Father George Nkuo named Bishop of Kumbo

Interviewed by Mirabel Azangeh Tandafor

With the nomination of Bishop Cornelius Fontem Esua as Archbishop of Bamenda early this year, Christians in the Diocese of Kumbo have constantly expressed their impatience over the naming of their next bishop. So the news of a new Bishop for the Diocese of  Kumbo  on Saturday afternoon,  was a welcome relief for many people. In Buea, there has been a steady influx of merry-makers to the Bishops’ House in Small Soppo and the priests' residence in Buea Town. Amidst the jubilation, L’Effort camerounais caught up with the new Bishop for an interview. Excerpts.

My Lord, how did you receive the news of your nomination as the new Bishop of Kumbo?
Nobody expects a thing like that. It was a surprise. Actually, I was out of the country when my Bishop called me back. That was breaking news for me because I was not expecting anything like that at all since I was going to be out of the country for about three months. I then had to rush back home. It was a big surprise to me.

What were you doing out of the country?
I accompanied the Catholic Women Association(CWA), as I am the National Chaplain, for the World Meeting of Catholic Women Association. We were going to have a General Assembly, and  I had to take a short holiday after that. 

How do you think your new flock will  make your ministry move smoothly in Kumbo?
It is a journey of faith. I will like to accompany the people of the Diocese of Kumbo, bring the word of God to them and I am hoping that they will join us to proclaim and build the Kingdom of God in that diocese. I will just be continuing what my predecessor, Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua started.

What about the priests and Religious?
I know a good number of them. I have been working with the priests as their Provincial Chairman of the Association of Diocesan Priests. So I know their concerns, their expectations. They know me. I am one of them. I think the important thing is that we should work together, work hard, preach the Gospel, be dedicated and take active part in building the Kingdom of God in Kumbo.

What message do you leave behind for your former parishioners and collaborators? 
In Buea, I have been Education Secretary for Catholic Schools. I can only tell the teachers and principals, managers and students with whom I have worked, that we have done a great job and I would like them to continue to foster Catholic education in the Diocese of Buea. I know they are capable of the task. My main wish is  that they should continue to build these schools because that is where the future of the current generation lies.

Do you have a special message  for educationists?
Actually, I have worked mainly as education secretary. I have never really been a Parish Priest. But I also have a very keen interest for Pastoral Work. The people of Buea with whom I have worked for 12 years, know that I like celebrations; celebrating the word of God with them, celebrating the Liturgy with them. I will like to encourage them to be more dedicated and committed in their Christian lives. 
      My particular  concern is that as Christians, our faith should not just end as Church-goers or ‘Sunday-Christians’. The Gospel has to be part of our daily lives. My major preoccupation has always been for every Christian who comes to Church to take back with him or her a piece of the Gospel that will help change our lives.

How prepared are you, as an individual, to meet your new folk?
Who can ever be prepared? Nobody is ever fully prepared. All I know is that I have been a priest, I have always done my best to be a priest and I will continue to do my best in the new task that awaits me. There is no other way to prepare than to pray and ask God to assist you and to follow all the directives of the Church at any point in time.

Any special message?
I would like to thank God for calling me to serve him in a new capacity as Bishop of Kumbo, and I ask the people of God to pray that I live up to the task and dedicate myself entirely to that service. I also ask God to bless me and the people I will be serving.

Thank you My Lord.

Brief  Biography
Rev Father George  Nkuo was born in 1953 in Njinikom. He attended primary school there, and secondary school in Bishop Rogan College, Buea. He went to St Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Bambui, where he completed in the third batch and was ordained priest by Bishop Pius Awa in 1981.
He has served in parishes in Mamfe and Kumba and was the Bishop’s Secretary in Buea for some time. He pursued further studies in Ireland on Education. He is an educationist by training. When he returned to Cameroon, he was appointed Catholic Education Secretary two years later, a position he occupied for the past 12 years, until his nomination on July 8, 2006, as Bishop of Kumbo.
Bishop George Nkuo is from a family of five. Both his parents are of blessed memory. He is the first boy, and has two brothers and two sisters. His older sister, who is the eldest in the family, is a Franciscan Sister in Shisong.

