21, November 2020

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

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

Education of Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is an Episcopal Conference?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Physical Encounter with Msgr. Jervis Kebei in 1999

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

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

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

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

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

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

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: An Empathetic Administrator

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

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

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

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: The Erudite Disciplinarian

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

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

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

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

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

Msgr. Dr. Jervis Kebei: An Erudite Youth Chaplain

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Nchumbonga George Lekelefac

21, November 2020

Nigeria: Ambazonian refugees get health security in Taraba ⁰

The Jesuit Refugees Service (JRS) has assisted no fewer than 50, 000 refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria from 2018 to date.

Its Head of Programmes in Nigeria, Tamara Hart, disclosed this yesterday at the launching of Protection and Health Services for Camerounian refugees in Taraba State.

Hart said the group was not only working in 56 countries across the world but has also pursued its mission to accompany and serve other forcibly displaced people to enable them to heal, learn and determine their own future.

While presenting the overview of the JRS Bureau of Population, Refugee, and Migration (BPRM), she said the group commenced operations in Nigeria in 2018 and has since assisted over 50,000 refugees and IDPs through its field offices in Adamawa, Borno, and Taraba states, as well as its Abuja office.

In addition to the ongoing High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) funded project in the state, the BPRM project, which she described as a “gift from the United States Government” would provide relief to the Camerounian refugees and members of the host community in four council areas of the state.

Besides the protection and health services, the project would also promote peaceful coexistence and reconciliation skills for the Cameroonian refugees and their host communities to enhance social cohesion.

Also speaking, JRS Nigeria Project Director for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Sylvester Kenneth, stated that JRS has been implementing the UNHCR-funded “Protection and Educational Services for Camerounian Refugees since 2019.”

He said the idea of the project was to assist the displaced persons from the neighboring country of Cameroun and host communities in Takum, Ussa, Kurmi, and Sardauna council areas of the state.

Commending the state government for its support for the refugees, he acknowledged that the state was the most accommodating state for Camerounian refugees in the country.”

Corroborating Kenneth, JRS Country Director, Rev. Father Patrick Etamesor, commended the state government for providing an enabling environment for the group to implement its projects.

“JRS has enjoyed enormous support from the government and people of the state, hence the implementation of the project. JRS has assisted refugees and displaced persons in various ways,” he said

On his part, the Project Director, Abang Egbe, said the project team would constantly consult relevant stakeholders on issues bordering on the successful implementation of the project in the state.

Impressed by JRS efforts in assisting the refugees who fled from Cameroun to the state following skirmishes in that country that had led to the destruction of lives and property, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Innocent Vakkai, assured of the state government’s support for successful implementation of the project.

Source: Guardian.ng

21, November 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Involve Women In Peace Talks- YAWC Network ⁰

The Global Leadership of the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) Network has held an extraordinary virtual leadership summit to discuss the ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.

This followed a request by the leadership of the Cameroon Chapter to the YAWC Network Council to intervene in the crisis following recent killings of school children, believed to be related to a long-standing misunderstanding between the Anglophone regions.

The meeting which was held on 4th November 2020 saw the participation of the YAWC Network Council Chair, who also chaired the meeting, the Executive Secretary, the Global President and Vice President of the Network, Executives of the various National Chapters (Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroon, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda). The meeting also received insight from experts in the area of law, international relations, conflict resolution, peace and security.

Top on the agenda were strategies to help to encourage genuine dialogue among the various factions while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of women and children by providing relief services to victims.

To set the tone for discussions, the President of the Cameroon Chapter of the YAWC Network, Ms Rosaline Akweba Obah gave a vivid picture of the situation in the country, siting serious acts of abuse and atrocities committed by various factions in the midst of the crises. She said, “The ongoing crisis in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon has left thousands dead, millions rendered homeless as their property and livestock have been destroyed through burning”.

She, together with her executives, responded to questions with regards to her narrative to inform suggestions and resolutions towards the specific requests made to the YAWC Network Council.

Discussing the matter and paying heed to facts and the legalities of the cases, the YAWC Network Leadership resolved that, it would launch a campaign, both virtual (that is involving the use of electronic posters and videos) and physical if deemed safe, to express concern about the crises. Leaders of the National Chapters were therefore admonished to engage their members to engage in the massive campaign that will follow the meeting until the government’s attention is drawn to the intensity of the crises in the country.

