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23, May 2019

US: Washington Police Reject Calls To Stop Anti- Biya Protest ⁰

Police in Washington DC has turned down a request from the French Embassy to send away protesters chanting Anti-Paul Biya songs in front of the Embassy. Members of Brigade Anti-Sardinards – BAS, a Pro-Kamto group are said to have gathered at the French Embassy at 4101 Reservoir Road, NW Washington DC, US, Monday May 20, 2019 to demonstrate their disdain for the Cameroon government. Reports say as they were chanting protest songs, carrying placards describing Paul Biya, Cameroon’s President as a Murderer and Dictator, elements of the DC Police appeared at the venue at the behest of the French Embassy. Our source hinted that the Embassy had called the police in the hope that protesters would be kicked out of the arena. Instead, the police allowed the protest on the grounds that those involved had duly received a permit in line with the law.

A participant at the protest said they were protesting against the Biya Regime that has used the military to kill thousands in the two English-speaking Regions of the North West and South West, adding that the choice of the French Embassy weighs on the fact that French President, Emmanuel Macron might be supporting the carnage going on in Cameroon. Live bullets corroborating those from the Rapid Intervention Battalion, a special unit of the Cameroon military known by its French acronym as BIR have been in many occasions found on the innocent civilians each time they’re killed.

On October of 2016 a disagreement in language led to agitations in the two English-speaking regions but government mismanaged it, turning it into an armed conflict with a demand by majority of Anglophones in the North West and South West for a separate state called Ambazonia. The Cameroonians were also protesting against what they describe as Electoral Holdup and also calling on the release of Prof Maurice Kamto, Chair of Cameroon’s main opposition political party, Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) who has been officially charged on eight (8) counts including facing a death penalty. Kamto competed in the country’s Presidential Elections against incumbent Paul Biya and went on to declare he won. He later challenged the results at the country’s Constitutional Council where the Council’s ruling was considered by many Cameroonians as jaundiced. Kamto believes the Electoral Commission imputed figures to favour the incumbent especially as elections were boycotted in the North West and South West Regions buried in an armed conflict

Source: Leadership.ng

22, May 2019

Biya envoy enjoins compatriots to embrace peace and unity ⁰

The Consul-General of the Cameroon in Nigeria, Mrs Bessem Manga, has called on her compatriots at home and abroad to close ranks and embrace peace for the emancipation of their country.

Manga made the call late on Monday in a speech to mark the 47th Edition of the National Day of Cameroon in Lagos.

Newsmen report that the envoy made the call amid growing challenges in Cameroon, including the Boko Haram insurgency and secession threats in the southeastern flank of the country.

Speaking on “Unity in Diversity, a Major Asset of Cameroonian People in their Determined Move towards Emergence,’’ Manga said that peace was the crucial requirement for the country to aspire to greatness.

She said there was need for Cameroonians to come together and talk peace to make the country a united entity for its citizens at home and in the diaspora.

“The things that unite us are more than things that divide us. We need our people to come together to close ranks to celebrate our oneness.

“Peaceful cohabitation will make our country to move forward. My prayer is that peace should continue to reign in our dear country.

Manga applauded the government and people of Nigeria for their hospitality and show of love for hundreds of Cameroonians residing in various cities in Nigeria.

“I thank the government and people of Nigeria for welcoming and giving us chance to live within your midst. This shows how unified both countries are,” she said.

May 20 is marked yearly as the National Day of the Cameroon, although the French-speaking part of the country gained independence on Jan.1, 1960.

The British Cameroon joined the new state in 1961 but it was not fully integrated. A `federated’ system existed that prevented full national unity of the two Cameroons.

The National Day was marked first on May 20, 1972 when the Francophone and Anglophone speaking states of Cameroon unified to become one country.

