South West Cameroon: Fako Chiefs ostracised from South West Chiefs Conference

Executive members of the South West Chiefs Conference (SWECC) drawn from Ndian, Meme, Lebialem, Kupe-Muanenguba and Manyu Divisions of the South West Region of Cameroon, have decided to ostracise Fako Division from all SWECC’s-related activities.

According to the Chiefs, “we cannot allow one Division to take the entire Region hostage.”

They traditional rulers took the decision in Buea recently, during an executive committee meeting of SWEEC, chaired by its President, Nfon Senator Victor Mukete.

Unfortunately, the Fako Chiefs boycotted the event. The decision of the chiefs to ostracised Fako Division from all SWECC’s related activities stem from the fact that, Fako Division was supposed to host the next SWECC Elective General Assembly of  and also produce the next SWECC President.

But the Fako Chiefs have been fighting among themselves over who should succeed Nfon Mukete as SWECC President.

While Chief Njombe Johnson want the throne, Chiefs Etina Monono and Samuel Epupa, said Njome, a traditional novice, cannot lord over First Class chiefs like them.

In fact, the infighting among the Fako Chiefs made the former Senior Divisional Officer, SDO of Fako, Georges Zang III, to suspend the SWECC Elective General Assembly in February, 2017.

The custodian of culture and tradition back then fumed that an SDO of one Division has no right to suspend the activities of a Regional Association like SWECC.

They argued that the statute of their association warrants that such action should only be taken by a Governor, and not a mere SDO of a particular Division.

The Chiefs resolved that with all the humiliationa SWECC has suffered as a result of the infighting among Fako Chiefs, they should be left out of the association.

Apart from ostracising Fako, the Division was also stripped of her hosting right of the next Elective General Assembly and the right to produce the next SWECC President.