BAPEC 71st Ordinary Meeting

Bishops Lay Emphasis on importance of Education

The Bishops of the Bamenda Provincial Ecclesiastical Conference BAPEC have enjoined all stakeholders to put in the needed effort to make sure that children go to school. They further said for this to be feasible, a complete return to peace was absolutely necessary and called on public authorities to create an enabling environment for children to conveniently go to school. This call was made during the 71st Ordinary Meeting of BAPEC that took place at Archbishop’s House in Bamenda from Tuesday the 17th to Saturday the 21st of August 2021.

 

This reporter caught up with His Grace Archbishop Nkea Andrew Fuanya, the new President of BAPEC shortly after a Holy Mass that took place at the All Saints Parish at Bayelle in Nkwen, Bamenda to mark the end of this 71st Ordinary Meeting. 

Commenting on his aspirations as the new President of BAPEC, His Grace  Andrew Fuanya Nkea said “I think the aspiration of every President of the Bishop's Conference be it at the Provincial or National level is to maintain unity …and  continue  with Pastoral work in the Province. At this time when there is so much insecurity in the Province, it is important that all the Bishops collaborate in their efforts to make sure that peace returns in our communities again. It is also very important that children return to school again and it is our duty and that of parents to make sure that this happens.  This is the future of our kids and we are the ones to guarantee that future. Our faith is very important to us. Bishops are not Politicians. Bishops are Pastors and at the same time we involve ourselves in the lives of our people. We protect the poor and defend the oppressed and we make sure that we stand for the truth and nothing but the truth to make our church grow.  

His Lordship Bishop George Nkuo Erstwhile BAPEC President said what had been achieved by the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference in the past couple of years under his reign has been the maintenance of the unity of the church and the continuous building of the faith despite the turbulent situation in the Ecclesiastical Province.

In a joint communique  that was read on Sunday, August 22 at the All Saints Parish at Bayelle, certain key issues were raised.

The Bishops noted among other things that more Catholic Schools functioned during the 2020/2021 Academic year and encouraged parents to send their children to school.

They happily intimated that an Administrative Block and a hostel of 140 Self-contained rooms will be constructed at the Catholic University of Cameroon CATUC Bamenda and urged parents to encourage their children to enroll in the University and get quality education and also make use of these facilities.

They acknowledged with appreciation the efforts of the Priests “who, for the sake of the people entrusted to their pastoral care, have made and continue to make heroic sacrifices in this time of crisis.”

“We encourage every Priest to seek to bring the healing power of God's grace to everyone in need, to stay close to the marginalized.”

The Bishops noted with regret that there was still a lot of insecurity, violence, senseless killings, kidnappings, torture, sometimes of innocent people and Children. They appealed to all armed factions to stop violence with immediate effect and to seek for more Pacific resolutions to the conflict. “ Our people have suffered enough and they are tired of living in uncertainty and fear.” They urged Christians to pray for a return to peace.

The Bishops also promulgated guidelines for Priests working in Extra Parochial Ministries and priests assigned on Fidei Donum abroad. The main aim of these guidelines is to ensure a proper care of all the priests of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province and to make sure that they work and live as members of the same priestly family.

At the end of the meeting, the Bishops appointed a new Executive to pilot the affairs of BAPEC for the next three years. The new Executive is made up of His Grace Andrew  Fuanya Nkea (Archbishop of Bamenda) as President and His Lordship Michael Miabesue Bibi (Bishop of Buea) as Vice President. Meantime Father Gilles Ngwa Forteh, Priest of the Kumba Diocese was appointed Secretary General of BAPEC.

Also in attendance were His Lordship Nfon Agapitus Enuyenyoh(Bishop of Kumba), His Lordship George Nkuo (Bishop of Kumbo and Erstwhile President of BAPEC), His Lordship Bushu Immanuel (Bishop Emeritus of Buea) and a host of priests from the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province.

By Francis Ekongang Nzante

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HRH Senator Lekunze Dishes out messages of Hope, Peace, Development.

 By Francis Ekongang Nzante

HRH Senator Lekunze Andreas Nembo III, Ruler of the First Class Fondom of Bamumbu, Wabane in the Lebialem Division has unequivocally dished out messages of Hope, Peace, Socioeconomic and Cultural Development to Bamumbu People resident in the Noun Division. This took place during his four-day tour of the West Region which started from July 31st and ended on the 3rd of August.

