A History of the Christian Church II

 "The world into which Christianity came owed much to the specific influence of Greek thought."

Certain factors in the world of thought into which Christianity came belong to Universal ancient Religion and are of hoary antiquity. 

All men except a few representatives of philosophical sophistication believed in the existence of a power or of powers invisible, super human and eternal controlling human destiny and to be worshiped or placated by prayer, ritual or. Sacrifice. The earth was viewed as the centre of the universe. Around it, the sun planets and stars ran their courses. Above it was the heaven; below, the abode of departed spirits or of the wicked. No conception of what is now called natural law had penetrated the popular mind. All the on-goings of nature were the work of invisible powers of good and evil who ruled arbitrarily. Miracles were therefore to be regarded not merely as possible they were to be expected whenever the higher forces would impress men with the important or the unusual. The world was the abode of innumerable spirits, righteous or malevolent who touched human life in all its phases and who even entered into such possession of men as to control their actions for good or ill. A profound sense of unworthiness, of ill desert and dissatisfaction with the existing conditions of life characterized the mass of mankind. The varied forms of religious manifestation were evidences of the universal need for better relations with the spiritual and the unseen, and of men’s longing for help greater than what they could give one another.

GREEK PHILOSOPHY, SOCRATES

Besides these general conceptions common to popular religions, the world into which Christianity came owed much to the specific influence of Greek thought. Hellenistic ideas dominated the intelligence of the Roman Empire, but their sway was extensive only among the more civilized portion of the population. Greek Philosophic speculations at first concerned itself with the explanation of the physical universe. Yet with Heraclitus of Ephesus (about BC 490), though all was viewed as in a sense physical the universe which is in constant flow is regarded as fashioned by a fiery element the all-penetrating reasons of which men’s souls are a part. Here was probably the germ of the logos (…..) conception which was to play such a role in later Greek speculation and Christian Theology. As yet, this shaping element was undistinguished from material warmth or fire. Anaxagoras of Athens (about BC 500-428) taught that a shaping mind (….) acted in the ordering of matter and is independent of it. The Pythagoreans of Southern Italy held that spirit is immaterial and that souls are fallen spirits imprisoned in material bodies. To this belief in immaterial existence they seem to have been led by a consideration of the properties of numbers-permanent truths beyond the realm of matter and not materially discerned.

To Socrates (B.C. 470?-399), the explanation of man himself, not of the universe was the prime object of thought. Man’s conduct; that is morals, was the most important theme of investigation. Right action is based on knowledge and would result in the four virtues-prudence, courage, self control and justice which as “the natural virtues” were to have their eminent place in medieval Christian theology. This identification of virtue with knowledge, the doctrine that to know will involve doing was indeed a disastrous legacy to all Greek thinking and influential in much Christian speculation notably in the Gnosticism of the second century.

In Socrates’ Disciple, Plato-(BC 427-347), the early Greek mind reached its highest spiritual attainment. He is properly described as a man of mystical piety as well as of the profoundest spiritual insight. To Plato, the passing forms of this visible world give no real knowledge. That knowledge of the truly permanent and real comes from our acquaintance with the “ideas” those changeless archetypal universal patterns which exist in the invisible spiritual world- the intelligible world since known by reason rather than by the senses-and gives whatever of reality is shared by the passing phenomena present to our senses. The soul knew these ideas in previous existence.

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Limbe Chieftaincy Saga:

Prince jerry Manga Williams calls for the commissioning of warrant kingmakers to commence Enthronement proceedings.

Barely a week following His notification to the family of victimization orchestrated by his senior brother with more than two criminal court cases accusing him of criminal offenses and Gendarmerie coercion and extortion in an attempt to technically knock him out of the race, Prince Jerry Manga Williams in a correspondence addressed to the administration besought the Authority in charge of 1^st class Chieftaincy in Fako to commission warrant kingmakers.

