Today’s House Of Chiefs, Is A Mockery Of What Existed In The Days Of West Cameroon, Which Ahidjo Killed Alongside Two -State Federation, In 1972

The House of Chiefs was not initially in Biya Gov’t’s project to create Regional Councils

Rev Father Tatah Mbuy in his book, “FONS OF ‘TRADTIONAL BAMENDA’ AND PARTISAN POLIITCS IN CONTEMPORARY CAMEROON”, explains how Fons functioned in the House of Chiefs in the days of West Cameroon

But unlike the Fons  and Chiefs of yesterday, most Fons and Chiefs today are involved in partisan politics, and that is  seriously affecting their Fondoms and Chiefdoms

President Biya for many years had no plan to create a House of Chiefs. Today’s House of Chiefs and the name, Regional Assembly, were not in the Biya Government’s original project for the creation of Regional Councils in all the 10 regions of the country, as contained in the 1996 Constitution. It was after the National Dialogue that held in  the nation’s capital, Yaounde, from September 30 – October 4, 2019 , that the text was  modified, as the Government searched for materials to fill the empty shell called, Special Status, that was ‘granted’ to the two Anglophone Regions (Northwest and Southwest Regions), on the recommendation of the National Dialogue.

The National Dialogue which unfortunately was not an inclusive dialogue, was purportedly meant to seek solutions to the end the escalated Anglophone Crisis, and the granting of Special Status to the Anglophone Regions, was recommended by the non – inclusive National Dialogue as one of the solutions to the ongoing Anglophone Crisis.

 The ‘Special Status’ For Anglophone Regions

The Government, or better still President Biya, decided that the content of the Special Status should be that the Regional Council which was still to be created would be known, as Regional Assembly in each of the two Anglophone Regions. The President also decided that in each of the two Anglophone Regions, the House of Chiefs, which was also a recommendation of the National Dialogue, be created as part of the Regional Assembly, and that there should also be a Government –appointed independent Public Conciliator in the two Anglophone Regions.

It should be noted that what Anglophones demanded was the revival of the House of Chiefs that existed in the good old days of West Cameroon, which the first President of Cameroon, Ahmadou Ahidjo, unfortunately abolished or killed in 1992. But what the Biya Government created or put in the Special Status as House of Chief had nothing similar to the former House of Chiefs.

Members Of House of Chiefs Are First Of All Regional Councilors

After the first Regional Elections in December 2020, the new State institution created at the regional level, finally saw the light of day. In a Francophone Region, it is known as the Regional Council, while in the Anglophone Region, it is known as Regional Assembly. Also, in the Francophone Region, all members of the Regional Council, including traditional rulers, sit in the same hall during sessions, while in the Anglophone Region, traditional rulers that are members of the Regional Assembly sit in a separate area known as House of Chiefs. Thirdly, in the Anglophone Region, there is a government – appointed official known as Public Independent Conciliator, while there is no such official in a Francophone Region.

So Chiefs or Fons that are elected as members of House of Chiefs at regional elections, are first of all members of the Regional Assembly, but just that they sit in a different room or hall during sessions, that the Biya regime calls, House of Chiefs. The agendas of official meetings or sessions are the same for all members the Regional Assembly, including the traditional rulers that sit separately from the others. So it can be said that in realty, today’s House of Chiefs is just the name of the separate area where traditional rulers  that are members of the Regional Council, sit during sessions. It is not a different institution from the Regional Assembly or Regional Council, which is a State institution.

Meanwhile, still as regards the Biya Government’s House of Chiefs, the text is clear that the Vice President of the Regional Assembly, who has to a traditional ruler or chief, is the President of the House of Chiefs.  So it is clear that the President of the House of Chiefs, that is the Vice President of the Regional Assembly, has as his immediate boss the President of the Regional Assembly. That is the Biya Government’s House of Chiefs.

Today’s House Of Chiefs, Has Nothing To Compare With The Former House Of Chiefs

So in fact the Biya Government’s House of Chiefs today, has nothing to compare with the independent, highly respected, and powerful House of Chiefs that existed in the days of West Cameroon, except the name. In fact, what is called a House of Chiefs, today, is a mockery, when compared to what existed in the Anglophone part of the country in the days of West Cameroon.  Hope Minister Celestine Ketcha Courtes, would not ask The Mentor, “Il avait quoi avant?”  (What was there before?). It should also be noted the House of Chiefs did not exist in Francophone Cameroon in the past, and so many people in that part of the country do not even understand the importance of a House of Chiefs.

President Ahidjo Abolished House Of Chiefs In 1972

In his book titled, “FONS OF ‘TRADTIONAL BAMENDA’ AND PARTISAN POLITICS IN COMTEMPORARY CAMEROON. Reconstructing Identity and Cultural Meaning”, the reputed and prolific writer, TATAH MBUY, among other things looks back at   The House of Chiefs, which the first President of Cameroon, Ahmadou Ahidjo abolished in 1972.   Tatah Mbuy states that from 1960 – 1972, the Fons had a forum where they discussed, advised and interacted in Cameroon politics – the ‘”House of Chiefs”.  Unfortunately enough, he said the “House of Chiefs” was abolished by President Ahmadou Ahidjo in 1972. So Ahidjo in 1992 did not only deprived Anglophone Cameroon of the much cherished Federation, but also deprived them of the House of Chiefs

It should be noted that the author of the book, Tatah Mbuy, is a well-known Catholic Priest of the Bamenda Archdiocese, and is also of the Catholic Communication Department in the nation’s capital, Yaounde. He is thus Rev Father Tatah Mbuy.  However when he writes on non –religious issues like the case of ‘”FONS OF ‘TRADITIONAL BAMENDA’ AND PARTISAN POLITICS IN CONTEMPORARY CAMEROON”,  he tries to protect the Catholic Church by not associating it in any way to his work as an individual, and so simply signs as Tatah Mbuy.

