The New Trend of Selecting Educated & Exposed Chiefs in Ndian Division could give Relevance to Development.

By Jackson W. Nanje

It was Dr. Monica Njajokuma, a native of the Batanga tribe who authored the phrase, "the Oroko people are blessed with an eloquence which does not translate into development." We are of the hope that this frightening statement should not be the product of the Oroko people of Ndian division because the Ndian people are experiencing a seismic shift in ideology in the way they select their chiefs nowadays. They are selecting mostly educated and exposed individuals as their chiefs moving away from the old order yielding things anew. The new Ndian chiefs intend on reversing this chronic reputation of the Oroko man in the Ndian oroko. While it may be up for a debate that our former, older, mostly tired and uneducated chiefs in Ndian division offered dynamic leadership and respectability factor sometimes not seen in the educated chiefs of today, what cannot be up for contestation is the fact that the newly selected educated and exposed chiefs of Ndian division today offer political knowhow, exposure, and built-in confidence that, they could hardly be subjected to manipulation or could not be assumed for novices on the political space or marketplace where ideas are farmed. There are over one hundred and sixty (160) villages (not hamlets) in Ndian division with the equivalent number of chiefs. I will be the first to admit that though there’s a growing trend in Ndian division to replace the old uneducated chiefs with educated and exposed ones, there’s still a good number of hold-over chiefs still stubbornly clinging to power with their educated successors (lying in wait) to replace them. It is also true that some old chiefs performed astute leadership, which may still serve as blueprint for the educated and exposed chiefs to emulate but those numbers are far and few in between. For example, the then Chief Jonas Bokwe Etinge, who was chief of Dikome Balue in '60's and '70's, and who doubled as His Royal Highness of the Balue Tribe used to travel to all the Balue villages under his hegemony to imbibe to his chiefs and parents the intrinsic value of education and parents who neglected sending their children to school were dragged in front of the ETANA in Dikome to explain why their child was not in school. The value of that policy made the Balue tribe the citadel of learning in Ndian division. Similar schemes could be implemented by our learned and esteemed chiefs to help advance the educational prospect of the division.

There are nine (9) tribes in Ndian division and that includes the newly inculcated Bakassi Peninsula villages which are today lumped under the Isangele tribe. We shall examine the seismic shift of villages drifting towards hiring educated chiefs in each of these villages nowadays. The Balue tribe with twenty-seven (27) chiefs; Ekombe tribe which's the only Oroko tribe with villages in Ndian and Meme divisions has three (3) chiefs; Barombi tribe with eleven (11) chiefs; Bima tribe with nineteen (19) chiefs; Batanga tribe with twenty-six (26) chiefs; Balondo ba Diko tribe with three (3) chiefs; Balondo ba Nanga with fifteen (15) chiefs; Isangele (the Creek area) tribe with about ten (10) chiefs; and the Ngolo tribe with thirty-six (36) chiefs. We are going to examine some of the new selections of Ndian chiefs to show the shift to this new trend. Granted that, not all of these villages have to follow the norm in ensuring that their village chiefs are of the educated class. In the case where the chieftaincy was/is hereditary, like Bisoro Balue, Ijowe Batanga, Manja and Mundemba Bima the sons of the late chiefs succeeded their fathers coincidentally, they were of the educated class. They did not have to be educated because hereditary chieftaincy defies the education norm. However, the case is not the same in some other Balue villages like Dikome, Betenge, Bafaka, Kumbe, Difenda and Mofaka and Balondo ba Nanga villages of Lobe Town, Ekondo Nene and Ekondo Titi and the Barombi village of Bongongo II, that witnessed several selections at the head of their villages, recently. They are not only educated men but movers and shakers of the system.