In effect, a special appeal would be made to the government of Cameroon to engage the separatists involved in the crises in any approach found tenable. And much of these dialogues should involve women who bear the biggest brunt of such crises. If possible, measures should be put in place as a matter of urgency to ensure that women and children and the vulnerable are protected in the midst of the misunderstandings.

While efforts are being made to restore peace and tranquillity, the summit recognised the fact that many people had been displaced through the crises. The summit therefore resolved to work in tandem with the leadership of the Cameroon Chapter to mobilise resources from all the other nations where YAWC Network is represented to mitigate the current loss victims may be suffering. Resources that would be gathered in this effort will be only non-perishable goods. Leaders were therefore tasked to inform their members to contribute their quota as far as their efforts would enable them to help their brothers and sisters in Cameroon.

In the same vein, the Cameroon Chapter Executives had identified ten (10) girls whose education could be in jeopardy if help was not found since they lost their parents through the crises. The summit resolved to open a unified account and designated to the Cameroon Chapter. The account will be a pool where all members of the YAWC Network could contribute their monies to help fund the education of these girls.

The YAWC Network remains committed to enforcing these resolutions and look forward to partnering other major stakeholders to bringing lasting peace to Cameroon. And more especially, in a way that would safeguard the sanctity of women and the future of the children in the country.

We call on all well-meaning African women to register and be part of the YAWC Network from whichever country they find themselves and be a part of a global movement that speaks and acts for women in true pan-African way.

Source: Modern Ghana

21, November 2020

Yaoundé: Activists March for Toilets, Improved Sanitation ⁰

Activists in Cameroon held events and marches for Thursday’s World Toilet Day, calling on authorities to provide more public bathrooms. Cameroonian authorities say 60% of its 25 million people lack toilets, fueling the spread of diseases such as cholera and dysentery.

School authorities at Yaoundé’s Government Primary School Efoulan say they have close to 2,000 children and teachers but only five toilets, which are often unusable as they run short of water and toilet paper.

The Cameroon Association to Improve Hygiene organized this and similar events in 30 schools in the capital to mark this year’s World Toilet Day. The group’s head, Edmond Kimbi, said hundreds of their members also marched in Yaoundé and coastal cities to demand more and better public toilets.

“It is actually too regrettable that schools and universities have very few toilets, which lack water and are always dirty,” he said. “It is worse when you visit markets, where thousands of people visit the markets each day. The consequences of this is that nearby bushes and dark corners are being transformed into toilets, thereby making our towns always dirty.”

Authorities say a September outbreak of cholera, a bacterial disease spread through dirty water, in the port cities of Douala and Kribi killed at least 90 people.

Dr. Sintieh Ngek, a medical officer with the Cameroon Baptist Convention, said the lack of toilets is spreading disease.

“Waterborne and water-based diseases like cholera, like diarrheal diseases, will be more present, and it is worth noting that these diarrheal diseases are among the leading causes of mortality for children under 5 years of age,” the doctor said. “Secondly, if persons do not have toilets, they turn to use bushes, they turn to use streams. When this happens, bacteria from these feces are easily collected into water.”

Yaoundé hygiene official Gabriel Minou said the city council is partnering with private companies to construct more public bathrooms. Meanwhile, he said, anyone caught defecating or urinating in the street or in rivers will pay fines of up to $20.

Minou said the inability of the Yaoundé City Council to efficiently manage toilets is due to the fact that many users do not want to pay before using the public bathrooms. He said the Yaoundé City Council has ordered its hygiene services to repair public toilets and make sure people pay before using them. Minou said the council has also ordered intercity bus agencies to make sure toilets are provided free of charge to all passengers.

The United Nations’ World Toilet Day seeks to raise awareness of more than half the world’s population living without access to safe sanitation and the deadly costs.

The U.N. says globally more than 800 children under 5 die every day from diarrheal diseases due to poor sanitation.

Source: VOA

21, November 2020

French Cameroun Crisis: Two injured in explosion in Douala ⁰

Two people have been seriously injured in an explosion that happened overnight into Thursday in Cameroon’s commercial hub of Douala, according to the police.

Witnesses say that the explosive device seemed to have been thrown from a passing motorcycle.

“This is a very busy environment especially at night. Motorcycles were passing when suddenly I heard a very loud sound. It caused much panic and two people who were close to where the explosion occured were injured on the face and leg,” Cynthia Watat who witnessed the incident said.

“We have never experienced this kind of thing in Douala. We need security,” another witness Julius Malo said.

Authorities have ordered investigations into the incident and asked the inhabitants to stay calm and “go about normal activities.”

