The extreme images of excited Christians in their Christmas outfits, attending over-crowding masses and other Christian congregations ending up in a carnage as that exposed by various Nigerian television stations, is conversely telling of the shock that ran across the entire world. For many Cameroonians, Nigeria is “just across the road” so to speak. So nothing happening in Nigeria can be considered so far away from Cameroon. The two countries have shared responsibilities in a number of areas, least of which are not epidemics which are no respecters of boundaries. Little wonder that in the fight against a number of endemic diseases, the two countries have often unified their efforts towards obtaining efficient results.
Religion is no exception. Many religious groups of Nigerian origin have sprouting Cameroonian outreach stations today. Those that immediately come to mind are the Redeemed Christian Church of God or the Winners’ Chapel which are gaining wide ground. There are countless other church groups, notably within the reformation churches, which are setting up in numerous towns and villages in Cameroon, virtually on a weekly basis. No one has ever had an axe to grand with the other.
In the face of the unfortunate drama of religious intolerance in Nigeria, marked by the embarrassing incidents of last Sunday, Cameroonians can only express their solidarity for a “tolerant society”. It cannot and will never be a situation of chest-beating – one in which Cameroonians would claim to be in a “safe-haven” situation. Many Cameroonians commiserate with the many Nigerian Christians who lost loved ones in these senseless killings.
The Nigerian experience reminds all that they are all too exposed to these excesses because of the contiguous nature of Cameroon-Nigerian borders. In fact, just a few years ago, the Maitatsine sect wrecked similar havoc in several muslim-dominated areas of the northern states of Nigeria. The sect’s leader was said to have his origins in Maroua in Cameroon. At regional level, the effects of the sect was handled in such a way as it died down, never taking the posture of a veritable national problem.
In more ways than one, Cameroon and Nigeria have shown their disposition to overcome cross-border problems and other issues by banking on each others’ positive experiences.
While Cameroon shares Nigeria’s embarrassment and difficulties in addressing the Boko Haram insurgency, Nigeria can borrow a few leaves from Cameroon’s successful experience in inter-religious harmony. For instance, the Islamic Sultan of the Bamoun was chief guest at the Christmas eve service at the Briqueterie Eglise Evangélique du Cameroun. A clear message of religious tolerance. Nigeria could humbly come over to learn how this works!
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Cameroon, Philip Ali Dauda a Catholic Christian from Kaduna State in Nigeria worships regularly at the St Joseph’s Catholic parish at Mvog-Ada in Yaounde. He is the best Ambassador of religious tolerance. It’s all about tolerance and accepting each other.
