Tension is seemingly brewing between the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” and the Balong people who make up the Muyuka Town Village in Muyuka Sub-division over land surrendered to the Bakweri Community.
The Muyuka Sub-division is split between two tribes, the Balong and Bakweri. It is made up of 18 villages – four Balong villages and 14 Bakweri villages. The Balong villages include Mpundu-Balong, Malende, Yoke and Muyuka. Muyuka happens to be the headquarters of Muyuka Sub-division and at the same time a stronghold of the Balongs.
The SUN gathered from independent findings that there is a small concentration of Bakweri people in Muyuka grouped under the banner of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka”. This community is recognised by the Chief Aaron Mukete Kwane, Second Class Chief of Muyuka.
In April 2009, Ngombe Mokili Mbue was installed as tribal head of the Bakweri Community in Muyuka village. The installation ceremony took place under the auspices of the Chief of Muyuka, Chief Aaron Mukete.
In 2010, the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” initiated a process to get land in Muyuka following a growth in its population and the need to practice their culture and traditions.
They wrote a letter to the Minister of Lands, Surveys and Land Tenure through the Divisional Officer, DO, of Muyuka requesting that they be surrendered land.
Ngomba John Mukwelle, one-time Mayor of Muyuka, current Principal of Government School, GHS, Malende and supposed notable of Muyuka Town in an exclusive interview on February 11told The SUN Newspaper what he knows about the land surrender deal.
“When the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” applied for land, there was some procedure they had to follow which they did. It came to the notice of the Chief of Muyuka who called two of us as notables, me and Ekile Felix Kalla, to move with him and have a chat with “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” after they had invited the people of lands and surveys,” Ngomba said.
He went on to say that in the course of the crisis meeting, they entered a gentleman’s agreement with the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” that when the land comes, it will be shared between both communities.
Ngomba told The SUN that Chief Mukete gave his blessings to the bid of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” to get land.
“A few days after that, the chief fell sick and may be lost his memory and his children rallied some young fellows around, ignored some of us and started protesting that the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” has no right to be surrendered land in Muyuka. They wrote to the minister of lands for the land surrender process to be cancelled without success,” Ngomba said.
Like Ngomba, Ekile Felix Kalla who introduced himself as a notable said the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” followed due process in getting the land surrender.
Both “notables” say all those protesting against the land surrender to the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” have missed the mark.
Philip Ndoke, Muyuka SDF Electoral District Chairman and native of Mpundu-Balong told The SUN that the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” was surrendered land in 2014 after a series of meetings in which two Balong notables and the Chief of Muyuka gave their accord.
He said the villagers were not consulted.
“It is normal for a Cameroonian to apply for land anywhere in Cameroon, but the indigenes of the area must give their accord. The chief and these two notables did the transaction without consulting the villagers,” Ndoke said, adding that “the Balongs are a minority tribe in Fako and have been suppressed for too long. Another village cannot be created in Muyuka.”
Ndoke expressed fears that a tribal war may ensue if matters are not arrested early.
At the Palace of the Second Class Chief of Muyuka, we met a handful of notables, among them the son of Chief Aaron Mukete who introduced himself as follows: “I am Prince Burgess Mukete, the regent chief of Muyuka since our dad is not too strong for now. I am his representative, for four years now.”
Quizzed on what was going on in the village, the Prince said: “…Even though some people went about signing documents claiming to be notables, we say they are not.
For someone to become a notable, he should be appointed by the chief based on several considerations. Notables must not only be those who are old. There are young boys who are notables, appointed by the chief and documented. If they claim to be notables, they should show the documents that made them notables and that which mandated them to sign documents on behalf of the village.”
“The matter regarding the land behind the Muyuka Council is no problem. Why I say I don’t see any problem there is because it is a Balong land and will always remain, no matter what the administration will do alongside the group of people who have come in the name of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka”. They are merely deceiving themselves. The truth will always prevail.
The chief was not in any meeting. He cannot accept that another village be created in his village. It will never happen. The chief was at the Douala Referral Hospital in 2011 the same time they say he signed a document.
He came back late 2011. I was there with him. The chief signed no document for village land to be given to the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka”.”
Regarding the protest, Prince Mukete says they are peace-loving and welcoming. “The people are ready for war, but I have asked them to exercise retrain. We are equal to the task because this matter concerns the entire Difanje clan…we have written several letters to the administration for years now. Our ancestors are taking care of the rest.”
“I’m telling the administration to give our land to us peacefully. A group of people cannot come to acquire land here. It can never happen. We want peace. When they return our land, we will know what to do with our brothers the Bakwerians,” Prince Mukete said.
Speaking to The SUN, Ngombe Mokili Mbue, tribal head of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” said they applied for land following all relevant procedures. He said Chief Mukete of Muyuka was present together with two of his notables in the site board commission.
“There was no problem. We all signed the relevant documents. Chief Mukete and his notables also signed,” Ngombe said.
The Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure signed a ministerial order dated February 13, 2014 to authorise the surrender of a parcel of state land located in Muyuka in favour of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka”.
According to Minister Jacqueline Koung a Bessike’s order, the slightly over 31 hectares of state land is destined for the expansion and development of the “Bakweri Community Muyuka”.
Some angry villagers of Muyuka Town village have since been protesting against the land surrender. On Saturday, February 6, 2016, they moved to the land in question situated behind the Muyuka Council and according to Ngombe Mbue, some members of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” were assaulted.
The tribal head of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka” has however called for calm and restrain on the part of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka”.
Reports say that the Balong people on that fateful February 6 buried seven live dogs among other elements said to be mystical.
Though Prince Mukete would not say what they did on the land, he however said whatever was done there was spiritual and in the interest of his community.
Muyuka Town Traditional Council Chairman, Ebange Francis; the Secretary General of the Traditional Council, Abednego Kalla; Councillor Ewolo Lulu Bekoh Mukete, Adviser to the Traditional Council and Oscar Akale Mukete, member of the traditional council told The SUN in separate interviews on February 11 that they want that their ancestral land be returned to them given that their chief, Chief Mukete was not part of any such arrangement to surrender land to the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka”.
The Divisional Officer of Muyuka, Tambe Thomas Tabot told The SUN Newspaper on February 11 that those protesting against land surrenders are off track given that the constitution of Cameroon provides that Cameroonians are free to settle anyway within the national territory.
Just like the Tribal Head of the “Bakweri Community in Muyuka”, the DO debunked claims that the surrendered land will become an autonomous village within Muyuka. He said only 18 villages exist in Muyuka sub-division, and there are no plans to create any other.
