The Lost and Revered Leader of the Bakossiland---His Royal Highness, Chief Nhon Mbwog R.M. Ntoko

     

                                                                                                                               

By Randolph Nkwelle

Devoted followers of the sociopolitical history of the Bakossiland during the emblematic reign of H.R.H Nhon Mbwog R.M. Ntoko, would bear testimony to the fact that nothing has been normal since his death in June 23rd, 2001. A lot of strange occurrences such as kidnappings, deaths and of most recent rapes, have been occurring in Tombel, which is reminiscence of the atmosphere in Shakespeare’s Macbeth following the brutal assassination of King Duncan. It is therefore evident that the death of Chief Ntoko created a leadership vacuum within the Bakossi Community and are yearning for a return of those days. This writer believes that if Chief Ntoko were alive today, then all the calamities befalling the Tombel populace wouldn’t have been happening in the first place because he could easily have known how to bring resolutions to these multiple problems. Chief R.M. Ntoko, just as his father, Chief Fritz Ntoko Epie, had built a personality for himself that made it too difficult for his detractors to challenge him. Generally, he was a symbol of the Bakossi clan and a darling to the people of Tombel.

Some historians have it that the Bakossi crisis of 1966 had as its immediate cause the murder of Emmanuel Ebong ‘Etane Kode who was mistaken for Chief Mambo Ntoko in Nken village by individuals who were terrorizing the Bakossi clan at the time. In his book titled Tombel Sub-Division and Council: Administrative and Municipal Evolution, S.N.Ejedepang-Koge wrote, “following the incessant attacks of terrorism, the assassination of four prominent Bakossi at the village of Nken was the immediate cause of the explosion, particularly because of one of those murdered, a retired Custom and Excise Officer Mr. Emmanuel Ebong ‘Etane Kode, was erroneously reported to be Nhon’ Mbwog Chief Richard Mambo Ntoko.

The story is told about terrorists, commonly known as maquisards, who believed that by getting hold of Chief Ntoko they would have easily gotten into the stronghold of the Bakossi community. This was simply because they saw in him a leader who could easily mobilize his people to fight back. Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t the case. Due to the incredible services that Chief Ntoko rendered to the Bakossi community during the Bakossi-Bamileke crisis, the Bakossi Chiefs together with the Behons (members of the highest traditional council) decided to confer the title of Paramount Chief of the Bakossi on him in 1968. Chief Ntoko used his meritorious title to settle disputes and other delicate matters which he thought hindered the progress and development in his community. Despite his many interventions in the lives of the Bakossi people, Ntoko still did not go without having detractors. But he however always made sure that he used his iron fist to hit hard on those who wanted to undermine his leadership. His greatest challengers were mostly other Second-Class Chiefs especially those from Bangem Sub-division, who would often question the legitimacy of his Paramount Chieftaincy. As a result of these distractions, Chief Ntoko until his death in 2001 was never promoted to a First-Class Chief as it had always been his wish to match-up with his other contemporaries in the South West Region. The simple reason was that those Bakossi elites who willed power at the time, despite being in positions where they could influence by lobbying his case, decided to be nonchalant.

As a true genuine custodian of the Bakossi culture and one who understood the benefits of coming together for a common good, the no-nonsense chief was quick to notice the aggressive atmosphere that existed when Prof Ngole Ngolle Elvis was appointed as Minister in charge of Special duties at the Presidency of the Republic in December of 1997. Most Bakossi elites, especially those who were vying for ministerial positions, argued that Prof Elvis Ngole Ngolle, a political scientist, was too young and was not knowledgeable in the Bakossi sociocultural realities to have earned him the ministerial appointment. Looking forward, they were right because the young minister was quite inconsistent in the way he applied himself on the day to day running of the ministry.

