AHON AND NJENGELLE:

THE ORIGIN OF AHON AND NJENGELLE: IN BAKOSSI

                                              BY

MAGISTRATE METIEGE DIVINE NJIKANG OF NGUSI VILLAGE

Ahon and Njengelle are two important traditional remnants of the Bakossi people and the Bakossi Land which should not be undermined and overlooked by today’s indigenes. The Ahon is said to be one of the strongest societies in the Muetug–clan in the Bakossi tribe, which originated from the Bafaw Land. It is believed that a man from Ndabekeng-Ngusi called Mbonewodibe went to the Bafaw Land and was attracted by the Ahon society. He persuaded the Bafaw people to sell over the sacred society to him. The Bafaw people demanded some items which they thought was impossible for him to fulfil, and one of which was a human skull. The rest of the demanded items included nine cows, nine goats, amongst other numerous items.

 Mbomewodibe was so interested in this occultic practices that, he bought slaves and cut-off their heads and dipped them in a stream along the reserved forest to enable them to decay and extract the human skulls in order to fulfil the needed requirements to purchase the Ahon. This stream became known as Ndip e lo mbad meaning, the stream of human heads. He eventually fulfilled all that the Bafaw people requested of him.

 The Ahon later spread to other clans of the Bakossi Land in the form of a trade. It involved human sacrifice, greed, witchcraft and power thrive. The Ahon society is arguably the most honourable and prestigious society to constitute membership in the Bakossi land. This mystical, yet enriching society, is noble amongst the EKALERH (Sacred society) in the Bakossi land.

Any person initiated into the Ahon society is referred to as Nhon and uses the designation of Nhon before his names as a title. However, a man of considerable wealth may also be addressed as Nhon but this does not make him a member of the Ahon society and, he is not privileged to clad himself in the Ahon regalia or permitted to encroach into the Ahon shrine (Mbourh).

The very first Ahon rank is called Osam; all new members are of this rank. The second is called EPIE and the third and final rank is called Sah Nhon. The Song Nhon has ascended to the apex of the Mahogany (EMAARH). In this unique class, the new entrant is introduced to the mystics of the inner core of Ahon. The associated rites are performed on a sacred stage in the shrine (MBUORH). All the mysterious practices of this celebrated cult occur at this level. Each village has just one or two individuals in this class. To move up the ranks, you must pay a charge accordingly and must not be of doubtful origin. The Ahon cult is not only sacrosanct but it is also covert in nature. As a result, the actions of the society are kept in the closet. In any case, an aspirant, who is equally well-to-do is considered a conspirator by the screening cabal and can hardly get initiated into the Ahon society.

Women are part of this imposing ambiance. Nhon who has no male offspring can pass on his regalia and all his accolades, as he approaches the end of his life to his female offspring provided the designee is past menopause. However, there are limitations in the participation of the female. Moreover, at any given time that a male offspring crops up in the family this membership of the female is terminated and transferred to him without contest.

All songs sang are poetic in nature given that every Nhon is a poet in our folklore. Besides, the songs produce the rhythm that enables everyone to enjoy themselves and, in the process, they attract aspirants. This dance is rare, and it is a vital element of the Ahon society. The dance is staged occasionally and does not last for long, so, whenever the opportunity to perform the dance arises, it is spiced with a very imposing melody.

The AHÔN outfit has a conspicuous configuration and it represents a distinct sign of class in the society. The attire consists of a red hat called OLAP (red wool cap), a black shirt, black loin called ODINE, black shoes and black stockings accentuated with a bag called NGWEM (traditional bag). There’s something special in the garments of a Song Ahon in that he will always have a red scarf knotted around his waist or neck and dropping from his shoulders towards his lower extremities.

The Bakossi people found in NGUSI are artistic in dancing, singing and handicraft. Among the very exciting styles of dances are: Ebenzu, Nkolenge, Ngomelong, Club dance, Asiko (with stilts), Mal that they learnt from Muasundem and the most popular Ngoneh.

Shrine: Njeb was a meeting place where the people met to discuss matters affecting their lives and take resolutions.

 

          NJENGELLE

 Njengelle, during the colonial times, was the place or shrine where conflicts were resolved situated at Ndabezeme now known as Ngusi. It was the highest court of appeal in the Bakossi Land. Condemned murderers, night pilots (wizards), and other criminals found guilty in this court were either executed by Muakum or escorted to the stream called Ndip eyork where they were killed. This traditional shrine influenced the creation of a Customary Court in Ngusi in Tombel Sub-division, though it was later transferred to Tombel. The Ngusi natives want their court back. So, it is the plea of the NGUSI people to the Cameroon government and particularly to the judiciary department, to transfer the historic customary court to its original seat, NGUSI. We are calling on all sons and daughters of Ngusi, who are familiar with the historic importance of this court in Ngusi and who are well-connected, to fight for the court’s restoration. The achieves are found in TOMBEL, KUMBA AND BUEA for verification.

Wrestling: Wrestling was the only sporting activity that existed in the Bakossi Land at the time and the strength of every family was measured during wresting tournament. Some families had to involve themselves into mystical activities in order to become victorious during these tournaments.