It should be noted that in the aforementioned book, Tatah Mbuy focuses on the Fons of the Northwest West Region, and that is why in talking about the House of Chiefs, he mostly talked about Fons. So it does not mean that only Fons were in the House of Chiefs during the days of West Cameroon. There were of course Chiefs from the sisterly Southwest Region. It is also worth pointing out to those outside Cameroon or non – Cameroonians, that while traditional rulers in Cameroon are generally known as Chiefs, those of the Northwest Region are called Fons. So Fons are traditional rulers of the Northwest Region.

House Of Chiefs In The Days Of West Cameroon

Below is an interesting excerpt from Tatah Mbuy;s book, “FONS OF ‘TRADITIONAL BAMENDA  AND PARTISAN POLITICS IN CONTEMPORARY CAMEROON”, in which he raised two major  points on how Fons functioned in the House of Chiefs, in the good old days of West Cameroon.

“First, the House of Chiefs was a meeting place where Fons and other traditional leaders met to discuss cultural issues and how they were to relate with the political society. The five Fons of Nso, Bali, Bafut, Kom and Mankon were de facto members (given the population they ruled), before others were considered.

“The House of Fons and Chiefs was never influenced by any Minister, or Government official, nor did any Fon publicly declare himself as a member of this  or that political party, precisely because each Fon was always conscious of their role as natural references and ‘Father’ to all. As we mentioned earlier, NO ONE ‘owns’ the Fon in traditional Bamenda. So, the primary function of the Fon in the House of Chiefs was to express cultural, historical and/ or ethnic points of view on public policies. As custodians of the culture who knew that the identity and dignity of different groups depended on their respect for patrimony of their ancestors, the Fons unequivocally took a preferential option for common good of their respective groups. Nothing imaginable could have made a Fon (Father of the people) to act against the very people over whom the ancestors gave husbandry.

“Second, the Fons in the House of Chiefs understood themselves and acted as advisers to various administrators on matters of how to ensure unity, justice and peace in society. And non of the administrators (colonial or local) either doubted or tried to manipulate the authority of these Fons within the community. That is why, it would have been unthinkable that a ‘District Officer’ (DO), a ‘Senior Divisional Officer’ (SDO), ‘Governor’ or even a Minister could attempt to downgrade or belittle a Fon in his Fondom. Such an act could have been considered a cultural sacrilege. That is why all Government administrators had the joy of creating, developing and reinforcing cordial relations with the Fon in each Fondom. In fact, one of the earliest acts of any civil administrator to any Fondom, was to meet and introduce himself to the Fon with whom he would work in the governance of the people.

“Each respected the status and dignity of the other, and that is how in truth, the Fons functioned well in the House of Chiefs as real advisers (auxiliaries) of administration. Since both the civil administration and the Fons understood their roles and statues in the society, there were hardly any conflicts.

“So the House of Chiefs was really a house where the Fons and Chiefs discussed issues of common interest, and from the vantage point of knowing the culture of the people. The House of Chiefs also provided the right milieu for Fons to discuss how to handle internal and inter – group conflicts. Each Fon was aware of the expectations of the people when he was to arbitrate over any conflict”.

Nostalgic Feelings, But – – –

What a nostalgic feelings this piece by Tatah  Mbuy creates! This is the type of House of Chiefs that Anglophones wanted.  Anglophones wanted a revival of the former House of Chiefs that existed in the good old days of West Cameroon.

But there is also the reality that must be taken into consideration, if Anglophones are honest to themselves in this issue. If we objectively look at the Fons of yesterday and those of today in ‘traditional Bamenda’ or Northwest Region, we will unanimously admit that there is a big difference. As seen in Tatah Mbuy’s book, “FONS OF ‘TRADITIONAL BAMENDA’ AND PARTISAN POLITICS IN CONTEMPORARY CAMEROON”, Fons of yesterday abstained from partisan politics, whereas most Fons today have turned into politicians. Most Northwest Fons today are militants of the ruling CPDM. Some are even members of the Central Committee of the CPDM.  Fon Aneng Francis of Bafmeng, now of blessed memory, was even a member of the Political Bureau of the CPDM.

There are some Fons in the Northwest today that have gone to the extent of running in legislative and municipal elections on the CPDM lists, against their subjects that are of the opposition. And we know what happens during election campaigns the world over. Accusations and counter accusations by different political camps, and even insults, and so on. It is a fact that many of today’s Fons of the Northwest Region involved partisan politics, have had clashes with some of their subjects in the field of politics, and that many Fondoms have been seriously affected by this unfortunate situation. It is the same story with many Chiefs in the Southwest Region, today. Many are militants of the ruling CPDM.

Suffice to say from an honest observation, the House of Chiefs that existed in the days of West Cameroon, cannot survive under the Fons and Chiefs of today, because of their involvement in partisan and dirty politics. So perhaps the Biya Government’s version of the House of Chiefs is what the Fons and Chiefs of today deserve.

By Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)

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