SW gov: I’ll end Limbe chieftaincy feud

Written by Dean E. Mongo, The Standard Tribune

Sunday, 16 May 2010 11:53

LIMBE—The South West governor, Koumpa Issa, says he will end the outdrawn dispute that has left this seaside resort without any paramount traditional ruler for several years. On his first visit to the town, which is seat of Fako division, the governor said Friday that he planned to draft in the South West Chiefs Conference, the region’s umbrella union of traditional authorities, to workout a succession plan. Mr Koumpa, the former governor of the Centre region, addressed thousands as he ended a tour of the new region he took over earlier this year. In wide ranging remarks, he also addressed security and development concerns. Limbe has remained without a paramount chief since 2006, following the death of HRH Chief Ferguson Billa Manga Williams, aged 86. At least five parties now lay claim to the throne. The first feud is within the family between Prince Jesco Manga Williams, the elder brother of Ferguson, and his nephew Henry Njalla Quan, the current general manager of CDC and who is the son of Jesco’s sister, Princess Sarah Williams. A third family member, Johnny Manga Williams, the son of Prince Jesco, is believed to be also interested in the throne. However, he is seen more as a spoiler, and a likely Njalla Quan backer. But at least one other family in Limbe is laying claims to the throne while several villages in the West Coast insist the new paramount ruler should come from there, since the Manga Williams originate from the East Coast. No names are being put forward. In 2007, relatives reportedly picked Prince Jesco as successor but it later emerged that Chief Ferguson had decided in a will to leave the throne to Njalla Quan. Both sides have rejected each other’s claims and the throne has since remained vacant. view original post here

Open Letter To Chief Samuel Epupa Ekum

From the Eden Newspaper (Link to original post here)

By Jerry Manga Williams

Wednesday, 22 July 2009 18:35

Dear Chief Ekum It is with sheer indignation that I have elected to provide this rejoinder against the last (above Re:) nay amid several correspondences intercepted either as a direct or carbon copy by my father, Crown Prince Jesco Manga Williams regarding the Limbe Paramount Chieftaincy. In pursuance of the strict query from the District Head who had earlier stopped the endeavour (unprecedented ever) by you to organise a pre-consultative meeting between my father, Prince Jesco Manga Williams and my cousin, Ekow Williams, you wrote that my father is pretending that he did not know about a committee you called ‘Limbe sub-divisional advisory committee’ I should indicate to you that my father has never been kept abreast of the existence of the institution you dubbed Limbe sub-divisional advisory committee and it is beating my wildest imagination that same has ever been mentioned formally anywhere else. It is unwarranted of you to accuse my father as pretending. Someone should be telling you this in the stead. You also said I drove my father to your office where he ‘deposited his letter of candidature for the vacant stool’. I should remind you that all previous audiences my father granted you were in mere conjunction to the endeavour you were electing to ascertain your support for his enthronement, actions I now fathom as depraved, properly so called. Also, it is mentioned in your correspondence to the D.O that “…Because he has not got the support of the family, he went and never came back till date. Having now heard that his nephew, the son to the late Chief has the support of the Manga Williams family, he is now suffering from defeatism and trying to play the role of if ‘I cannot have it no one else should have it’” You should be ashamed of yourselves for writing such a preposterous stretch. Was it not you who came from - God knows where – with documents and relevant information supporting the motion of my father to naturally assume his rightful claim to the vacant stool which documents included inter-alia the historical background of the Manga Williams genealogy of the Limbe Paramount chieftaincy against other claims from other quarters and villages, the verbal dismissals of claims from some family members who were eyeing the throne which persons I shouldn’t mention here, also the conspiracy theories which you confided were being advocated by the administration to circumscribe my father’s cravings due to his erstwhile political affiliations, and the evil hands of the political influence from a member of the family and even the same underlined statement above. You had parroted to my brother having told him Njalla Quan made the statement following the letter by him that my father published in which he said he acknowledged my father’s stance and many more such as the suggestions you had started to count regarding the supplanting of his western garments to traditional regalia. Some of the signatures I find on the document addressed to the D.O also belonged to the very individuals who attended meetings in my house to appraise and support my father. When you realised that your incessant ingratiation did not translate well into legal tenders because my father was not a corrupt and malfeasant gentleman, (though you succeeded in one attempt to exhort FCFA 3.000 from my aunt Ida Williams whom you hoodwinked in saying you had been called by the Governor in respect to my father’s enthronement) you had then turned to my brother Makaka Williams with the same motion of support harnessed by the support of other notables you had quoted and severally beseeched my father to relinquish his claim and waive same for the sake of his son Makaka Williams. Amidst strict interdiction from my father and the obliviousness of my brother to buttress your quest indicatively, you then recoursed to the people who would sell everything to satisfy you vices. Today you said it was in good faith you attempted to chair the pre-consultative meeting!! Sheer irony of situation! You were strongly fulfilling your part of the bargain. You were so blinded by inducement whereof you defied state protocol and usurped the incumbency of the Senior Divisional Office to organise a Paramount Chieftaincy consultative meeting. My father has sued you because you had no competence to organise such a meeting and also mindful of the awareness of how corrupt you had proved to him first hand, this decision is legitimate. You and your conspirators called it ‘defeatism’ whatever that means. You should be lucky that the administration did not sue you for usurpation and impersonation of the SDO, a deed you dared just because you were greeted somewhere with a golden hand. I have stifled myself to say many things here just because I am a gentleman. I should advise that you concentrate in legitimate and fair developmental projects and the challenges that face same rather than trying to break track records in chicanery. Jerry Manga Williams link to the original post here

