|
|
Cameroon: Gov't to Stop Fake Churches, Security Companies
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
The Post (Buea)
17 July 2008
Posted to the web 17 July 2008
Nformi Sonde Kinsai
Owners of churches operating without authorisation in Cameroon would soon be pursued for illegal operations and extortion of money from members of the public.
It is against this background, that the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, MINATD, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, issued a communiqué on July 11, to clarify on the number of churches and other religious institutions authorised to operate in Cameroon, The Post learnt.
The communiqué, accompanied by the list of legal churches in the country, notes that within a clarification framework and transparency engaged by the government, MINATD has been charged to remind national and international opinion on recognised religious bodies in Cameroon.
In line with this, the minister called on cameroonians and foreigners resident in the country to be vigilant with regards to the proliferation of associations and groups religious in character.
Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Territorial Administration, a source told The Post on July 16 that the communiqué issued was the second within three years. He said the purpose of such communiqués is to sensitise and guard Cameroonians and foreigners in the country from associating themselves with illegal groups in the name of religion.
He said because many individuals have resorted to establishing churches without authorisation from the government as required by the law, the Minister deemed it necessary once more to issue the July 11 communiqué.
He revealed that because no religious body has been authorised by the President of the Republic to operate since 2006, government has decided to crack down on those operating fraudulently. He said churches without legally signed papers by the President would be charged and sanctioned.
The source stated that the Minister's communiqué would be followed in the days ahead by the deployment of a control team to the field to verify, identify and track down church proprietors operating without authorisation. He said public opinion holds that the proliferation of many of the churches has strong economic motives rather than genuinely serving God, reason why those found wanting may be charged with extortion.
He, however, acknowledged that some of the churches and religious groups had tendered in documents for authorisation in the Ministry of Territorial Administration. He said such files have been studied and forwarded with comments to the Presidency of the Republic for final decisions to be taken.
While on the field, he said, the commission would establish those operating legally, those whose documents are pending at the Presidency and those who have ignored the law and are functioning illegally.
According to the list of legal religious associations published by Marafa, 81 Catholic churches and related institutions are recognised by government while only 46 Protestant and Pentecostal churches are operating within the ambit of the law in Cameroon.
Churches under the latter group operating in English Speaking Cameroon found on the list for example include: Presbyterian Church in Cameroon with headquarters in Buea; Cameroon Baptist Convention in Bamenda; Eglise Apostolique du Cameroun in Kumba; Full Gospel Mission in Muyuka; Eglise Frontière Globales in Kumba; Assemblée Spirituelle Nationale in Limbe; World Wide Mission in Muyuka, Eglise du Christ in Kumba; and Apostolic Faith Church in Bangem. Others are: Lutheran Church of Cameroon and Church of God of Prophecy all in Kumba.
After a critical look at the list of churches in the country, it is clear that hundreds of religious groups and associations in Cameroon, especially many believed to have come into the country from next door Nigeria, are operating in total illegality.
In a separate communiqué signed on the same day by Marafa, only eight private security companies in Cameroon enjoy government recognition. They include Panthère; Vigilcam Security Service; Africa Omnibusiness Sarl; G.4.S Security Services Cameroon PLC; Africa Security; Safety Curtain Sarl; Socété Camerounaise de Sécurité Sarl and Essoka Security.
|
MINATD sources said over 70 others operating in the country are doing so illegally even though it was noted that some have pending files requesting for authorisation. The institutions under this domain would also be subjected to strict control in the same line as the churches.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
