Fr. Nkeze debunks ‘I will be killed…’ story

Rev. Fr. George Jingwa Nkeze has rebuffed a newspaper publication in which he is quoted as saying “I Will Be Killed, I Am Made Bishop of Kumba.”

The President and Pro-chancellor of the Catholic University Institute of the Diocese of Buea, CUIB, debunked the newspaper story on May 6 in his office on CUIB campus.

“Someone called me on April, 26 while I was in Yaounde for the University Games and said he works for a newspaper (not The Post) and asked me to confirm a statement I made that I would be killed if I am made Bishop of Kumba.

Rev_ Fr_ George Nkeze Jingwa

I said I made the statement during a meeting of Catholic teachers in Tiko when someone said he heard that the Diocese of Kumba was created, he felt that I would be made the Bishop, because of my work as a Priest. I told the young man that I liked his courage for bringing out to me in public what people have been saying behind me.

Then I stated what I have written in my book that people want me dead, have made attempts on my life, because of the reforms that I have brought especially in the educational sector since I was made Education Secretary,” said Rev. Fr. Nkeze.

He added, “That is what I said during that meeting with teachers. How can someone take it and relate to the Diocese of Kumba when I was talking at a teachers’ meeting? I said I will be killed if I am made Bishop. It had nothing particular to do with the Diocese of Kumba.”

Quizzed on the reforms he has brought that have caused his fellow priests to hate him, Fr. Nkeze stated: “When I was made Education Secretary, I created a pool for all that was coming in from primary schools, secondary schools and high schools so that teachers who were earning as little as FCFA 5,000 could have a better life with their families.

I am the son of a teacher who used to go for months without a salary and that affected me. So, knew what teachers were going through. I cared about the health of human capital which most businessmen and institutions usually neglect; because the health and development of an institution depends on the health of its personnel.

I brought in erudite bursars to instil accountability because there was no accountability. Heads of institutions just managed things anyhow. I took away administration from Priests, hence these people from whom all these were taken turned to hate my person.

“There are people who say I am a wizard and have bewitched Bishop Bushu to accept everything that I propose or present to him. But, it is not Bishop Bushu who identified the talent in me and gave me responsibilities. It is Bishop Awah who identified my talents and made me Principal of Regina Paces College, RIPACOL, as young as I was. After two years, when I had put everything in place and RIPACOL was running successfully, he moved me to Sasse as Principal. Sasse was dying and parents were no longer sending their children there. I then put Sasse in order and enrolment tripled.”

Asked if he would back-pedal on the reforms because he feels that if he goes ahead, he would be killed, Fr. Nkeze said: “I am not afraid to die if it is for the reforms that I will die, but not to be killed because I am fighting to be made Bishop.”

He stated further that: “I will continue with the reforms. When I took over CUIB, there were only 250 students. Today, we have 1,600 students. I have introduced scholarships; I have brought in reforms that make CUIB a student destination.”

On whether he knew and could name his haters; Fr. Nkeze said he will not name names but said there are two groups of people, “…the few that hate me, and the majority that can die for me; from RIPACOL, Sasse, teachers, parents, they are encouraging me to go ahead.” Fr. Nkeze concluded thus, “A million lies cannot add up to one truth.”