Members of the Steering Committee for the 75th Anniversary of the Diocese of Buea convened for their second meeting on December 2, 2023, at the Bishop’s House. The meeting, chaired by the Vicar General of the Diocese, Rev Fr. Mbi, aimed to assess the progress made by the various sub-committees established during the initial planning meeting which took place in September 2023
In attendance at the Small Soppo Buea meeting were over 30 Steering Committee members, including the Bishop, His Lordship Michael Bibi. To initiate the discussions, Rev Fr. Anuchem, the Secretary of the Steering Committee and Chancellor of the Diocese, read out the minutes of the inaugural meeting held in September. He reiterated the different committees, their terms of reference, and the members constituting each committee.
Deliberations commenced with committee leaders updating the body on the progress of their work, starting with the History Committee led by Professor Julius Ngoh. Subsequent reports were presented by committees such as Communication, Award, Liturgy, Health, Entertainment, Protocol, Souvenir, and Finance, outlining detailed strategies to ensure the event’s success in 2025.
During the meeting, His Lordship Michael Bibi, the Bishop of the Diocese of Buea, expressed gratitude to the members for their sacrifices and urged them to expedite their work to meet the established deadlines. It was decided that the anniversary celebration would unfold across all seven deaneries of the Diocese, leading to a culminating event bringing together all the deaneries in Buea.
The Steering Committee also reviewed samples of anniversary fabric proposed by the Communication/Souvenir Committee, the proposed anniversary logo, and provided suggestions for improvement
Members were reminded that the celebration, launching in April 2024, would span a year, with Christians traveling to Rome by May 2023 as part of the anniversary preparation. Rev Fr. Mbi, the Chairperson of the Steering Committee, expressed gratitude for members’ contributions and sacrifices, urging them to persevere in making the Diocese of Buea’s celebration a memorable one.
The meeting concluded with the scheduling of another session on December 17, 2023, involving heads of different committees to evaluate corrections suggested by the Steering Committee during their presentations. Furthermore, the Steering Committee is slated to reconvene on January 20, 2024, for a technical follow-up meeting.