It was difficult for a youth to visit the neighbouring village without being attacked. Some families had to involve themselves in mystical activities in order to become victorious during these wrestling games. The arrival of the German Missionaries in Nyasoso in approximately 1894, and subsequently in the rest of Bakossi Land did not affect the socio-cultural lifestyle of the Muetug people but it however changed the structure of Ngusi village. Because the period was characterized by inter-tribal wars, many war captives were taken into slavery, thus ending the fear and terror factor in the area.

In fear of these ills, the missionaries advised the inhabitants to abandon the hills and other family camps to resettle where the present Ngusi village is situated today. The coming of the white man’s religion had altered the lifestyle of the people and the values that held the Ngusi people together had disintegrated.

The more the people abandoned their traditional commitments to God-fearing practices the more questions were raised. Questions like why should women not join men’s camp or do certain things that only men did were then raised by Christians. The greed of the Ahon and other masquerades were unmasked by the very people who built them. The centre could no longer hold. The collapse of the tradition and culture which held the people together was eminent and, was not only the order of the day in Ngusi but also Nyasoso and other Muetug villages. The irony is the hell created by the very tradition was the place where the Ahon and other evil ekalee were thrown. Echebebe adibeyok was the cry to the very people who built the fire. That explains why one cannot find older and wise men in Ngusi today. This is because they were offered as sacrifices to the ungodly society before the age of ten. The question is, should we go back to this era of malpractice? To say that the Muetug –man has thrown away his traditional practices is an over statement because they do practice all other traditional rites other than those thrown away by their forebears.

The missionaries did not limit themselves spreading the message of GOD, but they equally opened schools, built roads and promoted trade with the natives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        The Cameroon Embassy in Washington D.C is a Repeat offender

ByJackson Nanje

A Bakossi native screams, “Mballe Dieu (God help me),” of his frustrating experience during a visit at the Cameroon embassy in Washington DC for some official business. He continues, “if you were trying to avoid having High Blood Pressure, you should avoid going to the Cameroon embassy in Washington D.C to do any official business there. “That, you have some of the worst species of human beings working there, he added.” I have heard countless and familiar stories from Cameroonians, who have expressed their displeasures on their frustrating encounters and debilitating blow backs received from staff workers at the Cameroon embassy. I am not sure what else Cameroonians living in the United States and the US Virgin Islands can do again to correct the issues of the Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC, to make things right. It appears the workers take great pleasure to offend and to bring out the worst in Cameroonians.

               Why do I think the Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC is a repeat offender?

Prior to my intervention in April of 2013 to which I wrote this scathing article in the link below,  https://nanjecreativethinking.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-cameroon-embassy-in-washington-dc.html chronicling the problems that Cameroonians often encounter when they visit their embassy in Washington DC the then ambassador, His Excellency, Joseph Bienvenue Charles Atangana Foe, took some precise corrective measures  to resolve most of the issues I cited in the article. The responses from Cameroonians across the United States of America after his intervention were overwhelmingly positive and that prompted me to write another article in April of the following year due to the urge of some of the embassy staff, congratulating the ambassador and his staff for a timely intervention in correcting most of the problems. Click and read the article in the link below to experience the excitement and gratitude expressed by Cameroonians after the ambassador’s intervention. https://nanjecreativethinking.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-cameroon-embassy-in-washington-dc.html

Obviously, the first article did rattle the embassy staff because when I visited the embassy a year after the article, I was given a tour of the facility and a visit with the ambassador who apparently told me that he did read my well-articulated article and even though he disagreed with some of the things I mentioned, he has however implemented a few of the things I cited in the article which were relevant to the smooth functioning of the embassy. He then asked me to write another article based on the changes they’d made which I observed. They had obtained the services of interns to facilitate the production of passports and visas and visa processing and delivery took less than a week to process far from a month it took in the past. Similarly, the visa fee, even though it is still significantly higher than what obtains in most African countries, it was reduced from $145.00 to $125.00 and subsequently to $93.00. Progress nonetheless! Cameroonians could still use some visa fees reduction or a complete elimination like it is in most African countries.

                       But what has gone wrong again at that same embassy in just a few years?

In order to get anything to work well anywhere in the world, there must be a System Dynamics in place. A System Dynamics or a System of Organization, which informs us where to put and where not to put things. It appears there’s no System of Organization in place at the embassy which, even with a change of ambassador, should not change the way things are being done at the embassy and for Cameroonians. If anything should change, it should rather ameliorate the old system. The previous ambassadors, Paul Pondi (was from Congo DR), Jerome Mendounga (was from Congo DR) and Atangana Foe (was from Calabar, Nigeria- Consular Officer) all arrived Washington DC (all from the President's tribe but for Pondi who was from Ngog Mapubi(of the Bassa tribe) in Eseka Sub division of the Nyong and Nkelle division) with questionable credentials. As a writer, I allocate the rights to myself to question impropriety when I see one; and this one is quite unbearable. The current ambassador, His Excellency, Henri Etoundi Essomba (also from the President's tribe), unlike his predecessors arrived in Washington DC with a stella career with tours in Belgium and Israel, where he spent a little over seventeen (17) years as a career diplomat something that has been lacking in his predecessors. He’s supposed to have been tested and proven competent to run an embassy as large as Washington DC. So, to see these old problems mentioned in the first link above to continue to reappear, one is forced to think that these ambassadors who are all from the President of the Republic’s tribe see themselves as untouchables or demi-gods, giving them unfathomable rights to abuse their clients.

