Abortive ecumenical prayers for Biya: Kamto mocks initiator, Eyebe Ayissi.

Prof Kamto, a former minister cum Biya ally-turned regime critic since resigning from government in 2012, made his comment after a release signed by Minister Eyebe Ayisi announcing an ecumenical service to pray for the Head of State, had been postponed.

Minister Eyebi Ayissi had announced the initiative, under the banner of the Collectif des Anciens des Seminaires Catholiques du Cameroun, CASEMCA, a grouping of former Catholic seminarians of Cameroon.

In his capacity as the First Vice President of CASEMCA, the minister had, on October 10, 2024, programmed the event for today October 17, at the Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex. 

In the October 14 U-turn postponing the exercise, the minister wrote that the prayers would be said at a date yet to be announced. He added that the ecumenical service would hold upon President Paul Biya’s return to the country.

In a post on his X formerly Twitter handle, yesterday in relation to the development, Kamto stated that: “Tell Eyebe Ayissi that I am already in church. I went to church the moment I read his invitation to pray. And since then, I have been inside the church waiting for the prayers...”. 

He added that: “God is going to hear that prayer. How can you ask us to pray and then you cancel it? So, the 42 rosaries that I put in my little suitcase were for nothing? If they find out about this, how will God and the Minister of Justice look at you? Forgive me, Lord, hear our prayer. It's very urgent”.

Analysts say the opposition party leader’s comments are somewhat sarcastic and a mockery to the regime baron who had announced the prayer.

Eyebe Ayisi had said the now deferred inter-religious prayer session was meant to seek God’s face for the well-being of President Paul Biya and the maintenance of peace in the country.

"The ecumenical ceremony is postponed to a later date, to be determined after the return to the national territory of President Paul Biya,” part of the note postponing the exercise read.

According to Eyebe Ayissi, it is desirable that the inter-religious prayers be held when the Head of State returns. He appealed to all those who had prepared to attend the ecumenical service to be patient.

There are those who believe that the member of government might have been asked to defer the ecumenical service by his superiors.

The postponed ecumenical prayer session would have been the second organised by the same organisation. They organised one on March 17, 2022. Then, the event took place at the Mary Queen of Apostles Basilica in Mvolye, Yaounde. At that time, organisers said their interest was to ask God for peace and unity in Cameroon.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3262 of Thursday October 17, 2024