Extinct Fako villages may resurface

From Mua Patrick Mughe in Buea

Plans are currently afoot for the re-emergence of some extinct Fako Villages, the vice president of the Muea court area chiefs’ conference has announced. Chief Njie Mandenge of Wonjia village told newsmen in Buea Saturday that consultative talks to settle on traditional rulers for the various villages will begin in no distant time.

Chief  Njie was speaking at the end of the Muea court area rotary monthly meeting that was staged at Ewili village, near Muea on October 25. He said during the meeting they resolved on several issues especially the controversy over the re-emergence of the Lewola Malale village… “We have resolved to meet with the SDO because we have a few cases of other villages that need to reemerge. You know most of our villages were some sort of extinct and there is awareness and reawakening of our people to revive most of these villages.

“We specifically made mention of the village of Lewola - Malale around the Musaka area where two of our colleagues - one chief and the other chief-elect wrote petitions challenging the emergence of Lewola Malale. We reported this matter to the DO for Buea. We held a general meeting with all the chiefs of the Muea court area. We resolved that the village should be relocated to its ancestral land towards the Musaka area what people commonly call “the Black Bush.

That area as far back as 2006 was highly threatened by people who encroached there and created their residents and plantation, so drew the attention of the administration where it was emphatically made clear that the area is reserved land for the Muea court but if sister villages want to come and re-establish where their ancestors used to be , we find no inconvenience and we decry the ill-intensions of those two chiefdoms that are trying to challenge the re-emergence of these villages” he narrated.

Meanwhile, during the in–camera meeting, the over 20 chiefs in attendance focused their arguments on general development especially issues connected to the review of the Muea court area water scheme and road network.

“We appreciated the efforts of some chiefs and the Buea council as well because the Buea council through the able leadership of Mayor Ekema Patrick contributed immensely to handle some of these issues. You can see for yourself that the road from Lower Muea to Wonya Mokumba is now passable. But we equally made a fervent appeal to the council to ensure that the road is given another touch, the same thing applies to the road from Lower Bolifamba to Bwanda village. The council is doing something but we realised that the contractor who was awarded the contract has somewhat abandoned the project,” Njie disclosed.

Giving an appraisal of last Saturday’s monthly come together, host chief, Ndotto Elinge Ekinde Thomas II of Ewili village said the deliberations were satisfactory and will go a long way to improving on the development of the area. We want peace and unity to resign amongst us. Chief Elinge told The Guardian Post that plans are afoot for the construction of a village community hall and the grading of the road linking his village with Muea.