Africa drops Stifani down a hole
From : www.notreguinee.info January 4th, 2012
Traditionally the international power base of the GLNF has been in Africa, particularly the North African Maghreb Grand Lodges such as Morocco and a long list from Central Africa (Gabon, Congo, Cameroun, etc). Their Grand Masters, more often than not president of the country at the same time, followed the GLNF with blind faith, replying to its every demand, particularly when it comes to financial questions.
Well, the winds of change are sweeping across the dark continent. And the news is not good for François Stifani. With virtually every European Grand Lodge door closed to the GLNF the self-proclaimed spiritual guide was looking to support from the African Lodges as he fronts up to the forthcoming AGM in early February.
As a run up to that event, a debate on “African Masonry” will occur on RF1 on January 11th. François Stifani will be on air with Hervé N’Kom from the Grand Orient of France, Bernard Ollani from the Grand Lodge of France (GLDF) and Joseph Badila from the Grand Orient of Congo.
In preparation for the broadcast François Stifani requested the help of the African Grand Lodges. He wrote to them on December 16th asking them “…to communicate the points they would like to be covered during the broadcast…”. It would appear that the replies were not what he expected.
On December 26th the Grand Lodge of Morocco (GLRRM) declined his proposition. The Grand Secretary, Salah Cherradi, wrote, “The GLRRM authorises no-one to speak on its behalf, any such initiative would constitute a violation of its sovereignty.”
The Central African Lodges have not even bothered to reply. Ephesse is persona non grata in a number of African presidential palaces where he was traditionally received with full honours. Brethren well remember the sequence of a television report on FR2 showing Stifani, Foellner and Charbonniaud flying to Gabon in President Ali Bongo’s private jet for his installation as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Gabon. And the red Cartier bag he received from another African dictator, official delegate of his Grand Lodge to the GLNF meeting in December 2009.
For months rumours suggesting an African participation in the financing of the Wagram apartment have been circulating in Parisian GLNF Lodges. Perhaps the full story is about to come out.