Bring back our artifacts or remain in Yaoundé - Ama Muna warned

Following last Friday’s cabinet reshuffle that saw Ama Muna sacked from the cabinet, there is emerging a popular backlash from the North West against her with injunctions that she return the artifacts she carted away to Yaounde from a Bamenda museum purportedly for safe keeping.

In her native Momo Division, her termination was greeted with celebrations. Most of the residents there have said Ama was minister only for herself and her family.

Immediately news of her termination from the cabinet was made known, jubilant North westerners took to the air waves, calling live radio programs to express their contentment.

Artifacts of between 300 to 400 years old previously housed at the North West Regional museum were in June 2014 transferred to the National Museum in Yaoundé. This was reportedly done on the instruction of ‘Mafor Yefon’ Ama Tutu Muna.

She had drummed up claims that the artifacts were not secured in Bamenda. However, the transfer angered Northwest fons to the point that they threatened to stage a protest march on Yaounde. The North West Fons’ Union then expressed grave disappointment over the removal of the artifacts by Ama.

“We are disappointed that the decision has been taken not only by one of our daughters, but someone who has been honoured with the distinct titles of Mafor by the Meta fons and Yefon by Nso palace”, one of the traditional rulers said then.

On Sunday June 8, 2014, Ama told CRTV’s Cameroon Calling that she ordered for the artifacts to be transferred to Yaoundé because they were not properly taken care of in Bamenda.

However, she went on the record assuring the fons that the artifacts would return to Bamenda in the nearest future but won’t say when. “What happened was that the artifacts were removed from the regional museum and stocked somewhere in the delegation. They are objects of 300 to 400 years.” She said then.

“We have done an inventory and every time we go back to check the inventory, one or two have disappeared”, she added. She alleged that once, they got report that someone was seen with an artifact at the airport but regretted that the ministry doesn’t have controllers at the airport. She questioned whether it was good for the objects to be left unsecured.

Public opinion in the Northwest on the transfer of the artifacts is that since Ama is no longer part of the government, she should not step foot on North West soil without the artifacts. The Paramount Ruler of Mankon, Fon Angwafo, and the President of the Northwest Fons Union, Fon Teche had last year appealed to Muna to return the artifacts.