Don’t kid with Njinikom!

Please, don’t kid with Njinikom! It is the birth place of many national heroes, institutions and ideas. The name “Njinikom” is used in double trust as the headquarters of Njinikom Subdivision and other villages in the administrative unit.

This land of rolling hills and deep valleys situated in the heart of Boyo Division of the Northwest Region has a prominent abode in Cameroon’s political lexicon. Indeed, it has born many people into the Cameroonian polity. It is here that the former Premier of the defunct Southern Cameroons, the iconic Augustine Ngom Jua, was sired. It was also in the bowels of Njinikom that the political colossus was surrendered to earthly creatures, when he checked out in 1977.

Jua was Jua, a political non-pareil in his own right. According to the veteran Journalist, Jerome Fultang Gwellem of blessed memory, A.N Jua was an emblematic national figure whose ideological convictions stood tall above partisan considerations. He possessed and exuded an ebullient faith in the virtuous politics of the general good. To him, such politics postulates the supremacy of general interest over individual gains, partisan and other parochial considerations.

To many, Jua’s political audacity before the very eyes of the much dreaded President Ahmadou Ahidjo made him a strange phenomenon. He was an enigma in an era of absolute despotism, wherein political cowardice and “yesmanship” were the norm. It was reported that President Ahidjo behaved like a monarch to the extent that whenever he told any of his collaborators to jump, they could only ask ‘how high’. His orders were ex-cathedra.

Going by his admirers, Jua was a Daniel and a hater of the status quo. He was a master of thoughtful repartee. Jua was not alone; many personalities, who have moved and shaken Cameroon in many ramifications, are people who were either born or educated in Njinikom.

Njinikom is a circa 60 kilometers away from Bamenda. Just after the sharp bend at kikfuini village, Njinikom unveils itself at the foot of the Boyo Mountain. Its habitation is perched on a chain of undulating hills and valleys that make movement mainly ascending and descending. The Boyo Mountain where the Division derived its name stands overhead Njinikom with an intimidating posture.

Before you wink, the St. Anthony Catholic church edifice captures your gaze. In its own right, it is a piece of architectural marvel that speaks volumes as to how much of a citadel of Catholicism Njinikom has been in the last century.

It was in 1927 that the Njinikom parish was born by Rev. Father Leonard Jacobs of Dutch nationality. The Catholic faith took a spun and witnessed a leap. Many Christians here were referred to as people who were threatening to be more Catholic than the Pope.

In his book “Roman Catholicism in Njinikom-1927 to 2002,” Julius Peters Tohmutain, alias Barrister, holds that it was at Njinikom that the phenomenal Catechist, Michael Timneng, dared the dreaded Kom traditional conservatives to sow the seeds of evangelism. The results of such an onslaught today are quite telling. The Njinikom Parish has given birth to the Fuanantui Parish that was created in 1989 with Rev. Father Obrain of Irish nationality as Parish Priest.

Today, Njinikom is proud to have produced something a little shy of 30 priests including a Bishop, Mgr. George Nkuo of Kumbo Diocese. The church also came with St. Martin the Porres Catholic Hospital Njinikom that has rescued millions of people from going into early graves. Njinikom also sits comfortably in the annals of history for being one of the areas in Cameroon to have been honored with a presidential visit. It was the former President, Ahmadou Ahidjo, who cut the symbolic ribbon of the Njinikom Catholic Hospital in 1963.

By a sheer design of circumstances, Njinikom is also in the books as the birth place of the Credit Union in Cameroon. It was then the Parish Priest of Njinikom, Rev. Father Anthony Jansen, who gave birth to the Credit Union in 1963, the same year he created St. Bedes College.

During celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Credit Union at Njinikom in 2013, the Chair of the Cameroon Credit Union League, CAMCCUL, Shey Nfor Musa, said the history of the Credit Union will be something else without Njinikom. He said anyone who writes the history of the microfinance sector in Cameroon without mentioning Njinikom as the cradle of the Credit Union, does an incomplete job. Thus, the President of the Njinikom Credit Union, Bobe Jacob Wulba, frowned at the crisis in which loan delinquency almost brought the outfit to its knees.

