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July 6, 2021
Secrétaire Général de MBOGLIAA depuis 2012, j’ai été le collaborateur le plus proche du Président Général Jérôme MINLEND pendant tout son passage à la tête de l’association.

J’ai connu Jérôme au collège avec une année d’avance. Nous nous sommes séparés pendant une quinzaine d’années pour une retrouvailles dans les années 1986 au Cameroun où il exerçait comme auditeur financier et moi comme ingénieur dans l’aéronautique.

Depuis cette date nous nous voyions une à deux fois par an mais de façon fortuite.

Lorsque le Pass Président qui a dirigé MBOGLIAA depuis 1996, sollicite Jérôme MINLEND pour prendre les leviers de l’association et la relever, Jérôme exige que cette association du peuple Bassa Mpoo Bati soit remise à ce peuple qui choisira son leader.

Jérôme MINLEND accepte d’aider à organiser cette remise de l’association aux mains du Peuple Bassa Mpoo Bati. Il a besoin d’un assistant pour mener à bien l’organisation de cette mission. Il fera appel à moi. Il me dira plus tard que le choix tombé sur moi était en fait le conseil d’un de ses amis.

Depuis cette date nous ne nous sommes plus quittés jusqu’au 15 Juin 2021.

Pendant quatre mois le Peuple a confié l'élaboration des textes de l'association MBOGLIAA à Jérôme MINLEND accompagné de 12 membres et l'organisation de l'Assemblée Générale élective. Encore une fois Jérôme m'a demandé de mener a bien cette tache.

Pouma, novembre 2012, la liste de Jérôme MINLEND, composée de 25 membres, est élue comme Bureau Executif pour diriger MBOGLIAA.

Quel délice de travailler avec Jérôme ! Imaginez tous les superlatifs dans le travail.

Notre collaboration tenait sur une devise en trois parties :

- son conseil fétiche au peuple Bassa Bati Mpoo : « Si vous ne pouvez pas vous aimer, ne vous haïssez pas.

- notre engagement à nous parler dans la vérité et la sincérité.

- notre volonté commune à convaincre les Bassa Mpoo Bati à ne plus utiliser deux des quatre opérations de l’arithmétique, moins et diviser mais utiliser plutôt, plus et multiplier.

UN VISIONNAIRE S'EN EST ALLÉ

July 4, 2021
J’ai eu l'occasion de côtoyer le Président Jérôme Minlend à trois reprises aux États-Unis, la première datant de l’installation du secteur Mbog Liaa dans le Maryland. À chaque rencontre il  dégageait une aura positive, toujours à l'écoute, serein, rassembleur. Il était un leader inspirant et sa disparition est une véritable perte pour notre peuple.
Jérôme, merci pour ta vivacité, ta passion et ton dévouement pour l’avancement de la communauté Bassa Mpo’o Bati. Tu es une source d’inspiration pour nous tous et pour 
paraphraser Victor Hugo, “tu n’es plus là où tu étais, mais tu es partout là où - nous le peuple Bassa Mpo’o Bati sommes”

Repose en paix!


July 2, 2021
When a person you love flies away
Part of her remains tied to your heart
Her smile, her eyes, her perfume are the memories that I’ll never leave you.
Jerome, tu m’appelais  ( jeune maman )
parceque c’est une Ngond Dogsend qui
t’avait mis au monde.

Vas-y en paix mon joli fils 
dans ton doux repos eternel 

from mc mandong 
washington,dc-us

"Ikena", a Leader with an extraordinary ability to connect with people of all walks of life

June 30, 2021
In early 2019 Mbai Bassa California decided to expand its traditional end of the year familial party to a 3-days Cultural Festival to showcase the Bassa Bati Mpoo (BBM) culture. The ultimate goal was to strengthen its relations with local communities and bound with other Bassa Bati Mpoo (BBM) organizations. With its worldwide network of Bassa Bati Mpoo associations, Mbog Liaa offered a tremendous opportunity to partner with other BBM organizations to coordinate and scale up our actions and development projects for our communities back home. That is how I came into contact with Jerome Minlend, General President of Mbog Liaa. I didn't know him before. I was simply told that he was a great advocate for the Bassa Bati Mpoo people and was always willing to help. I looked him up on the net. I was impressed by his professional and social accomplishments,
His passion for promoting the cause of Bassa Bati Mpoo people was confirmed during our first conversation on the phone. He immediately accepted to come in California to support us. He took the time to set the right expectations in terms of what Mbog Liaa could do and could not do and also how we at Mbai Bassa California could help. He promised to keep in touch throughout the period leading to the events.
He kept his promise. He would send some quick updates during his trips outside Cameroon. He even shared with me some pictures and a video when he was attending the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi. The ultimate surprise was when he sent me a picture of him and my wife from Paris CDG airport with the simple comment “Le monde est petit” (the word is a small place). Both were heading to Marrakeck in Morocco to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of a couple who happened to be common friends. 
Yes, the word is a small place. But, before we later discovered that we shared many friends and acquittances, he had already broken the ice. His constant attention, advices and warmness eased the connection between us. During his visit at the Cultural Festival with his beautiful wife Sara, I witnessed first-hand his extraordinary ability to connect with people of all walks of life. He would engage you with small stories and probing questions; He would laugh, sing, dance, eat with you as if you had been friends for years. 
It is this ability to connect with people, show them respect and consideration regardless of their background or fortune in life that made him a great leader. People followed him naturally. He was one of them whatever their background. The consistency of his actions with what he was advocating will continue to be a great source of inspiration for us. He had many titles: CEO, Mbombock (Elder), Expert Consultant, etc. To us he was all and foremost our "Ikena", our leader. The one who shows the direction, sets the example and also challenges us to find ways to come together and better serve our communities. 
Our gratitude, thoughts and prayers to his wife Sara, his children and his loved ones. Thanks for sharing him with us.  
HE WILL CONTINUE TO INSPIRE US FOREVER!
MAY HE REST IN PEACE!

Let us maximally celebrate President Jerome Minlend’s life and legacy!

June 28, 2021

It is with great sadness that we have all learned the passing of President Jerome Minlend. Many have either known him or worked with him, but a good critical mass has only heard of him and importantly his work within and beyond the Bassa Bati Mpô’o populations and region.  I am one of the later, and yet we came from the same Ndap Bikoko: Ndog Send (his mother)! Even as we are sad at the passing of this illustrious son of Cameroon, we have to be grateful for his life and his legacy, which bound all of us together in the Bassa Bati Mpô’o community.  
For many, President Minlend pioneered and took on the challenges of his people in a special way, and at a specific time, advocating for their development, togetherness and unity; he went beyond the call of duty until success emerged. He joined other beacons and visionaries whose lights showed the way for today's Bassa Bati Mpô’o community.  We can learn a lot from his kindness and humility: he was a coach/mentor who could dine with Presidents and other VIPs and not lose the common touch in relationships; he was a human being!

President Minlend will be sorely missed but the dream shall never die. It would be mostly pleasing if his legacy, life and memories could inform some annual lecture series at a dedicated foundation and beyond.

Deepest and most heartfelt condolences to President Minlend's family!  And may his soul rest in perfect peace!

Suzanne Ngo-Mandong


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