PRINCE JESCO ACCUSES PM OF FUELLING LIMBE CHIEFTAINCY CRISIS

THE GUARDIAN POST

The guardian post No. 0329 of 31^st of March 2009.

ARTICLE: - PRINCE JESCO ACCUSES PM OF FUELLING LIMBE CHIEFTAINCY CRISIS.

The long running vacancy at the helm of the Limbe chieftain is stirring dust and acrimony and the latest fall guy is the government. In a chat with The Guardian Post in his Limbe Office last week, Prince Jesco Manga William pointed an accusing finger at the government singling out chief Ephraim Inoni, the Prime minister, head of government for special indictment.

Prince Jesco who’s elder brother to the late chief Ferguson Bile Manga Williams regretted that since his brother passed away six years ago, the Government has refused to appoint a new chief. Prince Jesco revealed that since the death of his brother his candidature for the throne had been submitted to the government through appropriate channel but since then had received no response.

He said by the law the final decision rested on the PM but surprisingly the PM who was a chief himself from the area had remained mute on the issue in spite of many entreaties. Prince Jesco said government’s inability to act on an issue who’s verdict was clear could only illustrate weakness. The prince regretted that distant relations of the Manga Williams family were backing the candidature of his nephew who was neither a full bred Cameroonian nor Bakweri as the tradition exacts, under the influence of detractors teleguided by some affluent family members.

To booster his point, he confirmed that the alleged newphew was currently in Ghana to bury the sister, an indication of his origins which even his detractors could not ignore. Prince Jesco said the government could not pretend that no candidate had been presented because he had not only dropped his letter of intent at the SDO’s office but had petitioned the PM directly. So far, there has been no response.

Prince Jesco is not only the one who has dropped his candidature. David Nanja Carr and the chief of Bamboko are also laying claims to the throne but for Prince Jesco, the only legitimate family which has ruled Limbe for over century. Prince Jesco said when his father died in 1961, he was the crown prince, but in view of the fact that he was studying in Britain, he handed over the throne to his junior brother late Chief Ferguson.

Unfortunately, his brother passed away earlier, so it was only but natural that the throne should revert to him, the current head of the Manga Williams’ family.

Responding to questions on the 1961 Bealing Commission put in place by J N Foncha the PM of West Cameroon to resolve the dispute that arose when Jesco’s father King Manga Williams died, he rejected their resolutions. The main resolutions recognized three royal houses in Limbe. The Manga Williams, the Mokebas and the Carrs.

Prince Jesco said the Bealing Commission was set up to resolve a particular crisis. There’s no where indicating that the resolutions were ratified as law for the Bakweri people.The Bealing Commission Jesco averred had chiefs from the Northwest region and stressed that Northwest chiefs could not be King makers in the Southwest region.

Source: The Guardian Post