The Origins of Creation And The Bantus: Part 2

Louis Egbe Mbua

Living Lights are of the opinion that a diversified opinionated society is the vital ingredient to the advancement of that community. In March, this year, a debate happened amongst Cameroonians, in camnetwork as to the validity of Darwin’s theories of evolution; and which was published, partly, in the same month, in this Forum. It is the opinion of this writer that the ideas posed were of a high level; and that this should be circulated to the wider public as it seems that these varied opinions have wider implications than would be imagined in everyday assumptions of life. Publishing ideas directly connected to other people is a daunting task. However, one is hard-pressed: choosing between what the wider public ought to know; and what one may consider an information resource bordering on the irrelevance. More so, at a time of world integration when men and women are not confined to their ancestral communalities and tribal clans; and when every man, woman and child have a reasonable access to information in this day and age of technological revolution, this is of relevance. Technological revolution on its own is not new. Different periods of the epic of world existence have seen their own strides of advances. Yet, what is presented here is of a different and extraordinary era. Although the world may or may not recognise its significance, Living Lights are fully convinced that such dispatches of knowledge may be adventitious to human advancement.

In this publication, men and women who have the temerity to put forward their views in the context of the subject matter have their writings embellished as the writer perceives; but not entirely to expunge their very core views and values on the development of man. Participants who did not wish to be named in this article have their wishes respected; and Living Lights would do their best to disseminate their ideas in pure prose. It was the last publication that dealt on the Origins of the Bantus; but has been extended to the Origins of Humans; and so, one is expected to concentrate on the asseveration of the presiding anonymous:

Anonymously, the written statement attributable to a debater who quoted and asked for clarifications: a question asked to throw more light on the subject at hand.

“That is based on Darwinian assumption that man began from animals which has been proven to be a fraud.”

and asked:

"Could you elaborate?”

Before then, Living Lights had written:

The "pre-historic times" did not exist. That is based on Darwinian assumption that man began from animals which has been proved to be a fraud. So who recorded the "pre-history”? Man or beast? How can one talk of pre-history when they were not there?


Mr. Godlove Mburlih dived into the debate from a different angle: questioning the origins of man as given in the book of Genesis with a quotation from an earlier posting:

"The most credible origin of species, especially male and female -- is recorded in Genesis Chapter 1 of the Holy Bible."

Do you really believe that God took out a left rib from the man and produced a woman with it ? And that he ordered in light and day? Then what about the different time zones? And the virgin birth without fertilization of sperm and egg? That Noah living somewhere in the middle east suddenly had a collection of all animal samples to fill in his lone ark for preservation from the flood? Many more questions but the believers always say "just believe" because the Bible says so. Let them first convince the doubters about God being the writer of the Bible or do they say the conspirator?

Living Lights had this answer to Godlove’s enquiries ending with the verve of the rhetorician:

I stated that it is the most credible origin of species. There are other competing theories on human origins. However, the narrative that has evidence is biblical. Why? Because we are self-evident; and that we know that light comes from the Sun and stars. These were recorded in Genesis Chapter 1 before the dawn of modern Science or Hubble Telescope. So who is Greater? Hubble Telescope or God who says he made all in the first place and in the very beginning? Why would God lie? He has no reason to do so at all. Who then is the Greater Scientist? God or Man?

Dr. Val Ngwa further questioned the origins of species as put forward by Living Lights with this informative article on the origins the lexicon genetics writing:

Genesis and Genetics are derived from the Greek work Genetikos meaning 'origin'. We should not forget that the old testament in which Genesis is ascribed to and belongs is but one book; and was written NOT in Greek, but Hebrew. And in Hebrew, the book is called 'Breishit'. Genetics as a science did not stem from the biblical book of Genesis!!

Comment from Living Lights: If Genesis has as roots in Origin, then one may infer that this is the origin of species; and if the word Genetics also stems from Origin, as Dr. Ngwa intimated, then we may arrive at the conclusion that the two words are intertwined and mean one and the same thing. It is quite possible that before creation, God created the Genes first and then put it into the created cells before the process of creation of Man. This is the same process that occurs today as for a person to be conceived, genes must first be introduced into the zygote before growth begins and the child is born to continue growing to adulthood.