To avoid sounding like a broken record I implore that the ambassador should read the first article above on the link and begin to address the afore-mentioned problems by putting in place:

a)      A robust and standardize system of accountability for staff members to abide by. This system should establish a stranglehold of all embassy staff under the auspices of the ambassador and not from the various ministries that sent them here.

b)    The ambassador should establish a Status or Customer Service Report System for the embassy’s departmental heads whereby, Cameroonians should appraise the health of the embassy vis- à-vis their relationship with its Cameroonian clientele.

c)     The government of Cameroon should conduct the hiring of the embassy’s essential workers from within the United States rather than from Cameroon for reason being that, the labor force in the United States is in tuned with the polite(refined) customer service culture and spare us of the rawness approach or primitive skills from Cameroon.

    After more than forty (40) years of the Beti-Ewondo tribesmen rule of the embassy of Cameroon, I think it is time for President Biya to try an English-speaking Cameroonian as ambassador at the Washington DC embassy. An Anglo-Saxon administrative style may just be the solution to the mediocrity we have come to know at our embassy. 

 

  A Legal worry and an Explanation by legal minds championed by JUSTICE METIEGE

DIVINE NJIKANG: The applicability of Nigerian Laws in the Common Law Courts of Cameroon.

 

More than 60 years after independence and 50 years after reunification of Cameroon, the Common Law Courts in Cameroon continue to invoke pre-1961 Nigerian Laws in Southern Cameroon courts.  Some legal minds argue that in the light of the provisions of the 1955 Southern Cameroon High Court Law, only the laws applicable in England are enforceable.

What then is the legal basis for this state of affairs?

Below are excerpts of the SCHCL 1955. Let’s read same and say whether Nigerian Legislation was contemplated.

Section 11 of the Southern Cameroons High Court Law states: "Subject to the provisions of any written law, and in particular of this section and of sections 10, 15 and 22 of this law

a) the common law

b) the doctrines of equity; and,

 c) the statutes of general application which were in force in England on or before the 1st day of January 1900, shall in so far as they relate to any matter with respect to which the legislature of the Southern Cameroons is for the time being competent to make laws, be in force within the jurisdiction of the court.

 In relation to practice and procedure, Section 10 adds that:

The jurisdiction vested in the High Court, so far as practice and procedure are concerned, shall be exercised in a manner provided by this law or any other written law, or by such rules and orders in court as may be pursuant to this law or any other written law, and in the absence thereof in substantial conformity with the practice and procedure for the time being of Her Majesty’s high Court of Justice in England.

 Section 15 of this same law states:

The jurisdiction of the High Court in probate, divorce, and matrimonial causes and proceedings may, subject to the provisions of this law and in particular of section 27 and to rules of court, be exercised by the court in conformity with the law and practice for the time being enforced in England.

 JUDGE METIEGE DIVINE NJIKANG, who’s an Examining Magistrate of the HIGH COURT OF DONGA-MANTUNG JUDICIAL DIVISION- NKAMBE in Cameroon, with some other legal contemporaries have examined the issue in question and have given their informed opinion on the matter.

The question of the rationale of the enforcement of “Nigerian” Laws in the common law courts in Cameroon can be addressed only if we understand the judicial history of Cameroon in general and the former Southern Cameroon in particular. A lack of mastery of this judicial history has given rise to two fallacies:

1) That Nigerian laws are being enforced in courts of the Northwest and Southwest Regions.

2) That there is no legal instrument warranting the transposition of the so-called “Nigerian” Laws into the corpus juris of Cameroon.

With respect to the first fallacy, it may sound strange to hear that stricto, sensu, No Nigerian Law is enforced in Cameroon. Yes, laws such as the pre-independence laws invoked in the Courts of the Northwest and Southwest Regions are laws which are either of English origin or were enacted having British Cameroons in contemplation. This point is further illustrated by Prof. Joseph Nzalie Ebi in his Ph.D thesis, “The Structure of Succession Law in Cameroon, University of Birmingham Law School, 2008” when he wrote, “British Cameroons was attached to, and administered as an integral part of Nigeria. The laws in force were thus extended thereto by Proclamation No.1 of 1916, pursuant to the Foreign Jurisdiction Act of 1890 rendering English laws applicable in foreign territories. Until the independence of Nigeria in 1961, the name “Nigeria” included Cameroons under British mandate and trusteeship. Section 1(1) of the Nigeria Letters Patent 1946, amending the Letters Patent of 1922 and 1935 defined “Nigeria” as “the colony [Lagos], the protectorate [the rest of Nigeria] and the Cameroons [under British mandate]”. (See also section 1(1) of the Nigeria (Protectorate and Cameroon) Order in Council, 1946, and section 3B of the Interpretation Ordinance, cap. 94 of the 1948 Laws).