Prince Jerry Nambeke Manga Williams

In his correspondence, he intimated that the commissioning of warrant kingmakers and a Chieftaincy Advisory Committee will ‘demise the long and lingering stalemate regarding the succession of the last Paramount Chief of Limbe’ and shall be ‘in accordance with the Bakweri tradition of Chieftaincy succession and in recognition of the Cameroon Chieftaincy Law’

The Prince submitted grounds why it should be considered and inferred from historical tradition of the Chieftaincy in Limbe, the kingmakers who made his ancestors in 1908 and in 1961 Kings of Victoria-Limbe and applied that the tradition also requires their successors to act in their stead as kingmakers.. He stated:

1.    That adducing from the various applications from some of the children of the Manga Williams Family vying to succeed the late Paramount Chief, His Majesty Fergusson Billa Manga Williams it is evident that a stalemate exists.

2.    That the lingering and protraction of this stalemate is snowballing into complicating repairable contingencies due to family feuding within the Royal House.

3.    That the underlying setback associated with points one and two above is worrisome and unprecedented and is underlying the following circumscriptions:

   i.    Absence of Paramount stewardship regarding the blueprints and collective codification on Land management and use underlying disastrous consequences of land grabbing and misuse.

     ii.    Multiple court cases involving Chiefs which is unallowed and wanting in remedial blueprints.

   iii.    Degradation of customs and culture is alarmingly notorious and crucial in coordinated strategic planning.

   iv.    Challenge on conservational development is a challenge without centralized coordination.

      v.    Auxiliarization  with Administration on moral development and code of living is in want.

   vi.    Allegations and reports of Gross sales of vast sizes of community land by unauthorized individuals who are acting as delegates of the late Chief.

    vii.    Imposter-ism by third parties acting in the stead of the paramount Chief and fraudulently taking pleasure in prerogatives ascribed thereto.

4.    That the Limbe Chieftaincy traditional procedure usually employed to resolve such a stalemate is the consideration of Candidates to represent members of the Ruling House related by Blood to the last Chief. This is evidenced in the Last Limbe (Victoria) Paramount Chieftaincy stalemate of 1960 between Messrs Fergusson Billa Manga Williams and Ernest Kofele Martin vying to succeed the First Chief of Victoria, Chief Johannes Nambeke Manga Williams. Kingmakers respected the Bakweri  custom and in recognition of the Southern Cameroon Chiefs Law No 7 of 1960 did consider ONLY family members of the Ruling House related by Blood to the last Chief as candidates itself in tandem with the dispositions of the 1977 Cameroon Chieftaincy Law enacted on July 15. 1977 served with decree No. 77/245. In his interview responsions during the meetings with the Advisory Committee, Mr E. K. Martin justified his relationship with the last chief as being the great great grandson of Katherine Martin, who was spouse to Njume, son of Ngombe, himself son of King Bille (King Williams) of Bimbia.

5.    That another item of the Chieftaincy tradition usually employed during the selection of the successor of the next Paramount Chief of Limbe, Victoria is the procedure to enjoin the kingmakers of Victoria (also called chiefmakers) to vote in expressing their opinion on which of the candidate should succeed the late Chief as evidenced by the Administrative meeting presided by J. N. Foncha, The Premier of Southern Cameroon on the 10^th day of May 1960 held at the Community Hall in Victoria amongst kingmakers and his cabinet:

-         J. N. Foncha, M.H.A

-         J. N. Nganji, M.H.A.

-         C. Burgess, S.D.O. Victoria

-         V.Hd. Bona. Bille

-         V.Hd. Bona. Ngombe

-         V.Hd. Bimbia

-         Mr. Mokeba

-         Mr. Carr.

-         Mr. Monjongo

-         Mr. J. Thrupp. S.A.S (LG): Secretary

6.    That in furtherance the ingredients usually employed in determining the successor of the Paramount Chief of (Victoria) Limbe is a confirmation hearing following the choice of the Kingmakers by Chiefs by the Chieftaincy Advisory Committee enjoined to  interviewing the candidates and reviewing their documentary/otherwise claims in camera as evidenced  by the enquiry report authorized by an order under the Recognition of Chiefs Law no 7 of 1960 dated 14^th June 1961 and opened at Community Hall, Victoria on 16^th June, 1961.

7.    Also that it is the tradition of the Limbe Chieftaincy for the son, heir or kin of a Kingmaker to succeed his father upon the latter’s demise. That is in the event of the demise of a Chiefmaker of Limbe, his heir or kin shall succeed him as a Kingmaker. This is adduced from records found in the above quoted proceedings and proffered here-next.

