NW Governor urges traditional rulers to champion peace, education.

He made the call at the opening ceremony of the Phase I Training Programme for the Empowerment of Traditional Rulers. The meeting will run from September 10 to 12, 2025, at the North West Regional Assembly. 

The three-day event, which has brought together selected Fons from all seven Divisions of the region is Phase I of an empowerment programme, which seeks to improve on the skills and knowledge of all the traditional rulers on governance, the law, their role in decentralisation and how to better develop their communities.

Also present during the opening event was President of the North West Regional Assembly, Professor Fru Angwafo, President of the House of Chiefs, Fon Yakum Kevin, administrative officials, facilitators and traditional leaders.

Fons to be ambassador of peace 

Addressing Fons, the Governor reminded them of their statutory role as auxiliaries of the administration. He urged them to always work together with the administration to ease their work.

“You are the bridge between the government and the people. You translate government policy into the context of our local realities and bring the concerns of your people to the table of governance,” the Governor said.

The Governor emphasised the urgent need for traditional rulers to be apostles of peace, dialogue, and reconciliation in their communities. 

He praised those who have already been preaching peace from their palaces before calling for intensified cooperation with defense and security forces.

“Feed them with timely intelligence, encourage your subjects to shun violence, and embrace the path of peace,” he urged.

Promoters of education, culture 

On education, Governor Lele L’Afrique stressed the importance of a smooth back-to-school campaign, noting that children in the region had suffered long enough. 

“Our children must return to their classrooms without fear, without hesitation. Let every parent in every village understand that the future of our land depends on the education of our children,” Governor added.

The Governor also called on traditional rulers to play a key role in the upcoming presidential election, ensuring calm, maturity, and peaceful participation. 

He cautioned against hate speech and violence, urging the traditional rulers to prepare their communities for issue-based campaigns.

Beyond politics, the Governor reminded traditional authorities that their cultural and moral influence remains indispensable. 

He added that the House of Chiefs within the Regional Assembly offers them a unique platform to influence policy and development.

“You are the living libraries of our history, the guardians of our customs, and the interpreters of our traditions,” he noted.

Enter House of Chiefs President

Opening the workshop, the President of the House of Chiefs, Fon Yakum, described the event as “a turning point in our shared journey to reinforce the leadership, administrative capacity, and cultural relevance of traditional rulers—the custodians of our heritage, the protectors of our values, and the guardians of community life”.

He stressed the need for cultural preservation. He noted that the Fons must be united to preserve their heritage, or lose it to modernity.

“We live in a time when cultural erosion is a real threat. Globalisation and modern lifestyles are changing the fabric of our communities. Yet, we know that no society can stand without its identity, and identity is rooted in culture. By preserving our oral traditions, our monuments, our festivals, and our protocols, we safeguard the soul of our people. And by adapting these traditions to new realities, we keep them alive, relevant, and empowering for our youth,” Fon Yakum said.

In his presentation, Ignatius Ngale, Inspector General at the Governor’s office drilled the traditional rulers on the 1977 law, its challenges and attributions to the rulers. 

He urged them to always take peaceful measures in resolving disputes between their subjects. As the training unfolds, participants are being drilled on the legal status of traditional rulers, decentralisation, monument conservation, land management, cultural protocols, and oral tradition. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3562 of Friday September 12, 2025