Njinikom is also well known because of the St. Anthony Catholic School that was created in 1928. In yet another book titled, “St. Anthony School, Njinikom-1928-2012,” Julius Peters Tohmutain, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Njinikom Council, reveals that the late Dr. John Ngu Foncha was the first Cameroonian to be appointed Head Master of the school in 1942.

The book further reveals that the late iconic scholar, politician and philosopher, Bernard Fonlon, A.N Jua, late Bishop Pius Awah, late Senator Francis Nkwain and the late Archbishop Verzekov, were all former pupils of the school. Prominent politician, teacher and member of the Kom royal family, Bobe C.K Barth, graduated from the St. Anthony Catholic School in 1945 among other prominent personalities. Bishop George Nkuo left the school in 1966 while varsity don, Prof Paul Nkwi, graduated from the school in 1958. It is reported that the current Fon of Kom, HRH Vincent Yuh II, attended the same school before dropping out a few years later.

While analysing the peculiarities of Njinikom Subdivision, the Mayor of Njinikom Council, Terence Chah Bam, said Njinikom has been the cradle of civilisation, modernity and intelligence in many respects. He, however, regretted that many elites who are well educated have not been using their intelligence for the general good and development of the area.

He said Njinikom Subdivision has a population of 31.000 people and a surface land area of 75.000 Square Kilometers. Njinikom Subdivision, he went on, is made up of 15 villages which are of the Kom tribe, except Mbueni.

He holds that Njinikom is peopled by men and women driven by enterprise and the search for excellence, but regrets that partisan dichotomy, avarice and individualism among elites, make up the bane that is partly responsible for the stunted developmental growth of the area. One of the Njinikom elite in Yaounde, George Ndomeh, holds that Njinikom is one of the cradles of education in Cameroon. To him, every son and daughter of Njinikom should be proud of the little place.

Another Njinikom elite in Yaounde, Bobe Horatius Tohnain, describes Njinikom as paradise on earth and a land of hospitality. He told The Post that, “There is a billboard at Kikfuini that welcomes people to the Njinikom municipality. Whenever I reach there, it is like I should start murmuring ‘home again again’ because of the nostalgia in me”.

Going by one of the elders of Njinikom, Bobe Peter Mbeng, alias Kom man, Njinikom is also famous because one of the Kom Fons, Fon Lo-oh Nengsha, hailed from there before proceeding to the Anyajua royal compound and consequently to the palace at Laikom. He said the remnants of Fon Lo-oh’s compound are still visible at Fuanantui village today. He added that Njinikom is also on record to have produced some of the early politicians that rocked the country. He cited the late Joseph Ndong Nyang who became the first Kamerun National Congress, K.N.C’s local Member of Parliament in 1958. He also revealed that Bobe C.K Barth became the KNC’s councilor.

Besides, Njinikom is also in the annals of history for having given birth to prominent national journalists, like Charly Ndi Chia, Mary Gorretti Ngong, Francis Ateh, J.F Gwellem (late) and Sylvester Anchang Gwellem (late) among others.

It is also a breeding ground for national musical artists like Bobe Yerima Afoakom and Ateh Bazore. There are also budding artists like Mike King and D.J Wajaki, among others.

