The Bishop was speaking recently in the United States of America where he was quizzed by Cameroonian activist Eric Tataw on the feasibility of school resumption given the rising insecurity in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions.

+Nkea made a passionate appeal for school resumption in the following words: “We cannot allow the devil to keep us in bondage. We must overcome. Good must overcome evil. Light must overcome darkness. And this is why we are saying that because there is darkness, we cannot continue staying in darkness.  We must continue advancing.

“That is why I am still in Mamfe. Many other people have runaway because they are killing. The killing is going on but I am in Mamfe. I cannot leave Mamfe because Mamfe needs hope. Mamfe needs a direction. Mamfe needs a sign that life is going to return. That is why we are there. That is why we say that even if it is one child, we will put that child in school; protect that child as we have been protecting the other children so far and go on. Don’t only kill a rat by cutting the tail.”

“Schools can go on probably with the catholic schools where you can give guarantees. What about the other schools?” Eric Tataw quizzed Bishop Nkea.  

Bishop Nkea’s response was unequivocal. He charged parents to send their children to catholic schools like , St Joseph School Mamfe, Queen of the Rosary College Okoyong Mamfe and Saint Anthony of Padua’s College (S.A.P.A COL) Mamfe Town. He says the insecurity is the result of fighting between Amba Boys and the Military. Given that they are his Christians, the security of learners will not be in doubt.

“I am a catholic priest and I can talk for the catholic schools. I can give guarantees to catholic schools because I am in charge here. I can do whatever it takes for the church to guarantee that the children are safe. For the others, I cannot pledge.

“…Send all your children to catholic schools and nothing will happen to them. Send them to St. Joseph Mamfe and nothing will happen to them. Send all your children to Okoyong, St. Anthony. Nothing will happen to them because I am there with them.

“All these people you are talking about, military and amba boys, they are my Christians. So I talk to them the way I talk to anybody. Some listen, some don’t listen. Like the gospel I have preached today, some will listen, some will not listen. But in season and out of season, the Gospel of Christ must go ahead. The light must overcome darkness.”