Tiko Subdivision: Chief Nganje Ndumbe speaks out on saga over revamping Tiko Douala village.

According to Chief Nganje Ndumbe, his coronation has been obstructed on three occasions, by the Tiko administration, with the last dated April 19, 2024.

Going by the traditional ruler, the Tiko administration is being teleguided to hinder his coronation and the revamping of Tiko Douala Village, in disregard of correspondences from the Minister of Territorial Administration, MINAT, and the Governor of the South West Region, dated July 28, 2023, and August 30, 2023 respectively. 

The correspondences had called for the immediate rehabilitation of some fifteen villages in Fako Division.

As prescribed by Presidential Degree N^o 77/245, of 15^th July 1977, on the organisation of traditional Chiefdoms in Cameroon, Chief Nganje said he was designated on September 11, 2020, as successor to the throne of his late father, Chief Ndumbe Bebe, and later homologated and attested by a Prefectoral Order in November 20, 2020. 

In spite of due procedures that have been followed, Chief Nganje Ndumbe alleged that the Divisional Officer, DO of Tiko Subdivision, Voh Buikame Kawa Armstrong, is deliberately blocking the coronation.

“Tiko Douala Village was duly homologated on November 20, 2020 and reinstated by Prefectoral Order N^o 74/AP/ G.37/C83/1AP. Unfortunately, contrary to the law, the will of government and tradition, the DO of Tiko and the Second-Class Chief of Tiko Town, Chief Nango Yome Mwaimbe, are blocking my coronation for reasons of personal interests,” Chief Nganje told The Guardian Post.

Traces history of Tiko Douala Village

The traditional ruler said the existence of Tiko Douala Village transcended pre-colonial and post-colonial periods, with geographic location in the swampy mangrove creeks and the Motombolombo environs of Tiko Subdivision.  

He reiterated that the existence of the village could be traced from the public sitting of the land commission of Tiko, on April 6, 1911; the memorandum of May 15, 1929, from the then Divisional Officer for Victoria and the West Cameroon Official Gazette of 1963, which carried a registry of villages and Chiefs.

He also mentioned that contrary to the general perception that present day Fako Division is predominantly made up of the Bakweri tribe, it is home to other indigenous tribes like the Doualas and Mongos in Tiko, as well as the Balong’s in Muyuka, amongst others.

“Tiko Douala Village has been duly reinstated by the competent authority. It is worthwhile noting that technically, it was just leadership that was revamped. The village has never been near extinction, since the late Chief Ndumbe Bebe, went to meet his ancestors in 1979,” Chief Nganje stated.     

He further enlightened that the name ‘Douala’ in the name of the village, represents a cultural connotation than geographical connotation. 

Dispels claims of his father not being Chief

Chief Nganje also dispelled claims propounded by those whom he described as having little knowledge of the history of Tiko Douala Village, stating that Tiko Douala Village has benefited from a continuous legacy of Chiefs, all exercising traditional and customary rights and authority. 

He said the village has seen the reign of traditional rulers.  He cited for example, Chief Priso Toh in 1883, and his late father, Chief Ndumbe Bebe, whom he has now succeeded. 

“As concerns those who claim that HRH Chief Ndumbe Bebe was not a Chief, but a tax collector, I stand to tell them that the 1971 finance gazette confirms he was a Chief. It is common knowledge that in essence, all Chiefs were tax collectors,” he said, before reiterating that the West Cameroon Official Gazette of 1963 and the Local Authority Ordinance of March 24, 1965, appointed Chief J. Ndumbe Bebe to the Tiko council, in his capacity as traditional ruler. 

“The rehabilitation of Tiko Douala Village is a way of honouring his legacy. His remains rest in Motombolombo, the land of his ancestors,” the traditional ruler insisted. 

Indicts fellow traditional ruler

Chief Nganje also roped in the traditional ruler of Tiko Town Village into the revamping saga, with claims of him trying to hinder the upshoot of any other village around for his sole “interest of land-grabbing”.

Chief Nganje situated that the Second-Class Chiefdom of Tiko Town is a creation of the state in 1982, adding that a Second-Class Chiefdom in Cameroon depends on the existence of Third-Class Chiefdoms within the Fondom. 

“Article 3 of the 1977 law states that a 2^nd Class Chiefdom consists of at least two 3^rd Class Chiefdoms. The 2^nd Class Chiefdom of Tiko Town doesn’t have any Third-Class Chiefdom to support it. Thus, it is illegitimate,” Chief Nganje further stated. 

Fingers Tiko DO

Indicting the Divisional Officer, DO, of Tiko for causing confusion in the traditional landscape of the Subdivision, Chief Nganje narrated that they had applied on January 11, 2018, for the revamping of Tiko Douala Village and to fill the vacancy caused by the demise of Chief Ndumbe Bebe, in accordance with Article 9 of the 1977 law. 

He regretted that after the Chief’s homologation by the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO of Fako, and having fulfilled all the modalities for his coronation on December 9 and on December 17, 2021, it was cancelled by the Tiko DO. 

Also, he said a cultural festival dubbed: ‘Musango Festival’, intended to use culture and tradition to bring peace, was cancelled by same administrator.  

“The same DO personally came with the forces of law and order and cancelled the coronation, which, he had previously consented to, in the morning of Friday April 19, 2024,” he said. 

He also warned that if Tiko Douala Village revamping is not well handled by the DO and authorities, it may cause animosity between the Doualas and the Bakweris in Tiko. 

“The Bakweris and Doualas in Tiko have always lived in peace and mutual acceptance of one another; since they have the same ancestry and culture,” he affirmed. 

Tiko DO denies external influence 

Contacted by The Guardian Post, to get his side of the story, the DO for Tiko, Kawa Armstrong, denied having acted or prohibited the coronation ceremony based on any influence. 

Kawa Armstrong also pointed out that the existence of Tiko Douala Village is “undisputable,” but stressed that the timing for the coronation and installation were deemed inappropriate. 

“They wanted to organise an enthronement and installation ceremony which came on the heels of similar squabbles in Boganjo Village. So, as the DO of Tiko, I said our environment was not conducive at the time for any cornation ceremony that might have brought about another controversy. I knew then that it could take place any other time,” he told The Guardian Post.

He went on to confirm that “Tiko Douala Village has gone through its due process for rehabilitation,” following the orientation from the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji.

“The SDO, who is the only authority charged with the homologation, has officially recognised the existence of Tiko Douala Village. He cancelled the initial order that had been issued by the former SDO, so the Chiefdom has been officially recognised and the Chief can exercise his authority freely as per the established laws of the Republic,” the administrator added. 

He refuted siding with a traditional ruler to frustrate the coronation of Chief of Tiko Douala Village, saying his only concern is ensuring the maintenance of law and order within his jurisdiction.

Tiko Town Village Chief’s aides deny accusations 

 All attempts by this reporter to reach the traditional ruler of Tiko Town Village, Chief Nango Yome Mwaimbe by phone, proved futile. 

Recall that the Chief of Tiko Douala Village, had accused him of colluding with the DO of Tiko to block his coronation.

Unable to get the Tiko Town ruler for his version of the saga surrounding the revamping of Tiko Douala Village, we got his aides. 

Speaking on strict condition of anonymity, because they insisted they were not mandated to speak on the matter, Chief Nango’s aides insisted the accusation that he is fighting to block the coronation of the Chief of Tiko Douala Village is baseless.

“What does the coronation of the Chief of Tiko Douala Village, add or substract from HRH Nango Yome Mwaimbe, as the traditional ruler of Tiko Town Village?”, one of the aides questioned.