Source: Today.ng

22, May 2019

Cameroonian Maid Who Killed Boss In Lagos Sentenced To Death By Hanging ⁰

The Lagos State High Court in Igbosere has sentenced a Cameroonian maid, Leudjoe Koyemen Joel, to death for murdering her Nigerian employer, Mrs Dayo Adeleke. Delivering the judgement on Tuesday, two years and five months after the crime, Justice Adedayo Akintoye convicted Joel and ordered that he be hanged to death. Justice Adebayo said, the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt a count of murder pressed by the state against the Cameroonian.

Ebun’s mother at her graveside

It reads: “On the night of 20th December 2016, we received the news that our daughter, sister, and friend Dayo Enioluwa Adeleke, was brutally slaughtered in cold blood whilst defenceless and in the solace of her own home by her Cameroonian domestic help, Joel Ledjou

“Words cannot adequately describe the complete and utter devastation and sorrow that her senseless murder has caused in our lives.

“Joel had just been employed two months prior to the murder of Dayo. Dayo’s usual empathy and the need to help a ‘poor refugee’ as described by the pastor who referred him to Dayo from Mountain of Solution Ministries, led to her employing him.

“It’s ironic that the person she employed, out of her compassion, turned round and snuffed out her life in one senseless act of greed.

“Her supposed ‘offence’ to warrant being murdered by him was that she had not obliged him a two-week salary advance which he requested earlier that morning. The reward for Dayo’s kindness was death!

“Joel robbed Dayo of marriage, motherhood and longevity, a painful fact that still hurts us as a family each and every day.

“The Nigeria Police worked tirelessly in investigating the matter and the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State, in turn, has worked diligently in prosecuting the matter in court.

“Today, Tuesday, May 21, 2019, two years and five months after the murder, Justice Akintoye, sitting at the Criminal Division of the High Court of Lagos State delivered her judgment and found Joel Ledjou guilty of murder and sentenced him to death by hanging.

“This murderer who robbed Dayo of marriage, motherhood, and longevity.

“Though still heartbroken over the loss of Dayo, we are somewhat consoled that justice has finally been served. Our beloved Dayo can now rest peacefully in the knowledge that her perpetrator received the full weight of the Law for her murder.

“Dayo, our light, you will never be forgotten. You are always and forever in our hearts. Your legacy lives on through all of us who remain.”

Source: Sahara Reporters

22, May 2019

Electronic Trade Helps Cameroonian Farmers ⁰

Information technologies are changing the lives of some Cameroonian farmers who previously depended on brokers to market their goods. Now, these farmers can use the internet to find customers directly, cutting out some intermediaries and increasing their own profits.

Loic Domguia raises poultry, selling almost entirely online and through phone apps. Through electronic sales over the last year, he says he has increased his income.

Domguia uses Jangolo Farmers, an application that links producers and buyers.

“It reduces the stress on the producer,” Domguia says. “The producer no longer waits until the end” worrying about getting customers. Producers “sleep well knowing they already have orders.”

Designer Rose Ngameni says Jangolo enables producers to line up customers before bringing goods to market.

“The farmer has a higher profit margin by selling through our application,” she says. The app even enables producers to get paid in advance.

Ngameni says the app also benefits the customer. Reducing the number of intermediaries means producers hold down marketing expenses, so they can offer lower prices to customers.

Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics reports that a fourth of the country’s 25 million residents connect daily with the internet.

Users increasingly are buying agricultural items online.

One of those e-commerce customers is Pierre Freddy Ngoudi. He says he places online orders for chicken because his work all day at a gym leaves too little time to shop. He has chicken delivered to his workplace.

Cyprain Tankeu, a specialist in electronic trade, says it’s smart for agribusinesses to develop online sales platforms. But he cautions that online sales may not always give customers sufficient information about purchases.

“If a company does not own stores, it would be difficult for buyers to evaluate the product they are buying,” he says. “… The lack of a store is an obstacle to the development of this type of e-commerce.”