 

              Metiege Divine, [4/17/2022 11:40 PM]

From the above findings, we deduced that, before the advent of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 1st October 1960, the entity referred to in international law as “Nigeria”, is not identical to what became the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The territory referred to as “Nigeria” included British Cameroons (Southern Cameroon and Northern Cameroon). So, the laws enacted or enforced were equally British Cameroons Laws. Most of these laws are English laws, rendered directly applicable in British Overseas Territories pursuant to the Foreign Jurisdiction Act of 1890. Some were enacted by the House of Representatives in Lagos, where (Southern Cameroons was represented by six Members of parliament); and promulgated into law by her Majesty the Queen of England. The Southern Cameroon High Court Law 1955 was one of such laws. So, if we are to castigate the enforcement of “Nigerian” laws, even our venerated SCHCL 1955 will not survive, for it should equally be considered a “Nigerian” law. It is equally interesting to read from the thesis of Prof. Nzalie that the Code Civil applied in French speaking Cameroon was promulgated as a Senegalese Law, and was merely transposed to former East Cameroon after it became a trusteeship territory under French Mandate.

Thus, Laws specifically enacted for or extended to British Overseas Territories included various Proclamations and Orders in-Council made for the territory, British Imperial Acts of Parliament specifically made applicable to the territory either directly or through the parliament of the colonies. Examples of such laws are the Evidence Ordinance, the Criminal Procedure Ordinance, the Land and Native Rights Ordinance 1948, the Administrator General Ordinance 1948, the Supreme Court Civil Procedure Rules, etc. The laws enforced in the territory known as “Nigeria” were compiled in colonial statute books known as “the laws of the federation of Nigeria”. Thus, the Evidence Ordinance is found therein as Cap 62 of the Laws of Nigeria 1958, the CPO is Cap 43 of the Laws of Nigeria 1958, The Administrator General Ordinance is Cap 4 of the 1948 Laws of Nigeria, the Supreme Court Civil Procedure Rules is Cap 211 of the Laws of Nigeria, etc.

It is the mention of these compilations of “laws of Nigeria” in the way these laws are cited by legal practitioners, that has set confusion in the minds of many people who tend to believe that these laws have as Origin the Sovereign State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and should not be applied in Cameroon, another sovereign State. This confusion would not have arisen if there was a similar compilation of laws enforceable in Southern Cameroon or the federated State of West Cameroon after independence. A similar compilation of colonial laws was done in East Cameroon. Among these compilations, we may cite the Répertoire général des textes législatifs et règlementaires applicables au Cameroun, compiled in 1954 by H. Chene; the five volumes of Codes et Lois du Cameroun compiled between 1956 and 1958 by Gaston-Jean Bouvenet and Rene Bourdin, and the seven-volume Répertoire chronologique du droit Cameroonians compiled between 1965 and 1968 by Guermann M. and R. Olivier. No corresponding compilations existed in the Southern Cameroons. Some of the laws applicable there could only be found in the 1958 revised edition of the laws of Nigeria. (Culled from page 1259 of The Administration of justice in a bi-jural country – the United Republic of Cameroon, PhD thesis of Prof. Calson Anyangwe, University of London, 1979).

With respect to the contention that there is no legal basis for these pre-independence laws to be invoked in our courts today, this assertion arises from the erroneous believe that sections 10, 11 and 15 of the SCHCL 1955 are the basis for the enforcement of laws in former Southern Cameroon.

 

                Metiege Divine, [4/17/2022 11:40 PM]

The enforcement of the pre-independence laws was expressly provided for in the Section 92 (1) of the Southern Cameroon Constitution of 1960; Section 53 the West Cameroon Constitution of 1961; and Section 68 of the 1972 Constitution of the United Republic of Cameroon as amended.

 

Section 53 (1) of the Constitution of the Federated State of West Cameroon states:

Subject to the provisions of this section, the existing laws shall have effect after the commencement of this constitution as if they had been made in pursuance of this constitution, and shall be read and construed with such modifications, adaptions, qualification and exceptions as may be necessary to bring them into conformity with this constitution.

In order to clarify what is contemplated as “existing laws”, it is further stated in Section 53 (4) that--

For the purposes of this section, “the existing laws” means all Ordinances, Laws, Proclamations, rules, regulations, orders and other instruments having the effect of law made or having effect as part of the law of the State immediately before the first day of October 1961.

 

The 1972 constitution as amended, proceeds in the same line by stating in Section 68 that:

The legislation applicable in the Federal State of Cameroon and in the Federated States on the date of entry into force of this constitution shall remain in force insofar as it is not repugnant to this constitution, and as long as it is not amended by subsequent laws and regulations.

From the foregoing, it can be said that there is no illegality in enforcing the pre-independence statutes, provided they have not been expressly repealed by new laws. Some of these laws have expressly been repealed. This is the case, for example, with the Land and Native Rights Ordinance of 1 January 1948, repealed by Article 22 of Ordinance No. 74/1 of 6 July 1974, on Land Tenure. This is equally the case with the plethora of pre-independence laws of former East and West Cameroon, repealed by Section 746 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

 

                         ON THE QUESTION OF BALUE ORIGINS

 

By Blessed E. Ngoe

It is almost about a week ago that I witnessed a number of well-meaning Balue people express their dissatisfaction with the remarks that someone, in another forum, made about them and their origins. 