8.    That Victoria Limbe has a tradition in making a Paramount chief through its chief-making composition since 1908 as evidenced by the document titled ‘Memorandum on the Village Heads of Victoria Town’ dated 20^th June 1960 by Hon. John. Ngu Foncha, premier-south Cameroon followed by the inquiry report authorized by an order under the Recognition of Chiefs Law no 7 of 1960 dated 14^th June 1961 and opened at Community Hall, Victoria on 16^th June, 1961 and confirmed in both the Proceedings of the inquiry by the Chieftaincy Advisory Committee into the dispute between FB Manga Williams and E.K Martin regarding the Chieftaincy of Victoria dated 16 June 1961 and the  Report of the Chieftaincy Committee Appointed to inquire into the Victoria Chieftaincy Dispute between FB Manga Williams and E.K Martin dated 9^th September 1961. The following Chief makers were recognized during the selection process of the Manga Williams Chieftaincies of 1908 and 1961. 

            

a.                         a. 1908: in selecting Mr. Johaness Nambeke Manga Williams:

1.    Burnley Family represented by (Mr. Robert Burnley (Late), Joseph Burnley(Late))

2.    Mokeba Family represented by (Mr. N. Mokeba, (Late)),

3.    Martin Family Represented by (Mr. Sam Martin(Late), Mr. Richard martin(Late), )

4.    Steane Family represent by (Mr. Charles Steane(Late), Mr. Richard Steane(Late),)

5.    Wilson Family represented by (Mr. Joseph Wilson(Late).) 

                                                                                                            b.   1961: In selecting Mr Fergusson Billa Manga Williams

1.    Mokeba Family represented by (Mr. Mokeba(Late) )

2.    Carr Family represented by (Mr. Lifio Carr (Late))

3.    Manga Williams Family represented by (Mr Makaka Williams (Late))

4.    The Mojongo Family represented by (Mr. Monjongo (Late))

5.    Bona Bille Village Head represented by (The then chief)

6.    Bona Ngombe HVillage Head represented by (The then chief)

7.    Bimbia Village Head represented by the then Chief

9.    That the traditional Kingmakers of Limbe who voted into Office the last Chief of the Manga Williams Royal House, late chief Fergusson B. Manga Williams have  all passed onto Glory. However by its definition, the Bakweri Tradition requires as evidenced in the above cited reports to proceed with warrant kingmakers in line with the same houses and families that were called upon to choose and endorse the right candidate and in the event where any one of these kingmakers may pass away, their heirs or family heads and representatives should perform these functions in their stead.

10. That considering the foregoing, the 2005-2016 Stalemate of the Limbe Paramount Chieftaincy, shall be demised by the following representations of kingmakers  who have been considered and proposed to bring to a conclusion the selection of the next Chieftain to succeed Late Chief Fergusson Manga Williams. Their role shall include:

a.    To implement the terms of references by the Senior Divisional Officer towards addressing the subject matters of the disputes and selection amongst the pretenders.

b.    To copy cat the 1960 research committee and interviewing the candidates as to arrive at their individual perception of the candidate to be considered

c.    To cast ballots on the grounds of selection and submit individual reports to the Committee president regarding the criteria employed to arrive at their individual choices.

d.    To deliberate with the Committee President to arrive at the chosen candidate with the most consideration

e.    To process the report of the committee

f.     To submit the report to the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako for further Government sanctioning and procedures and report to the Prime Minister of Cameroon

11. That the proposed Chiefmakers for the Limbe Paramount Chieftaincy in compliance with the Cameroon Chieftaincy law of 1977 and in recognition of the tradition that selected the two previous Chieftains of Victoria-Limbe in 1908 and 1961 thereby harmonizing the chiefmakers of the eras are as follows:

1.    Bona Bille Head and two notables

2.    Dikolo Head and two notables

3.    Bona Ngombe Head and two notables)

4.    Manga Williams Family head and two others)

5.    Mokeba Family head and two others )

6.    Carr Family head and two others)

7.    Monjimbo Family head and two others)

8.    Burnley Family head and two Others

9.    Martin Family head and two others

10. Steane Family head and two others

11. Haddison Family

12. Bodylawson Family

13. Wilson Family head and two others

12. That the proposed Chieftaincy Advisory Committee shall constitute seven warrant Chiefs appropriately and relevantly vetted and commissioned by the South West Chief’s Conference themselves warranted by the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako.

