By Walter Wilson Nana
The Governor of the Southwest Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai has suspended the professed Chief of Muangai Village, Augustine Mokenge Kombe Elongo.
This gubernatorial decision is contained in letter number 279/L/G/GSW2/S12/SG of July 11 2012 addressed to the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, Fako Division.
Edward Lyonga Elongo II - asking for what belongs to him
The letter, which the Governor copied the Ministry of Territorial Administration & Decentralisation, MINATD, Yaoundé is titled: Rising tension, threats to public peace in Muangai Village.
Bilai wrote to the SDO, Fako Division; “You should immediately take conservatory measures to suspend the administrative powers of Chief Augustine Kombe Mokenge Elongo. You shall put in place a care-taker council, to avert any further incident, pending a resolution of this matter.”
According to the Governor, the matter should be attended to, immediately after the jubilee celebrations of the Reunification of Cameroon, following letter number 554/G.37/C/83Vol.II/1AP of June 28 2012 that the SDO of Fako, Franҫois Bona Ebengue, addressed to Edward Lyonga Elongo II and copied the Governor’s office.
“You shall treat this matter diligently and render account of your action soonest,” Bilai noted.
Earlier, in his letter, the Governor, reminded the SDO of the decade old Muangai Chieftaincy conflict in Buea Sub Division and the need for fresh chieftaincy consultations, which have been ordered by successive administrations, in the said village and not carried out till date.
Southwest Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilia - order must be restored in the chieftaincy sector
Bilai mentioned that in defiance of the administrative delay, Edward Lyonga Elongo II was on December 10 2011 presented to the public as successor to late Chief William Ndive Elongo, by the Paramount Chief of Buea, SML Endeley, following the WILL of the deceased (Chief Ndive Elongo). “Recently, we’ve had reports of incidents provoked by this move, which has created an atmosphere of growing tension and bloody confrontation in this village,” he added.
Before the coming of Bilai as Governor, Southwest Region, the Secretary General in the Southwest Governor’s Office, Handerson Quetong Kongeh, by delegation of power and in letter number 0024/L/G/GSW2/512, dated January 25 2012, addressed to the SDO, Fako Division, on the subject; Chieftaincy dispute in Muangai Village Buea Sub Division, referred the SDO to a complain dated January 3 2012 from Edward Lyonga Elongo II, which they were copied.
According to the petitioner (Lyonga Elongo II), a certain Augustine Mokenge Kombe Elongo, not connected to the royal lineage of Muangai Village, has succeeded to legalise his authority as chief by obtaining a controversial Prefectural Order No: 347/1998, through a clandestine consultation and employing handpicked kingmakers.
Reacting to the information from the petitioner, Kongeh, in his letter to the SDO indicated that his (Kongeh) office has dependable reports that there is an atmosphere of discord and persistent contestation of the aforementioned Prefectural Order, which has never been sanctioned by any official or acclaimed installation.
Kongeh told the SDO that the issue, which is that of fundamental interest, of an administered population, should be treated with no inconsistencies, while avoiding the play for time. “You are invited to halt this time bomb in Muangai Village by immediately conducting investigations over the claims raised and organised the consultations where necessary, in view of a permanent solution. You shall treat this matter with diligence and render account of your action soonest,” Kongeh said.
Genesis Of The Dispute
A security report on the subject; Chieftaincy dispute in Muangai Village, dated January 18 2012 indicates that the procurement of a Prefectural Order by Augustine Mokenge Kombe Elongo, whom the security department identify as not having any links with the royal family in Muangai Village constitute the crux of the row. Findings from the security show that chieftaincy in Muangai Village is hereditary. In the process of their investigations, they realised some inconsistencies in the manner in which the Prefectural Order was obtained.
The security report disapproved of the lack-lustre manner in which the administration has been handling the recommendations for fresh consultative talks, linking it to malpractices and connivance between Augustine Mokenge Kombe Elongo and the administration, to the detriment of the village and the general public.
The report notes that immediate and fresh consultative talks shall pave the way for administrative credibility, public peace, development, an end to illegal sales of community land, impostors, witch-hunting and other malpractices.
Next Of Kin
According to Edward Lyonga Elongo II and corroborated by the security report, Chief Williams Ndive Elongo of Muangai Village died on August 13 1993 and since then no consultative talks have been held to fill the vacant stool. Before Chief Ndive Elongo’s death, he had a son, Joseph Njie Elongo, who should have been his successor, but Njie Elongo, unfortunately, died before his father. So, before Chief Ndive Elongo died, he left his WILL, in which he designated the son of his late son, Edward Lyonga Elongo II to be the next chief of Muangai Village when he comes of age.
After his grandfather’s funeral and burial, Lyonga Elongo II left Muangai for further studies out of Cameroon. In his absence, the security report narrated, Augustine Mokenge Kombe Elongo seized the opportunity and bearing the name “Elongo”, he rallied some Muangai villagers, who went on to mislead the administration and subsequently obtained a Prefectural Order making him Chief of Muangai Village in 1998, five years after the death of Chief Ndive Elongo.
Upon his return to Cameroon, Edward Lyonga Elongo II, now mature and ready to follow the WILL of his grandfather, discovered that his position has been usurped by Augustine Mokenge Kombe Elongo. Bent on setting the records straight, Lyonga Elongo II has petitioned the various and competent administration in Fako Division and the Region. This has come with threats of death on his life.
According to Lyonga Elongo II, one of the Chiefs of the Muea Villages (names withheld) and a junior state counsel at the legal department in Buea (names withheld) have been on a campaign to frustrate his efforts to get what belongs to him.
Contacted on the phone to react on the letter of the Southwest Governor, disbanding him as the Chief of Muangai Village, Augustine Mokenge Kombe Elongo said; “I will not react to a letter that I have not been copied. I don’t know anything about it.”
Muangai is one of the villages in Buea Sub Division.