Administration, Prince Jesco At War Over Village Ownership

A Correspondent

Monday, 08 June 2009 07:43

Emmanuel Ndengu, Idenau DO Sending Warning To Prince Jesco Manga Williams The Administration of West Coast led by the Diviaional Officer, Emmanuel Ndengu, the Brigade Commander and the Police Commissioner has promised hell to Prince Jesco Manga Williams who claims to be the owner of Enyenge, a coastal village located in the West Coast District of the South West Region. Speaking in Enyenge recently during an emergency working session with the population of the village, the Chairman of the Village Council, Augustine Kum, told the Administration that after the installation of the village council by the Divisional Officer the situation of harassment by Prince Jesco and his men worsened. He said that, Prince Jesco Manga Williams still claims that he has a land title indicating that he owns the whole of the village and that the administration has nothing to do with the village. "Jesco still collects rents on the land which is supposed to be owned by the state and therefore blocks any positive developmental initiatives from any one", he said. Quoting the example of the ADAX Petroleum Company, the village council chairman said, when the whites came with the initiative, they were received by all since they knew the benefits the community will derive from their presence, especially since they had already promised to provide pipe-borne water to the village. He regretted that words trickled to Prince Jesco Manga Williams through his caretaker, a certain Hugo and the chairman of the village council was dragged to court by Prince Jesco Manga Williams for trespass into private property. Enter Jesco's Representative Also present during the working session was Prince Jesco's representative and caretaker of Enyenge Village, popularly known as Hugo. Seen as a very controversial man by the population of Enyenge since they believe that rent for state land should not be paid and especially to a private individual, Hugo told the administration that, administrators have come and gone and all have administered Enyenge. He said he is just a caretaker and takes instructions from Jesco and that in his opinion, the Bombokos are the owners of Enyenge and not a particular individual. While refusing allegations that he threatened to kill the Village Council Chairman,he said the village is in dire need of a third class chief which will be the representative of the government in the area. Another victim of Jesco's harassment is one Mr. Tambe, the oldest Cameroonian in Enyenge .He has lived in Enyenge for the past 27 years. He recounted how Hugo had led a gang of 17 men to attack him and disposes him of some money in the process of construction of the recently inaugurated bridge in Enyenge. He told participants at the working session that Prince Jesco had sued him but he managed to survive from the arms of the law since he was not guilty. Administration Says Enough Is Enough After listening to all the parties, the Divisional Officer of Idenau, Emmanuel Ndengu, as angry as a wild cat, told the population of Enyenge that the problem lies within themselves. He said the people seem to be confused as they prefer to take orders from Prince Jesco's men than from the administration which is in Idenau, represented by the village council. He warned Jesco's men and ordered that they should take the message back to him in the usual way, saying enough is enough. The Divisional Officer asked why they would be giving allegiance to an individual after all the government and the council is doing for the village. "The Administration will ensure that the population lives by the rules governing the state and not by rules set by an individual" he said. "The Administration and the competent authorities will probe into the authenticity of the alleged land certificate that Jesco claims he has. That is the next step and Prince Jesco will be treated according to the laws of the State", he added. Jesco's Land Certificate Reacting to the threats from the Administration and the Idenau Council, Prince Jesco Manga Williams told Eden at his residence that he is in a process of suing the administration for trespass on his personal property. While brandishing land certificate number 1608 of 30 April 1996, Prince Jesco said he has the right to the land near Onge River in Bibundi, now called Enyenge. According an abstract of the certificate, the land is 124 hectares, 5 Ares and Ninety Three centares in conformity with the cadastral survey plan No EBUE.C.194 which was originally surveyed and demarcated on 6 April 1933 by Mr. S.A Beckley and confirmed on 26 April 1995 by Mr. Tchouen Jean Celestine, a sworn in surveyor of the surveys department. The extract of the certificate also reveals that the developments in the said Free Hold Estate had been evaluated at FCFA 10 Million. The land is said to be bounded to the North by Crown land, to the East by Onge River, to the south by Onge River and to the west by Crown land. With this land certificate and the threats from the authority of Idenau to investigate its authenticity, both parties are certainly in for a clash in the law courts. From Eden Newspaper

