Personality of The Week: His Grace Andrew Nkea; Archbishop of Bamenda.

Even with such knowledge, people have chosen to be deliberately dishonest in life, making issues that ought to be addressed with the snap of a finger to take longer than expected. 

In the Cameroonian context, what has remained preoccupying for the State since independence, is dealing with Anglophone misgivings in the way the polity is run.

As recent as the close of 2016, the Anglophone question surfaced, taking extreme routes that has costs the nation and its people enormous loses. 

Even with the seeming calm that continues to flicker since the holding of the Major National Dialogue, MND, from September 29 to October 4, 2019, the search for answers and definite solutions is still on. The guns are yet to be completely silenced.

It is within this prism that submissions at the 6th session of the Committee to Follow-up the Implementation of Recommendations of the Major National Dialogue took place in Yaounde this week. 

In the mosaic of personalities that sit on that committee, are religious leaders on whom many continue to place high hopes.

This is where, the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, NECC, His Grace Andrew Fuanya Nkea, got space to make submissions to government on making the last great push for peace in the North West and South West Regions.

Archbishop Nkea, who is head of the Bamenda Archdioceses, made straightforward declarations at the Yaounde meeting that have sparked renewed excitement among millions that, at least, reality is being handled within the context of government’s search for definite solutions to the crisis.

His upfront call for direct dialogue between the State and separatists, reminding all that every conflict must end on the table for peace to reign, readers of The Guardian Post and beyond say, shifts him to the realm of a pragmatic servant of God and His people.

Given the heavenly posture of His Grace Andrew Nkea’s calling and the deep meaning of his reflections at the review meeting, our readers say, the revered servant of God incontestably merits to glow this season as Personality of The Week.

Our readers say till date, nothing remains more pressing in Cameroon that fully silencing the guns in the North West and South West Regions. 

For exercising courage and the fear of God to assess things as they are, Nkea, many say, has retained a prime spot as a man of truth in spirit, actions and thought. 

The Archbishop is thus engraving his name this season on this esteemed column as pick number 10 among the men and women that have so far put nation first.

Many of those who say they admire His Grace Nkea are positing that, he is a man of courage who does not beat around the bush.

He enters the gracious atmosphere of human celebration with a mark of his high calling visible as a man with audacity to face reality and rally his generation around navigating complex situations.

The sun is shining for him and the wind blowing for the senior Catholic cleric this season, on the strength of his attachment to truth irrespective of whose ox is gored. 

The lies and misinformation around the conflict in the North West and South West Regions many are saying, are giving way and peace is gradually returning  thanks to people  like your Personality of The Week  who carry unquenchable power of truth.

Nkea’s fairness and truthfulness in ordinary affairs of life, others are saying, gives credibility to the Divine mantle bestowed on him as a bondservant of Jesus Christ and pathfinder of peace.

Others say they are celebrating him this season for constantly shining the light of truth to right wrongs and support government achieve peace the right way in the English-speaking Regions.

Your Personality of The Week, they are saying, is a man with limitless energy, power and conviction of service. They say Nkea has been holding and is still holding onto truth not because he is seeking popularity or wants to be the loudest, but because he is an effective voice of the voiceless and hope of the hopeless.

For coming out clean and straight, Nkea, they are insisting, has maintained his stainless garment as God’s representative, distancing himself from errors in the search for peace in the troubled regions which some may think he supports. 

Some have qualified his call for truth and openness to talk with separatists for lasting peace a revolutionary act at a time deceit is taking over many engagements.

The narrative, tone and pace of fresh engagements to further intensify work for real peace in the restive Regions, others are stating, is getting comfortable and acclaimed ratings this season thanks to the frankness of Nkea’s contribution. 

On this score, many have termed him a Divine catalyst in the winding right equation to rescue Cameroon from the jaws of a situation only dialogue can address.

