Boko Haram donation fuels tribal tension in Meme

Financial donations from some Yaounde-based elite from Meme Division in the Southwest Region to support the fight against Boko Haram, is said to be the cause of renewed tension among Batanga, Bakundu, Mbonge and Bafaw indigenes, further compounded by expectations of a cabinet reshuffle, The Post has learnt.

There has been an outburst of media reports apparently engineered by the elite against rivals, in a bid to get the attention of the central Government.

The Post learnt that, recently, the elite summoned a closed door meeting in Yaounde and made personal the donations on behalf of the entire Division, in the absence of big shots like Senator Nfon Victor Mukete and others.

According to a source who disclosed the info on condition of anonymity, participants were tasked against their wish, given that some of them, such as members of Parliament doled out FCFA 400,000 under duress.

The tribes that were not represented at the meeting, alongside political godfathers of those who attended it without their concern, are interpreting the move as geared towards hijacking issues concerning Kumba and Meme Division.

Media Report Puts Elite Under Pressure The Post learnt that the Yaounde meeting triggered a recent article published by a Bamenda-based tabloid in which elite from some tribes are accused of not visiting their villages, while others appear in Yaounde and pretended to be the ones representing Kumba.

In the article titled, “Here are Bafaws considered 'strangers' at home- Bakundus, Mbonges, Hijack issues", the paper cited some 15 elite as either claiming to be Bafaws in Yaounde, while others are alleged to have tried unsuccessfully to be appointed Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council.

Top among the names projected in the report are the likes of Benjamin Mutanga Itoe, current CDC Board Chair; Mispa Fule Itoe, Inspector General in the Ministry of Basic Education, Sona Elonge, Lydia Belle Effimba, Caven Nnoko Mbele, Chief David MotaseNgoh, Hon Martin Atinda Mboni, Dr. ZacheusEbongo, Edward Mokwe Missim, Dr. Horace Ngomo Manga, Bertha NdohBakata, Senator Andrew Otte, Norbert Mbile Nangiya, Charles Mukete Njintoh and Rudolf Niaba Nganda.

The newspaper alludes that the above elite rarely visit their villages; that, rather, they parade in Yaounde claiming Kumba as their village of origin, while some have been deceiving authorities in Yaounde that they are descendants of the Mukete dynasty.

Elite Want Source Of Information While some elites have downplayed the media reports, others are said to be enraged and are bent on tracing the source of the information.

One of them who refused to be named told this reporter that some of them may like to identify the reporter who compiled the information for publication.

Observers hold that such happenings are but normal, given that, everyone is battling to get the attention of the regime in case of appointments.