The African Development Bank estimates the continent has more than a billion mobile phone subscribers, creating a huge potential market for farmers to use e-commerce.

Source: VOA

22, May 2019

Of Turkey, UN, VOA and Killer Paul Biya ⁰

After the UN Security Council on May 13 held belated “Arria formula” session about Cameroon, an informal one with no outcome on which even co-sponsors Germany and the UK refused to answer Press questions, hypocrisy and cover up of the UN’s failure remain evident.

Now Turkey, which longs to be a big(ger) power in the UN, paying for example to re-name and bar the Press from the area next to the Security Council, now the “Turkish Lounge,” is lavishing praise for its business with Paul Biya’s Cameroun: in Ankara, “Cameroon’s ambassador hailed his country’s relations with Turkey Monday while marking National Day. Victor Tchatchouwo made the comments at a gathering in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, under the theme “Unity in Diversity, a major asset of the Cameroonian people in their determined move towards emergence”. Tchatchouwo expressed the importance of excellent cooperation and solidarity between Turkey and Cameroon.

The ambassador said the number of high-level visits between authorities of both countries and commercial exchanges have been increasing in recent years. During his speech, Tchatchouwo also highlighted the role of other mutual projects, including the scholarship program granted by Turkey’s Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB). The envoy added that Ankara and Yaounde are engaged in many fields, including politics, commerce, economy and education. Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu attended the embassy’s National Day celebrations. He stressed the importance of Cameroon’s decision to open an embassy in Turkey for the first time. “It will improve bilateral relations between our countries in every field,” Kasapoglu said. “Cameroon is one of the important countries in Central Africa for us. “The bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Cameroon was around $200 million last year,” he said. He added that the two countries aim to reach a trade volume of over $200 million this year.

Citing Turkish contractors’ ongoing infrastructure projects in Cameroon, Kasapoglu said: “Our companies’ interests in Cameroon have been significantly increasing.” Tchatchouwo presented his letter of credence to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in December 2018. He is Cameroon’s first ambassador to Turkey. On May 20, 1972, Cameroonians voted for a unitary state in a national referendum.” Really? The blathering about business with Biya is just blood money – with an echo of the Kurdish issue. Inside the UN, Guterres’ Global Censor Alison Smale, now leaving in August, used a false complaint of Inner City Press daring to cover events in the Turkish Lounge as one of the few bases in her no due process ouster order of Inner City Press, now in its 321st day. We’ll have more on this.

Kuwait is a member of the Security Council, for seven more months, and heard what was said in the UNSC on May 13. Even the sanitized Lowcock and handpicked NGO version was troubling. But now on May 30 the Amir of Kuwait and the Crown Prince, Al-Sabah, told cabled congratulations and best wishes to 37 year ruler now killer Paul Biya. Kuwait’s mission to the UN, when Inner City Press was roughed up and banned from entering the UN amid its questions about Guterres’ performance, opined that “as long as UNCA is against you, nothing will change.” So much for freedom of the press: UNCA has had a president who gave an UN/CA screening to Sri Lanka government’s war crimes denial film, a photo op to UN briber Ng Lap Seng, and now has Chinese state media judging its “journalism” awards for UN coverage – no reporting on Chinese UN bribery, nor mention of the exclusion of Taiwanese journalists from the UN, etc allowed! We’ll have more on this.

On the other hand, publicly (mis) funded Voice of America which has Guterres favored access to the UN ran an article about the Arria meeting not by its UN correspondent but by another, who now writes about the Cameroon military with NO MENTION of its killings in the SW and NW of the country, or even abuses of civilians in the North. This is from VOA: “A Cameroon military engineering corps compactor is constructing a portion of the road linking its northern border town of Kousseri to the Chadian capital Ndjamena and Borno state in northeastern Nigeria. Colonel Jackson Kamgain, director of Cameroon military engineering corps, says they re-launched the World Bank-sponsored project in March 2018 after it had been abandoned for four years. He said since independence in 1961, the Cameroon military engineering corps has participated actively in the development of all localities and insures that major projects in conflict zones are not abandoned unlike in many other countries where military engineering departments concentrate only on making access easy for troops in areas of war or conflicts.” Why are taxpayers funding this? Or VOA after it lobbied UN Stephane Dujarric to oust Inner City Press? We’ll have more on this.