The debate then went deeper when the validity of the Bible as a scientific book was challenged; and the fact that humans lived for more than 900 years was of interest to some debaters as some thought it impossible: of which Living Lights gave the following answer:

The Bible is, firstly, a spiritual Book; and a scientific document. Everybody is free to read the Bible including non-Christians. I do not accept Darwin's theories on the origins of life but I will recommend it for reading for exposure. Similarly, people do not have to be Muslims to read the Koran.

Coming to the origins of the universe and humans, Genesis Chapter 1 describes the process of the seasons; that it is controlled by the movement of the stars; and we today know that the earth's 365 day revolution around the sun brings about the seasons; and that he sun is a star in the Solar System.

I do not doubt Darwin's intellect. However, the normal scientific procedure as we well know is to propose a hypothesis; and the go on to substantiate it with practical evidence. This has not been done in the Darwinian case. Digging up old monkeys and then displaying them as scientific proof of man's origin does not constitute scientific proof. Who says these are humans in the first place?

Revisiting apparent doubts on the longetivity of the patriarchs, it is also revealed in biblical texts that that length of years was reduced in a significant proportion if not an exponent. For instance, Adam lived 939 years while the Bible states that Abraham lived 175 years. Today, it is recorded that people can live at most 120 years. This is also recorded in the Bible long before modern science can determine logetivity. These are all evidence to prove the Origins of Species.

Professor James Ashu had his own ideas on Darwinism and God. Answering Benns Awaah who questioned man’s origins, he wrote:

Darwin's theory of evolution is as troubling as the biblical story of creation. Nonetheless there is a very big difference between the two.

First, the theory of evolution is just a theory. It means there is a lot of evidence that tends to support a certain set of concepts. There is no proof yet. That is why scientists are still looking for the proof. More and more evidence is being found everyday to support the theory and scientists do not hide the fact that it remains just a theory. The day there is conclusive evidence, you may no longer hear of the "theory of evolution." You may hear of the "law of evolution”. Let us keep waiting and allow scientists to work. Some scientists may even disprove the theory. We should still wait for that also. So far I have heard only of protests; no "disproof".

As concerns the bible, I am more worried. One just has to believe. No questions. If you ask questions you will go to hell. But it is difficult not to ask questions. One such question is this: (Preamble): After God created Adam and Eve, they had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel. Then God punished Cain to a life of wandering. Cain wandered to the country of Nord and took a wife. (We should keep in mind that after the death of Abel, there was left only three people on earth, Adam, Eve, and Cain). Now the question: Were there more creations than one? (Otherwise there would not be a fourth person on earth, not to talk of having a country).

My brother, those are questions that keep some of us worried. Every religion has its own story of creation. Should we believe in any of them? It depends upon the individual. I am rather more comfortable with the theory of evolution. It is scientific. Some day somebody may disprove it. But for now, that is what I believe in.

Of which the Living Lights responded rigorously:


No evidence has ever been found. What they call "pre-historic" humans they keep digging up are not humans. They are a species of monkeys that have died out for various reasons. It is like saying an African and a European are a line of evolution. They are just a variety of the same specie and have nothing to do with evolution.

And then Prof Ashu wrote:

"The day there is conclusive evidence, you may no longer hear of the "theory of evolution”. You may hear of the "law of evolution"."

Well, we are waiting for that day. The day we see will be able to witness a Chimpanzee transform into a man in our lifetime, then we will know that the hour of our "salvation" has come. My informed opinion is that that hour will never arrive

Again Professor Ashu said:


"So far I have heard only of protests; no "disproof"."

People cannot disprove something that does not exist in reality. How is one to disprove that a Chimpanzee cannot become a man? The disproof is there before our very eyes. It's like saying that one should disprove the theory that one can actually jump from the earth to the moon using his physical strength. Well, how is one to disprove that? It has never occurred. The only disproof is that it has never been done.

