EDITORIAL

That humiliation suffered by ‘royal beggars’ in Mvomeka’a
 

We have said it before without mincing words. If North West fons “want to earn respect and the reverence their great grand ancestors enjoyed, they must act and behave in majestic style on all occasions to keep their palaces in tune with the rhythm of a changing democratic world.”

But at the interment of Rossete Marie Mboutchouang, mother–in-law of President Biya in Mvomeka’a recently, a delegation of North West Fons Union led by its President, Senator Techi Njei tried unsuccessfully to gate-crash.

Even though not invited, the fons arrived outside the Biya country residence in attention-grabbing, free flowing gowns and flicking their wands. They searched

For seats by themselves in an arena reserved for invitees. The guests were subsequently identified by members of the presidential security before being ushered into the requiem mass in Biya’s compound. But the traditional rulers who had squeezed themselves in the midst of invitees were abandoned to themselves.

Determined not to be left out, the fons scuttled with visibly worried countenances for some 90 metres to the gate where they were shoved away in humiliation.

What motivated the traditional rulers who in describing themselves as majesties should move and behave with the rhythm of nobility?  Aren’t North West fons prohibited by their tradition and customs from such ceremonies? Did one of their peers not die reportedly because he violated that customary edict and stubbornly witnessed the burial rites of elder statesman, John Ngu Foncha?

The motivation to scurry from the North West, many of them meandering through torturing roads to rural Mvomeka’a, for “a private” funeral and without invitations, cannot be far from begging for droppings from the presidential table. They have done so before. The result was the same-shame and disgrace.

At the 50^th anniversary celebrations of reunification in Buea last February, the very North West fons loitered around the presidential lodge in Buea for hours begging to have audience with the president. The perception is that when President Biya receives traditional delegations, he generously gives them “transport money” which could be in millions.

The fons know the practice well, having been given money when Biya received them after the 50^th anniversary of the armed forces in Bamenda. They were also offered money when their delegation once paid a courtesy visit at the presidency. They almost exchanged blows in the course of sharing the cash as some members were left out.

That contributed in tearing North West fons apart and the regional governor had to step in to quell flames of division and antagonism which still linkers with smoke.

With the advent of modernity, the power and trappings that go with traditional leadership have mostly melted like morning mist.  Their involvement in partisan politics has also not help to boost their image especially in municipalities where the fon’s party is the minority.

President Biya whom the North West fons crowned as “fon of fons”, although he is not known to have worn their regalia, recently placed them on monthly salaries.

First class chiefs earn 200.000FCFA, the second class category take home 100 000FCFA while the last grade who could rightly be termed quarter heads have 50 000FCFA each.

The government also makes allocation on the national investment budget to renovate some palaces. Such measures are intended to make traditional rulers live comfortably in nobility without going cap in hand to disgrace themselves in begging as it happened again in Mvomeka’a.

What is even annoying is that the delegation was led by Fon Teche who as senator has had his bread buttered on both sides, thanks to his appointment by President Biya as senator and senate bureau member.

As honourable member of the senate, he should be well versed with protocol and societal etiquette that you do not attend any event if not invited no matter how close your relation with the celebrant is.

Although by tradition, one can attend a funeral without invitation, you do so with a condolence gift. The fons were not seen with any condolence package, and even if they had, they could as well have sent it to the presidency before the ceremony.

It is unethical, embarrassing and shameful to gatecrash if the bereaved explicitly describes his event as a private funeral as it was in the case of that of Chantal Biya’s mother.

The Mvomeka’a show of shame will surely make a good laugh for the faction that is in opposition with Fon Teche whose executive is split. It must be admitted that Teche’s tenure has been characterized by scandals from the sharing of money to the nature of gift at the reunification anniversary. The work on the multi-purpose secretariat project which Teche inherited is also not anything to give a pass mark for.

Unlike their South West cousins who have traditional rulers and elite associations to lobby for their interests, the North West has just the fons’ union. And to continue to make it a subject of laughing stock is not deserving of the proud and hard working people of the region whose attachment to democratic values is unquestionable.

The Guardian Post is aware that democracy is alien to North West tradition when it comes to selecting a successor through heredity but that is far fetch in the leadership of the union. The mandate of Fon Teche long expired and we believe the only way to put an end to this beggarly behaviour of the fons should be to call an elective assembly and immediately put in place a new executive.

Such an executive should be made of leaders of mettle who command respect on any given occasion. It should be one with a personality to lobby for funds to complete the secretariat. If North Westerners can in one go raise 200 million for a political party campaign, they can do the same to finance the completion of the secretariat which will be the pride of all North Westerners.

But that can only be done through a new executive, not the present team that has failed, and failed again to learn any lesson from its plethora of blunders.