Because it was an informal meeting and the proponents would not answer questions and Antonio Guterres’ UN has yet to provide requested information to Inner City Press, it has allowed Paul Biya’s government to claim, in effect, that no meeting took place: “Some member states of the United Nations Security Council had an informal meeting on Monday to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Anglophone region of Cameroon. A communiqué issued by the Cameroonian Ministry of External Relations however denied reports of a UN Security Council Meeting on the Anglophone region crisis. According to the communiqué no such meeting is scheduled. The communiqué further stated that, this meeting was a ‘’ free consultation entirely outside of the Council on the initiative of certain members who are interested in the humanitarian situation in Cameroon.’‘ It further added that outcomes of this meeting will not be binding on the government since the meeting was informal as specified by Cameroon’s diplomacy.”

The meeting ended without any outcome, after Paul Biya’s longtime Ambassador Tommo Monthe lashed out at social media as UNSG Antonio Guterres does. Monthe told Inner City Press, as it asked about Biya cutting the Internet in the Anglophone zones, that Inner City Press could get thrown out of the UN. And it was, by Guterres, now 321 days and counting.

(Inner City Press went and began interested at the Ambazonia / Southern Cameroons demonstration in the 47th Street park.

Culled from Inner City Press

22, May 2019

Southern Cameroons Crisis: The “Monarch” is Sick ⁰

For many months now, there has been speculation about the health of Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, who is hardly seen in public these days. There was even rumour that Mr. Biya, also known as the “monarch”, had died.

But Monday’s celebration of the country’s national day did not only confirm that Mr. Biya was still alive, it also proved that the monarch was in bad shape and was rapidly losing his mind.

Though a source at the Presidency had informed the Cameroon Concord News Group that he was gradually losing his mind, there were doubts as to the authenticity of that information.

However, a short video of the “monarch’s” wife forcing him to wave at the crowd during Monday’s event clearly confirmed that the man who once thought he was only second to God was clearly suffering from Alzheimer- a progressive mental deterioration that occurs in middle or old age, due to generalised degeneration of the brain. It is the commonest cause of premature senility and it is without a cure.

On the surface, Mr. Biya looked radiant, but underneath the foundation that had been applied to his face, is a huge story of agony, sorrow and pity. Mr. Biya who is also battling prostrate cancer and a failing heart is going through the toughest moments of his life. His failing health is affecting those around him and this has hit his wife like a ton of bricks.

She too is rapidly going down the hill. Over the last six months, she has lost more than 50kg and her hair has been falling off at a breath-taking speed. There are speculations that she could be suffering from a more dangerous form of cancer and her rapid weight loss seems to buttress this allegation.

Many of Mr. Biya’s close collaborators hold that the Southern Cameroons crisis that has resulted in the death of some 3,000 civilians has had a huge impact on Mr. Biya’s declining health.

A source close to the Yaounde strong man alleges that he regrets lots of things and he holds that the issue could have been handled differently if he had not listened to hawks in his government. The regrets are made all the more challenging by the increasing pressure from the United States, Canada and UK who are working behind the scenes to ensure that the monarch yields to their demand for the creation of a federal system in Cameroon.

Also, another source at the Presidency that elected anonymity has also said that Mr. Biya’s health is a major concern not only to his relatives, but also to his collaborators.

He added that the ailing monarch was supposed to go to Switzerland for proper treatment last month, but the information was leaked to the Diaspora and the plan was sabotaged, as members of the country’s Diaspora had announced that they would be disrupting things in Switzerland if he showed up in any of the Swiss hospitals.

