Pastor accused of fanning inter-village conflict

Christians of the Berean Baptist Church, Ntumbaw in Ndu Subdivision of the Northwest Region, have accused Rev. Dr. Philemon Nfor Bungansah, of the Etoug-Ebe Baptist Church in Yaounde, of being the brain behind the crisis rocking Ntumbaw and Rong villages.

The accusation is contained in a complaint written by the said church and dated August 16, 2014, a copy which The Post procured. The petition, captioned: “A complaint against Rev. Dr. Nfor Philemon Bungansah concerning Ntumbaw/Rong crisis, a hindrance to evangelism advancement,” is endorsed by the Chaplain and Pastor of the men’s organ, Emmanuel Ngah; the Church Secretary, George Tanto Nfor; and the Appointed Deacon, Stephen Shei.

The four-page complaint was dispatched through the General Secretary to the Ministerial Council of the Cameroon Baptist Convention, CBC. The writers also sent copies to the President of the CBC; Director of Evangelism and Missions; Director of Crusade Ministries amongst others.

Stating that they are in tears and great lamentation, the complainants said, following the resolutions of their August 15, 2014 Board Meeting, “We wish to draw your attention relating to the actions of Rev. Dr. Nfor Philemon Bungansah which have transformed Christianity into a ‘taboo’ in Mbuntzi and Ntumbaw in particular.

They claim that through such actions and “in the face of deception,” Rev. Dr Nfor is breeding enmity with other denominations and humiliating the church to “a pillar of lies…”

The conflict, which took a violent twist between the two villages in June 2013 leading to loss of lives over a piece of land at the Mbaw plain, the petitioners claim “has affected the church and reduced its income, since most of the Christians were depending on this land/farms to educate their children.”

Reiterating that Rev Nfor is “a pillar of lies” and the brain behind the conflict, the writers brought out what they termed characteristics to back up their claim.

“When he was the acting President of Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary Ndu, with his wealth, qualifications, position and relationship with some Government officials…[he] led the land commission using the CBC service car…with his crafty working schemes…[and] came out with arbitrary decisions.

“…A pastor is a peace maker in conflict settlement. With a PhD in theology, he has never come to us for dialogue and with words of peace and patience…” the petitioners reported to the CBC hierarchy insinuating that Rev. Nfor immediately took away his family from Ntumbaw during the crisis as he knew before hand that the military was to march on Ntumbaw with unimaginable consequences.

“Pastors of Ntumbaw origin had agreed to seek for peace, then remain prayerful and neutral in the matter but many a times, Dr. Nfor would plan nocturnal and private close-door meetings at village [and at] Fon of Mbot levels where he was spokesman and decision maker. He declared and received alms from churches of Yaounde and abroad that his compound was burnt, the bridge linking to Rong ruined and Rong palace completely destroyed and burnt,” the complainants further narrated.

When The Post contacted Rev. Dr. Nfor to comment on the accusations and allegations leveled against his person, he simply said the matter is an old one. He, however, stated that he was waiting for the CBC hierarchy to investigate and resolve the matter.

Another top notch of the CBC who also received a copy of the complaint, told The Post on the phone on November 5, that it was improper for him to comment on an issue under investigation.

Yet another official of the CBC alleged that the General Secretary has refused to convene the Ministerial Council to discuss the matter because the Pastor of the Berean Baptist Church Ntumbaw was not a signatory of the complaint.

Meanwhile, a source told The Post on November 5, that he is in keeping of copies of two letters from Rev. Dr. Nfor to the Christians of the Berean Baptist Church Ntumbaw advising them on what to do in the face of the crisis. He reiterated that the home of Rev. Dr. Nfor and the Rong palace were attacked and ransacked.

He narrated that the conflict was resolved since 1982 when the then SDO of Donga Mantung Division, Peter Acham Cho, decided in favour of Rong. This decision was confirmed in 2004 by Nasari Paul Bea when he became the SDO of the Division.

He added that on October 18, 2012, Theophile Nzeke, a former SDO of the division, also ruled the matter in favour of Rong but asked the indigenes of Ntumbaw who were doing farming on the land to respect the rules set by the people of Rong.

“Things went out of hand when on June 12, 2013, a certain Evaristus Shey of Rong, who was working with SODEPA Jakiri, was killed in an attack at his palm plantation at Mbaw by a crowd of people from Ntumbaw. Five others were also victims including one Etienne Nkami, a physically challenged person whose finger was cut and taken away.

The current administration of the division led by the SDO, Bernard Ngone Ndode Mesape, issued an order completely banning the people of Ntumbaw from trespassing on the land,” he told The Post. The case came up on October 30 and was adjourned to December 18, 2014.