Police said the attackers “probably” used improvised explosive device that have been used in similar attacks in the capital Yaounde.

According to security reports, there have been over 10 attacks from improvised explosive devices in Yaounde since the start of the year. No deaths have been reported so far.

Source: Xinhuanet

21, November 2020

Brigade Anti-Sardinards, Ambazonians making life very difficult for Biya and other CPDM criminals who travel ⁰

Travel, once the ultimate status symbol for Cameroon’s political elite, has become a nightmare for this most privileged class.

It feels like everywhere they turn there’s an angry mob ready to heckle, jeer, and interrupt their activities. Unable to freely protest in their homeland, Cameroonians living overseas have devised a strategy to make their voices heard where they can’t be arrested and charged with dissent.

At the start, these protests on foreign soil were spontaneous and carried out by a few who would find out where their target was staying or working and then ambush them. The deepening Anglophone Crisis and hotly-contested presidential elections in 2018 have pushed the protesters into more organized groups who travel around Europe and America hunting down Cameroonian officials to denounce. Groups from both Francophone and Anglophone Cameroon are partnering to advance their common cause. Francophone Cameroon protesters ultimately want regime change while Anglophone protesters are pushing for secession, but both camps agree on the fundamental issue of human rights and abuses back home.

At home, the jury is still out on the merits of embarrassing government officials on foreign soil. On TV and radio, some pundits have been coy, but there’s a naughty sense of amusement about these protests when people feel safe to talk. There’s strong support online for this kind of retribution, but its critics point out that no matter what’s happening, Cameroonians abroad have no right to bring the country and its symbols into disrepute.

Brigade Anti-Sardinards (BAS), Ambazonians (Anglophone Cameroonians fighting for independence), and their allies aren’t holding back. On September 22, 2017, Ambazonians organized an unprecedented global protest at home and abroad that targeted the U.N. General Assembly in New York. That particular protest saw millions in blue and white wailing at the headquarters of the U.N. and other stations in London, Berlin, Geneva, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Washington, D.C., and several others. On their part, BAS has developed an uncanny ability to suss the hideouts of Cameroon’s top officials. Several riots at Switzerland’s InterContinental Hotel, the favorite getaway of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, have led the city’s administration to contemplate the damage to its reputation. The Geneva Council even held a vote to decide if they should declare Biya persona non grata, a poll which he won 43-27.

At last year’s Paris Peace Forum which President Biya attended, BAS made its presence felt with rallies around the events. They even gathered outside the president’s hotel in Paris to protest. Apart from targeting events and vacations, the protesters have also aimed their anger at Cameroon’s embassies abroad. In a coordinated move, they vandalized Cameroon’s embassies in Berlin, Paris, and Brussels on January 26, 2019. Many demonstrations have been staged outside the Cameroonian embassy in London, which has become a fixture in the protest calendar when Ambazonians celebrate their independence on October 1.

Prominent among the demonstrators is the leader of BAS France, Calibri Calibro, whose given name is Abdoulaye Thiam. He has shown a dogged determination to the cause over the years and is a real rallying force within the Cameroonian diaspora. He forced his way into the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, who stopped to listen to his pleas for France’s intervention in Cameroon’s conflicts. Many believe that the encounter led to the release of Cameroonian opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who’d been in jail since organizing protests to overturn the 2018 election results. Not one to shy away from controversy, Calibro led another group of protesters into a church in France where a Cameroonian minister’s family was attending mass. The president’s daughter was also targeted during her stay at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, a luxurious hotel overlooking the Eiffel Tower in Paris with great views of the Arc de Triomphe and the Seine. Calibro’s activism is born out of the arduous journey he made from Cameroon to Europe on foot, a perilous journey that has killed many Africans trying to find a better life. His experience crossing the Mediterranean Sea hardened his resolve to fight the regime from abroad and his coalition for change, or at least chaos, isn’t relenting.

The bad news for government officials and their families is the level of grassroots work and organization that is going into the effort to make their trips uncomfortable and their hosts reluctant to accommodate them. This doesn’t look like something that’ll change any time soon. The Anglophone and Francophone groups have put together structures to inform, travel, and collect donations. They’re recruiting lawyers and lobbying international allies sympathetic to their cause. They can also easily track flights to monitor their targets, and always record videos that quickly spread over the internet. In their defense, the protesters argue that this campaign of shaming is yielding results. A well-documented traveler with extended vacations abroad, President Biya’s trips are noticeably less frequent.

