The local French language Mutations newspaper has reported that Catholic Christians in the Yaounde Archdiocese where Archbishop Simon Tonye Bakot was pastor have been called upon to repay a CFA six billion debt he owed before resigning.

The head of the communication unit of the archdiocese, Abbe Felix Desire Amougou disclosed that the new archbishop, Monsignor Jean Mbarga, who has been at the head of the church in Yaounde for 10 months, held a meeting with the Economic Council board members of the archdiocese, who agreed that this would be the best method of recovering the money.

Each of the parishes under the jurisdiction of the Yaounde archdiocese was allocated a share of the debt to be repaid, depending on its status. The council, classified the parishes into five categories, based on their financial strengths.

Accordingly, Notre Dame Cathedral, classified as the biggest of the parishes is going to pay a whooping 25.000.000FCFA, while parishes such as St Jean Evangeliste Parish Essos, which fall within the first category, are expected to pay, 17.000.000 FCFA each.

Those of the second category will have to contribute 13.000.000 FCFA each vis a vis Christians of parishes of the third category who are expected to contribute 7.000.000FCFA.

As regards churches of the fourth category - mostly those found in rural areas, they are supposed to contribute between one million and 1.5million FCFA to repay Bakot’s debts.

The financial crisis in the Yaounde Dioceses began shortly after the passing away of Archbishop Jean Zoa in 1998. Four billion FCFA disappeared from the church coffers. According to other sources part of the 6 billion, are debts accrued during thewas

construction of the Mvolye Minor Basilica. The same sources say the 4billion debt which the church owed before Tonye Bakot took over the archdiocese in 2003,

already repaid by half before his arrival. Some of his former collaborators say they are not worthy enough to judge his management but can ascertain that he met a reduced debt and increased it, that he should not be held responsible for the whole amount owed creditors of the archdiocese.

Bakot reportedly borrowed 1million fcfa from SGBC after he took over and not long after that, borrowed another 2million from CBC. He also went on to borrow from Afriland First Bank and Credit Foncier.