Sasse villagers spoil for war over controversial chieftaincy talks

Some villagers of Sasse in Buea Subdivision say they will not rest until consultative talks to choose the rightful heir to the throne of their forefathers is properly done, describing as faulty the recent talks that elected Abel Ndive as chief-elect.

One of the aggrieved villagers, Prince Michael Ngwese Ekosso says the cancellation of the consultative talks that were conducted by the former Divisional Officer for Buea, Abraham Chekem on January 24, 2012 that designated Peter Paul Njie Molua as chief-elect is the root cause of the problems in Sasse Village.

He holds strongly that the fresh consultative talks of last December 27, 2014 had the facts thwarted in favour of Abel Ndive who is not in the line of succession in Sasse village.

“It is an abomination to have facts before you and play with them. Four kingmakers cannot come from the same family,” Ekosso cried out.

During the December 27, 2014 consultative talks, the Divisional Officer for Buea, Paul Kouam Wokam said he was in Sasse village for fresh chieftaincy talks on the high instructions of his hierarchy.

He said the Governor had written to the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Fako, ordering that an end be put to “the mafia and tricky maneuvers” surrounding the Sasse chieftaincy stool.

Kouam Wokam said he was instructed two months before that day to review the process that led to the election of a chief in Sasse by his predecessor.

The talks were thus held under strict military presence leading to the election of Abel Ndive, despite frantic attempts made by some villagers, who even brandished court decisions, to discredit the procedure used by the DO and the documents presented by Ndive.

Peter Paul Njie Molua who was by the outcome of the talks stripped off the title of chief-elect of Sasse village said “nowhere in Fako has it been seen that consultative talks to designate a new chief is done with the presence of a contingent of security forces who brandished tear gas and other paraphernalia.”

“…this only means that they came to impose their will on the people,” Prince Ekosso quickly added.

Even as rumours suggest that a bribe of FCFA 50 million was paid to some quarters and that over 70 hectares of land is at stake, the DO of Buea advised Abel Ndive to make sure that the people of Sasse are satisfied.

Abel Ndive after his election said his immediate preoccupation will be to unite the warring factions in the village and seek for the development of the village.

For now, it is unclear what action Peter Paul Njie Molua is planning to take, but sources point to the fact that the matter is already before the administrative court in Buea.