The goal of this article is not only to announce to the reading audience the educational accoutrement of the new Ndian chiefs but also, to see how they will use the acquired education to weep up development in their respective villages, and to jointly provide the much-needed development especially in the divisional headquarters of Mundemba and to the eight(8) other Sub divisions of the division as well. It is no longer enough to select and install inconsequential chiefs or stooges of the government; we need activism chiefs who shall be Ambassadors of Development. The importance of selecting or electing these educated and exposed chiefs is because, if history informs us well, Europe was ruled before by unenlightened and uneducated despots in the 18^th Century. The kings before them were unkinglike kings who had no interest in reforming their respective Kingdoms. But when these unenlightened despots were replaced by reform-minded kings, it marked the beginning of a new era of reform movement in Europe called the Age of Enlightenment. "Frederick the Great of Prussia was one of such leaders who believed that his primary preoccupation was to combat ignorance and prejudice---to enlighten minds, cultivate morality, and to make people as happy as it suits human nature, and as the means at his disposal permitted." Enlightened absolutists held that royal power emanated not from divine right (God) but from a social contract (drawn between them and their subjects) whereby a despot was entrusted with the power to govern through a social contract in lieu of any other governments. The monarchs of enlightened absolutism strengthened their authority by improving the lives of their subjects. The monarch’s taking responsibility for his subjects precluded their political participation. Frederick the Great got his inspirations from one of the leading French philosophers at the time, Voltaire. I advocate that the new chiefs of Ndian, as educated as they come, should emulate the tidings of the European Enlightened Despots if they need to be successful. I could speak for a couple who are already adapting to a new format of growth in their respective villages and more and more are trending towards development of their people.

 The Ndian people should entrust the modern chiefs with the responsibility of introducing reforms throughout the division that will bring relief even at the expense of taxing the masses for the purpose of alleviating poverty. The masses should be willing to support their leaders if the goal is to confront the numerous problems of our division. We are therefore challenging our new chiefs who are akin to those enlightened kings of Europe, to use their much-vaunted enlightened pedigree to transform Ndian division into paradise.

I will not overburden readers with the qualifications of the more than one hundred and sixty (160) chiefs in Ndian division here; however, I will cite some of the recently selected chiefs to oversee their respective villages to support my assessment of the hypothesis of the growing trend in the selection of educated and exposed chiefs. Suffice it to mention that the least qualification of the new chiefs is Advance Level Certificate.

In the Balondo and Barombi areas, we have the following enlightened Chiefs:

1.     Magistrate Atia Nawango Manfred Ekondo Titi.

2.     Chief Nasako Gerald of Lobe Town.

3.     NKAK  Chief Dr. Dion Ngute of Bongongo Barombi I

4.      Magistrate Lonje Martin of Bongongo Barombi II.

5.      Chief Eboka Alexander of Illoani.

6.      Chief Oro Peter Oro of Ekondo Nene.

Map of Ndian division

7.     Chief Sukpa George Kuru of Bekora Barombi

8.     Chief Masango Solomon of Mbwengwi Barombi

9.     Chief Mapopah Ferdinand of Mokono Barombi

10.  Chief Ngute Rudolf Itah of Dora Barombi

11.  Chief Ngeti Divine of Ngoss Barombi

12.  Chief Ekonya Mpah ofNgatame Barombi

In the Ekombe, Bima, Ngolo and Batanga areas we have the following educated and exposed chiefs:

1.     Chief Nambili Namongo of Ekombe Liongo.

2.     Chief Orume John Awoh of Ituka

3.     Chief Esemoto Rapheal Ndoh of Beoko

4.     Chief Moleke Obie of Ijowe

5.     Chief Hon. Osih Joshua Nambangi of Madie

6.     Chief Ekabe Edward of Toko

7.     Chief Muango Joseph Moto of Meka

8.     Chief Ambalo Jerald of Mosongisere

9.     Chief Elambo Pius of Dikoma

10.  Chief Ebune Emmanuel of Meangwe I

11.  Chief Ebune John of Ikoti I

12.  Chief Eni Cletus Njaforeke of Besingi

13.  Chief Nekambi Jonas Mesembe of Ikoi

 In the Balue tribe we have several educated chiefs that have replaced some of the uneducated ones.