 As a result of these hostilities, fear had been embedded in him to the point where he refused to be ushered into the ceremonial grounds by the Behons as it has often been the tradition with such visits during his homecoming in Bangem in 1998. His fears were not only imaginary, but they were real and S.N. Ejedepang-Koge had summed it in his book titled, “Myth or Reality? The Life of the late Hon Thomas Ebongalame: 1934-1989” where it was alleged that the Honorable Ebongalame was poisoned in Bangem in the course of a traditional libation during the Bangem Cultural Development Association’s (BACUDA) tenth anniversary. When Chief Ntoko noticed this, he decided to step in to revamp the situation. As Livinus Esambe equally puts it in his book titled The Biography of S.N. Ejedepang-Koge: Teacher, Writer, Man of Culture, he wrote, “concerned by the persistence that friction provoked at various instances by the Minister’s actions, Nhon Mbwog Richard Mambo stepped in to calm the situation. He used the Kupe-Mwanenguba Chiefs’ Conference as a pretext, to organize a grand meeting of Chiefs and Elites in his Tombel Palace.” That was indeed the fixer and the leader. He never waited to be told what to do because he knew exactly what needed to be done at the appropriate time. This is exactly what is lacking in the current Bakossi leadership. Nowadays, situations are left to deteriorate with no one showing any concern to fix them. Worse still, some of our chiefs actively take part in things that only help to debase their chiefdom. Examples of such are their mad quest for money and the selling of land that belongs to the community. These are things that would never had happen during the reign of Chief Ntoko.

Additionally, a lot of stories have been told concerning Chief Ntoko with some being true or imaginary. It's alleged that when he spoke to administration officials sent to work in the Bakossiland, he wouldn't mind pouring out his venom on them when he noticed that his authority was being challenged or minimized. This was all due to his charismatic nature and his desire to get things right for his people. His presence alone created fear and he could care less if you were a super elite or not. One terrible nuisance about him was the fact that, he always slept during ceremonies especially at the ground stand and that he would often use the shoulder of anyone sitting next to him as his pillow.  He was passively aggressive and nasty to anyone who attempted to get him up. If luck weren’t on your side that day, you would be welcomed with a slap or he would simply scold at you. Due to his actions, people always found it very uncomfortable each time they sat next to him in any given occasion. He was a very hardworking but tired leader. During political campaign rallies, Ntoko would opt to go to those very hot zones like Bouba, Etam and Ebonji, which were opposition strongholds inhabited mostly by settlers. He would wheel the people to respect the rights of the minority by voting for the party in which he militated else, they would face the political consequences. Chief Ntoko was a man of strong convictions, whose edicts went hardly unopposed.

The reign of Nhon Mbwog Ntoko marked the end of an era particularly when we draw comparison with present day occurrences in the Bakossi community. Political appointees and elected officials today who have taken over the leadership have been reckless vis-à-vis the respect for traditional institutions, which have been relegated to the background. It’s not uncommon today to find some of these leaders pouring down insults on our chiefs with some being nicknamed or worn with the garment of “langa chief” --- a symbolism for a hunger-stricken chief. This is simply because chiefs are seen these days moving around begging, something which the self-sufficient Chief Ntoko would never do. He would prefer to stay and entertain the gifts in his Palace rather than panhandle on the streets as it is presently the case. Even when young visionaries like Herbert Ediage Apande who is the current National President of the Tombel Cultural Development Association (TACUDA) endeavor to come up with plans on how to solve some of the burning issues affecting the Tombel populace, he is always often considered as an intruder hence, killing his good intentions.

The ongoing sociopolitical upheaval plaguing Cameroon today has not left the Bakossi people indifferent. And what is dramatically more surprising is the fact that Nyasoso (precisely GHS Nyasoso), which happens to be the home town of Chief Ntoko, has shamefully become the headquarters of those bringing terror in Bakossiland. These are things that wouldn’t have happened in the days of Chief Ntoko. The situation seemed to have deteriorated resulting in the burning down of houses and the killing of innocent citizen and recently, the raping of a young boy. All because there’s no one who can stand up and make his voice heard. For those who are well versed with the history of Nyasoso and the throne, they can bear testimony. Tradition holds that when a chief dies the throne can never remain vacant. However, it is the opposite here because Chief Ntoko is gone, and even though there is a successor, the throne is vacant. It has been a difficult ordeal for anyone to fit in the shoes of Nhon Mbwog Richard Mambo Ntoko. We are yet to see a leader in Bakossi and Tombel like Chief Ntoko.