Last Updated on Monday, 08 June 2009 10:16 link to original post here

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

Visit to Subjects in Enyenge, Dec. 2008

Man of the people...





Meet the people tour...

Jesco Invokes Inoni to Appoint Him Paramount Chief

Cameroon: Jesco Invokes Inoni to Appoint Him Paramount Chief

Azore Opio

26 September 2008

---

Prince Jesco Manga Williams, one of the parties in the contentious Limbe paramount chieftaincy stool has released a letter, which he thinks is the "final issue to put a nail on the coffin of [the] Limbe chieftaincy issue.

Dated September 19, 2008 and titled "The Paramount Chieftaincy Issue Reaches Its Finality," the letter is addressed to the Prime Minister.In it, Prince Jesco begins, "With regard to this chieftaincy affair if the subject matter was not so important, I would have given up a long time ago. But because a personality like Paramount Chief John Manga Williams was amongst the people that founded the importance of Limbe..."

Jesco goes on to dig up historical data to try and prove that he is of the blue blood to take over the paramount chieftaincy of Limbe.He says his great grandfather was King of Bimbia and "through him the Slave Trade was halted because he gave the British every assistance that was required."

The chieftaincy aspirant goes on to narrate that when his father was invited by the British Government, he went with him as his private secretary and "took the opportunity too go to the Public Record Office in London where he took notes of some record and (Pursuant to Statute 1 & 2 Victoria C.94).

This reference seems to be in relation to the treaty ending Slave Trade. Jesco says that in one of the record photocopies one can see that "among the principal signatories was that of his Great Grand Father King Bille Williams."

Jesco takes the reader down memory lane in 1923 to meet King George the Fifth when "he signed a certificate acknowledging the work done by my late father of his services to the people of Cameroon were highlighted."

And lastly, according to Prince Jesco, even Njalla Quan, CDC General Manager, "one the contenders bravely refused to be a contender to the chieftaincy stool and would not oppose me."

Jesco attached a letter purportedly written by Njalla Quan, dated January 13, 2005 to him (Jesco), in which Njalla Quan says "...with regard to the succession of the late Chief F. B. Manga Williams, I wish to make it clear that it has never been and it will never be my intention to vie for the throne. I have never claimed to be an heir to the throne..."

