Bakundu bigwigs, local authority clash over power

Two notables of the Bakundu tribe, in Kumba I, Mbonge and Konye Sub Divisions in Meme Division are at war over the issue of who wields greater power than the other in their clan.

The duo involved in this power struggle are HRH Hon. Chief David Motase Ngoh, former First Vice Speaker of the National Assembly and Chief of Mbakwa Supe Village cum President of Bakundu Chiefs Conference and Former Minister Justice Benjamin Itoe Mutanga who is President General of Bakundu Cultural and Development Union, BACDU.

The two fell out with each other during the last cultural celebration of BACDU that was held at Kokaka Village in Konye Sub-Division, when over 40 Bakundu Chiefs had to line up to receive the President-General of BACDU.

According to Chief Motase, the Chiefs were more powerful than the association and as such had no reason to pay allegiance to the President General of BACDU.

In a meeting of the Bakundu Chiefs, organised by Chief Motase recently in Kumba, with about 25 chiefs in attendance, the issue of authority amongst others were on the menu of discussion.

At the end of the meeting that saw a motion of support addressed to the Head of State and the Cameroon army, the President of the Chiefs Conference told journalists that the chieftaincy institution was created by the Head of State to act as auxiliary to the administration, and as such is directly under the Divisional Officers. He insisted that an organisation could in no way compare its powers with that of the chief.

Motase said that the organisation is an arm of the Chiefs Conference and not the reverse as Minister Itoe Benjamin claims. “I don’t have any problem with Minister Benjamin Itoe; he is my elder brother and all of us have both served in Government. Minister Itoe has been creating Division amongst the Bakundu tribe by imposing himself as the head,” Motase said.

Hon. Chief Motase continued that the meeting with the chiefs was intended to make them know their respective powers and avoid being influenced by their subjects.

Another area of differences concerns the issue of Paramount Chiefdom, which each of the protagonists claims to be the one to decide.

In the last cultural celebration, Minister Itoe made it clear that the issue of Bakundu Paramount Chieftaincy remains a sole responsibility of BACDU and not the chiefs who are mainly an advisory body of BACDU. But Chief Motase has challenged the claim, stating that Paramount Chieftaincy remains the prerogative of the Chiefs who decide amongst themselves who to choose as their Paramount leader.

The ideological battle between these two giants has already divided the Bakundu into camps with one supporting Hon. Chief Motase and the other supporting Benjamin Itoe.

It should be recalled that some months ago, Hon.Chief Motase was elected President of Bakundu Chiefs Conference, taking over from Chief Duala Itoe of Bombe Bakundu, who had served for more than fifteen years.

The reign of Chief Motase come at a time when the Bakundu Paramount chieftaincy stool is vacant following the demise of late Chief Tata Okia Namata Elangwe.

The rift between Minister Itoe and Hon. Motase is alleged to have stemmed from suspicion that Chief Motase may use his financial prowess and other influences to hoodwink the Bakundu Chiefs into electing him Paramount Chief against the wish of Minister Itoe.