By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
The Chief of Liongo Village Buea, His Royal Highness Mafany Njie is now the new president of the South West Chief’s Conference (SWECC). The President and his new executive were handed power during an elective general assembly which took place in Buea recently. The following members are part of the new SWECC executive;
HRM Chief Mafany Njie as President, Vice President Chief Molindo Andrew, Secretary General Chief Tanyi Robinson, Assistant S.G Chief Ekwoge Joseph, Treasurer chief Dr Mokube Ahmadou, Financial Secretary Senator Fon Lekunze, Assistant F.S Chief Njabe Simon, Publicity Secretary chief Esenge Elis, Assistant Publicity Secretary Chief Efamba Nyanga, Social Sec Chief Lyonga Samuel, Assistant Social Sec chief….. Auditor Fon Fosungu, Protocol Chief Dr Tabetang, legal advisers; chief justice Bechem and Chief Justice Mokwe.
Resolutions of SWECC General Assembly
As per the resolutions arrived at the South west chief’s conference general assembly meeting, the SWECC members called on the government to come to the rescue of corporations in the region like the C.D.C and PAMOL which are the leading Para-public employers in the region. They also called for the continuous sensitization and dialogue in view of an immediate cessation of hostilities; Children who are in the bush have also been called upon to lay down their arms and return home, encouraged by neither government’s assurances of no arrests nor detention of compliant children.
The government has equally been called up to rehabilitate social infrastructure in General and the Kumba District hospital complex in particular raising it to the status of a reference annex regional hospital, The government has been urged through the Cameroon news and publishing corporation (SOPECAM) to effectively prelaunch the English edition of the daily newspaper Cameroon Tribune
Finally members of SWECC have encouraged and supported the appeasement and reconciliation initiatives in Cameroon as a whole and within each community to enable in particular the resumption of major infrastructure projects across the region.
To Ebune Confiance the Director of civil cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, “History holds that this institution (SWECC) has held the stability of the region and they have played a wonderful role in ensuring stability also in the nation. They have just done one of what they know best and we encourage the custodians of the tradition to maintain their values of peace, living together, respect etc.
Assuming his new role, the SWECC President HRM Chief Mafany Njie talking on behalf of his newly elected executive promised to put in their very best in their new office especially in ensuring that peace and stability is restored in the region.
He pleaded on the government’s full support and challenged all SWECC members to reconcile and put all their energy and resources together and face their various destinies in diversion. “Personal interest, division, blackmail must be put away to fight the stolen peace. There can be no development in a state of war” he stated
“Reconciliation and togetherness is what we want we want in South west. Let us forgive one another and let us come back together. We have lost a lot of lives; our children no longer go to school and have become beggars. We have practically lost everything as a result of the crisis and it is for this reason that the traditional rulers of the South west region are pleading and calling for our children to return home so that peace can return to the region”. HRM Chief Mafany Njie averred
As per the culture of the people of the South west region, Chief Mafany Njie said “we must first of all seek for peace because without peace, we cannot exhibit those cultures. There can be no development in the state of war, peace first and any other thing like development can proceed.
Why HRM Njombe Njoke was absent
It should be noted that, HRM Chief Njombe Njoke was voted some two years ago in Limbe in a Fako Elective session by some peers in Fako as the chosen candidate given that it was the turn of Fako to produce a president for the SWECC, a move that was highly contested by other Fako Chiefs who boycotted the elections.
This new wind is fallout of the ongoing crisis in the region which saw the kidnap of Chief Njombe alongside other Buea chiefs. After their release, Chief Njombe who last year declared himself SWECC President disappeared from the scene and is been rarely spotted anywhere around Fako.