It is difficult to present an exhaustive list of the Njinikom elite. But the few prominent ones that quickly come to mind are: Hon. Albert Ndim, educationist and former MP, Dr. Kiniyen Kini of the University of Buea, Dr. Tosah Ngam, Sebastien Wallang and Eric Njong of BUNS construction company in Yaounde, Martin Ndichia, Senior translator/interpreter, Richard Diom Ngong, translator, Eric Kombem, Chamber of Commerce in Yaounde; Bobe Stanislaus Ngoh Nkwain of the UN in New York; Dr. David Kini Chiabi, law professor of Criminal Justice in New York; Dr. Natang Jua of the US; Dr. Roseline Jua of the Bamenda University; Hon. Paulinus Jua, former MP; Dr. Arnold Boh Yongmbang; Bobe Valentine Nkeh; Prof. Martin Ateh and Retired Ambassador Thaddeus Nkuo. Others include: Dr. Henry Jick and Dr. Walters Gham of the University of Buea; Police Commissioner Francis Fultang; Christopher Ngong Diang, Bobe Benedict Akem Fultang, Mgr. James Toba, Vicar General of Buea Diocese; Rev. Father Ignatius Waindim, Rector of the St Thomas Aquina’s Major Seminary, Bambui; Jude Nsom Waindim of the Bamenda City Council, educationist, Ajuo John Ngam; Bobe Richard Ngeh Yuh, Senior translator at the Supreme Court of Cameroon; Col. Gerald Foinmbam , Captain Ignatius Akoni, El.Hadj Lawan Bako, UDP Chairman; Retired Police officers, Bobe David Chiatoh, Bobe Richard Jam; Retired Prison Administrator, Lucas Kijem, Richard Ngam, Ignatius Chiambeng, Irene Njuakom, among others.

In the past few decades, Njinikom has had its own sip of the vinegar of sad times, with death doing a bountiful harvest of its elite. Darkness fell on this area when its political leader, Hon. Senator Francis Bochong Nkwain and his daughter Anne Nkwain Nsang passed on last year.

Other prominent Njinikom people that death has harvested over the years include: Dr. Isidore Timti, Police Commissioner Christopher Bung, Anacletus Ngeh Mbah, Prince Henry Ghechi Kini, Prince Isidore Diyen, Prince Denis Akoni, Prince Ghebesalu, Rev. Father Ivo Ndichia, Bobe Clement Waindim, Sylvester Ngeh, Bobe Polycarp Yonghabi, Pius Yonghabi, Bobe Anthony Bong Mbuyongha, Donatus Wainmbah, among others.

Contrary to what obtained before at Njinikom, modern religion savours a harmonious and cordial relationship with tradition. This was made possible by the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, an idea by Pope John Paul II that encouraged the church to embrace the positive aspects of culture and tradition to enhance evangelisation in Africa. Unlike the case before, it is likely that one will see masquerade dances like the Token, the Mukong, or the Kutufu animating church occasions at Njinikom. Njinikom is also a shrine for dreaded jujus like Kwabula of Kikfuini, Nchuofo of Bobong, Ngang of Muloin, Nantang of Tinifoinmbi and Toko of Yang.

Traditional authorities are omnipresent in Njinikom. A stranger in the chill and cheer of Bobong village would be told that the most important personality there is Yindo Fultang just like you have Yindo Ngong Nangeh of Muloin, Yindo Ngahnabi of Timfoinbi and Yindo Ndah of Yang. Do not pretend not to know Bobe Kwifoin Wain Ngong Nangeh of Tinifoinmbi.

Although Njinikom is a citadel of the church, pagan activities still triumph here. The consulting of fortune tellers is still a way of life among many Christians. One is likely to see a Christian who has just attended mass on Sunday, heading to consult a diviner or a fortune teller at Ibaichih to find out what will happen to him or her in future. Others go to fortify themselves against death.

After losing hope with the witch doctors in case of a critical illness, the same people would still come seeking for solace in modern health centres.

Besides, the Njinikom Catholic hospital, there is the Njinikom Sub Divisional Hospital at Wombong, the government Integrated Health Centre at Mbueni and the Catholic Health Centre.

The oldest secondary school in the area is the Jua Memorial College, JMC, created by late AN Jua in 1976. Others include the Georgian City Academy created by Prof. Paul Nkwi; GHS Njinikom, GSS Kikfuini, GSS Muloin and GTC Mbueni.

Njinikom is also known to be the hub of the historic Women Movement, the Anlu that played a decisive role in the KNDP campaigns in 1958. The idea of self reliant development in the area was created in the mid 80’s with the birth of the Njinikom Area Development Authority, NADA, piloted by Prof. Paul Nkwi.