And Again:

"Then God punished Cain to a life of wandering. Cain wandered to the country of Nord and took a wife. (We should keep in mind that after the death of Abel, there was left only three people on earth, Adam, Eve, and Cain). Now the question: Were there more creations than one? "

The the Bible also recorded that Adam lived for more than 900 years. We can agree that since the year 1000 AD to 2000 AD, we would have had more than 10 generations of people on earth in our own era. So, Adam must have had his tenth generation Grand Children. Surely, Cain could have had a wife from at least the second generation or even the first because Adam and Eve also had daughters and son after Cain killed his brother Abel.

There concluded our debate. There are other participants who engaged in this interesting debate but what has been presented so far is a sample of participation. Living Lights wish to thank all those who took part and owner of camnetwork group; and all who gave me the permission to publish their ideas in this Forum.

20th May Cameroon: The Age of Reason and Unreason

Former Seat Of Government, Buea, Federated State of West Cameroon

Courtesy of http://www.flckr.com/

Louis Egbe Mbua

It crossed my mind that the exact reasons for the formulation of this day in Cameroon nationhood has not been fully examined with a very fine lens. This day is a blessing to a few elite Cameroonians, a mixed blessing for a majority Cameroonians and a great political, social and economic misfortune and disaster for a significant minority. The three groups at play here are: the Cameroon elite – this includes groups from both the English-speaking (Southern Cameroons or Federated State of West Cameroon) and French Speaking (La Republique du Cameroun or Federated State of East Cameroon.) regions; the gross majority of the Cameroon masses who are French-Speaking from La Republique du Cameroun; and the final unfortunate English-speaking Cameroonians from minority Southern Cameroons. In between these fundamental groups are other tribal geopolitical factors which will not be examined here: as it is of minor significance in relation to the creation of The Federated States of the Cameroons on the 1st of October 1961.

President Ahidjo had failed to implement the legal requirements of the United Nations: to implement the terms of the February 1961 plebiscite; but rather had used subterfuge, deceit and other politically motivated cunning schemes to co-opt elite Southern Cameroons politicians from Buea, the Capital of Southern Cameroons, to Yaoundé, the Capital of La Republique du Cameroun. Although there was a meeting in Foumban in July 1961 to finalise the Federation, it ended inconclusively because any agreements that could have been reached would have been practically and legally inapplicable as Southern Cameroons was still a UN Trust Territory; and that only the UN could sanction any agreement between the two states. But since Ahidjo had a Union des Populations Camerounais (UPC) guerrilla war on his hands, he thought it would be easier to call for national “unity” between the two states rather than risk a legalistically powerful Southern Cameroons that had the powers and political will to have opposed his absolute brutality in putting down the UPC Rebellion and other acts of genocide.

Buea, at the time, was a very powerful political base to launch any challenge against Ahidjo – both in policies and his political position. Worse, Ahidjo, having come to power by questionable undemocratic means in East Cameroon, feared that Southern Cameroonian politicians will demand that he subjected himself to popular democratic vote as was the custom in their own part of the country. The state was then set for an unreasonable move that would spiral the country into the brink of disintegration almost 50 years later.

Ahidjo, therefore, instead of doing what was right and just to the entire Federation, being in a position of strength as opposed to the trust territory of Southern Cameroons, decided to disregard international law, impose a constitution onto the people of Southern Cameroons who never democratically deliberated on it in the first place, as was their tradition at the time, brought in his army who had been in brutal confrontation with the UPC Guerrillas in East Cameroun; and went on to harass the people of Southern Cameroons into submission and unconstitutionality.

Meanwhile, he had brought over or bought over -- depending on one’s point of view -- seasoned Southern Cameroons politicians such as Nzo Ekangaki, John Ngu Foncha who was Prime Minister of Southern Cameroons, Prof Bernard Fonlon and a host of top level Southern Cameroonians to Yaoundé. Again, this was an illegal and unconstitutional sham that continues to be this day. Yaoundé had and has never been democratically approved as the capital of Southern Cameroons people or the Federation: so quite why the Prime Minister of Southern Cameroons, Dr. Foncha, would have accepted the position of Vice President of the Cameroon Federation without the peoples approval is open to debate. The main suggestion as to this Southern Cameroon political folly may be grounded on personal political profiteering.

