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| Innocent Timbong and Solomon Tembang |
| Monday, 11 August 2008 13:47 |
 Says “I Can’t Wait Any Longer”Accuses Govt Of Presenting Forge Will Prince Jesco Manga Williams over the weekend told journalists at a press conference that from now henceforth, he was assuming the position as acting Paramount Chief of Limbe. Prince Jesco said with the continuous delay by government to recognise a Chief, he could not remain indifferent and has called on the administration to approve his candidature and name the date for his installation. “As eldest son of the late King Manga Williams, my candidature remains unchallenged”, he said. Jesco also strongly accused the Fako administration of presenting what he called a forged Will purported to be the last testament of the late Paramount Chief of Limbe, Chief Ferguson Manga Williams to the family. He disclosed that following the family’s rejection of the will, the enthronement of a new Chief has continued to stall. Buttressing his case, Prince Jesco argued that following the death of his younger brother, Chief Ferguson Manga Williams about three years ago, the out going SDO for Fako Division, Bernard Bilai Okalia presented a Will to the family during a meeting in the family residence, attended by family members and the Police Commissioner. During the meeting, Prince Jesco continued, the SDO brought out a brown sealed envelope and disclosed that he discovered it among the handing over notes of his predecessor, Ngambi Dikoume, and upon close appraisal he discovered that it was the Will of Late Chief Ferguson Manga Williams. The SDO, Prince Jesco continued, read out the Will in which the late Chief appointed Mr. Henry Njalla Quan as his successor. The Prince said he was surprised because according to the Bakweri tradition the late Chief was not habilitated to choose his successor, and during Chief Ferguson Manga Williams’ life time he never made any reference to the said Will because he himself was well versed with the culture of his people. Furthermore, Prince Jesco continued, Njalla Quan was not eligible to be chief by law and custom because he was not a Manga Williams as his name clearly indicated. Prince Jesco, however, agreed that Njalla Quan was his late sisters’ son but succession in the Bakweri land followed the paternal line and not the maternal line so his nephew was technically eliminated from the succession race. The Will, Prince Jesco said, was challenged by the entire family with Princess Mrs. Edna Eba making the family position against the said Will very clear. Curiously, Prince Jesco regretted that the said Will was not handed over to the family in spite of many attempts to procure it, and said he was sure the Will was being withheld to prevent the exposure of fraud. He declared, however, that he was taking legal steps to ensure that the said Will is handed over to the family. Prince Jesco said following the opposition to the Will, he had presented his file to be installed as the next Paramount Chief following a family meeting, but so far there has been no response from the administration. The delay, according to him, is stalling many traditional activities performed by the chief in Limbe, and many state and society engagements which require the participation of the chief. Responding to questions on the candidature of others, particularly the son of the late Chief Ferguson Manga Williams who has made public his intension to be chief, Prince Jesco shrugged him off, continuing that his late brother was married to a Ghanaian woman and the tradition did not permit offsprings of such to be in line for succession. Quizzed on the merits of his candidature, Prince Jesco said he was supposed to be the chief when his father died but he passed it to his younger brother because he was studying in Britain. Challenged that 80 and above was too old an age to assume public functions, Prince Jesco who falls in this category said age comes with wisdom, quoting figures from the Bible, Nelson Mandela and the American Republican candidate for the White House, John McCain, age and experience, Jesco maintained, are vital for leadership. Quizzed on other families in Limbe like the Carrs and Mokebas who had expressed interest, Prince Jesco presented a seal from King George of England to his father in 1928 recognising his outstanding services as president of the courts in the Limbe zone which covered a larger territory then. The Manga Williams dynasty had reigned unbroken for over a century and will continue inpite of unfounded rumblings Prince Jesco concluded. |
| Last Updated on Monday, 11 August 2008 15:32 view original post here |
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