BY NDIMUH B. SHANCHO
“Paul Biya will answer for the role he has played as the head of state of a people of God. The people of every country are the people of God; God created them. Every power comes from God and they must exercise such power with fear,” Christian Wiyghan Tumi, Archbishop Emeritus of Douala said on state television in a programme that also had other religious leaders like the Executive President of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, Reverend Doctor Cham Godwill and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Reverend Fonki Samuel, to talk on the role of the church in peace building.
Drawing inspiration from Romans 13, the CBC boss, Rev. Dr. Cham said citizens are required to obey the state because those who sit in government offices are God’s servants though drifting to circular things because of evil intentions.
Attributing the present status quo in the country to loss in moral values, the men of God called the state to listen and not fight against the church. “When they announce recruitment over your station, they always say candidates must have a certain number of papers at the Advanced Level excluding religion; it’s a fight against us. You are telling the children religion is not so important and it portrays your ignorance” Cardinal Christian Tumi said.
Supporting Cardinal Tumi’s assertion, the Moderator of PCC regretted that societal morals have descended down the drain with religious leaders only called to the scene when things are getting out of hand. “When things are bad, that is when they call religious leaders to come and offer ecumenical prayer sessions for the nation. When things are moving on the way they want it to be, the truth is not recognized,” he said, adding that the church offers the truth and reality, and prays for everyone; the good and the bad.
Underscoring the need for the state to partner with the church to change the present dispensation, the PCC boss said “politicians are our Christians, we have had retreat with key politicians in our churches to tell them they are Christian politicians and their attitude towards politics should be guided by the word of God.”
Regarding the role of the church in building peace in Cameroon, Rev. Dr. Cham Godwill of CBC noted that the church has been doing a lot for peace through prayers, relief efforts and suggestions to the state. “We have constituted delegation after delegation and even as individuals to sit and talk to the authorities that be. Unfortunately, what we said should be done for the crisis to come to an end were redundant. Even before the government launched relief efforts, the church has been reaching out through benevolence and that number is only increasing,” he expounded.
On his part, Cardinal Tumi indicated that the church was involved in building peace“even at a time when some ministers did not believe that there was a problem”. He added that a-400-page with a telegraphic summary of 8 pages intended for the president, has been handed to the Prime Minister as the contribution of the church to solving the crisis.
He regretted that it’s only now that the government is looking at the causes of a crisis that stated three years ago. In a rather metaphoric style, the Cardinal said if you are sick, the first thing is to go to the hospital for the doctor to look for the cause of your sickness, otherwise, they will continue treating the effects and the cause will continue producing more effects.