So in 1972, when Ahidjo abrogated the illegal constitution, it meant very little to him as he had no legal right to rule in the Southern Cameroons. To "legalise" this constitutional Coup D'Etat, he concocted a fraudulent referendum for the entire Federation in complete violation of the terms of the plebiscite. Thus, Ahidjo’s 1972 act was a forgone conclusion because he had never fulfilled the UN and plebiscite terms in the first place. So, there we have it: a Southern Cameroons (and French Cameroun) elite who enjoyed and continue to enjoy the trappings of power in a foreign capital but kept and continue to keep their eyes away from the big picture: their people in Southern Cameroons and the depletion of political savvy hands from Buea and their own country; thus rendering their own capital and country a reduced powerbase and a shadow of its political self to this day.

Although Dr. Endeley and Bobe Jua had remained behind, Buea’s days as a renowned democratic capital in Africa were over: The Houses of Parliament and Chief, having been bypassed by Ahidjo in the watch of the elite now ensconced or promised to be given positions in Yaoundé, was now finished.

Ahidjo and the Francophone elite, therefore, now had the opportunity to work and examine the skills and ability of the West Cameroon elite in Yaoundé in their own turf and on their own terms. Reduced in power and carriers of water, and knowing full well that their presence there was illegal and unwarranted by the East Cameroon elite, the Francophones now applied their full rights upon them; and making it very clear that Southern Cameroonians were second to them irrespective of qualifications. There were arguments in offices in Yaoundé as to whether Southern Cameroonians were equal to East Cameroonians as a people within the Federation.

Nevertheless, Ahidjo and his coterie of Francophones knew that they were no match in qualifications and experience to West Cameroonians. This being the case, he had considered this a threat to his own country East Cameroun; and the West Cameroon elite a threat to his own political position as an absolute ruler. As a result it seems that the only way Ahidjo were to eliminate this threat, once and for all, was to annex the state of West Cameroon, one of the Federated states. As he had bought or brought over the West Cameroon elite, he knew or calculated -- quite rightly -- that they would not dare oppose him. Ahidjo then went forward and performed an international criminal act by abolishing a state that was internationally recognised; which he is not a citizen; and where his rule was illegal. That is the reason for 20th of May in Cameroon’s annals. It is not a National day nor is it an Independence Day. It is the day when people applied their reason to create chaos, commit a crime and allow unreason to flourish and illegality to prevail in Cameroon to this day; and why thieves run Cameroon today.

Ahidjo’s unreasonable political machinations didn’t end there. He had, unlike the Southern Cameroons elite who had deserted Buea and their own people, foreseen the huge economic potential in Southern Cameroons in terms of social, economic and human resources: for the United Nations and the British had laid a very strong educational, economic, political and administrative foundation in the country embedded in the rule of law and fair play; and the minds of the people of Southern Cameroons. In this wise, Ahidjo knew it would have been impossible to exploit these resources without him being referred to the Southern Cameroons parliament or being prosecuted in Buea if he were to allow the West Cameroon state to exist, or taken to the International Court of Justice for trial. So, the only way he could extract these resources to augment his impoverished and war-torn country was to act illegally by annexing the West Cameroon state. And that is what he did in 1972, 20th of May the day when political, economic and social madness took hold in Cameroon; and the day the age of unreason began.

Ahidjo -- and his partners in crime went further – closing down airports, seaports, and other important institutions such as the West Cameroon Parliament; and the West Cameroon National Electricity Board. All resources from Southern Cameroons as from that period ontowards ended up in Yaoundé and Douala to this day: making the Francophone Middle class rich while impoverishing Southern Cameroonians. Power now resides in the hands of Francophones who now determine, illegally, what Southern Cameroonians should do, say or what positions they should occupy in their own country. They monopolise the oil industry which is mostly in Southern Cameroons and discriminate against the inhabitants of Victoria, steal lands from indigenous Bakweri and commit all kinds of crimes against the people of Southern Cameroons. While French Cameroonian middle classes and the political elite can celebrate their loot, the Southern Cameroonian people must mourn this day as the day when unreason replaced reason. Consequently, this day of unreason must be overthrown in Cameroon to be replaced by a legally binding date – if any Union is to continue -- so that reason and law may reign: for peace, stabilty and justice to prevail in that country.

