It might not have been the best of choice parse, but the choice of Nfon Victor Mukete to lead the South West Chiefs, during one of their most challenging summits last week, leaves the man with a load of challenges.
And to allow good judgment a chance, we in this Newspaper think Nfon Victor Mukete is the right peg in the right hole.
Our judgment comes from a number of factors. First Nfon Mukete headed the South West Chiefs Conference at one time and during his tenure, the image of this institution was admirable and compelling to anyone who cared to follow up its role and purpose of its being, as one of the oldest surviving institutions that colonialism could not succeed to break.
The importance of the defunct West Cameroon House of Chiefs still sticks our memories as a body that defended our cultural heritage in the face of gaping challenges.
Secondly, Nfon Mukete’s age, graced by his long experience as a traditional ruler of the Bafow people, an elderly statesman, a successful businessman, a-one-time chairman of a giant Agro-industrial cooperation, CDC, current chairman of Camtel and above all, a senator all these give him such weight that conventional wisdom must keep reminding him that he has risen above the level of a man who must be tossed about in the name of politics.
He should no longer be the one to be drawn into situations that will lure him to accept any shoddy awards for dirty jobs.
If the Nfon therefore considers all these qualities in him as virtue and he looks back at the people he now stands to lead with the wisdom of an elder, it is obvious that the honour and pride which South West Chiefs have lost will be restored with even greater glory.
Having said all this, it certainly does not mean that Nfon Mukete himself is a saint, but it simply boils down to the fact that South West Chiefs have lost a sense of direction, and he now faces the challenges of bringing the sheep back on course.
Nfon Mukete may as well need to be reminded of those shortcomings of the South West Chiefs that have pulled down their reputation so drastically that it will require plenty of courage and abstinence from some shuddy deals by chiefs particularly land deals in connivance with administrators, in order for the Nfon to succeed in his task.
The truth, as one of their peers, Chiefs Dr. Atem Ebako told them point blank during the just-ended elective South West Chiefs Conference, the institution has lost its sense of direction.
South West Chiefs have mortgaged their pride for material things. Each chief in his small village which may not even have a decent community Hall, or some clean source of drinking water will want to be seen in a flashy car.
To get there, they must sell land that was bequeathed down through generations until it got down to them. They are always in conflict with their youth, because they deny them their right of place.
Most of the chiefs have openly embraced partisan politics oblivious of the fact that their various communities have been inhabited by people from other different parts of the country and so such communities have become heterogeneous in nature.
Others have looked at those who come to settle in their communities as people who do not deserve the right to live within their chiefdoms.
Chiefs have become agents of political parties aiding such parties in election malpractices, or even intimidating supporters of rival political leanings.
Chiefs have gone into a secret dealings with administrators at all levels to give out large portions of lands in exchange for one favour o the other, all of which amount to corruption.
Chiefs have gone to the extent of seizing land from weaker villages while others have even stalled the development of their villages for the personal interests.
After the recent visit of the President to Buea, Chiefs quarrel over an “envelope” that the President left for them.
They have even grouped themselves as the bigger Chiefs and the smaller ones. The bigger ones are the ones nearest the powers-that-be and are privileged.
The issue of the construction project of the South West Chiefs Secretariat in mile 17 has even blowed up their weakness out of proportion. Since Chiefs Senator Tabe Tando launched the project, it has never gone beyond the foundation level.
Monies donated from various quarters for the project cannot be accounted for. Even blocks moulded at the site of construction have disappeared.
We recount all these, not out of prejudices, but to give new boss an idea of the wrongs he is bound to right.
It is obvious in most cases that man’s desires are insatiable. But we think Nfon Mukete, by his standing, his position as an elderly statesman stand high above such meanness in character and as a father he is capable of bringing order into the house.
Otherwise, our judgment of a man will prove us wrong, but posterity will certainly take our wishes as honest.