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Line-up complete for Cameroon African Women Cup of Nations

The qualification of Kenya for the Africa Women Cup of Nations billed for Cameroon in November makes it the first time ever that this East African country qualifies for the female continental tournament. Nigeria also qualified to defend their title in Cameroon.

The Lionesses of Cameroon; a possible threat to Nigeria's Continental dominance

Equatorial Guinea, the only other team to win the women's continental title, will also be at the finals in November. Her participation also depends on the outcome of an investigation being carried out by the Confederation of African Football.

South Africa and Zimbabwe both teams that have already qualified for the Rio Olympics in August both also reached the continental finals. Ghana and Egypt also join Cameroon as hosts in the eight-team finals.

Super Falcons of Nigeria; top favorites of the 2016 rendezvous in Cameroon

Teams that have already qualified for the 2016 African Women Cup of Nations include; Cameroon (hosts), Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. Kenya reached the finals by beating Algeria on the away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw over two legs.               The sides drew 1-1 in Nairobi  having drawn in Algiers 2-2 the previous week, and Kenya sailed through having scored twice away from home. The result had seemed to be going Algeria's way when the visitors took the lead on 21 minutes from Naima Bouheni just after Kenya had a goal disallowed for an offside position. Kenya however leveled scores in the second-leg tie at the 79th minute through Cherish Avilla to qualify for a continental finals for the first time. Reigning champions Nigeria sailed through after beating Senegal 2-0 in the second leg of their qualifier for a 3-1 win on aggregate. The Super Falcons missed a chance to take the lead on the half-hour when Arsenal player Asisat Oshoala hit the bar with a penalty kick. However, six minutes later Rita Chikwelu broke the deadlock and almost immediately after the break Osaremona Igbinovia doubled the lead for Nigeria. Senegal's misery was compounded when their coach was red carded at the 50th minute. South Africa completed a 5-0 aggregate win over neighbours Botswana with a 3-0 victory on the return leg. Banyana Banyana scored their first goal in the 18th minute as Mamello Makhabane scored from the penalty spot. Sanah Mollo and then a vicious shot from Nompumelelo Nyandeni's made it 3-0 before half-time. There was also a convincing 4-0 second leg win for Ghana over visiting Tunisia to make it 6-1 overall. Samira Suleman and Portia Boakye both scored before half-time. The rout was completed with goals from Priscilla Adobea and a second from Suleman after the break. Egypt booked their place by beating Ivory Coast, going though on away goals. Ivory Coast won the second leg of their tie 2-1 in Abidjan to make the score 2-2 on aggregate. Rebecca Elloh and Tia Ines scored for the Ivorians , who played at the World Cup in Canada last year, before half-time to give the hosts an overall lead. But a goal in the 86th minute from Nevein Gamal made the score 2-2 overall and Egypt progressed on the away goals rule. Zimbabwe was the first team to qualify for the finals with a 4-2 overall win over Zambia. The second leg of the final round tie finished 3-2 to visiting Zimbabwe after Zambia had twice came from behind. Kudakwashe Basopo, who scored the only goal of the first leg in Harare, gave Zimbabwe the perfect start with an away goal after just six minutes. Zambia drew level midway through the first half through Noria Sosala but Samkelisiwe Zulu restored the lead for Zimbabwe 10 minutes before the break. Misozi Zulu matched her namesake when she scored from the penalty sport for Zambia to make it 2-2 but Zimbabwe's Emmaculate Msipa scored a winner with just a minute left to play. It means Zimbabwe's women have two major tournaments this year after they qualified for the Olympics in Rio. It is the fourth time Zimbabwe has qualified for the continental finals for women; their best showing was fourth place in 2000. Equatorial Guinea, the only nation apart from Nigeria to have won the African title, booked their place in the finals with a 2-1 win over Mali in Malabo. The result took them through 3-2 on aggregate. However the Confederation of African Football say they are now investigating whether Equatorial Guinea used any ineligible players in the matches. This follows their disqualification from the qualifiers for the women's football tournament at the Olympics in 2020 after FIFA found them guilty of using ineligible players in the qualifying ties for this year's Games in Rio. edevnews.blogspot.com/Tel:+237696896001/+237678401408/ +237653473540