Millions say they are simply telling the servant of the Most High God, ‘thank you for your non-silence’ for opting to stay truthful in the face of those in the corridors of power.

His Grace Nkea, others are averring in the wake of the flowers spinning his way this season, has been effortlessly  engaging with authorities to achieve peace because of his immense wisdom and honesty.

He has continued to be a pastor, priest, counsellor, pivot and actor of great national and international importance, many are saying and rightly so, because of unarmed truth and love for God’s people. 

There is another group that says, the Archbishop has unconsciously entered the terrain of kings and royalty  because of his kindness and  love for truth.

While others have used the unfortunate situation in the North West and South West Regions to enrich themselves and attain fame, His Grace Andrew Nkea, is getting across-the-board admiration this season and excellently so, for being an unreserved dispenser of truth. 

On this premise, some say Nkea who has crisscrossed the two Regions and the globe begging for peace even among extremists already has an admirable record because of his unblemished honesty. 

He is a man who has demonstrated again a gain that there are magic keys to living a life of integrity with God at the helm. 

The truth your Personality of The Week is upholding for the nation, others are saying, is the treasure every Cameroonians need for the country to heal and move on.

Your Personality of The Week was born on August 29, 1965, in

Widikum, Momo Division of the North West Region. He is the son of a sanitary inspector who served during the West Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon and Republic of Cameroon era.

Nkea did his priestly formation at the St. Thomas Aquinas Major

Seminary, STAMS, in Bambui, Bamenda. He was ordained priest in 1992. This was done in the Diocese of Buea by the late Bishop Emeritus Bishop Pius Suh Awa.

In 33 years of his priestly ministry, your Personality of The Week has remained phenomenal and distinct. Archbishop Nkea said

his first mass at St Claire’s Parish, Menji in his native Lebialem Division of the South West Region in April 1992. He succeeded Bishop Emeritus Francis Teke Lysinge as Bishop of Mamfe.

Nkea holds a PhD in Canon Law obtained from the Pontifical

Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. This was in 2003. His Grace Nkea has served in several pastoral, administrative and academic roles.

These include: Curate in St. John Bosco Parish, Mbonge, Meme Division of the South West Region; Parish Priest of St. Luke’s Parish, Nyandong and Chancellor, Buea Diocese. 

He lectured Canon Law at John Paul II Institute of Theology, JOPASIT, Buea. In 2008, His Grace Nkea was transferred from JOPASIT to STAMS, where he served as Dean of the Department of Law until 2010.

Between 2007 and 2011, The Most Rev Dr Nkea was Defender of the Bond at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of First Instance of the Ecclesiastical

Province of Bamenda. 

He served for years as member of the Episcopal

Commission for the Doctrine of Faith of the National Episcopal

Conference of Cameroon.

He became member of the formation team of STAMS in 2008 and in 2009, he was appointed Secretary General of the then Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference.

In 2010, he was appointed pioneer Registrar of the Catholic University of  Cameroon, CATUC. In 2011, His Grace Andrew Nkea became the Judicial Vicar of the Tribunal of First Instance for the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda. He was voted pioneer President of the Central African Association of Canon Law in 2011.

In 2018, your Personality of The Week was elected into the Permanent Council of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. In 2019, His Grace Nkea was equally elected Vice President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon. He is today President of the Conference. 

Some key dates in his life are; July 10, 2013, when he was named Coadjutor Bishop of Mamfe, January 2014, when he was raised to Bishop of Mamfe Diocese. 

On December 30, 2019, he was appointed Archbishop of Bamenda but took canonical possession of the Archdiocese on February 20, 2020.

Your Personality of The Week was Apostolic Administrator of Mamfe between December 2019 and May 2022. The popular honour coming his way this season is the second on this platform, after he enjoyed similar rating in 2023. 

Nkea, admirers say, and outstandingly so, remains an incontestable asset and gift from God to Cameroon, Africa and the world.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3399 of Friday March 21, 2025