Manyemen chieftaincy tussle: Hope Sona’s faction accuses SDO of intimidation, threats, sowing discord.

The fierce race to the stool, which started in 2022, when the last ruler, HRM Eben Jacob Nkongho, joined his ancestors, is further taking a series of ugly twists and turns.

Several consultative talks have been held since November 2023, leaving both indigenes of the village and local administrative authorities in camps of main contenders, Hope Sona Ebai and Williams Bisong Mbue. 

Accusations and counter accusations from both camps have become rife and are now turning nasty. 

Supporters of the two protagonists are now trading insults, questioning the eligibility of each candidate as well as pointing accusing fingers at administrative authorities for alleged foul play in the process. 

SDO accused of violating Manyemen tradition

A faction of those who refer themselves as the rightful kingmakers and family heads of Manyemen, through a petition to South West Governor, a copy of which The Guardian Post has seen, are on the balls of the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Kupe-Muanenguba, Mongambo William Ekema.

The administrator is now in the eye of the storm for allegedly violating the traditional norms of Manyemen throughout the consultative talks held since 2023. 

Manyemen village, it should be said, is made up of four founding families, notably Njet, Ndong, Bafaneh and the NtiBock families. Each of the families, as a matter of right, produces four kingmakers, making a total of sixteen. 

Brandishing a series of documents to support their claims, the group of individuals have accused the SDO of undermining the laws regulating chieftaincy institutions in the country and openly taking sites with one of the contenders, Williams Bisong Mbue, whom they describe as the SDO’s “friend” in violation of the tradition and customs of the land. 

Dissolving Traditional Council to favour Williams Mbue

The group of individuals who insist Hope Sona Ebai is their rightfully designated chief, traced the SDO’s ploy to favour Williams Mbue, to his dissolution of the Manyemen Traditional Council, on Thursday, November 9, 2023.

The SDO’s decision, it should be said, came after several attempts by the Divisional Officer, DO, of Nguti Subdivision, Etengeneng Kevin Oben, to hold consultative talks, were futile.

However, those against the move say the SDO, in the course of setting up a new Traditional Council, strategically handpicked those who are not due representatives of the various founding families. 

Flashback to candidates, initial consultative talk results 

After setting up of the new Traditional Council, a consultative talk was held in Bangem, the Divisional headquarters of Kupe-Muanenguba Division, under the supervision of the SDO. Also present was the DO of Nguti Subdivision, Etengeneng Kevin Oben. 

It was during the set consultative talk on November 23, 2023, that Williams Bisong Mbue, was designated as Chief of Manyemen village.

The designation was without any contestation as Barrister Eben Smith, son of the late traditional ruler, declined to run for the throne. 

The SDO, had after the designation, issued a Prefectoral Order on December 7, 2023, recognising Williams Bisong Mbue as Chief of Manyemen. 

However, those in support of Hope Sona Ebai have flawed the SDO, accusing him of violating the law regulating the chieftaincy institution, which gives the Divisional Officer, DO, of Nguti the right to supervise the consultative talk of a Third-Class Chiefdom. 

Williams Mbue’s eligibility questioned 

Things took another turn in the chieftaincy tussle when the SDO, through another Prefectoral Order, signed December 12, 2024, annulled the first Prefectoral Order he had issued recognising Williams Mbue as chief. 

This, we gathered, followed a series of petitions, which had been written to several quarters by a group of individuals who identified themselves as the legitimate kingmakers and family heads. 

They criticised the designation of Williams Mbue as not being in line with the customs and tradition and lacks the backing of ancestors. 

“…prior to the above exercise, our Tiger chief had invited the parties involved to go to our ancestral shrine for the gods of our land to select a chief traditionally, Mr Williams Bisong Mbue did not go and HRH Chief Hope Sona Ebai was presented to the gods and he was accepted by the gods of our land,” a portion of the petition read. 

The group also accused Williams Mbue of hiring thugs to destroy the village shrine and tagged him a non-native from a settler community maneuvering his way to the throne. 

Hope Sona Ebai enters race to throne

As explained by an individual supporting Sona Ebai as chief, the right family heads had engaged internal talks and reflections aimed at selecting a candidate to present to the other families, following the decision of Barrister Eben Smith, son of the late traditional ruler, not to contest for the throne. 

They said it was in the process that the SDO illegally went ahead to carryout consultative talks, which led to the designation of Williams Mbue. 

Hope Sona designated chief in fresh consultative talks 

A fresh consultative talk was held in Manyemen on January 3, 2025. In a petition dated January 25, 2025, and addressed to South West Governor, the camp of Hope Sona Ebai said he emerged victorious with the backing of eleven kingmakers against five who stood for Williams Bisong. 

Both Hope Sona Ebai and Williams Bisong were proposed for the throne by the ruling family of Njet, while the founding family of Ndong proposed Chu Isaiah as another contender.

The process, we gathered, unfolded under the watchful eyes of the DO of Nguti, Etengeneng Kelvin Oben, the Mayor of Nguti, George Tong Enoh, the President of the Nguti Chiefs Conference, Chief Asek of Ayong, and Acting President of the Upper Balong Chief Conference, who doubles as the Chief of Sikam.

SDO denies recognising Hope Sona 

The SDO, as per a petition addressed to the Governor of the South West Region, by a group of kingmakers, family heads and elders, engaged another suspicious move, calling for fresh consultative talks. This, at a time the village was already in ecstasy waiting for the coronation of Hope Sona Ebai. 

The petitioners expressed surprise that on March 12, 2025, the SDO and his entourage, at short notice, stormed Manyemen for a meeting, during which there was “open rejection by the population of Mr Williams Bisong Mbue”.

They said the locals had informed the SDO that Williams Bisong is a “non-native” and that the people of Manyemen already had a chief. 

“That the above notwithstanding, the SDO, while leaving the environment, stood at the door of an armoured car and declared his friend, Mr. Williams Bisong Mbue, whom he had earlier withdrawn his own Prefectoral order, as Chief of Manyemen, going against our traditional process of our Upper Balong customs and traditions in the selection of our chief,” the petitioners stated.

They regretted that the SDO’s meeting was tactically held in the absence of Sona Ebai, despite appealing to the SDO to wait for his availability after getting permission from the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency to participate at a continental conference.

“…the SDO waived his request and came to Manyemen to impose his friend, Mr. Williams Bisong Mbue, as chief to us through intimidation and brutalisation,” they wrote, while appealing to the SDO to hands off the chieftaincy issue and allow the DO of Nguti, under whose competence it is.

They express surprise at the attitude of the SDO, whom they accused of treating them as “trash and no respect for our elders and our traditional norms”. 

Hope Sona crowned Manyemen Chief

With the back and forth, Hope Sona Ebai, on May 8, 2025, was crowned Chief of Manyemen. The ritual was performed, despite a Prefectural Order of Kupe Muanenguba, banning any public gathering in the administrative unit. 

The SDO had in the order banning all public gatherings, instructed the Company Commander of the Division to put officers on the alert to maintain public peace and order. Security officers are said to have been present in the village during the traditional coronation of Sona Ebai.

The ceremony brought together some sons and daughters of the village from across the country. It coincided with the building of the village shrine called ‘Ntem’.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3453 of Friday May 23, 2025