“Mr. Biya is down. His health is failing him very fast. He does not even recognize those around him and this is causing many members of his government to be concerned. They know the end is near,” he said.

“All tweets you have been reading from Mr. Biya are written by his wife. She thinks Mr. Biya needs some inner peace and that could come from Cameroonians whom he has hurt so badly. The Biya family knows that the President will leave the country in a mess and this will be his legacy. Many Cameroonians will only remember him for the corruption, inefficiency and chaos that have become the hallmark of his government,” the source added.

“Mr. Biya knows that many Cameroonians have lost their lives in a war that is not even necessary. He understands that the solution to the Southern Cameroons crisis can only be found at the negotiating table and not in a battlefield, but he does not know how to come back to his words. He had declared that the form of the state was non-negotiable and that was what caused the situation to escalate. This is his greatest undoing and this is destroying him internally,” the source stressed.

“Cameroonians were right when they suspected that there was something cooking when Mr. Biya signed a presidential decree granting the Secretary-General at the presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, the right to sign any documents on his behalf but they simply did not know that the president’s health was fast deteriorating,” he pointed out.

“These days, it is hard to even see the president. He now lives like a recluse and his wife is the one issuing instructions on his behalf. Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh is simply the president and this has been decided by the president’s wife who is the face behind the mask. The choice of Ngoh Ngoh is not in error. He is Mrs. Biya’s relative and he is prepared to bend over backwards just to please her,” the source said.

“The president’s wife is keeping an eye on everything and she is ensuring that those she does not trust are elbowed out of the president’s inner circle. There are internal fights among those close to the president. It is obvious that a power struggle is in the offing in Cameroon. The Betis are scared of losing power. They are aware of the mess they have created in Cameroon and their fear is that the next president will not be from their ethnic group and he might come after them. This, to them, is very unsettling,” our source concluded.

Cameroon is at the crossroads. The multiple conflicts that are tearing the country apart might only get worse over the next couple of months. Boko Haram is intensifying its attacks in the north, Central African rebels are keeping the country’s army soldiers in the east of the country awake all night while Southern Cameroonians are not buying anything the country’s Prime Minister, Dion Ngute, is selling.

They argue that the government can never be trusted and that though Mr. Ngute is from Southern Cameroons, he has lost his credibility, as he has neither acknowledged the killing of fellow Southern Cameroonians nor even expressed regret for the government’s irresponsible actions.

His trip to the two English-speaking regions has not borne any real fruits, as the killing has continued and the burning of houses by government troops has intensified.

Besides, his call for dialogue and peace is clearly falling on deaf ears and he had announced that the government could discuss with all factions in the conflict except separatists. This has offended many and from the look of things, many Southern Cameroonians hold that any dialogue that does include separatists will be a total waste of time.

The Prime Minister’s trip does not seem to receive much support from outside. The Prime Minister did not offer much in terms of how the dialogue would be conducted and where it would be held. The Diaspora will be excluded from any dialogue if it will take place in Cameroon. The country’s Diaspora, especially Southern Cameroonians living abroad, does not trust the government. The arrest of some members of the country’s Diaspora at international airports in the country has given the government a very bad name.

Besides, the repatriation of many Cameroonians with dual nationality to countries whose passports they hold has upset many and made it hard for the government to be forgiven.

The government simply has a bad relationship with its Diaspora and if the Prime Minister is serious about holding a dialogue, his government must first release those in jail and then grant a general amnesty to all those who have played a rule in the crisis that has given the government a bloodshot eye.

While the Prime Minister is giving the impression that the Southern Cameroons crisis can be addressed, members of Mr. Biya’s inner circle are more concerned with a power struggle that is hurting the country’s economy and spreading corruption and intimidation.

For now, the “monarch” is more concerned about his health than that of the country. He has had many opportunities to exit the scene with pump and pageantry, but he has squandered every single opportunity and today, he is viewed by most Cameroonians as the villain that has brought untold hardship to his compatriots.

