fonki Samuel against the PCC

With respect to the Constitution of the PCC when it comes to induction and ordination ceremonies, the Governor and politicians have no business at the sacred ceremony of inducting a church official. Consequently, for Rev Samuel Fonki to knowingly bring the Governor to the platform reserved only for elders and ordained officials whereas he knew it was against the Constitution of the PCC shows he has no reverence to the sacredness of the Church. This action alone is enough to dismiss all of them for the following reasons,

1. We know that Rev Fonki Samuel Fonki was politicizing the PCC and displaying political power by directly telling all his critics in the church that he had the backing of the Governor and the office of Prime Minister of Cameroon. We know it is terrible because PCC is apolitical for a reason. In order to fulfill her prophetic role , the leaders cannot belong to any political party but Rev Fonki Samuel and his gang all joined the CPDM in order to cover up their corrupt practices as well as abuse power the way they want. It must be clear PCC Christians have the right to belong to any political party of their choice but even so must be salt and light as demanded by the Holy Scriptures, Matthew 5: 13-16. A CPDM or SDF Presbyterian must be set apart unfailingly in the light of the Holy Scriptures. For instance, James 3: 13- 18 calls for the Presbyterian believer to choose one of the two kinds of wisdom. We have a serious problem in Cameroon now because Presbyterian Christians in most parts have failed to choose the right kind of wisdom because the leadership is corrupt and could not lead them to choose wisely.

2. Rev Fonki Samuel Forba has violated the Constitution of the PCC by undermining the liturgical sanctity of the PCC when he invited a non- Presbyterian who is not in any ordained ministry to indulge into the sacred practice of the church reserved only for elders and Pastors. There is a reason why people are selected as elders and ordained ministers, and to undermine that has led to the chaos reigning in the PCC. Public officials are welcome as guests along with every other person but to politicize the PCC in a way that threatens her, spiritual and moral authority is unacceptable.

3. It is no longer a secret that the Moderator of the PCC and his club of friends joined the CPDM Party with ulterior motives to manipulate and exploit politicians in the country to cover up their racketeering in the church. The office of the Moderator is reserved for a pastor who must perform his or her spiritual duties with a moral compass to interpret the Holy Scriptures prophetically and apply moral clarity where there is moral crisis. In this case Rev Fonki Samuel Forba compromised his prophetic voice because of his active political affiliation with the CPDM ruling party. He cannot serve both Masters at the sametime. He now has a choice .

His claims of writing letters to the state is pure propaganda and hypocritical. The officials of the ruling CPDM and Cameroon authorities cannot take any advice from the corrupt Moderator of the PCC seriously because they know he is worse than them. In fact, deep down in them, they are shocked at the corrupt nature of the PCC authorities but it works to their advantage since to them PCC is powerless as a church to hold the state accountable unlike in the past.

For the sake of the spiritual and prophetic role of the Church in every society and granted the fact that the PCC is apolitical, he is free to carry on his political ambitions outside of the office of the Moderator. Every Cameroonian has the right to belong to the political party of their choice, which is the experience of all Presbyterians. If the leadership are members of a political group directly or indirectly, they cannot minister effectively in the Congregations and elsewhere. That is why we have these endless conflicts in the PCC congregations since all the Pastors loyal to Rev Fonki Samuel are affiliated to the political party of his choice or the wrong reasons. In a pluralistic society where there is multiparty politics and diverse political opinions by Christians including the right to belong to any political party of their choice, we need church leaders who can minister and pastor everyone without fear or prejudice. In this respect, the Rev Fonki Samuel Forba is hereby notified to resign from his position as Moderator of the PCC pending investigation into his corruption in the church.

C. The Voices of Presbyterians in response to Rev Fonki Samuel’s damage control propaganda

The privatization and plundering of the PCC by Rev Fonki Samuel and his club of Friends is fading and will be dismantled not long from now. Since publishing their”Is the PCC glittering or Fading” ?, the Rev Fonki Samuel has provoked endless stream of questions ,which further shed light on the fact that they thought they could take Presbyterian Christians for granted. These statements after the fact speak for themselves as I have quoted. The identity of the persons including Pastors, workersand Christians are withheld.