Lewis Hamilton Caught in F1 Political Storm

Lewis Hamilton and girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussy Cat Doll

Louis Egbe Mbua

British Formula One hero Lewis Hamilton appears to be losing his appetite for high-octane high- speed pursuits. According to London’s Evening Standard, Hamilton is unhappy with the political wrangling of the Formula One bosses who appear to put politics before car driving. Although Hamilton claims that this does not affect his driving, it seems these political infightings are adversely affecting his driving performance on the track.

From the very beginning he has been subjected to shameless racism during the Spanish Grand Prix for the last two years. This may not have seemed important at the time but for a man of 22, at the time, this may have had profoundly cumulative long term psychological effect on his work.

Young people are normally prone to a fall of self-esteem and erosion of self-confidence when subjected to racial, verbal and physical abuse. Last week’s racist Spanish fans of the motor sport again re-ignited their naked racist taunts and caricature of Hamilton, as a Black man or a man of African descent, while the entire world took little steps to punish such disgraceful behaviour against a young man who is a role model for the entire world; and who has contributed so much in Motor sport.

Fans of Hamilton and the British government must protect their own role models; yet nothing has been done so far. The Formula One Tycoon, Bernie Eccleston, has sat tight-lipped; so too has been FIA President, Max Mosely. The entire sports community has an obligation to react strongly against Spain in other areas of sports. It should be recalled that the same racial abuse has been thrown at Cameroon’s indomitable Lion of Barcelona, Eto’o Fils Samuel. One begins to wonder whether Spain is now turning again into a fascist state as it were during the era of Dictator General Francisco Franco.

When a person engaging in such a profession of sports that requires high levels of concentration, is continuously insulted, it is clear that he would lose his concentration during an engagement or will lose appetite for the profession he loves. This, it appears, is affecting Hamilton’s position. In last week’s Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton arrived a distant ninth to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Nicole Sherzinger, who was clearly not amused. Furthermore, the F1 Champion has accumulated a mere 9 points, and 31 places behind Jenson Button who has now established himself as the leader of F1 for this season.

It is apparent that, save the racial psychological warfare waged against Hamilton, there are also political under-currents that are threatening to pull the rug under the champion. In the Australian Grand Prix in the beginning of the Formula One Season at Liargate, the Champion was inexplicably disqualified after coming First for “misleading” the Stewards. What this exactly entails is unclear. However, it seems Hamilton merely told the Stewards what his McLaren team managers advised him to say.

He is not an engineer nor is he a social scientist to know whether what he is being advised to say is true or untrue. On the other hand, whatever is meant by “misleading”, he came first and there is no reason to disqualify him. The culprits to have been punished are his managers and not him. He never broke any rules in the tracks. As a result, linking political clashes by bosses with a man’s achievement is entirely wrong. Hamilton should be re-instated and awarded his full points by Formula One as anything short is tantamount to cheating.

Last Season McLaren, Hamilton’s sponsor, was fined £65 million for “spying” on other manufacturers. What exactly constitutes spying in Formula One is anybody’s guess. Moreover, it looks like these controversies are only surfacing since the meteoric emergence of and spectacular successes on track by Hamilton. The conjecture, therefore, may be that Hamilton has threatened the White only Officialdom of Motor sport; and as a consequence, they have been thrown off balance; and now looking for excuses to hamper the progress of the F1 Superstar.

Hamilton yesterday described these political shenanigans as affecting his life and decried his disillusionment of Formula One; and that he is now in wrongful “imprisonment” of himself: a parlance for being captured prisoner of his own mammoth successes in track. The Champion should take heart and ride this storm; for that is what a champion is made of. A true champion is a fighter both in the ring and outside the ring. He should carefully study the rise and fall; and fall and rise; and rise of Mohammad Ali who possessed a similar monumental talent in boxing. He became the World Heavy Weight Boxing Champion at a similar age of 22 in a spectacular and surprise Victory in 1964. He was later caught up in a political storm almost certainly orchestrated by those who wanted to see him destroyed. He was imprisoned over his refusal, as a matter of principle, to fight in Vietnam. He came out and regained the title twice until his before his retirement. Hamilton may not be in a physical prison as was the case with Ali, but as a Black man, he must face these obstacles and overcome his imprisonment with more spectacular come backs.

The Interview at Sasse College.