1.      HRH Chief Sakwe Cyril Asuh of Dikome.

2.      Chief Dr. Mokube John Ahmadou of Bafaka.

3.      Chief Magellan Mukete of Bisoro.

4.      Chief Sakwe Momoh Henry Ibue of Mofaka.

5.      Chief Mukete Joseph Nebale of Betenge.

6.      Chief Itoe Innocent Masango of Difenda.

7.      Chief Dr. Mokwelle Francis Kumbe of Weme.

8.      Chief Sako Emmanuel of Ekue.

9.      Chief Ngoe Timothy Tua of Diboki.

10.   Chief Okolle Henry of Ebobe.

11.   Chief Mukete Lucas Andumu of Kita.

12.   Chief Milla Bernard Bokako of Narende.

13.   Chief Amos Namboh of Ngolo Metoko.

 These are all highly educated and exposed chiefs who cannot be intimidated by their counterparts in other divisions when at a table to discuss ideas. We know a good education is a prerequisite for an excellent leader to have. The next step is listening to the WANTS of the people and then formulate concrete policies that will enrich their lives. This is why many villages are drifting towards the selection of educated and exposed leaders, to deliver the goods for them. And since the people have completely lost faith in the ability of the government to do anything significant to better their lives, their last hope is on their traditional leaders to deliver the goods for them through community engendered projects. However, leaders cannot do it by themselves; the community must join hands and support them for change to be effective. A good chief is one that the people want him to be not what he wants to be.

Since our hopes are to see these newly hired chiefs to succeed, our expectation is to see them have series of meaningful Ndian Chiefs’ Conferences, to develop a five (5) or ten (10) years Strategic Development Plan or Master Plan for the division to which, both short-term and long-term goals shall be clearly in print. The following are some of key projects that can change the fortunes of the division if perfectly executed by our honorable Ndian chiefs. We have to begin somewhere. Nanje School of Creative Thinking understands that some of the suggested projects have been discussed in the past without any meaningful solutions. The reason for the lack of success is over-reliance on the government to bank-roll these projects. As the former United States President, John F. Kennedy, opined, “You should ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” Gradually, through baby steps, we, as the sons and daughters of Ndian division, can perform miracles through annual paltry contributions to finance all of our projects. We just need for our chiefs to exhibit courageous leadership, transparency and trust in galvanizing the mindset of our people towards development.

Below are some of the projects that can seriously impact the lives of the community if the chiefs think through strategies for implementation and guard rails against corrupt practices which will transform our division:

• A.    Communication—For any project to succeed, there must be clear channels of communication to explain the intentions of the chiefs or the goal they want to achieve with the implementation of any project. To win the TRUST of the people they MUST explain how much the project will cost, how much needs to be or has been raised, how much has been spent and how much is left of the money raised. They must also inform the people when the project shall begin and end time. At no point should there be an obstacle in communication. If it happens, you will definitely wane the trust of the stakeholders. Therefore, anytime the media ask for information about any segment of the project the chiefs are embarking on, that information must be readily available dissemination.
• B.    Education—Since education is key to success in any community that strives to achieve sustainable development, the Ndian chiefs must support key projects in education such as the following:

(i)               Provide scholarships for smart and disadvantage pupils and students

(ii)             Encourage a girl child education by providing scholarships to deserving ones at all cost.

(iii)            Provide scholarship for science-lining students throughout the division.

(iv)            Create partnership with the government in which ex-students of Ndian schools become administrators of those schools.

(v)              Create libraries throughout the division or citadels of learning.

(vi)            Provide funds for the development of Parents Teachers Association.

(vii)          Engage the diaspora associations to provide scholarships to finance these projects.

(viii)         Build dormitories to house students since there are no boarding facilities for students in any of our schools in the division. This should be serious examined.