HRH Senator Lekunze Andreas Nembo III and Sultan of Foumban, Senator Mbombo Njoya during stop in Foumban

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 Explaining the raison d'etre of his visit in Noun the Senator said “My visit to the Bamumbu people resident in Noun Division has been long awaited. This is because we live in communion with our people who are in Bamumbu as well as those who are out of the Fondom. Given the fact that a huge number of our people have left the village to settle as Internally Displaced People in different parts of the country, it became more urgent to go to the Noun Division where there is a heavy concentration of Bamumbu people. There are those who have been living there for over sixty years and those who went there recently as IDPs as a result of the crisis. I went there to give them a message of hope and reassurance and to better prepare them to get back to their Communities and face the challenges waiting for them there so as to carry forward the Socioeconomic development of our Fondom.”

The Fon Savouring Culture with Subjects in Noun Division

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The Senator said it was a very hectic visit that left indelible marks in the minds of both the people and himself adding that they separated with the people on a very happy note. The Communion was very warm and he seized the opportunity to emphasize on the need for peace and unity in the community and in the country. He preached messages of reconciliation as this would permit them to go back to their Fondom as a united people and assist in the Reconstruction process. The Senator also encouraged his subjects to register in the Electoral Registers of their host Communities and massively participate in all upcoming elective exercises in the direction towards which he was leading them which he said was for the purpose of the development and edification of the Bamumbu community. 

Pouring libations and communing with the gods

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HRH Senator Lekunze Andreas Nembo III also dished out messages on civic behaviour and patriotism. These he said had to be their watch words and had to be permanent on their minds, thoughts and actions. The Senator encouraged them to fully participate in the Socioeconomic and cultural development of  Noun Division not forgetting that they owed a very significant responsibility in the Socioeconomic and cultural development of Bamumbu in Wabane, Lebialem in the South West Region. 

Representatives of the Fon presented to Sultan Mbombo Njoya

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The Senator did not fail to harp on the importance of obeying barrier measures in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 and urged them to take their Vaccines.

HRH Senator Lekunze Andreas Nembo III maintained contact with the gods and ancestors of Bamumbu as he invoked and talked with them through ritualistic pouring of libations. The intention here was to cleanse the people and their Communities of perpetrators of evil.

Representatives of the Fon and his cabinet in Noun Division were chosen to lead the ever increasing population of Bamumbu People there. 

In collaboration with the Administration and the indeginous Traditional Ruler Fon Lekunze Andreas Nembo III of Bamumbu presented the chosen representatives to the Sultan of Foumban, Senator Mbombo Njoya.

The first stop that the Senator made was in Kouoptamo, the second stop was in Foumban and the third was in Foumbot.

The fourth lap of his visit was in Bafoussam and it culminated in consultations with Royal Family Members. This four-day visit to the West Region with activities focused in the Noun Division ended on a positive note.

The hectic visit was rendered colourful and exotic by colourful Traditional Dances, Traditional ritualistic invocations and a mass turn out to welcome an illustrious son and King.

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Wimbums showcase Culture, Unity in Pump and Pageantry

 

By Francis Ekongang Nzante

In an unprecedented show of Cultural demonstrations and a very strong sense of unity that was demonstrated during the General Assembly of all the Wimbums in Bamenda on Sunday August 1, 2021, this huge ethnic group from Donga Mantung Division has demonstrated it’s fervent desire to take the responsibility of developing themselves and their Division of origin.

Fon Kamanda III, clan head of Tang Clan and  Paramount ruler  of Talla village in Ndu Sub Division

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Speaking during the heavily attended occasion which took place at the Blue Pearl Hotel Plaza in Bamenda, Njeba Festus Wawa, President of the Wimbum Community in Bamenda said “today we are witnessing the Communion Service of all Wimbum people in Bamenda. We came here to commune, to  eat together and to share ideas that can take the Wimbum Community forward in terms of development. We baptised this day as “Ndilah” literally intepretated as “traditional issues”. It was therefore an occasion to showcase the Wimbum lifestyle; how they dress, what they eat and drink and how they dance. You have certainly realised that the Wimbum people are more united than people take them to be. So it was a Communion Service of all Wimbum people to see how we can forge ahead as a people.”

 Njeba Festus Wawa: President of the Wimbum Community in Bamenda

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He further said the emphases of the Wimbum Cultural and Development Association was on Unity adding that it was only when people had achieved the prized goal of unity that they could begin to talk about Development. Where there is no  unity there can be no development he said. 

“Our first project is unity and I think we have attained that and can now begin to think about development. We are going to make this occasion an Annual event.”

This reporter also caught up with Barrister Yembe Emmanuel, the Chairman of the Organising Committee who said the success registered in terms of organisation could only be attributed to team work. “We put in place a committee which worked in collaboration with the Presidents of all the 33 villages that are represented in Bamenda. So we were able to bring together thirty three Presidents of all the groups that are in Bamenda together. This, coupled with the enthusiastic response of the people contributed to the success of the occasion.”

On agenda was the raising of funds for development projects, colourful Traditional Dances and other forms of cultural demonstrations, sharing of Traditional dishes amongst others.

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