Background: In one of the Oroko forums to which I do not belong, someone allegedly and erroneously made the claim or seemed to suggest that the Balue people do not know where thy come from. In fact, it is said that the young man boasted that he could knock off any Balue chief by simply asking the said chief to recount the history of his people. What arrogance! Naturally, those claims did not sit in well with a good number of Balue people in that forum, my humble self-included. What the claim implied is that the Balue are, to say the least, ignorant of who they are as a people, having no knowledge of their past to chart their knowledge of their present. If a group of people do not know from where they came, cultural knowledge teaches us that they most likely would have no idea about where they go. 

In response to that young man, whose name I asked for but wasn't given, I want to tell you a little bit about who the Balue are, at least when it comes to where they actually come from with the hope that he will find it informative. 

Let me start here: I happen to be the grandson of one of the most celebrated keepers of oral history in Balue land, Tata Nefenda Itoh Mofa (baptized Nicholas when he became a Catholic in 1922). My grandfather's narratives of Balue origins remain fresh in my mind, even though he died over two decades ago. Being so dated, I would not want to rely so much on my memory of what my grandfather said, but on recent data taken from my research interviews with people who, in their youth, were actually taught Oroko history in school. I know that sounds strange and far-fetched to so many, but once upon a time, some of our fathers and grandfathers (born between 1935 and 1945) were taught Oroko history in mission schools all over what has become known today as Ndian division.

In this exposition, I will rely on information I got from two sources: Pastor Johnson N. Mesembe and Mr. Gregory E. Mbongo, all of blessed memory. Their narratives of Balue history corroborate what older oral historians, from whom they gathered knowledge, said. 

 

ORIGINS

The Balue agree that they descend from two great leaders, NANGENOA and NALIOMO. Both are said to be descendants of Erume (Elume) Nangoi. Oral history holds that the apical ancestor of the Balue (Elume Nangoi) came from the BIMA VILLAGE OF BEBOKA. His ancestors had settled in this village after fleeing the coastal site of BATEKA. The story goes that in Bateka, during a high-level festival, a European (most probably a Portuguese) happened on the people unannounced. His appearance, seen as breaking a taboo, met with fatal hostility. The people dumped the intruder's dead body into a creek. Three days later, the tides brought back the body to the banks of the river close to the settlement of our ancestors. Upon seeing this, and gripped by fear of the unknown, our ancestors fled their native land to higher grounds. Those who would become the ancestors of the Bima, Bakundu, Balue (and consequently Ekombe and Mbonge) settled in the village now known as BEBOKA (the mother of all Bima villages). 

It is said that ELUME NANGOI (that is Elume of Ngoi or Elume, son of Ngoe) took a BATANGA WOMAN as wife. His descendants later settled in a probably extinct, village called MAYƆKƆ, near MADIƐ NGOLO in the EKAMA territory of that land. 

MIGRATION

An unfortunate incident in which an assailant group came upon the women of the village, in the absence of the men, further drove the sons of Elume eastward, away from Ngololand. It is said that all of their women and children were killed as the men were away hunting. These sons of Elume wandered through the forest in search of a peaceful place to settle. In their travels, they came upon a young woman who could not speak their language. My position is that this was most probably a BAROMBI MAIDEN, as the Barombi were the ancient occupants of the territory they were in. The eldest among the wanderers took the young woman as wife. Their children, led by Nangenoa and Naliomo continued the journey through the (ba)Rombi Hills (now called Rumpi Mountains) and discovered a flourishing Barombi town where the townsmen were skilled potters. The sons of Elume laid siege upon the town, capturing it, and renaming it BETƐNGƐ, after the clay pots that were made there. 

It is from Betɛngɛ that the earliest Balue villages spread as the population grew with time. The historians said that the sons of Nangenoa founded DIKOME and several other settlements in the northern half of Balue land, including some that are today in Mbonge territory. Meanwhile, the sons of Naliomo founded BAFAKA (still called Bonaliomo today) and many other settlements in southern Balue land, including some that are today in Balondo territory. 

 BALUE OF TODAY

Although these origins and migration story of the Balue seems very linear and clear cut, it is worth noting that not all Balue villages came about as a result of this route. Many Balue villages splintered from Mbonge, Balondo, Bakundu, and Ngolo villages. Moreover, there's at least one Balue settlement that was used to settle "slaves". I put slaves in quotes because it is a polarizing term that should be taken with a pinch of salt. Again, even the so-called original Balue villages are, indeed, blended. Many family (lineage) founders came from different parts of the Oroko Nation. For example, in Bafaka, there are lineages whose apical founders came from the Balondo village of Illor, the Ngolo villages of Madie and Mbange, the Mbonge village of Disoni, and the Bakundu villages of Mbu and Mbakwa, etc. 