• C.    Make plans to build a good hospital in the divisional capital of Mundemba or help equip the existing one. The health of any community begins with the implementation of a good health care program. We cannot keep on going to Kumba, Limbe and Buea for our healthcare needs when we are capable of providing same facilities, we seek for elsewhere for ourselves. The chiefs must also look for ways to strengthen subdivisional hospitals and clinics. The children of Ndian in the diaspora can be of help to equip the hospital and the Sub divisional or district hospitals. It should be a collect effort coordinated by our chiefs.
• D.    Road infrastructure—As the government embarks on building the major connecting roads in the division, the chiefs must hold regional council mayors responsible in expanding farms-to-market roads in their respective jurisdictions.
• E.     The chiefs must be agents of development so, they should encourage only those political candidates running for office who are capable of delivering the goods to their constituents.
• F.     An enabling environment for development is one that peace thrives. Our division has been the playground for the unrest that has plagued Cameroon for the last seven (7) years. Extend the hand of peace to warring faction and equally encourage the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) to return back to base with promises of a better living standards.
• G.    Encourage a yearly All Ndian Cultural and Music Festival whereby our heritage is fully showcased and displayed in the different areas of the division.
• H.   Royalties from oil and timber should be made known to the citizens and should be ploughed back by way of investments in impactful ways.
• I.      Create a partnership with Ndian diaspora to have a voice in this lofty initiative never before attempted in Ndian political development.
• J.     A Ndian non-governmental organization (N.G.O) should be created in Cameroon and abroad in order to assist the chiefs to facilitate a request for funding for projects in the division.

We must trust that the educated and exposed chiefs in Ndian division can move away from the role of settling disputes to being champions of local development. With their education and exposure, it should be enough to grant them the utility to innovative ideas. The population of Ndian division is waiting to see when the chiefs will get their boats sailing.

 

   DIKOME BALUE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (DIDECO) AT A CROSSROAD:

                      Transformational changes for a better DIDECO

 

By Jackson W. Nanje

Educational background and character of Chief Cyril Asuh Sakwe                            

Dikome Balue is arguably the largest village in the South West Region and possibly, Cameroon. The village has a Second-Class Chief designation. HRH Cyril Asuh Sakwe is the chosen leader of Dikome Balue and he is the Paramount ruler of the twenty-seven (27) villages that constitute the Balue Tribe. Chief Sakwe attended St. Joseph College Sasse, where he graduated in 1978 and he later graduated from Cameroon College of Arts and Science, Kumba in 1980. He proceeded to attend the prestigious Yaounde University where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree with honors in 1983.

Chief Asuh Sakwe (now retired) worked for the government for over forty (40) years. He started his career shortly after he left the university and later was transferred as the divisional boss of Tourism in Ndian and Banghem for many years before his retirement a couple of years ago. His thoughtfulness and intelligence were key contributory factors in his selection to become the new chief to replace Chief Augustine Bokwe. For those not aware of the removal of Chief Bokwe and the eventual replacement by Chief Asuh Sakwe, DIDECO was instrumental in the entire process. It will be indeed foolhardy for DIDECO to want to engage in another removal process. The government who’s the final arbiter in this process is not going to have any of this foolishness from the Dikome Balue people any time soon, again.

The Dikome Balue and the Balue people should be rest assured that in HRH Asuh Sakwe, they’re blessed with a Chief whose thoughtfulness and intelligence afford him the credibility to arrive at thoughtful decisions without haste but decisions that come after considerable consultation. He has the characteristics that Americans admire in their leaders: they don’t care for whims and they prefer leaders who are assertive and resolute in their decision-making. Such characteristics are what’s in full display in the current showdown between DIDECO and the Chief.

Recently, for some(a) reason(s) unbeknownst to many Dikome Balue people, the President, now former, announced that he and his executive committee members resigned from their functions as leaders of the organization. They however scheduled elections for the new executive committee of DIDECO to be held on March 11, 2023. The Chief, who’s the Chairman, serving also as the adviser to52 the executive bureau of DIDECO thought that they gave up their scheduling powers to organize elections too after tendering their resignation. It is said in the great book that, when you relinquish powers, you therefore forfeit your rights and ability to govern. He has been quite assertive and dared anyone take him for a whim. After the unfortunate debacle we had with Chief Bokwe, it took the Dikome Balue people quite some time to search and finally selected their new chief. New criteria were put in place that the new chief must have and Chief Sakwe checked all of them. The Dikome Balue people Selected the chief whom they are seemingly trying to undermine and destroy today.