1 “No one is questioning why Church departments should be independent. Would the health department for example, not subsidize the nursery and primary schools? The reason is to allow the heads to have a freehand and close their mouths. I am equally investigating his relationship with Zenith Insurance and the late Parliamentarian for Akwaya Chief Igelle Elias who was his maternal uncle in Ballin Village…”

2. “We also should investigate who are Shareholders in the Presmicro Finance, and what has happened to PESH,that cannot pay back people ‘s savings,but rather asking people to borrow at very high percentages.The brother who was Finance officer for Pss Mankon embezzled close to 35 million frs,yet is parading the streets of Bamenda free…The system has been so entrenched in corruption in competition to amass wealth (material and financial)by Pastors and others with offices at the Synod office. “

3. “The hired Ndi Richard has many other areas to investigate and bring us the facts.I remember at the peak of the problems between PEATTU and church hierarchy,Many Pastors,like the Rev Forbang,Rev Numfor etc did all to ” fabricate” stories in defense of their own(lies) even as Pastors to defend a system. Let Ndi Richard tell us;

i.The situation surrounding PESH with people ‘s savings.

ii.Shareholders of the Pre Microfinance

iii.The embezzled money at Pss Mankon by the Moderator’s brother who was working there as Finance officer

iv.The money recovered from Parents as fees during the so-called inactivity years, that schools managed through with classes, evaluation and end of course examinations, that they are refusing to pay the 7 months owed Teachers prior to the establishment of the Protocol Agreement.

v.The fate of Primary School Teachers abandoned (some to Congregations) and others in the blues. It is really aching when some Pastors mount pulpits and announce that money owed Teachers have been paid to the last franc. What of parting gifts/social insurance?Church, church church.

vi. “I can remember knowing you in PC CCAST COMPLEX in 1996 and I have read the articles you wrote in the 100 theses. I quoted some of the articles in a teachers’ meeting asking why there’s curtailment of Trade Union Dues yet PCC teachers are not allowed to belong to trade unions. Today many teachers are redundant due to anglophone crises but some who may not be effective but are related to. . .are maintained…At times when I read comments… I JUST ASK WHY JESUS WILL LEAVE 99SHEEP IN SEARCH OF ONE, whereas today “we” call the missing one a drop in the sea?”

vii. “Greetings to you in the Name of our Lord. I’ve listened to the video messages and audios. Truly the budget of the church is not made known to the mass of christians who raise the budget. Church contributions and other special collections are specific to the purpose that made the budget head SPECIAL. Harvest Thanksgiving is not interpreted and it’s purpose not made known to christians. The church if it only ran congregations, schools and health care services, maybe would have been having 100% subvention from the government. We do pay taxes monthly, social insurance dues etc. Government subvention is not regular in sectors destined to. Other sectors of the PCC pay the normal tax as any individual or group of people. If you could lay hands on your pay voucher while serving you see that CRTV tax, Land Bank tax etc were curtailed before church contribution and others at the level of the PCC. All departments of the church are under the moderator that’s why the office is termed that of the PROPRIETOR. The worry here is WHO DETERMINES HOW MUCH IS TO BE USED BY EACH OFFICER OF THE SYNOD AND PRESBYTERIES? Why can’t the powers that be investigate and impeach the moderator but rather too much power is given him? Example he appoints Presbyterial Secretaries whom are answerable to him, and because they want to maintain their offices, they bully at the level of presbyteries all who question or request to know how certain offices function or are run.”

Viii “I can remember …because I asked why must I be forced to join Presmicro finance when my money is blocked in PESH.”

D. The resignation of Rev Fonki Samuel

The Rev Fonki Samuel Forba is expected to address his letter of resignation to all Presbyterians as soon as possible from now and up to September 15 to step down. He will have two more weeks till the end of September to leave the Synod Office in order to pave the way for the interim Governing Council to assume duties around October 1st, 2022 . He shall surrender the property of PCC in his keeping to the appropriate body under due process and to ensure a smooth transition.