Apart from what is happening back home, the Cameroonian diaspora has its grievances to contend with. First, the political climate in their host countries has become hostile as the global economy stalls and anti-immigration sentiments rise. Many worry about their future and need real change to happen in their country if they ever have to go back. Dual citizenship also is not permitted in Cameroon, forcing many to choose between the privileges of a foreign passport and their home country. A foreign passport means they give up their privileges when they return home, making it harder to invest and give back to their communities.

The victims of this law are quick to point out the hypocrisy in its implementation, citing high profile figures like footballers who play for Cameroon while carrying foreign passports, or government officials they claim secretly have dual citizenship. These and other grievances are still up for debate in parliament and on the street. In the meantime, the mobs keep jeering, marching, and pelting their prey with eggs and tomatoes while their hosts stand in between, puzzled.

Source: fodors.com

20, November 2020

Over 7,000 women and children killed in Biya regime attacks in Southern Cameroons ⁰

Southern Cameroons Vice President Dabney Yerima has obtained French Cameroun military correspondence on almost all instances of civilian harm and casualties ever since Yaoundé declared war against the people of Ambazonia.

The exiled Southern Cameroons leader said in a briefing late yesterday that some 7,000 women and children were among civilians killed by soldiers loyal to the regime in La Republique du Cameroun over the past four years.

Dabney Yerima observed that the people of Ambazonia will resist till the last man standing and that the Southern Cameroons Interim Government will push French Cameroun to make public to the international community all coordinates for nearly all confirmed instances of civilian harm and deaths in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

According to the information obtained by the leadership of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government, the total number of women and children killed by the French Cameroun government forces is somewhere in the range of 6,500 to 7,000.

The coded French Cameroun military correspondence Vice President furthered, indicates that whenever a particular incident took place such as in Ngarbuh and Kumba, the Biya Francophone regime was quick to blame it on Ambazonia Restoration Forces.

By Chi Prudence Asong

20, November 2020

US: Georgia vote recount affirms Biden’s victory over Trump in the state ⁰

After a painstaking recount, Georgia officials confirmed on Thursday that President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump in the battleground state on Nov. 3, further narrowing the president’s dubious effort to overturn the election results.

The result of the six-day hand recount of the state’s 5 million ballots had been widely expected, despite baseless allegations from Trump and his allies that Georgia’s vote tallies were suspect because of widespread fraud.

Amid a series of losses in court, Trump’s re-election campaign has shifted to a new strategy that relies on persuading Republican state legislators in crucial states to ignore the election results and intervene on Trump’s behalf, according to three people familiar with the plan.

The campaign has filed multiple lawsuits to try to challenge the results in battleground states that Biden won, as election officials across the country have affirmed that there is no evidence of major irregularities. Judges in three states delivered new legal setbacks to the campaign on Thursday, rejecting claims of improper vote counting.

Biden, a Democrat, has captured 306 electoral votes to the Republican Trump’s 232 in the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the winner of the election, well above the 270 needed for victory.

Georgia’s audit, launched after unofficial results showed Biden leading Trump by about 14,000 votes cast, ended with Biden winning by 12,284, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office. The state is expected to certify Biden’s victory on Friday.

Trump and his allies, including Georgia’s Republican U.S. senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who both face runoff elections in January, have accused fellow Republican Raffensperger without evidence of overseeing a flawed election, an allegation Raffensperger has angrily disputed.

In remarks on Thursday after a call with 10 state governors, Biden called Trump’s attempt to reverse the results “totally irresponsible.”

“It sends a horrible message about who we are as a country,” said the president-elect, although he expressed no concern that the gambit would succeed in preventing him from taking office on Jan. 20.

While legal experts see Trump’s last-gasp effort as unlikely to succeed, they say the strategy represents an unprecedented assault on the country’s democratic institutions by a sitting president.

The Trump campaign has already asked a judge in Pennsylvania, where Biden won by 82,000 votes, to declare Trump the winner, allowing the Republican-controlled legislature to choose the state’s 20 Electoral College voters.

Several prominent law firms have pulled out of the campaign’s legal challenges, leaving Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to spearhead the efforts.

Giuliani alleges conspiracy

At a news conference on Thursday, Giuliani said he planned to file more lawsuits and that Democrats had engaged in a “national conspiracy” to manipulate vote totals, although he admitted he did not have any evidence.

