L'Effort Camerounais (English Version)

“Our tradition has positive elements that should be exploited”, says MGR Dieudonné Watio

Interviewed by Fr Antoine de Padoue Chonang

Our tradition has positive elements that should be exploited. Do ancestral customs blend well with the Christian faith? The Bishop of Nkongsamba, Mgr Dieudonné Watio, answers this pertinent question in this interview which he accorded L'Effort camerounais, as well as in his book, titled, "ANCESTOR WORSHIP AMONG THE NGYEMBA AND THE PASTORAL CONSEQUENCES". Here are excerpts from an interview on that book:

My Lord, how do you evaluate the rout that the Diocese of Nkongsamba has trod during the 50 years of its existence?
Evangelisation has made enormous progress with the help of catechists, some of whom were real apostles. There are those who gave their lives so that the Gospel may be well implanted. We take the example of  Raphaël Nintcheu who was assassinated, and also Aloys Tapiemene who was assassinated in Bangang and whose beatification cause we are thinking of initiating.

On The Track Of Pioneers: Homage to the builders of the Church which is in Nkongsamba

Source: The Diocese of Nkongsamba, Today and Tomorrow (SEDICO)

On December 8, 2004, the Diocese of Nkongsamba celebrated the 50th anniversary of its creation. In the pomp and pageantry of this great event, the pioneers of this apostolic entity were not forgotten. L'Effort camerounais pays them a vibrant homage. Even though it was officially created in 1955, the history of the Diocese of Nkongsamba actually goes way back to April 28, 1914, with the partition of the Apostolic Vicarate of Cameroon, which consecrated as well as gave birth to the Apostolic Prefecture of Adamawa in which the present-day Diocese of Nkongsamba was found. On 2nd February 1932, the Apostolic Prefecture of Adamawa changed its name and became known as the Apostolic Prefecture of Fumban, under the then leadership of Mgr Joseph Plissonneau.

Bishops of Cameroon should be bearers of hope

Mirabel Azangeh Tandafor

The National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon held its 29th Annual Seminar, on January 15, at the Diocesan Training Centre of Nguélémendouka, East Province, with a call on all the Bishops to be bearers of hope. Coming barely one day after the solemnity marking the 50th anniversary celebrations of the creation of the Diocese of Doumé-Abong Mbang, the main theme of the seminar was focused on the examination of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in Cameroon.

Three Presbyterian Sisters make Final Profession

Br. Singfred Sinior, BSM

Agyati is a sleepy community along the Bamenda - Bafut Palace road that suddenly became a busy tourist attraction on Saturday, January 21, as hundreds of people streamed across to the Sisterhood Emmanuel Monastery of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, to be part of a history-making event.  Three Presbyterian women: Sisters Stephanie, Shalom and Clare publicly renounced marriage and property to serve God the whole of their lives. A palpable atmosphere of joy and expectancy reigned in the crowd that gathered in the church to await the occasion. So, many who could not find a place inside the church hustled for space near loudspeakers connected outside the chapel to follow the ceremony.

English-speaking Religious convene in Bamenda

Br. Singfred Sinior, BSM.

On Saturday January 14, hundreds of consecrated persons and apostolic workers from 27 of the 30 Religious Institutes serving in the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda converged at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish of the Conceptionist Fathers at Njimafor - Mankon, Bamenda, to celebrate their Annual General meeting. A concelebrated Mass, presided at by Fr. Arnold Ven Hoeven, who sat in for Archbishop paul Verdzekov, preceded the deliberations at the meeting. Fr Ven Hoeven is a Mill Hill Missionary and serves as Vicar General for the Diocese of Mamfe. The Novices of the St Ann Sisters, Sisters Servants of Mary and the Holy Rosary Sisters novices animated the Liturgy. Fr. Ven Hoeven in his homily, charged the consecrated persons to serve God's people without reservation and without greed.

“Post-HIPC period should serve as a new beginning for Cameroon”

Mirabel Azangeh Tandafor

The United States Ambassador to Cameroon, Niels Marquardt, has warned Cameroonians about misconceiving the so-much-heralded post-completion point of the Highly Indebted Poor Counties Initiative, HIPC, as a period of relaxation. Speaking at this year's annual press conference in Yaounde last January 19, 2006, Marquardt said the post-HIPC phase, estimated to be attained by June this year, could be an important step in Cameroon's economic and democratic development, provided Cameroonians do not slacken their efforts thereafter.

Social celebrations that ignore religion are fruitless

Rev Fr Peter Foleng, SD.

As the Christian world was busy on December 26 with the feast of Stephen, the first martyr, and the western world busy celebrating boxing day, the villages of Nkum-kov, in Kumbo Central sub division launched a week-long celebration of 'annual festivals'. It all began in Nseh on December 26th, followed by Nkeng on the 30th,  Ngondzen on the 31st and Kuvlu on the 1st January. In all the festivals, the chorus was development by internal and external elites formed in associations of various acronyms.

The OHADA Law: Kumba legal practitioners undertake new training

Immaculate Akwanga

Some legal practitioners and businessmen and women in Kumba were recently attended a course on the new business law, the OHADA Uniform Acts, organised by the University of Buea and hosted by the Meme Lawyers' Association -MELA. Holding at the Kumba Council Hall on January 16, 2006, Dr Martha Simo Tumde of the University of Buea, said that the purpose of the workshop is to disseminate information and knowledge on the OHADA Uniform Act to the members of the legal profession, especially the judiciary, legal practitioners and law professors, and also to the business community and the civil society.

Illegal exploitation of Cameroon’s timber becomes international concern

Aloysius Agendia

The International Non-Governmental Organization, Green Peace International, recently indicted the government of Cameroon on the illegal and abusive exploitation of the country's forest reserves and resources. The NGO accused the government and many foreign forest exploiters of not respecting internationally laid out convention on the exploitation of timber and other forestry products. Green Peace considers the government of Cameroon and timber exploiters as accomplices, playing a great role in destroying the country's biodiversity.

Labour Minister promises to resolve CTE workers’ problems

Immaculate Akwanga

The Minister of Labour and Social Security, Mr Robert Nkili, has made a firm promise to Tole Cameroon Tea Estate (CTE) workers that he will solve their problems. He was addressing the representatives of some workers on strike at the social Insurance Centre (CNPS) in Buea last January 19, while on a working visit in Buea to inspect the new CNPS site situated around the Mile-17 motor park in Buea. According to the workers, the sale of the CDC tea sector to CTE has not done them any good especially those of who were verbally transferred who are slightly over 300 in number, with some 240 of them laid off.