His war against Southern Cameroons is not popular with many East Cameroonians and this is gradually breaking the country along tribal and ethnic lines. If the transition is not properly handled, the country may implode when Mr. Biya exits the scene.

The world must keep and eye on Cameroon. A brutal inter-ethnic war is simmering underneath the surface. If Cameroon goes down that path, the entire sub-region will be brought down and the world will be left with a sticky situation on its hands. The time to arrest things is now. Postponing or pretending not to see what is happening in Cameroon is simply endorsing chaos that could be very expensive.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman and Editor-in-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group with files from Bamba Gaoussou in Yaounde

21, May 2019

We have our International boundaries, We have our flag, We have our anthem; Ambazonia VP ⁰

Fellow Ambazonians,
My dear brothers and Sisters,

Today, May 20th, the French neo-colonial regime of La Republique du Cameroun celebrated their National day. The day before Yesterday, talking to someone on ground zero, I was told the luck down was already activated. I sat back and closely watched what will happen today and you did it. 20th May is no more.

What I deduce from that is;
You are telling the world that Restoration of our statehood is the dearest thing in your hearts.
You are telling the world that it’s independence or resist forever.
You are telling the world that we know who we are and we cannot be cheated once more.
We have our International boundaries;
We have our flag.
We have our anthem.
We have enough resources to do business on our own.
We got our independence on the 21st April 1961 to take effect on the 1st of October 1961.

Now, we are asking the world that, what happened that we are where we are today? The UN, France and the United Kingdom should give us answers.
Fellow Ambazonians, We have seen our loved ones killed or torched, our homes, churches burned down.

My heart goes to you people of mile 8 Mankon and many who have lost loved ones and everything. Stay resilient because what the LRC military are doing can be summed up as the last kick of a dying horse. My team and I are willing to give any support we can at this time of crisis and will want to assure you that your homes will be rebuilt when this is over.

I want to commend the courage of the Christians of Ramah Church in mile 8, who despite the fact that their church building was burnt down, they held an open service yesterday and sang the song, higher we dey go. A song of hope for a better tomorrow May God bless you all.

My heart goes to that lady with 5 children that her late husband left her with. Their compound which was the only source of revenue for their sustenance was burned down completed. My fellow brothers and sisters, if you can offer her shelter or any kind of help, please do. I want to extend our gratitude to the gallant men and women of our self-defense forces, whom less than 3 years ago were mere students, teachers, farmers, bike rides and simple citizens, but today you are risking everything to protect the homeland.

On behalf of the people of Ambazonian, I want to say thank you for your dedication to the struggle and your effort to completely put 20th May in the graveyard. It was buried today. You have shown the world you have total control of homeland. My team and I pledge our total support to you and will make sure that you have what is needed to defend homeland responsibly.

My heart goes to the family of the baby who was shot today in Muyuka while Paul Biya celebrates. Take heart. His blood hasn’t been spilled in vain. I will work hard to make Buea a reality. I pray the Lord comfort you and all the bereaved in our land. To our chiefs, I say, you must not take any of the humiliation from this regime anymore. We are almost there and when we are there you will take your seats in our house of chiefs.

To our refugees in Nigeria especially Ogaga where there is a food problem, you shall be getting some support soon.

Fellow Ambazonians, I want to caution you not be carried away by distractions but rest assured, we are working very hard for you. Hard work means prosperity.
We have work to do not blackmailing others.
We have work to do, not to slandering others and putting us in hate groups.
We have work to do, not leading with lies and half-truths to bring fear or worry about the state of our revolution. This revolution is sound and safe in our hands and my team and I will stop at nothing to deliver.

Our revolution is repositioning in the right direction. A direction full of hope and with a resolve to bring us together for this last push to Buea. I count on your support to help my team and I push through. Ambazonia is first.