The Rev Fonki Samuel Forba is expected to park and leave the Synod Office into one of his hotels or to his home Presbytery and congregation where he started his journey pending further instructions from the interim Governing Council about disciplinary measures and counseling when the investigation is complete

The Rev Samuel Fonki Forba is expected to humble himself and cherish this moment in the history of the PCC and to take responsibility for his actions to cooperate with Presbyterians to ensure that the problems and issues at stake are resolved justly and peacefully.

The Rev Fonki Samuel is no longer allowed to carry out pastoral functions in the PCC effective immediately as the allegations, charges, accusations and problems he has created are seriously overwhelming and demanding of the actions hereby undertaken in good faith to save the PCC under the power of the Holy Spirit and reasonable human action from being destroyed by him

E. The implications of the resignation of Rev Fonki Samuel Forba

a) An interim governing Council of the PCC will be established under the Presbyterian System of Church government to handle the period of transition for the PCC . An interim Moderator will be chosen after due consultation to assume duties as soon as Rev Fonki Samuel resigns and leaves. As of now the PCC does not have any functional Constitution that is fair, transparent, objective and reflects the Presbyterian System of Government in the light of the Holy Scriptures. For that reason, the Constitutional Council created by Rev Fonki Samuel, which has given him absolute powers to commit all the atrocities in the PCC are asked to excuse themselves .

b) The commission to investigate the corruption of Rev Fonki Samuel and his club of Friends will be established by the Interim Governing Council

c) The Reformation and Reconciliation Committee(RRC) of the PCC will be established by the Interim Governing Council of the PCC with proper guidelines to look into the problems of the PCC through the lens of the Presbyterian Belief System, the Reformed Theology of John Calvin, Holy Scriptures and International Labor Organization with respect to the rights of PCC workers,https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/mission-and-objectives/lang–en/index.htm ,the persecution of Pastors and Christians, etc

d} All PCC congregations, and Presbyteries, departments, schools, Health Care Centers and Hospitals, Pressbook, Prescraft, RTCs, PTS and others will continue to function with a high degree of transparency and accountability in full cooperation with the Interim Governing Council. By the same token all Presbyterians are called upon to cooperate fully to ensure that the voices of all Presbyterians will be heard. A follow –up document to underscore the nature and scope of the reformation of the PCC will be released sooner than later in the next publication with just and equitable recommendations to God’s people

Humbly Submitted,

Brother Jonathan F Awasom

Reformed Presbyterian Pastor /Christian

Advocate for Reforms in the PCC since 1999 in Cameroon & USA

Contact : Jonathan_light2000@yahoo.com

Cellular : 2018785829

The Synod Clerk of the PCC

The Presbyterial Secretaries of the PCC

All Pastors, Elders and Presbyterians , students at the PTS

The Minister of Territorial Administration of Cameroon

The Governors of the all regions hosting PCC Presbyteries and Institutions

All foreign Embassies in Cameroon

Traditional Authorities in the North and South West Regions

The All African Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches

The International Labour Organization

The PCUSA and the Presbyterian Churches of Scotland and co

The Consortium of Theological Seminaries in the USA , Canada and Europe

The Basel Mission

21, August 2022

Eto’o tips African country for 2022 FIFA World Cup glory ⁰

Cameroon legend, Samuel Eto’o, believes that an African country can win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to take place between November 20 and December 18 this year.

No African country has ever gone past the quarter-finals of the quadrennial Mundial. Only three; Cameroon at Italia ’90, Senegal at Korea-Japan 2002 and Ghana at South Africa 2010 editions, have reached the stage.

However, Eto’o who happens to be the Qatar Legacy ambassador while in Ghana opined that this could be the year for Africa to not only surpass her quarter-final record but possibly win the FIFA World Cup title.

“First of all I feel at home and I don’t need a reason to be back home,” Footballghana.com quoted Eto’o as saying.

“However I came with our brothers from Qatar for our national teams to get the best possible information so that they give us the best results, and why not? Win the World Cup for us,” Eto’o said.

