Why Many Family Businesses In Cameroon Do Not Survive Their Founders (Part 9)

Chief Dr. HNA ENONCHONG Created A Family Business In The Littoral And Southwest Regions

But like most Founders of Family Businesses in Cameroon, Chief Enonchong did not groom any person to eventually succeed him in the management of the Family Business or Estate

The wealthy legal luminary, CHIEF DR  HENRY NDIFOR ABI ENONCHONG, who hailed from Besongabang  Village, Mamfe Sub –division , Manyu Division in the Southwest Region of Cameroon, was based in Douala, and had properties or businesses in both the Littoral and Southwest Regions.  Chief Enonchong was the Founder of a Family Business that included among others Fresh Food Cameroon (FREFOCAM), which operated rubber plantations in Tiko Sub – division, Southwest Region.

There was also SCI – Abane Sarl, which was a real estate enterprise in Douala. The enterprise had quite a number of houses in high –class quarters like Bonapriso and Akwa in Douala.  Chief Enonchong himself was living in a mansion at Bonaberi, Douala. The house was initially owned by another prominent Anglophone business magnate, Daniel Nangah of the Nangah Company, also now of blessed memory.

Also, just like S.K. KILO of KILO & Bros Company did in his village in the then Northwest Province, Chief HNA Enonchong opened a secondary school in his village, Besongabang,   known as Enonchong Memorial College. Just like Kilo also, the school to Chief Enonchong was more of a social project for his village, than a business.

A Big Law Firm In Douala

There was the Enonchong Law Firm at Akwa Douala. Chief HNA Enonchong was a lawyer by profession.   Enonchong was one of the first Anglophone Cameroonians that went abroad for further studies after reunification. That was way back in 1963.  After the studies abroad, HNA Enonchong returned to the country. After engaging in a few things, Enonchong settled as a lawyer.   He was amongst the first Anglophone lawyers to practice in Cameroon, and in fact made a lot of money in the profession. There were very few Anglophone lawyers then.  Enonchong was among other things the lawyer of Nangah Company, and that was how he ended up taking over the mansion that Daniel Nangah constructed in Bonaberi as his (Nangah) residence in Douala. It became Enonchong’s permanent residence in Douala.  It was the big money that Enonchong made in the Law profession that enabled him to set up the other businesses.  His main office remained the Law Firm at Akwa , Douala,  and it was   from  there that he ran the other businesses.

The Abane Global Bank Project

There was also the Abane Global Bank PLC Project.  Before Chief Enonchong died, he had embarked on a project to create a commercial bank known as the ABANE GLOBAL BANK with headquarters in Limbe, Southwest Region.   He had actually submitted the file for the creation of the new bank to the Central Africa Banking Commission, COBA C, which by the time of his death was treating the file, and in fact work on the file had much advanced.    Before Chief Enonchong’s sudden death, he had already fulfilled the condition set by COBAC to raise the capital of the bank which was one billion franc CFA, and also blocked the money as COBAC demanded in an account, in one of the commercial banks in Cameroon.

To be precise, Chief Enonchong opened the account of the Abane Global Bank at the National Financial Credit, NFC Bank, at Bonanjo, Douala. The account number was: 50 001 37140 50011091 U.  The capital of the Abane Global Bank was paid into the account at the National Financial Credit Bank by Chief Enonchong, through a Standard Chartered Bank order (Bon de Caisse).  Chief Enonchong’s principal bank account was at Standard Chartered Bank Douala. Also worth noting that by the time Chief Enonchong died, the total amount of money in the special account he opened at the National Financial Credit Bank for  the Abane Global Bank  Project, was  1, 127,000,000 FCFA  (One billion, one hundred and twenty seven million francs CFA).