With these points that Jesco believes are evidences that the colonial masters "strongly believed in the capability and honesty and sincerity of the Manga Williams family as a ruling house..." he invokes the Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni to "use his good office to bring this chieftaincy mater to an end by appointing me as the next paramount chief of Limbe."

link to the original post here

Limbe Chieftaincy Stool Still Vacant

Cameroon: Limbe Chieftaincy Stool Still Vacant

Francis Tim Mbom

11 August 2008

---

Three years after the Paramount Chief of Limbe, Ferguson Billa Manga Williams, died, the chieftaincy stool still remains vacant.

As tradition demands, the kingmakers of the Limbe chiefdom together with members of the ruling family were expected to find a successor.But immediately after the Chief's death, the SDO's office became inundated with applications from several quarters, each seeking to fill the vacant seat.

Among the lot were the elder brother to the late Chief, Prince Jesco Manga Williams and David Nanjia Carr.But since the death of Chief Billa Manga Williams, the Fako administration has at no time called up consultative talks to designate a new chief as it has been doing in other neighbouring villages such as Mukundange.

It was at the backdrop of government's silence over the issue that the elder brother of the late Chief, Price Jesco, called a press conference on Friday, August 8, at his Down Town Limbe residence to re-echo what he claims is his de facto right to succeed his late younger brother.

Jesco laid the blame for the lack of a paramount chief in Limbe squarely on the government. He said the Manga Williams family of which he is the eldest, had met over a year ago at his residence in the presence of some members of the then SDO of Fako, the Police Commissioner of Limbe, and his family designated him to replace his late brother.

"I wrote many letters to the SDO to state that I am now prepared to taker over the paramount chieftaincy of Limbe and that a meeting should be called. The SDO called a meeting where people came and, in fact, everybody who came was of the agreement that I should be the chief. But the SDO said he would send his recommendations to the Governor," Jesco said.

Following the inaction of the Fako administration, Jesco said that at one point he had to confront the Southwest Governor over the issue, but like the Fako administration, the Governor never acted.

"If the Governor knew that I am not the one to be installed, he would have given his reasons and not just sit quiet and leave matters to lie to the detriment of the country," Jesco bemoaned.

He added that he, in the midst of this feet-dragging, wrote to the Prime Minister's office. But he said till date, he has not received any reply.Prince Jesco said he is totally dissatisfied with government's attitude in handling the Limbe paramount chieftaincy palaver.

Basis Of Claim

Prince Jesco seems to hinge his claim to the Limbe paramount chieftaincy; first on the fact that he was born to the late Paramount Chief of Limbe, John Manga Williams.Secondly, Jesco says while their father died in 1960, he, as the elder brother of late Ferguson, was studying law in London.

He said he was called home to come and take over from his late father, but because of his studies, he passed the regency to his younger brother, Ferguson who ruled till his death on July 9, 2005.

Ferguson's Will At Variance

Contrary to Jesco's claims, the late Ferguson's will gives the next of kin to the present General Manager of Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, Henry Njalla Quan.Jesco admitted that during the meeting that was called up at his residence some time ago, the SDO had produced a will supposedly left by Ferguson designating Njalla Quan as his successor.

But he stated that the will was at odds with tradition on grounds that a chiefdom was an institution whose successor cannot be determined by the fate of a will but rather by the people.

Jesco maintained that after the demise of his late brother, the Manga Williams family had met designated him as the next of kin as per tradition."What is wrong with the will is that a person cannot will an institution to someone or individual which is controlled by the people and by the government," he said, adding that by tradition, it is not the place of the chief to make a will and appoint someone.

Schemers

Meanwhile, Jesco has dismissed claims by other contenders to the throne, such as the Carrs. He presented to the press a certificate that was awarded to his late father in 1928 as recognition from the King of England at the time for his devoted services as ruler of the Victoria Province of the Cameroons.

Jesco said he was the only genuine candidate for the throne; "so far, there has been no clear case. I am the only one, the rest are just scheming." He said he was the paramount chief and wants the government to install him.

link to original article here