This revolution is all about you, less about me, we are in this together, Ambazonia first.
Long live the FRA,
Short live the struggle.

21, May 2019

Saudi- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Congratulates Biya on National Day ⁰

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of congratulations to President Paul Biya of the Republic of Cameroon on the occasion of his country’s National Day.

In his own name and on behalf of the Government and the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the King wished the President constant good health and happiness and the Government and people of the Republic of Cameroon steady progress and prosperity.

Source: SPA

21, May 2019

Belarus hopes to significantly expand cooperation with Yaounde ⁰

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has sent greetings to Cameroon President Paul Biya as the country celebrates National Day, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.

The head of state emphasized the interest in the development of Belarus-Cameron relations across the board.

“I am convinced that by joint efforts we will manage to bolster friendly bilateral ties and significantly expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” the message of greetings reads.

Source: BelTA’s

21, May 2019

Boston: A Cameroonian Priest Speaks of His Journey with Pope Benedict XVI ⁰

Revered Father Maurice Agbaw-Ebai became Mamfe Diocese first priest to obtain a PhD in Sacred Theology in Boston College, USA. A former student of St. Joseph’s Primary School in Mamfe town, Government Bilingual Secondary School and Government High School Mamfe in Manyu, Fr Maurice Agbaw-Ebai comes from a family of 8.

In this conversation with Cameroon Concord News Group he paid particular regards to the Bishop of the Mamfe Diocese, His Lordship Bishop Andrew Nkea, his family and friends for their support to him over the years on his journey towards priesthood.

Fr Maurice Agbaw-Ebai had served as Secretary to Bishop Emeritus Francis Lysinge and also moonlighted as Chancellor of the Mamfe Diocese and as our Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai commented occasions like this don’t happen that often in the life of a family.

Cameroon Concord News: Tell us about this today?

Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai: Today, May 18, 2019, is Commencement day for Boston College. In this context, I received today the Doctorate in Sacred Theology, with humble pride.

Cameroon Concord News: How did you come to this day?

Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai: Through the antecedent and consequent grace of God! It is a day that has been long in the making! My journey with Ratzinger/Benedict XVI began with my undergraduate theological studies at Hekima College, Jesuit School of Theology, Nairobi, Kenya. I could say that it has taken fourteen years to get to this day. I did my Licentiate in Theology on Ratzinger, specifically his Ecclesiology, that is, his theology of the Church. I found in Ratzinger a steady and sure compass for my own theological orientation. When my Bishop asked me to do a doctorate, it appeared naturally to me to continue along the theological path with Ratzinger.

Cameroon Concord News: What is the central question of your doctorate dissertation?

Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai: I studied the philosophical framework thanks to which one can arrive at a deeper understanding of the Christological and the Ecclesiological underlining presuppositions and convictions of Joseph Ratzinger, especially in the light of post-modern secular reinterpretations of the figure of Jesus of Nazareth and the community called the Church.

Cameroon Concord News: Could you describe the main findings of your study?

Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai: Summarily, I found out that to understand Ratzinger’s Christo-Ecclesiology requires contextualizing Ratzinger in the hermeneutical framework of the Aufklärung, that is, the German Enlightenment, especially the figures of Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche and Heidegger. Of course, the starting point is Descartes’ Discourse on Method, which marks the beginning of modern philosophy, though of French origin. Then Kierkegaard too, of Danish origin, comes into the scene. I couldn’t convince my dissertation supervisor and dissertation committee members of the ratio-character of Kierkegaard as a proto-Ratzingerian, because they tended to see Kierkegaard as fideistic. But I hope to argue for the contrary in my post-doctoral work. These sentiments of the philosophical context of Ratzinger’s thoughts are captured in the topic of my doctoral thesis: The Aufklärung as the Hermeneutical Framework of the Christo-Ecclesiology of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI.

Cameroon Concord News: We know your home diocese of Mamfe is really proud of you and this achievement….

Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai: After the defense of my doctoral thesis on April 25, 2019, I received a very generous email from my Bishop, Mgr. Andrew Nkea. He described what has happened as a milestone in my life and in the life of the Diocese of Mamfe. I felt that was very gracious. In addition, Fr. Marcel Sang, a priest of my diocese, was present for the defense. In him, I felt the support of the Presbyterium of my diocese. It was beautiful that he came all the way from Rome to be present at my defense. Fr. Edmund Ugochukwu too was present. He is a priest of Mamfe in spirit, even if juridically he belongs elsewhere. Mamfe Diocese to me is the fairest daughter of Zion. Everything is from her and everything leads to her.

Cameroon Concord News: What next for you Dr. Agbaw-Ebai?

Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai: (laughs) I really do not think I am comfortable with the title “Dr.” To me, the most esteemed title is that I am called “Fr.” Do you know even my mother calls me “Fr”! It is awesome. That means the world to me. And I think it is the same with all priests. To respond to your question: My bishop, Mgr. Andrew Nkea, has asked me to do another degree in Philosophy. I have to continue working on that. I have always been fascinated by atheism, especially in its theoretical form. If God does not exist, says the Russian Dostoevsky, then everything is possible! Even Nietzsche’s Übermensch is a logical consequence of the death of God.But what kind of a world results from the death of God? Even in Nietzsche, the reaction is ambivalent. After the Churches have become the sepulchers of God, what is left of the human being? What is left, even of God? What kind of God dies? The God of theodicy? The God of metaphysics? The God of religious dogma? Is it necessary for the God of theodicy to die in order for the God of religious experience who suffers and love to rise? Can God return? What is the possibility of the return of God? Can there be a dialectical and existential rapprochement between theism, atheism and anatheism? These are some of the questions that I am considering in my philosophy project. I know this might sound shocking to you: I turn to be deeply fascinated by the thought of atheism, by the promises that it offers. But don’t get me wrong! I believe in the God of Jesus Christ, even if with a small faith! Adauge nobis fidem, I turn to say to the Lord! And perhaps that small faith is enough for the Lord!

In addition, I have my job as a professor at Boston College. Recently, there is the discernment about me going as a visiting lecturer at St. Mary’s University, Minnesota, to teach a course on the major themes of Ratzinger’s theology. Then there is the work of the Benedict XVI Institute for Africa, which is planning two theological conferences this year, in Chicago in October, and at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, in November. Finally, with the permission of the Bishop of Mamfe, Boston is asking to administer a parish. I find this really interesting because it will be the first time that I will be a “resident pastor.” I have always been an assistant, in three parishes in Boston, at Newton, Medford and Georgetown. Now, I am being asked to move to another town. I hope I can help the community to deepen their friendship with Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. So, summarily, these are the things that will keep me busy and out of trouble (laughs), that is, working in the academia as a professor, while providing pastoral care to my new parish community. I count on your prayers.

Cameroon Concord News: Any last word?

Maurice Ashley Agbaw-Ebai: Gratitude. Gratitude to God. Gratitude to my mother and family. Gratitude to Mamfe Diocese for all that I have become today. Gratitude to the priests of Mamfe. Gratitude to Bishop Lysinge, my first pastor and father. Gratitude to Bishop Andrew Nkea, who has done so much for me more than I could ever have imagined, especially given what he has asked me to do or permitted me to do.Gratitude to my seminary classmates. Gratitude to the parishes and peoples with whom I have worked and shared my life with here in the Archdiocese of Boston. Gratitude to Fr. Christian Mofor (RIP). I believe his legacy lives on. I am sure he must be very happy that I am finally doing a degree in philosophy. He always wanted that. And finally, gratitude to Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, for shaping my life in ways beyond all telling. Best wishes and God’s abundant blessings to the readers of Cameroon Concord News Group.

By John Tanyi Lebui