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Catholic Official in Chad Advocates for “competence, merit” in Public Appointments

Association of African Priests and Religious in Chad (RESRAT). Credit: RESRAT

The people of God in the North-Central African nation of Chad will be better served if public appointments are made on the basis of “competence and merit”, the Secretary General of the Association of African Priests and Religious in Chad (RESRAT) has said.

In an interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Franklin Nedoumbayel cautioned Chadian authorities against “the culture of mediocrity” that seems to characterize the appointment of public servants.

“What we expect from the Chadian authorities is to put competent people in our public institutions to truly work for the well-being of the population,” Fr. Franklin said during the Monday, July 10 interview.

He added, “It is fundamental that public appointments and responsibilities be taken seriously, and that appointments be made on the basis of competence and merit, otherwise the culture of mediocrity cannot help to calm the social climate in the country.”

“When a poorly-trained person is parachuted into the head of an institution as an official, whether through family ties or for other reasons, his or her first concern is to fill his or her own pockets unduly,” he explained.

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Fr. Franklin who spoke to ACI Africa following the conclusion of the July 3-9 RESRAT General Assembly urged the Chadian government to “work to redress and improve the education system so that citizens are well trained to contribute to nation-building.”

Tension has been high in Chad following last October’s extension of the mandate of the President of the Transitional Council, Mahamat Idriss Déby.

In April 2021, President Idriss Déby Itno who had been at the helm of the country since 1990 died after succumbing to injuries reportedly from a battle with the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), a dissident army rebel group in the Northern part of the country.

Following his death, a transitional council of military officers led by Deby's son, Mahamat, as interim president, started overseeing Chad’s transition period for the next 18 months.

In October 2022, Chad’s military leader, Mahamat, was named President of the transition following deliberations of the country’s National Inclusive Dialogue (DNI), RFI reported

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He was sworn in on 10 October 2022 as President for a two-year transitional period ahead of "democratic" elections, a move that sparked violent protests that reportedly resulted in deaths.

In the July 10 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Franklin reflected on the importance of inculturation in the Church in Chad.

“There are some who think that the Church has wiped out many of our traditions and cultures, and some are withdrawing into their own identity, refusing to be open to the Gospel,” he said.

The Chadian Catholic Priest continued, “The task of inculturation is to penetrate our cultures and, above all, to be able to draw on our African and Chadian values so that the word of God can take root in our hearts.”

“We want a Chadian Church, an African Church, a Church that takes into account our potential and our know-how,” the Secretary General of RESRAT told ACI Africa on July 10.

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Charles Ayetan contributed to the writing of this article.

ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.