Comments

[FONJONG CALLISTUS]

CONGRATS FATHER.
When i met you in Cameroon, i realised you were doing a good job and i actually had the feeling that u would be rewarded for your services.

Keep it up and i pray that God gives you more strenght and wisdom to do his work.

[Boniface Nasah]

Congratulations

[FORBI KIZITO]

Bishop George,
A good seed can only produce good fruit. This proceeds from the theory of potency guarantees this hope. You have inspired hope in me and testified that to be a good priest is possible in the world of today. God has brought you to the public via the bishopric to proclaim this message in a loud, clear and teaching voice.
CONGRATULATIONS

Fr. Kizito Forbi, sj

[Sr Calixte Josephine NDZANA, TSSF]

The Diocese of Kumbo has waited for a long time, indeed, to get a new Bishop. For more than a year,Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua was two bishops in One person. I believe this will do a lot of good to both Dioceses.
To you, Bishop Elect George NKUO, we priests, religious and lay people of the Ecclesiatical Province of Bamenda, can only re-confirm our support, with our constant prayers for you, I say re-confirm because even as a Priest you needed support, only that now the support shall be increased, since the responsibilities have been added too. We can only borrow the words the Lord addressed to Jeremiah "Go now to those I send you and say whatever I command you...It is Yahweh who speaks" (Jer. 1: 7-8)

[George A. Ngwa]

Dear Bishop Nkuo:

CONGRATS! You earned it by dint of your hard work and devotion to the implementation of the Church's precepts. It is a herculean pair of shoes you have been asked to wear. We have no doubt that they will fit snuggly. We pledge to accompany you, with our puny prayers and support,as you trudge along the paths cleared by your illustrious predecessor.

May the Gracious Lord guide you.

George Ngwa

[Sr Marceline Yenmuleh]

Being a christian of the Diocese of Kumbo, I can say without any fear of contradiction that we have been waiting patiently and hopefully for more than a year untill we were almost becoming impatient. Infact, God´s time is the best and we can not but allow his will to be done when He wills it and how he wills it.
Being like sheep without a shepard, we were praying and waiting for the Lord´s time of favour and, behold the Lord´s time of favour has come so let us rejoice and shout for joy. Ours are sentiments of gratitude to the almighty God for the gift of a new bishop.
To the new bishop elect, we say congratulations for taking up this challenge and we promise you our feeble prayers and collaboration towards the up-building of the kingdom of God in the Diocese of Kumbo and the proclamation of God´s kingdom.
May the good Lord who has alloted this task to you assist you daily in all you do for the glory of his most holy name.
Sr Marceline Yenmuleh.TSSF

[John Enoh]

I guess congratulations are in order to the newly elected Bishop of Kumbo, a product of Bishop Rogan College. Myself along with others who were in school with you are very honoured and humbled by this honour that has been bestowed on you. We pray that the good Lord be with you and all those that have been entrusted to your stewardship. We are proud of you and all your accomplishments and pray for your continued success. May the peace and the grace of the almighty be with you now and forever more.

[Joseph Ngwa Nkwenti]

MY LORD BISHOP-ELECT OF KUMBO-(Rev.Fr. George
When the news of your appointment was announced, I immediately shouted "SCHOOL FATHER" for this is how I have always addressed you. Having worked with you very closely, {I, in Government Service in Buea and you, at St Francis and Catholic Education Secretary in Buea}, let this fond-appellation be my own way of prayer for greater success in the BIGGER SHOOL, THE DIOCESE OF KUMBO AD MOLTOS ANNOS.

[JJ Asongu]

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Emmanuel Bushu of Yagoua, Cameroon, as bishop of Buea (area 13,410, population 957,000, Catholics 295,630, priests 59, religious 72), Cameroon. He succeeds Bishop Pius Suh Awa, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Christophe Zoa of the clergy of the archdiocese of Yaounde, Cameroon, archdiocesan chancellor, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 4,964, population 1,591,960, Catholics 700,700, priests 307, religious 794). The bishop-elect was born in Yaounde in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1991.
NER:RE:NEA/.../... VIS 061130 (270)

[puma shoes]

Your literary grace intoxicating! It is not bear to forget! Fascinated by your blog! Well you can make friends?