Dethronement of Chief Itoe Epupu: Kwa Kwa Bakundu kingmakers petition Meme SDO to reverse decision.

Chief Itoe Cyprian: Embattled Kwa Kwa Bakundu ruler

Kingmakers of Kwa Kwa Bukundu village in Meme Division of the South West Region, have petitioned the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Meme, Ntou’ou Ndong Chamberlin, to reverse a Prefectoral Order he signed repealing the homologation of Chief Itoe Cyprian Epupu, as their traditional ruler.

The petition is the content of a recent appeal which the elders addressed to the Meme Prefect. 

The letter is signed by the kingmakers of Kwa Kwa Bakundu viz; Obie Mack Ferdinand, Lenya John Elume, Ekambi George Mukete, Maenge James Esemoto, Dienga Krishna Diony, Masumbe Stephen and Dikumba Charles.

It comes after the SDO signed Prefectural Order no.03/SAAJP/2023, repealing Prefectoral Order No.02/SAAJP/2022, homologating the designation of Itoe Cyprian Epupu, as the Third-Class Chief of Kwa Kwa Bankundu.

The decision, which has caused confusion in Kwa Kwa Bakundu, also declared the stool of the village vacant. The decision, which the kingmakers say is a shocker, comes close to two years after Chief Epupu has restored order and revived life in Kwa Kwa Bakundu.

To note that Chief Epupu was confirmed traditional ruler of Kwa Kwa Bakundu on February 2, 2022, to succeed the late Tukwa Mekumba Manfred. 

In his decision, the SDO stated that Chief Epupu is not from the royal family, adding that the administration was misled in the course of the consultative talks.

 

 

Kingmakers say SDO rather misled into error

According to the kingmakers in their letter, a copy of which The Guardian Post has seen, the Meme administration has been misled into taking a decision that will breed disorder and threaten social peace in Kwa Kwa Bakundu.

They expressed surprise that “…we were perplexed to hear from you in that order that…you were induced into error in the designation process of homologating Chief Itoe Cyprian Epupu. We are wondering and feel instead that it is now that you have been induced into error for repealing Chief Itoe Cyprian Epupu, because during that period, the DO of Mbonge Subdivision used more than one year to carry out consultative talks”.

Beyond this, they also said the SDO had studied the file for three months before issuing the Prefectoral Order confirming Chief Epupu as traditional ruler of Kwa Kwa.

 

Push for end to anarchy

In the same letter, the kingmakers revisited the history of the Kwa Kwa Bakundu stool, insisting that the coming of Chief Itoe Epupu is the end of anarchy.

They disclosed that Chief Epupu is the nephew of the late Chief Fritz Nyassa, who also ruled Kwa Kwa. They also brought to the fore Suit No. HCK/3M/97 of 02/09/1999, which showed that the late Nyassa was Chief of Kwa Kwa Bakundu. 

The authors are also brandishing a court ruling which indicated that the late Chief Tukwa Manfred Mekumba, was not supposed to rule Kwa Kwa Bakundu.

In this regard, they argue that the SDO’s “motive to bring back the son of late Chief Tukwa Manfred at this juncture, does not give dignity to the Chieftaincy institution of the tribe, village, judiciary, administration and the Republic of Cameroon”.

They also argued that the Chieftaincy of Kwa Kwa is not hereditary, adding that the Meme High Court had annulled the “legitimacy of late Mr Tukwa Manfred Mekumba and his heirs from being Chief of Kwa Kwa Bakundu”.

In the same piece, the SDO is reminded that the Meme administration had also repealed the Prefectoral Order of the late Chief Tukwa Manfred Mekumba, making his reign on the throne illegal. 

On this score, they stated that: “…we cannot continue to make the same mistakes”.

 

Renewed support for Chief Epupu

Despite the decision of the Meme administration declaring the Kwa Kwa Bakundu stool vacant, the signatories of the letter, said they remain unshaken in their support for Chief Itoe Epupu as traditional ruler of the village. 

They argued that he has what it takes to be their royal father. They also recalled how parents of the embattled Chief offered land for development projects such as the 21 hectares offered to the Bakundu Cultural and Development Association, BACDU, four hectares to the Catholic Church and four hectares to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Kwa Kwa Bakundu, one of the hardest hit villages since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis has made recovery strides for the past ten months.  

This, most residents say, has happened thanks to the efforts of Chief Epupu.

 

about author About author : Maxcel Fokwen

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