And, since the constitution is being used as a tool which proponents on the other side are claiming that the Chief violated by taking over control of DIDECO elections, permit me to use that same constitutional argument against them as well. The resigning National Executive had been in power for thirteen (13) years, that is, seven (7) years beyond their mandate. Article 18.1.1 of our National DIDECO constitution states that, “all elective posts shall be held for the duration of three years renewable.” This out-going executive occupied their various positions in violation of the constitution for seven (7) more years, illegally. It therefore implies that since they were there beyond their required mandate, they were therefore squatting and that’s illegal. The Chief has not violated the constitution than they have.

                   Surrounding villages are profiting from our continuous disunity......

What held us together in the past were our sheer numbers, intelligence and the ability to work on projects together. But today, those numbers have become “the foolish majority” and our intelligence is what a friend of mine likened to, “a Dikome Balue man is gifted with an eloquence that does not give blessings to development.” We talk too much and do very little. We have to return to those days that we used our hands more than our mouths. Even though I am confident that none of the surrounding Balue villages pose a threat to mighty Dikome Balue, personalities in government who see Dikome Balue as a threat, may use our fragmented politics to our disadvantage and this should worry us. So, for good measures, it is about time we picked up ourselves and rally behind our chief to deliver for Dikome Balue village. After the elections, the General Assembly should select the best and brightest minds, to review the DIDECO constitution and include provisions that have been worrying us. A strong DIDECO just as a strong and erudite Chief is very important for Dikome Balue progress. Our unity must pose a threat to our neighbors but our disunity is a recipe for disaster and we can't afford the latter.

       A return to our village and government-organized school……

 

We have too many vices stacked against us and what we do not need now is this internecine fighting which has characterized our being of recent. Many indigenes in various villages in Ndian division resolved to reside within their respective villages during this Anglophone crisis and have opted to return their pupils and students back to government-organized schools but we, the Dikome Balue people, continue to sow seeds of discord, by preventing our indigenes from returning to our beloved village of birth and to equally prevent our children to return to the organized schooling. The Community School route that some have taken is not sustainable. We should therefore rally behind the chief for this to happen. A strong and dynamic DIDECO, which is a force for development, to enable the implementation of projects is for now desirable.

When a 15-man DIDECO personnel met with the Prime Minister and Head of Government early last year, the PM announced that he has given the Minster of Territorial Administration the go-ahead to sign the document crowning Chief Cyril Asuh Sakwe as the next chief of Dikome Balue replacing Chief Augustine Bokwe. That document is yet to be signed and it therefore implies that the Chief is yet to receive monthly financial subvention from the government. The Dikome Balue people must provide the chief monthly allowance for his movement and entertainment of visitors. The people of Dikome Balue must do this because there’s no other way the chief can finance the Palace. As the Constitution Review Committee of DIDECO shall be meeting to review the constitution this must be a major inclusion into the document. This resolves the unnecessary bickering about the chief being an un-chiefly chief without remuneration yet we expect him to do his job efficient. Things don’t work this way!

I will admonish the new DIDECO executive committee to create a new WhatsApp group for only registered members like we have in North America. This will enable us to easily identify those who have paid their development fee into the organization coffers. Take for example several members in the All About Dikome group are merely noise-makers who do contribute financially to all things Dikome. This registered group shall be updated yearly by Presidents of each branch who shall be moderators or their designee.

 

           IS DIDECO IN A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS? YES!

I believe it was on Tuesday, February 13, 2023 that the National Executive Officers of

Dikome Balue Development Corporation (DIDECO) led by Honorable Peter Elangwe Nanje abruptly resigned from their constitutionally-mandated duties and responsibilities to the Dikome Balue people. Some have called it a constitutional crisis but some have hushed others not to call it so. But why not? The current political dispensation that DIDECO finds itself has dislodged the organization and it is the talk-of-the town in all nooks and crevices with all the hallmarks of a constitutional crisis. The issue now is not about what caused the entire Exco to resign abruptly but how to rectify the current crisis and avert similar situations in the future.

      Why is it a constitutional crisis?

