SWECC nullifies suspension of three Fako Chiefs
By Elah Geoffrey Mbongale
The South West Chiefs’ Conference, SWECC has distanced itself from the suspension slammed on three Fako chiefs by the Fako Divisional Conference of Traditional Rulers for their roles played during the botched SWECC elective General Assembly that was to hold on February 17-18 , 2017 in Limbe.
In a communiqué signed by the SWECC president, HRM Sentor (Nfon) Victor E. Mukete and secretary General, HRM (Muri) Fritzgerald Nasako after a meeting that held in Buea last March 14, 2017, the South West traditional rulers described the decision to suspend the chiefs by their Fako peers as ‘abusive, unnecessarily defamatory and contrary to the code of conduct of the South West Chiefs Conference.’
According to an earlier release by the Fako Divisional Conference of Traditional Rulers, Chief Ekum Epupa Samuel of Dikolo, Bimbia, Chief Mafany Njie Martin of Liongo, Buea and Chief Etina Monono Emmanuel of Great Soppo, Buea were suspended from the traditional club last March 9 in a meeting that took place in Yoke.
The suspension letter, signed by the President of the Fako Divisional Conference of Traditional Rulers, HRH Chief Mokoto Njie and the Secretary General, HRH Chief Kombe Richard Ndike announced that the trio was suspended. The letter reads in parts: “Due to their indefinable actions and anti-constitutional conduct which are geared towards the destabilization of the Fako Divisional Conference of Traditional Rulers have been suspended from the said Conference of Traditional Rulers…that further sanctions shall be meted out to them prior to their readmission or lifting of the present suspension.”
In response, the suspended chiefs fired back through a petition to the governor of the South West region, Okalia Bilai, accusing the signatories of the aforementioned suspension letter of trying to bring their chiefdoms to disrepute in the eyes of their subjects and the public at large.
However, the South West Chiefs Conference has said the purported suspension does not affect the status of the chiefs concerned as recognised by the law, or the assembly of South West chiefs and should not be given any recognition by the general public and the administrative authorities. They furthered that only the conference of South West chiefs has the authority and mandate to entertain issues of alleged conflict between and amongst its members and to met out sanctions, if and when deemed necessary.
It is worth noting that The South West Chiefs Conference (SWECC) elective general assembly that was scheduled for February 17-18 was cancelled by the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, Zang III.
According to a communiqué signed by the SDO, the umbrella association grouping chiefs of the South West region has been wrapped in an imbroglio resulting from the host division’s (Fako) choice for president, Chief Njombe Njoke Johnson of Wokake village. Zang III also cited security concerns due to the ongoing unrest gripping the two Anglophone regions of the country as reasons for his cancellation.
Despite the citation of security reasons for the cancellation of the elective general assembly by the Fako SDO, rumours are rife that the main reason behind the cancellation just a day to the event was due to some forces of opposition to the candidature of the presumptive candidate for the top job, Chief Njombe Njoke Johnson of Wokaka Village who has been considered by the much older chiefs as a juvenile in chieftaincy matters.
However, the SDO’s communiqué to cancel the elective general assembly was greeted with a swift and sweeping response from the executive of SWECC through its Assistant Secretary General, HRM Nfaw Robinson Tanyi who chided the SDO for coming to an ill-informed conclusion.
The SWECC communiqué read in parts “The South West Chiefs Conference is made up of persons of value and honour, including Senators, Parliamentarians, Senior Administrators, Army Generals, General Managers, Judges, etc all of them peace loving allies of government of President Paul Biya that we have always supported and encouraged through our various Motions and Resolutions in the past…This organisation has never breached the peace of the nation nor participated in public disorder of the kind to be feared. Rather it has served the role of a peace breaker and ally of the Government on every step of the way in difficulties, sometimes to the detriment of its own image”
The South West chiefs therefore, saw no reason why the assembly should have been suspended on the basis of security. They called the SDO’s decision; unfortunate, untimely and regrettable since the sitting would have reinvigorated the executive bureau as well as shown to the world that their people have no reason to fear going about their ordinary businesses.
Chief Njombe Njoke Johnson, President of the Buea Chiefs’ Conference was “elected” unique presumptive candidate for the SWECC top job along with his running mate, Chief Kombe Richard Ndike, Fako Chiefs Conference, FCC scribe. Their election was greeted by heavy criticism by some elderly chiefs.
Chief Njombe has however argued that he was elected following due process and should be recognised as the presumptive candidate for the division for the top SWECC job. He rubbished allegations that his youthfulness is an impediment, citing numerous positions he has held in the association over the years. He cited Article 11 of SWECC rules and regulations which gives him an indisputable route to the SWECC presidency.
However, in the letter by SWECC exco to the SDO of Fako, SWECC reproached the top Fako administrator who cited this particular article as one of the reasons for the suspension of the elective general assembly.
“Article 11 cited in the letter on the election of officers is an internal affair that calls for no interpretation and inference from non members and public officials, you only need to read it well and with good will to understand it hasn’t the interpretation given and if at all it does supersede the Fako statutes referred to. We are indeed very ashamed of the position and interpretation you have given to this article on our activity” the letter to the Fako SDO reads in parts.
The aforementioned article 11 states that “The position of the President and Vice President shall be held in turns by rotation amongst the divisions of the South West region. The President and Vice President shall come from the same Division. The order of rotation shall be from Meme to Fako, to Manyu, to Ndian, to Kupe Muanenguba, to Lebialem and back to Meme. The chiefs of the said Division shall have the sole right of proposing the candidates for the positions of President and Vice President. The proposed candidates must be approved by the general assembly. The President and Vice shall remain in office until the election of the new President and Vice.”
Some protagonists of the opposition to Chief Njombe’s candidature say his election during the Limbe conclave of Fako chiefs is by no means definite since the aforementioned article clearly stipulates that a Division’s candidate can only be proposed and not elected.