Eto’o also took to his Twitter and Instagram platforms on Saturday to further tout his belief in the ability of African teams at Qatar 2022.

“Great to be here in Ghana speaking about the limitless potential of African football. This World Cup will be our World Cup. Who agrees?,” his Twitter and Instagram posts read.

Eto’o represented Cameroon at four FIFA World Cups; 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014.

The five teams representing Africa at the 2022 FIFA World Cup are Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.

Source: Agency Report

21, August 2022

Ireland: Inquest into death of Cameroonian woman after stillbirth in Cork to be held ⁰

The inquest of a Cameroonian woman who died in a Cork hospital after the stillbirth of her daughter will open in October, according to the Cork City Coroner.

Geraldine Yankeu died on August 8 last year at Cork University Maternity Hospital, some days after the stillbirth of her daughter Mary. A crowdfunding campaign was put in place by the Cameroonian community in Cork to have the bodies of the mum and baby repatriated to Cameroon.

Last Thursday, the Irish Examiner was told by the Cork City Coroner’s office that the deaths of both Ms Yankeu and her daughter Mary “were treated as natural and no inquest was required”.

However, on Monday, a statement from the office said: “Baby Mary Yankeu’s death was treated as a “Natural Death”. Ms Geraldine Yankeu’s death is due for hearing and will be listed for hearing as soon as a suitable date becomes available.”

Since the introduction of the 2019 Coroners Act, inquests into maternal deaths — during and after giving birth — are mandatory. In a statement to the Irish Examiner, the Cork City Coroner, Philip Comyn, said that the death of Ms Yankeu is scheduled for a full inquest hearing.

He added: “It is my intention to have a preliminary hearing in October.”

Referring to a call by the National Women’s Council for an inquest into the death as “soon as possible” in Friday’s Irish Examiner, Mr Comyn said the NWC “have never contacted me regarding this lady”.

He also said he had inquests taking place on Thursday, resulting in him not being in a position to respond to a query from the Irish Examiner on Wednesday about the length of time an inquest takes to be heard following on from the date of death.

Mr Comyn said that his office has to contend with “major staff shortages”, pointing out that it has just two staff. In comparison, Dublin City Coroner’s office has 24 staff. Dublin and Cork coronial districts are the only two full-time ones in the country.

The issue of staffing at the Cork City Coroner’s Office has been raised on a number of occasions in the past year in the Dáil amid concerns about delays in inquests.

Reform of the coronial system is under investigation at present by the Oireachtas Justice Committee, which held public hearings into the current system across the country in May. During the hearings, concern was also raised about the level of staffing in Cork.

Source: Irish examiner

21, August 2022

2022 FIFA World Cup: Cameroon vs Brazil match among the most requested tickets ⁰

Cameroon’s group G game against Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup is one of the highly patronized matches.

Tickets for the game between the five times African champions and the five times world champions has seen massive patronage. The two sides clash on December 2, 2022 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

Other games that have had also attracted huge interests are the Uruguay-Portugal, Brazil-Serbia, Costa Rica-Germany and Australia-Denmark matches.

FIFA reports that 2.45 million tickets have already been sold, with Mexico, Argentina and Brazil among the countries with the most number of tickets bought, in addition to Qatar, the United States, England, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France and Germany.

Meanwhile, in the last sales period which was from July 5 to August 16, there was a total of 520,532 tickets sold, which were allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and most of these correspond to group stage matches, where residents in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, England, Argentina, Brazil, Wales and Australia they took the first places of requests and purchases.

The date of the next phase of ticket sales, which will last until the end of the tournament, will be announced at the end of September.

Source: Ghana Soccernet

21, August 2022

Cyprus: Ambazonians march to protest situation in their home country ⁰

Southern Cameroonians marched across southern Nicosia on Friday to protest the violent intercommunal clashes that forced thousands to flee the African country.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Engomi. They were holding placards with photos of bodies with the description suggesting they belonged to civilians killed by the military during the ongoing crisis in the north-west and south-west regions of Cameroon.