Sasse College Main Building

By Louis Egbe Mbua


This is, as one may aptly designate: Mother's day week. Many well-wishers would be wondering why one should be talking about a purely boys-only school -- St. Joseph's College, Sasse. While this may sound a genuine enquiry, what many do not know is that women played a very significant part in the development of the College as an educational centre of excellence. In addition, this year 2009 marks the 70th Anniversary of that venerable institution. As a result, it is only too significant to celebrate Mother's Day, together with the 70th anniversary of the famous Sasse. Although I missed the anniversary celebrations within days in Cameroon, I believe stories and celebration about Sasse cannot fill 100000 books. So we must start from the very beginning.

It so happened that I was to attend the interview and Exam into Sasse College in the late 1970s. So there I was, fully excited to visit this legendary College. My teacher at Presbyterian Primary School in Tiko, Mr. Njume, was extremely proud and excited about sending one of his own to Sasse College. But little did I know the surprise and intellectual challenge that awaited me. Firstly, I knew this was a Boys-only zone and secondly, I presumed the interview would be a cake walk. Over-confident? Perhaps.

So there we go. I hated -- and still hate eating breakfast; eating in the morning is not my strength although I try to put up appearances these days. My Mother had forced me into a breakfast, possibly foreseeing the challenge I will face. So with my shinning uniform, ironed to stitches, I jumped into my uncle's car, who wound through the narrow roads that cut through the landscape of the Tole Tea plantations. Didn’t they inform me that Sasse is in Buea? What is this about Tole, going towards Victoria? Is this College within the Teal Estate? I wondered.

In any case, my uncle picked up one of his friends around Small Soppo. At least, we are now three of us men, I thought; so there is no reason for me to encounter any difficulties in this interview. We arrived at the College entrance; and to my great surprise, there were merely sparse buildings; and nobody could be found. Not until we ascended a steep hill that we arrived the Main Building: again nobody could be found to my dismay. Am I in the right place or What? I was questioning my little mind, when suddenly an elderly European lady emerged just off the College Chapel. I heard my uncle asked:

"Who is that woman?"

"She is called Mbamba. She teaches Physics", Said his friend as a matter-of-factly manner.

I said to myself: "What exactly does Physics constitute?"

And I thought this was a school for Boys? What, exactly, is a woman doing here teaching "Physics"? Nevertheless, the doubts were to be multiplied twice over when we arrived at the reception and again saw but two Nuns. Why didn't any person tell me that this place is controlled and run by women? Besides, where are the Boys anyway? This was developing into a kind of classic holywood movie script.

“I hope,” I mused, “I have not been hood-winked into an all-girls college; to my ultimate horror.” So, I was relieved when we were ushered into a room in the main building to complete a very thick application form; to discover that there were other boys who had earlier arrived for the same interview.

I will not discuss the interview because that was one of the most nerve-racking challenges I have ever encountered in my life. The questions and method were so hard and complicated that I was surprised that I managed to pass. Months later, after enrolling and being admitted into Sasse, I remembered the Nun who was an English Teacher; and I now studying the mysterious Physics:

Sister Lola: the respected Irish Nun;
Came to dine at the College refectory
Good retinue: prepared by men;
And: to discuss on College History.

I sat a yard or two away: eating;
She rose quietly from her own seat
And over to our own next table;
Our disposition: Comfortable.

On her face a polite disposition worn;
Her veil: in the right position worn
At the table: did she take her place;
And began to eat: at a slow pace.

I watched as she dipped her spoon;
On to the simple clear China plate,
And scooped a spoonful: to finish soon;
Since she had to rush: to her flat.

I watched as she finished her portion;
That was of a small proportion.
I realised she was not hungry;
But must acquaint the boys: as a duty.

I ventured to disturb her silence;
Asking a question: of importance.
She observed me with curiosity;
Since surprised was she by the enquiry.

I was only turning twelve years in age;
And my understanding was but feeble,
But I tried to gather more courage;
To insist on the question: that was simple.

I asked her on the subject about the College;
Why Sasse College attained such an adage.
Said she: that fides is the right answer;
Quarems and intellectum come after.