·        It is not only about the executive resigning from their duly-elected constitutional duties; the organization should, at no point, stay without the leadership organs intact until a newly-elected executive is mandated by the people. The fact that the organization is currently without its leaders makes it vulnerable and susceptible to infiltrators foreign and domestic especially at this dire period.

·        Whatever the Chief did that led to this disruption or mass resignation of the entire DIDECO EXCO members does not really matter. Our leaders must have the temperament to operate even under fire. The fact that they decided to abandon their positions while in the line of duty is call for concern and the Chief, who runs all things Dikome Balue, must step in and rescue the crisis before it escalates.

                     What’s the way forward?

The Chief of Dikome Balue who’s highly an intelligent, educated man, and has proven leadership skills, is quite capable of resolving this problem but not with an iron glad. He should consult and listen to his advisory team some recently installed in Kumba, Limbe and Douala, to give him good advice d’akana Dikome Balue obosso. I have read elsewhere in the different Dikome Balue fora I belong to, how even newborn babies disrespect our duly selected chief. The DIDECO leadership vacuum is the best scenario for the chief to exert his leadership qualities and grant the Dikome Balue elements the right to elect the best candidate to lead us in this 21st Century.

In the respected and highly privileged DIDECO Advisory WhatsApp group of Council of Makoro, I was privileged to read some fancied opinions from some dignified members of the group. The first was to shift the DIDECO elections from March 11, 2023 to a later date due to the fact that it coincides with Cameroon Senatorial elections. The Chief however was dismissive of the March 11^th date because, he asserted, only he could set the date and day of DIDECO elections. March 11^th did not come from him. I see a Chief who was unanimously selected acting on his authority. We must all get used to it by now. We are however hopeful that, even as we loom deep into this unchartered constitutional crisis, we should not panic into setting the date of the elections and in electing leaders who will be disastrous for the Dikome Balue communities. The Council of Makoro should advise the Chief appropriately and the Chief should take their consent wisely. This is the requirement we initiated in the DIDECO constitution to be adhered to by all parties involved in leadership.

The other idea floated was for DIDECO to have elections in different villages, towns or cities and certainly not only in Cameroon. Dikome Balue is undoubtably the largest and the most populated village in the South West Region and it is about time we started acting our size. Therefore, I support whole-heartedly the proposal put forward by Dr. Sylvester Imbia that there should be different polling stations for example: Dikome, Matoh, Ekombe, Kumba, Limbe, Douala, Buea, Yaounde and North America. Nowadays, technology has replaced the debilitating high costs of conducting elections and I crave into our indulgences that we choose modernity over archaic methods of conducting our businesses. DIDECO North America applied this method in its recent Exco elections and it worked just fine. All we need is for each of the Exco members to act on the Chief’s request and perform the right and proper way of executing elections.

I equally support the idea of pushing the elections ahead (from March 11th to sometimes in May) as expressed by the Chairman (the Chief) of the organization. This will give prospective candidates enough time to prepare their manifestos and again, it will allow voters to take a cursory look at each candidate’s stance on various issues that are important to DIKOME Balue as an organization. Sentiments aside, we can no longer vote for lackluster leaders who do not represent the values of DIDECO, especially as the organization is growing into a conglomerate.

                     How to avoid future constitutional crisis?

Rumors have it that the President did not consult with the rest of the executive members when he tendered the resignation letter on their behalf. If that is true, their deafening silence to speak out against the resigning President is definitely an admission of a total agreement with him. If not, let them speak out in writing. I would!

My suggestion to avert this problem that has plagued the organization and fix them when reviewing the constitution. Also, the role of the Council of Makoro and the constitution of its members to feature as Advisory body should be properly defined in the reviewing constitution. Additionally, the role of the Chairman (Chief), in as much as it should be ceremonial, there should be a tactical role that he must play because this development is happening in his village and he must participate in the development.  

The indigenes of Dikome Balue are extremely grateful to Hon. Peter Elangwe Nanje for the good and selfless work he did for Dikome Balue while as President of DIDECO and based on that, shall be prepared to give him our unflinching support in his next endeavors. 

 

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.