Mukonje, Malende fight over land

The phenomenon of grabbing and selling of land has reportedly engulfed the villages of Mukonje and Malende in Kumba, Meme, Southwest Region, The Post has learnt.

Accusations and counter accusations of encroachment from the two brotherly chiefdoms are tearing their age-long peaceful neighbourliness into pieces and there are fears of an inter-village conflict if the situation is not brought under control.

While Chief Peter Esambi Ngoh II of Malende is accusing Mukonje of illegal sale of his land, Alexander Otto Abange, Chairman of the Mukonje Traditional Council maintains that there are no such deals. Their arguments have extended to boundary claims between the two villages.

Otto Abange debunked any illegal sale of land within the Mukonje Chiefdom. In an interview with The Post on September 11, Abange explained that the only land that has gone out remains the parcel given to the Catholic Mission, following procedures supervised by the Meme administration.

Abange said the administration ordered Mukonje to provide land for the Catholics as a way of promoting development.

The Mukonje Traditional Council Chairman brandished a series of documents, which he said, indicate that Malende is a Quarter within the Mukonje chiefdom. A copy of such documents, dated January 24, 1978, indicates that Malende is known as Malende-Mukonje.

Another document dated February 8, 1980, from the palace of Barombi Kang, to Chief S.A Ebanja, puts the boundaries between Barombi Kang and Mukonje along the Pupunge stream which empties itself into the Mungo River.

The third addressed to Chief SA Ebanja dated 25, February 1980, signed by Chief Andrea Akwe and two elders; Jacob Akale and Mokube Daniel of Ediki, shows the boundaries between Ediki and Mukonje along three German cement pillars and continues to Mundame and the Mungo River.

The signatories acknowledged the boundary as binding from their forefathers. The current Chief of Barombi Kang, Gillis Akama, said his village shares a common boundary with Mukonje and stating that the boundaries have been maintained since the beginning of the villages.

Otto challenged Chief Ngoh to show the boundary of his (Ngoh’s) chiefdom. The Mukonje Traditional Council Chairman accused Chief Ngoh of auctioning land at a give-away price of FCFA 100.000.

Otto averred that for the truth to prevail, Ngoh, who he termed ‘frustrated’ Chief, should produce documented evidence to support his argument and accusation against his person and the Mukonje Chief.

Approached for clarifications on September 12, Chief Peter Esambi Ngoh of Malende averred that the people of Mukonje have auctioned all their land and now they are eying the land of Malende. He accused the leaders of Mukonje of bribing a Government minister and a State prosecutor in the Southwest Region with 100 and 60 hectares of land, respectively.

Ngoh acknowledged that Malende was formerly a Quarter in Mukonje until it fought for its independence through legal means when his father, DJ Ngoh, took the matter to court.

He argued that there has never been chiefdom without land while adding that Otto Abange and Chief Dr Gabriel Ebanja attended his coronation ceremony. Ngoh presented a map which puts the boundary of Malende along Fiseme Stream, Kompenda Quarter and Barombi Kang.

He accused the people of Mukonje of having a ‘colonial mentality,’ reason why they will show maps as old as 1912.

Asked what he has done with the 30 hectares of land surrendered to Malende by the CDC, Chief Ngoh denied auctioning any. He explained that the CDC is yet to sign the papers and send them to the SDO for Meme who will, in turn, forward the documents to the Minister for approval.

Chief Ngoh averred that his subjects opted for a full scale attack on Mukonje but he stopped them.