Happy Mother’s Day: and Happy 70th Anniversary of St. Joseph’s Colleges Sasse, Buea, Cameroon.

Fides Quarems Intellectum

NB: Some names have been changed to protect individual privacy.

Cameroon: Raiders of the Found Bounty

Louis Egbe Mbua

Confusion is reigning as to whether the Cameroon Minister of Communications, Jean-Pierre Biyiti bi Essam, actually carried huge bags of money on his back and on foot; to Gabon for the financial purpose of renting four giant televisions to the tune of at least £70,000 as reports have it: and that four burly men delivered those bags of money from the Cameroon treasury onto his residence; for the Pope's visit. Whatever the truth behind such hilarious financial transactions on a national level of a country, this particular incident appears to have fully exposed the country as being run and controlled by a purely incompetent bunch of maladroit au pouvoir de La Republique. When, recently, a month or two ago, the Head of the Catholic Church landed in Nsimalen Airport in Yaounde, Cameroon, the entire world was held spell-bound by the antics and fashion display of Madame Chantal Biya, La Premiere Grande Dame de La Republique. The entire international press were hypnotised by her sense of style and the reverence she held for the Pontiff. Much more recently, she exacted the same spell to the entire world on her visit to Los Angeles: cavorting with and upstaging famous for being famous heiress of the Hilton empire, the very Paris Hilton herself. It is not clear why the two society women took to each other but it seems that Hilton's Paris appellation may have caught the attention of La Grande Dame. On the other hand, it would be inappropriate to downplay Mrs. Biya's powerful persona, social talent, style and charisma. Well, that is all about it now.

The point to be made here does not dwell on fashion and style; but that it is apparent that a financial racket exists in Cameroon: perpetrated, pepetuated and promoted by a group of hard-core right-wing politicians at the apex of power in that nation. There are reports that people of power in Cameroon carry suit cases, evelopes or sacks of hard currency in cash when visiting foreign countries or when doing government business in the country. For a country with a GDP of about £20 billion, one of the largest in Africa, and with an outstanding portfolio of resources -- including the recently discovered huge diamond reserves -- this is an extremely disturbing finding. A tentative suggestion for such cavalier treatment of the peoples' finances can only be embedded in the miasma of endemic corruption; for this kind of operation to prevail.

Modern governments deal in bonds and cheques and not in cash in envelopes or bags. Moreover, there are self-confessed reports of government officials employing their personal bank accounts to handle these sacks of money in complete violation of business and public ehtics and regulations. It is common knowledge that those who are not wont to resist embezzlement would be in pole positions, in this instance, to forfeit, for themselves, these funds for their personal use or to further propagate absolute corruption of power in Cameroon or abroad. If Mr. Biyiti engaged in such shabby financial deals, no matter, his good intentions as his recent interview appears to portray, then he is not qualified to hold such a position of trust. Furthermore, it is alleged that Monsieur Paul Biya, Le President de La Republique, ordered that Mr. Biyiti should act in this direction. A Minister of Communications is not the Chief Secretary to the treasury. As a consequence, it was inappropriate for Le Chef de L'Etat de La Republique to assign him the task of procuring television screens without the consent of the Minister of Finance.

This brings us, therefore, to the question as to whether Cameroon's Minister of Finance was aware of this gross mismanagement of public funds or that he was by passed for reasons yet to be discovered. Again, if he agreed, wilfully or unwittingly, to such a tattered and ineffective financial operation, then we must assume that he is too incompetent, unknowlegeable, or that he knows about deals of cash carrying in huge sacks delivered by huge burly men, who would obviously have a chance of helping themselves with a sack of two. It is not clear what the Pontiff will make of these dealings after his well-publicised visit to Cameroon. However, all the indications are that, he must be aware that there are those who continue to raid -- by chance, default or pure greed -- Africa's patrimony for their own benefit while the poor and destitute continue to eke a marginal existence from a bountiful nation. This calls for the application of conscience: for a man of God, while ministering to all men, must not suppress his venerable opinion so as to placate political bucaneers so that he may obtain material profit. Biblical evidence is clear on this occasion: spiritual and moral strength can never be bought with money. Such wanton raid of the peoples' wealth is evil and one expects a man of God to speak out against this act of financial and national vandalism.