Indeed, the Balue are a true blend of what we call the Oroko of today, having their most ancient roots in the riverain region of the Ndian - BATEKA. Their intermediate origins are undoubtedly, BEBOKA BIMA. They settled for a while (and in peace) in EKAMA NGOLO, and are the maternal descendants of the BATANGA (and probably the BAROMBI). Their sons became many and brought forth the MBONGE and the EKOMBE as well as many who today are called BALONDO. The Balue are the Oroko in miniature. 

***Blessed Efilo Ngoe is a Ph.D. candidate studying Communications at University of Colorado, Boulder***

 

  A Tribute Song by Oroko Artists to President, Iya Dr. Clementine E. Nanje

                         By Jackson W. Nanje

The only Oroko USA President who has somewhat mirrored the deeds of Iya Dr. Clementine Ebenye Nanje is Tata Louis Etongwe with his epic savior of three Oroko girls who were held captive as slaves for many years. He did not only save the girls but he secured long-term prison sentences for their captors. That was tremendous achievement by an Oroko USA leader until Iya Ebenye mounted the stage as Oroko USA leader. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f1DvvT0dSI

The difference between her presidency and the others is her degree of selflessness. She cared more about the welfare of others than any other President before her. The name Ebenye, given to her at birth, mirrors her deeds on earth. The name (drawn from the Bakweri and Oroko heritage of Cameroon) simply means the mother who protects all of her children. They say a name follows a child; it could be true for many. But for her, it is her good nature and upbringing that compels her deeds. It is because of her deeds that has brought a dozen artists to come together on her way out as Oroko USA National President, to sing a glorious tribute song for her capturing her good deeds to mankind.

As should well be the case, Nanje Music Production, Inc, the Premier Production House in Oroko land was contracted to managed twelve talented Oroko artists: Betondi James (Nwan’a Mboka), Mba Mba Louis (Nganga Monene), Evang. Sakwe Jarvis, Paolo de Plaisir, Diomo (Ngia’a Moliki), Janea Fraza, Ikose Noel (White Angels), Zizou le Pro, Ndinga Marvingaye wa Mbakwa Supe, Lady Kate, Efilo, Bebe Clementine, to construct a tribute song for this dynamic lady. We equally contracted the services of M1-Studio (Eng. Ngumbah Emil Molindo) in Buea (free-of-charge because she’d touched him in the past with her angelic hand), to put this musical interlude together for her. The song captures five (5) Oroko genres captured in the musical: Jazz, Dissongo, Boroba, Dinyangi and Amekoko. We selected these five (5) genres because they are typical welcoming vibes which establishes wisdom, achievements and the respectability factor of women in our Oroko society. She’s earned the highest respect given to women in the Oroko land. Even though she’s not been crowned yet, except that of the President pf Oroko Cultural Association in United State of America, as one of the custodians of Oroko Culture in United States, I welcome Sango Ikose Noel’s recommendation of the title of Nyang’a Eromoh (Queen of Oroko land) in the musical.

Tribute to Iya Dr. Ebenye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f1DvvT0dSI

Tata Efilo opened the musical with a soft jazz and Diomo and Ikose Noel intersected with the Boroba (typical strand of the Balue tribe). Then, Tata Janea and Ndinga completed the Dissongo genre, typical of the Ngolo, Bima and Bakundu tradition of the Oroko land. Tata Nganga Monene, Paolo de Plaisir and Evang. Sakwe Jarvis did the Dinyangi and Bebe Clementine, Lady Kate, Betondi James and Zizou le Pro completed the song with a scintillating Amekoko. I will be remised if I do not mention that in the video production of the song, we contracted the services of two of the best Oroko dance groups in the world: Dynamic Duo and Big Six (6) both based in Buea, who mounted the podium adorned with T-Shirts purposely made for this tribute project for Nyang’a Eromoh.

I want to thank everyone who participated in production of both the audio and video and hope we can do it again some other time. Once again, I want to let the world know that an Oroko musician is quite capable of working together to achieve a common goal. This was exemplary.  

 

                  Of What Relevance is the Oroko Music and Artists to the Oroko People?

ByJackson Nanje

At my early entry into the music production business, I sought the advice of Sango Emile Kangue, Ben Decca, Polo Banlog and Prince Ndedi Eyango. They told me of the difficult road ahead and what I must do to overcome the embedded difficulty if I intend to stay in the music production business. These icons have been of extreme relevance to me as I continue to make better with each production and with each artist. The purpose however of this write up is to bring the Oroko people and the Oroko artists to an understanding, which will demand that the people (who are more than five hundred thousand in numbers) reward the hard work of the artists and musicians by purchasing their products so as to enrich and reward them and equally push them to make better music and videos. The Oroko artists and musician have proven to us that they are quite capable of making good music if they are handsomely rewarded by their people. But if you ask the average Oroko man or woman to name three Oroko artists or musicians, you will be lucky if one is named. This disdain for our artists is one of the reasons why many of us have not heartily embraced our Oroko culture and heritage. Before I continue my lamentation of the abandonment of our heritage by us, I will like to share with you some excerpts of my dialogue with the afore-mentioned great music icons:

Emile Kangue: He has constantly told me to encourage my artists by letting their music (songs) to breathe. Meaning, they should not always sing through their songs and over the instruments; we should always allow the audience to appreciate and listen to the other musicians playing on the album such as the drummer, guitarists and pianist without the artists singing over them. This advice does not only apply to the Oroko artists. The other tribal artists are guilty of this infraction as well.