The group submitted a petition to the UN community in Cyprus as an appeal to the international community and humanitarian organisations to understand their plight and help put an end to the deadly conflict.

The petition cited incidents of discrimination from the francophone government of Cameroon against the two anglophone communities in the North-West and South-West regions. This led to the internal displacement of over 712,000 people as of August last year, while at least 2.2 million people were in need of humanitarian aid, according to estimates by the Human Rights Watch NGO.

“So many southern Cameroonians fled the country and are flooding to other countries including Cyprus. This is a crisis and that has been going on since 2016,” representative of the community in Cyprus Mokundu Elvis Bokanda told the Cyprus Mail.

According to the United Nations, at least 15,000 Cameroonians were forced to flee their homeland in just a few days in December due to violent incidents.

Commenting on the peaceful demonstration, UNHCR public information officer Emilia Strovolidou said “we received their petition, and we will forward it to our European bureau”.

Protestors left the UN refugee agency singing their traditional songs.

Earlier, they had presented a memorandum of understanding during a meeting at the foreign ministry, where they also updated officials on the “atrocities” taking place in the country using photos and videos.

Demonstrators marched to EU House at 11.30am before heading to the interior ministry at noon where they handed a relevant memorandum to a representative.

Representatives of the community were also expected to hold an open information event at Strovolos municipality in the evening.

Source: Cyprus Mail

19, August 2022

Football: PSG coach denies bad blood between Neymar and Mbappe ⁰

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier said on Friday there is no bad blood between star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Neymar insisted on taking the team’s second penalty against Montpellier last Saturday after Mbappe had missed the first.

Mbappe did not celebrate after Neymar converted the spot-kick.

Galtier called the apparent differences between the two an “epiphenomenon”, suggesting the spat was not a symptom of any deeper problem.

“We saw each other quickly the next day to iron out all that, to say what we had to say to each other,” said Galtier told a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 visit to Lille.

“We had a very pleasant week at work. Everyone worked well. I enjoyed all the sessions this week and this epiphenomenon disappeared very quickly, that is to say the day after our meeting.”

Galtier said after the game that instructions “had been respected” regarding penalty takers.

“There was a precise order in this game, Kylian as number one and ‘Ney’ as number two.”

Other potential penalty takers include Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, said Galtier, adding that it was “important for our strikers to score goals, to keep the confidence”.

Against Montpellier, in his first competitive game since opting to stay in Paris rather than join Real Madrid, the 23-year-old Mbappe scored in a 5-2 win but cut a frustrated, unhappy and even isolated figure.

Last season, Mbappe was PSG’s outstanding performer, scoring 39 goals in all competitions, while Neymar struggled.

Yet the 30-year-old Brazilian has seemed rejuvenated this season, scoring five goals in three games.

Source: AFP

19, August 2022

Ambazonia fighter dies of wounds sustained during latest military onslaught ⁰

An Ambazonian fighter seriously injured in the latest Cameroon government military operation in the rural areas of Fako Division has died of his wounds.

Ambazonia Interim Government sources are yet to identify the fighter. But our sources revealed that the 36-year-old who was seriously injured last week was a member of the Inkhata Group fighting Cameroon government forces in Muyuka, Mautu and Ekona.

Recently, Cameroon government army spokesperson announced in a statement that a prominent Amba Commander known as General No Pity had been wounded in attacks in the Northern Zone and many other Amba fighters were critically injured.

Five years into a deadly separatist conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, hopes of finding a negotiated settlement seem more distant than ever as both the government and secessionist rebels dig in, according to civil society activists.

It’s a conflict marked by spikes of extreme violence that invariably target civilians. The latest high-profile incident was last month, when government soldiers killed nine people in Missong village, in the anglophone Northwest region.

Rights groups accuse both the security forces and secessionist fighters of serious abuses that include extrajudicial killings, rape, kidnapping, and torture.

The root of the conflict is the central government’s historical marginalisation of the two English-speaking regions, the Northwest and Southwest, home to about 20 percent of the population.

By Rita Akana with files