Gov't, Ad Lucem Reinforce Ties

They signed a partnership agreement in Yaounde yesterday June 11.

Government through the Ministry of External Relations and the health foundation, Ad Lucem have decided to move a step forward in reaching out to the vulnerable especially in the rural areas. Minister Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo and Madeleine Tefak, Board Chair of Ad Lucem yesterday June 11 in Yaounde penned a partnership agreement through which the former will be given official recognition and support in carrying out its activities in Cameroon.

Responding, Madeleine Tefak expressed her gratitude to President Paul Biya for opening up doors to the organisation after more than 70 years of operation in the country. She said the agreement will permit her organisation to mobilise more resources for the improvement of the living conditions of Cameroonians.

Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo on his part hinted that the agreement was also to celebrate the legal existence and exemplary collaboration of Ad Lucem in Cameroon. The foundation, he said, since its birth in 1936 by Dr Louis Paul Aujoulat, has invested enormously by promoting the health of people both in rural and urban areas. The recent putting in place of an imagery centre and purchase of an ambulance for the Efok Ad Lucem Hospital in the Lekie Division of Centre Region last month have added to the strides of the foundation, Moukoko Mbonjo noted.

The Minister signed another agreement with the Association of African Sports Confederations represented by its president, Gen. Ahmed Mohamed Fouly S. "By offering us headquarters in Cameroon, it is an honour to the federation from the government of Cameroon," Gen. Fouly said, adding that it was the sign of a good beginning. Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo cautioned the confederation, saying it was a sign of confidence bestowed on it by President Paul Biya. The Association of African Sports Confederations was created on July 23, 1983 in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire and aims at promoting understanding, cooperation and mutual assistance among African sports confederations. It has 40 members.

Audiences

Minister Moukoko Mbonjo also received in two separate audiences the recently elected First Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang and the outgoing Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon. Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang came to brief the Minister on how the election in South Africa went. He thanked government for supporting him throughout the campaign through the Ministry of External Relations.

Artilay Ersan, the outgoing Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon, came to bid farewell to Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo. The warmth and hospitality of Cameroonians are good memories the diplomat is taking away. He expressed joy at the continuous growth in relations between both countries. Politically, economically and socially, relations have doubled, Artilay Ersan said. In the cultural sphere, he acknowledged that little has been done while humanitarian assistance is gaining momentum. "Turkish investments have increased, rising to 14 million US dollars (about FCFA 7.3 billion) in 2011 as against only a few thousand US dollars in 2010," the Ambassador said.