Ben Decca: On his part he told me clearly to let the music to play without the calling of names of some local heroes who have paid the artists some few coins for a second of notoriety. Or in some cases, individuals who intend to, or the artists expect some hand-outs from them. Whatever the outcome of these name-droppings, it cancels out the synchronization of the music with the dancing steps of the dancers being interrupted incessantly. The flow of the music is not just there.

Prince Ndedi Eyango: He told me that charity always begin at home. That if I make a makossa which does not sell in Douala, it will not sell anywhere else. As soon as it peaks in Douala, you have won the audience all over. So, in applying his phyilosophy, we must make the Oroko music which our people appreciate first to be able to sell it elsewhere.

Polo Banlog: He is a one of the best music engineers in the country, a Bassa man who has fallen in love with the Oroko music and he unequivocally advised me that I should spend my limited resources in the production and exportation of the Oroko music because Cameroonians will have pleasure in uncovering a scintillating folklore. And I sincerely believe it is paying off. The only dragging issue is to find enough Oroko people to find pleasure in their own custom, tradition, language and music. Non-Oroko cherish our music more than our people.

 

Even though the Oroko music is beginning to gain traction on the world stage, it is equally true that a majority of our Oroko people (mostly young girls) are ashamed of playing the Oroko music when amongst their friends, to avoid a rebuke or to avoid venturing their colleagues into a language which they cannot speak or understand. However, as a producer, I must seek answers to my questions from every corner in order to address the problems we face with our Oroko music with the hope that, all the parties involve have a role in addressing the problems. It is rare to find Oroko musicals, which was done more than thirty (30) years ago on cassettes, compact disc (CD) or in any form of recording. The first musical recording was done by the late Sylvester Buma (from Ilor Balondo) some thirty-three (33) years ago. But there existed some good musicians before Buma like Abriko and Manyolo whose works were never recorded for distribution. Today, we have seen an avalanche of very good Oroko artists and musicians. The numbers of these artists and musicians can rise above forty (40). With the influx of good Oroko sound engineers, artists and musicians, why is it that we are still struggling to have Oroko music make a breakthrough as one of the genres of Cameroon music?

a.   Charity, they say, begins at home. Non-Oroko cannot embrace music that the natives themselves reject. For Oroko music to have a stranglehold into the annals of Cameroon music the natives must embrace, buy and constantly play the songs in festivals, marriages, funeral ceremonies and many other areas where festivities are taking place. If we do not play it, who will? The musicians must be invited, paid well and play a major role in these festivities. Oftentimes in marriages, our women who, in the most part marry non-Oroko men, are not allowed to have the OROKO music on the menu of their marriage and the Oroko musicians are not even guests of honor. Meanwhile, the newly-wedded husbands will grace the occasion with musicians from their tribes. This timidity and inferiority complex must stop because we must herald our own by exerting our weight anywhere.

b.   Name-calling in most Oroko songs by Oroko artists MUST STOP. Many people no longer fancy the barrage of names that often is a lubricant in Oroko music. The names, whenever they are called, disrupts the rhythm or the flow of the musical. And if we expect people to buy our music, we must listen to their demands or requests to eliminate the name-droppings completely or reduce them by as much as 95%. The Oroko artists must choose between satisfying the demand of the people to abolish this old-fashion trend or sacrifice your music not being purchased. There are however exceptions to the rules. For music done for the celebration of life not meant for commercialization, can be an exception to the rule.

c.    It is true that majority of our artists lack sponsorship and they do not respect the services of a manager to manage their career. They know very little about the imports of a manager and that is one of the reasons why thirty-three (33) years after, the Oroko music is still struggling to evolve. The artists always rush to send their hurriedly-minted songs that do not meet production and consumption standards because of their limited financial resources and limited knowledge to appreciate their own product before they are released. I am hereby appealing and encouraging the Oroko artists to spend a minimum of two years from conception of music to release date, to produce marketable products in the market. Such time is needed to do self-evaluation of their product before their release. It also gives them ample time to look for funding to pay for studio fees to bring their product quality up-to-date.

d.   As time progresses, the Oroko artists must have evolved in the videos they put out for consumption. The Oroko artists does not have the required money to pay for a costume consultant and designer, a make-up artist (or a beautician) to make-over the artist and the dancers and to pay for a good video engineer who can manage the images they send out to the consumers. The consuming public is equally a critiquing one. So, they expect all these requirements to be fulfilled if “we” want them to consume our products. We often fall short in their critical evaluation with our substandard products we hurriedly throw at them to consume.

e.    The image of the Oroko artists and musicians is another issue of concern. This is not to undermine them; however, it is hard to differentiate an Oroko artist from a farmer in his attire. If the artists expect their products to gain traction in the market, their public image is also in demand. They must not frequent bars and drink spots or ride in motorbikes as passengers. They should be rare to the public eye so as to boost their demand. It is another advice I received from Prince Ndedi Eyango. Preserve that iconic image!

