By Noela EBOB BISONG
At the moment, one would get confused whether the PCC (Presbyterian Church in Cameroon) is a religious outfit or rather a strong political party where power tussle, witch-hunting, back biting, accusations and counter accusations and insult trading are the order of the day.
However, it is yet another election eve, and such waywardness, unfortunately, is symbolic of election periods in the denomination.
The fights are fierce even amongst former allies; the camps are broad and the anger, hatred and name calling simply relegate the Word of God, the Truth, Light and Humility of Jesus Christ as well as the presence of the Holy Spirit to the background.
But what are they fighting for?
The outgoing Moderator of the PCC, Rt. Rev. Samuel Fonki Forba who has managed the Christian body in the last 10 years has been urged to resign before the next election.
Amongst several outings by some Christians including his predecessor, Most Reverend Dr Festus Assana, Rev. Fonki is said to have failed in his mission to shepherd the Church. His election 10 years ago was spiced with much antagonism, now totally similar to his exit.
Last October 2, a group of 15 PCC Christians, said to be bona fide Presbyterians, (made up of former members of the Synod Exco, members of Board of Trustee, elders, including such as Barr. Nico Halle, Senator Matute, Prince Ndoki Mukete, Epie’Ngome Victor etc), in a piece titled: “Call for overhaul of PCC electoral process, outlined nine preoccupations and 10 recommendations, urging the Moderator to resign.
“That you should be encouraged to save what is left of the image of the Church by resigning for the sake of peace, before the anger you have provoked reaches flashpoint”, they recommended.
The group also urged for the resignation of all Presbyterial Secretaries as well as the Synod Committee and Board of Trustees.
They further recommended that, “A Crisis Committee of upright Christians should be appointed with terms of reference to run the Church until a new management is elected in the months to come. That such a committee shall oversee the designation of a new Electoral Commission to replace the toadies whom you handpicked and who remain comfortable under your thumb.”
“The present letter focuses on saving the upcoming election. We are holding back further recommendations while investigating and documenting a wide range of other alleged abuses and criminal acts and counting on the collaboration of Presbyterians of good faith”, they concluded, while urging the Moderator to respond within 72 hours, “failing which we reserve the right to choose the next line of action.”
While a clear response from the Moderator had not been released at press time, a reaction by a certain Abang Ignatius has further heightened the drama. The SUN cannot independently confirm under what authority Abang reacts, but his choice of words and the perceived tone of his reaction, drives every reader to anything else but the Church of Jesus Christ.
Pointing out that the group acted in outright illegality, Abang states that, “This is very interesting that a group of some unfounded and unconstituted persons with very controversial and inconsequential status passing for PCC Christians should expose and ridicule themselves this way. A simple question is, can they situate themselves within the constitutional framework of the PCC that gives them the legality, legitimacy and audacity to make such an address to the Moderator, Presbyterial Secretaries and Electorial Commission asking that they should resign? The answer is that they do not have any legal basis supported by the PCC Constitution giving them that audacity and right. Which Committee or Board of the PCC do they belong? They can simply be considered as a group of misguided schemers or gangsters.”
He further questions that “How can a gang of about 15 Christians, some of whom have not given their consent to this thrash be asking a Moderator elected by over 900 points and supported by more than 1.5 million Presbyterians to resign?
While describing Rt. Rev. Samuel Fonki as an innocent soul, Abang states: “This is unrelenting effort to tarnish the image of one of the greatest achievers of the PCC who has transformed the Church to unprecedented levels, both spiritually and infrastructurally in the midst of the destabilising unprecedented crises like the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions and the COVID 19.”