Other members of the legal team floated a theory involving Venezuela and George Soros, a bogeyman of conservatives, although they said they would probably not pursue it in court.

Giuliani said accounts of suspicious activity would ultimately overturn the election, which Biden won nationwide by 5.9 million votes. Some of those accounts have already been thrown out of court.

“We cannot allow these crooks – because that’s what they are – to steal this election. They elected Donald Trump. They didn’t elect Joe Biden,” Giuliani said.

Giuliani’s agitated performance, featuring rivulets of hair dye running down his face, was widely mocked by Democrats. Others expressed alarm.

“That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history,” tweeted Christopher Krebs, who headed up the U.S. government’s efforts to combat election disinformation until he was fired by Trump earlier this week.

‘No excuse’

Critics say Trump’s refusal to concede has serious implications for national security and the fight against the coronavirus, which has killed more than 250,000 Americans.

Biden is not receiving the classified intelligence due a president-elect, and his transition team has not received the funding, office space and briefings from current government officials normally afforded to an incoming administration.

He warned the delay could cause additional deaths as the pandemic surges to record levels across the country.

“There is no excuse not to share the data and let us begin to plan, because on Day One it’s going to take us time, if we don’t have access to all this data,” he said in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. “It’s going to put us behind the eight ball by a matter of a month or more, and that’s lives.”

The former vice president has focused on preparing his incoming administration, naming senior staff members and getting briefed by his advisers. He said on Thursday he had selected a Treasury secretary and could announce his pick as soon as next week.

Democratic leaders in Congress sent a letter on Thursday to the administrator in charge of releasing transition funds, Emily Murphy, demanding that she explain why she has yet to recognize Biden as president-elect.

Part of the new Trump campaign effort involves trying to delay certification, the normally routine process by which election results are finalized, a senior campaign official said.

In Detroit on Tuesday, Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers refused at first to certify the results, then reversed themselves, then signed affidavits that they wanted to rescind their certification.

One of the members told Reuters that Trump called her after she agreed to certify the results.

Trump’s campaign dropped a federal lawsuit on Thursday challenging the election results in Michigan, citing the Wayne County officials’ affidavits. Officials said the affidavits were too late to stop certification.

Republican legislative leaders from Michigan are scheduled to visit the White House on Friday at Trump’s request, a source in Michigan said, adding the lawmakers planned to hear what the president had to say.

Source: REUTERS

20, November 2020

Football: Cameroonian Youssoufa Moukoko Could Make Dortmund History ⁰

Cameroonian Youssoufa Moukoko could become Bundesliga’s youngest-ever football player this weekend.

Borussia Dortmund’s wonderkid turns 16 today and is now old enough to be in the first-team set-up and could make his professional debut against Hertha Berlin.

Born in Yaounde, Cameroon, the teen has notched an eye-watering 141 goals in 88 games since his arrival in 2014.

Moukoko has been talked about as the ‘next big thing’ to emerge from Dortmund’s academy for several years now and is already an under twenty international football star.

Source: AFP

20, November 2020

Spain: Hundreds of migrants evicted from Canary Island ports ⁰

Amid a spike in migrants arriving at Spain’s Canary Islands, hundreds of migrants have been evicted from the camps set up to receive them, forcing them to wander the streets of local villages. Thousands more are said to have been left stranded without food or water.

Military camps have been set up to help overwhelmed reception facilities, but local authorities say the government is not doing enough. The island’s president Antonio Morales has denounced what he calls, the Ministry of the Interior’s continued contempt for migrants and the island, demanding the resignation of those responsible.

Driven by economic hardship around 17,000 migrants have arrived on the Canary Islands this year. According to Spain’s Interior Ministry that’s a 1,000-percent increase from 2019.

In 2019, 1885 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean sea and 2020’s death toll is fast approaching one thousand. Only last week the Spanish OpenArms NGO reported six deaths after releasing a harrowing footage.

Open Arms, the only NGO permitted to carry out search and rescue missions at present, wrote on Twitter:

“Despite the enormous commitment of our medical team, a six-month-old baby has just died. We requested an urgent evacuation for him and other people in serious conditions, but he didn’t make it. How much pain and sorrow!”

The International Criminal Court has sued the European Union saying member states should be prosecuted for the deaths of thousands of migrants who have drowned in the Mediterranean. In its 245-page document the ICC says the EU’s deterrence-based migration policy which came into force after 2014 sacrifices the lives of migrants in distress at sea, to dissuade others from seeking a safe haven in Europe.

Source: Presstv