 Enonchong Did Not Groom Any Successor To Manage The Family Business

But UNFORTUNATELY, Chief Dr HNA Enonchong, with all the education he had, DID NOT bring in any his children or family member to train in the management of the Family Business he created. Chief Enonchong had quite a number of children. One of his children (Richard Enonchong), even studied Law in Britian.  But upon his return to the country, the father did not bring him into his Law Firm. Chief Enonchong’s first son, Charles Enonchong, was a Film Director at Nollywood in Nigeria.   One of Chief Enonching’s daughters, Rebecca Enonchong, is known as an expert in high tech.  But Chief Enonchong did not groom any of them to eventually be the Manager or Administrator of the Family Business he created.

Then death came so suddenly on the fateful day of June 26, 2008. His driver on that fateful morning discovered Chief Enonchong dead in his bathroom. He probably went in to take his bath that morning and death struck.  The Mentor will not get into the controversies or different allegations that different family members claimed were the alleged cause of Chief Enonching’s sudden death.  Surprisingly too, no autopsy was conducted to know the real cause of the death in the face of the controversies.

Another intriguing issue was that NO WILL was also found. It was difficult to imagine that somebody of that caliber or status, that is, a legal luminary, would not have had a Will. Suffice however to say that there was no certainty as to if somebody hid the Will, or if the decreased did not leave a Will. Even the allegation by some of the children that someone among those who were living with Chief  Enonchong at home knew something about the  ‘stolen’ or ‘missing’ Will, raised some doubts. Could an old and prominent lawyer like Chief Enonchong , who was  also  the Founder of a big Family Business and was as well a traditional authority, and also a man who had legitimate children with about four or more  women, have kept his will at home!

 Family Members In The Village Designate Next – Of – Kin And Administrator Of Estate

Meanwhile following the death of Chief Dr HNA Enonchong, and due to the fact that no Will was found, the Enonchong Family in the village (Besongabang, Mamfe Sub – division) and the Customary Court, in line with the Bayang tradition, designated his first son, Charles Abi Enonchong , a  Film Director who was based in Nigeria, as the next – of – kin and Administrator of the Estate of Late Chief Enonchong.  Charles Abi then decided to return and settle in Cameroon, precisely in Douala.  After all the procedures went through, the Manyu High Court in Mamfe duly issued a Letter of Administration of the Enonchong Estate, to the next – of – kin, Charles Abi Enonchong.

It should be noted that the interest or focus of The Mentor News in this story, is on the Administrator or Administration of the Enonchong Estate, and not on late Chief Enonchong’s next –of- kin.

Other Children Of Late Chief Enonchong, Contest The Designation

Worth noting Chief Enonchong was a polygamist, though only one woman was living with him in Douala at the time of his sudden death.  Suffice to also say that the children of Chief Enonchong’s other wives, that is, the step- brothers and sisters of Charles Abi , contested  his position as next – of – kin, and especially as the Administrator of the Enonchong Estate.  That is, they refused to recognize their step – brother, Charles Abi, as the Administrator of their late father’s Estate.

BUT IIT WAS A SITUATION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, IF CHIEF ENONCHING HAD WHILE ALIVE PERSONALLY CHOSEN AND  GROOMED ONE OF HIS CHILDREN OR FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE THE FUTURE MANGAER OR ADMINISTRATOR OF HIS ESTATE, WHEN HE WOULD NO LONGER BE AROUND.  If Chief Enonchong had groomed somebody to succeeded him in  the management of the Family Business, that would have  been known to all his children and ‘wives’, as well as to his entire family in the village, long before his death.  If that had been the case, the Enonchong family in the village would not have again designated another Administrator of Chief Enonchong’s Estate, after his death.

It is also difficult to see how any of the children of Late Chief Enonchong, would have stood up to fight the Administrator of the Estate, knowing so well that his or her father that created the Family Business, was the one that chose and groomed the person as Administrator to succeed him to succeed him in the management of the Family Business, and also provided him or her with all necessary documents.  What the other children of Chief Enonchong would have likely done after their father passed away, would have been to hold a meeting with the Administrator of the Estate to see how they would be benefiting from the Family Business or estate that their father left behind. Unfortunately, the Founder of the Family Business, Chief Enonchong, did not groom any successor in the management of the business, and worst still, either he did not leave behind a Will or the Will disappeared after his sudden death.