These are some of the issues the Oroko artists and musicians must address if they are to achieve any relevance within our Oroko and Cameroon communities. The consumer (buyer or customer) is always right, not artists or musicians (seller).

                                                       BANDA by Diomo

                            Nanje Music Production, Inc.  

Banda is the name of his album and the artist is Diomo (ADOPTED Name). Diomo’s official names, in case you intend to drop him some dollars or Euros are Patrick Njasomo Nanje. He was born in Bonji Balue. He is married and father to three kids (all girls). He has made Kumba his home for now. Diomo started his musical career some eight (8) years ago and because of lack of funding, he could not make any stride. He attended GBHS Kumba until when the Anglophone crisis disrupted his academic progress as it has been the case with many other students in the South West and North West Regions.  Confronted with these disruptions he returned to his village in Bonji Balue where he started a small farm and a family. Diomo is God-fearing and prayerful and we are hopeful that these attributes shall complement his musical career.

Discovery of Diomo

Ironically, Diomo had made waves some years back when he participated in the popular Brasseries Music Competition where he came out second but how he escaped the eyes of some good Oroko and Cameroon producers, tramples on my imagination. How Nanje Music Production, Inc hit the good fortunes to land him on their production label dates a few years back when Blessed Efilo Ngoe sent me his musical demo to listen with the goal of producing him. To be honest, I did not even remember any of his songs he sent me. It was however in February of 2020 the Legendary Betondi James sent me three of his songs which DJ Manas had done an excellent work on them that I actually paid attention to this prodigy. He (Betondi) urged me to produce the fellow but he told me that he had no way of contacting him because he did not have a phone, then. The truth about it is that, of the three songs Betondi sent me, I was completely in love with them.

I immediately started my investigation of him and as fortune has a way of finding people, a Bonji Balue lady was visiting a friend’s house in Buea and that lady happened to be his older sister. Even though I initially encountered connectivity problems in Bonji, we found someone to relay the message to him that he was urgently needed in Buea to re-launch his musical career. Here we are getting a taste of his products. The best of this music prodigy is yet to come.

His work thus far

Vol. 1 of Diomo's new album

As it stands, Nanje Music Production, Inc has already worked on a double album waiting on the appropriate time for their release. These include (Vol.1 &2). Title of Vol. 1 is Banda and it has six (6) songs: Banda, Mulema, Neke Moto Awaka, Bana Beyaka Rua, Nyambe and Eyomi ya Boruka.

The title of Vol. 2 is Ma Mboka Imasu, Mborene, Nganya, Oway do ko Somo, Mbunya, Dior and Tribute to our mother.

The videos of Vol.1 shall be ready by May and Vol. 2 shall be available by November but the audio of Volumes 1 &2 shall be available online for download and purchase by May of 2021. Diomo has embedded lots of cultural attributes and message in all the thirteen songs. Diomo and Nanje Music Production, Inc shall not disappoint any of you with the release. We have done our part to get the music to you, help us push this prodigy by purchasing the albums.

Vol.2

Those responsible for his success

Nanje Music Production, Inc is extending gratitude to every single person who has enabled Diomo and Nanje Music Production, Inc to realize these projects. There are several individuals who made it possible for us to realize the projects beginning with DJ Manas who did a scintillating piece of engineering with some of the songs which we revisited and added a supplemental touch up at M1 Studio in Molyko, Buea. Here, Mr. Ngumbah Emil finalized the rest of the work and added some new songs like Neke moto awaka, Dior, Nganya, tribute to our mother etc etc. We’re also indebted to Sabine Fashion in Buea who designed 90% of the outfits/costumes. She encouraged me to revolutionized the outfits worn by our dancers and boy, are they smashing?! The other 10% was designed by my friend, Carl Eko in Kumba. The designer told me that in order for the Oroko music to move away from the cultural setting to the international setting, we must invest on the images of the musicians and dancers, which we do not currently do. I thank her for the advice because it is paying off. We are equally extending our gratitude to our video man, Mr. Daniel Epupu Morika, for his dedication and smart images that he provided to Nanje Music Production, Inc. and the investment that he has made, and continues to make in meeting the prescriptive demands of the ever-demanding market. He has demonstrated to us that, when you stick to your own person, and point out his lapses, you can

grow together. I have grown with him and he has been delivering some good products to our people. I am very confident that, sooner or later the new Oroko artists shall be running to him for smart images. Nanje Music Production, Inc is indebted to the Big Six (6) dancers, the hairdresser, barber and the Make-up artist who are all based in Buea for rendering the videos worth watching. Finally, we are grateful to Mr. Luc Mosima of Big Bekondo for designing the jackets of this album. We could not have gotten a better designer to do this work for us. Oroko Obosso!!! We bow our heads to Olive Ebende(DOUALA LADY) who did the chorus on most of the songs and Betondi James in Nganya.

Launching of his album

Now that the videos of Vol. 1 are almost complete, we can safely announce that the long-awaited Diomo’s album shall soon be in a store near you for purchase. We are projecting to introduce Diomo