Upcoming Election Into NW Regional House of Chiefs: Meta Candidate Brags

Upcoming Election Into NW Regional House of Chiefs: Meta Candidate Brags

As the race to the NW Regional House of Chiefs intensifies in fulfilment of some of the resolutions of the (controversial) Major National Dialogue that was held to put an end to the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, the town of Mbengwi, Momo Division has remained indifferent to the exercise. Little is made mention of the elections in social media group chats and interpersonal physical discussions. Underneath, aspirants are bracing up. 

Mbengwi Online succeeded to have a telephone interview on October 22 2020 with the candidate to represent the Meta people in the House of Chiefs. Based on the official list published by Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), he is HRH Chick Marcus Fominyam of Njinibi and we shall be referring to him as such in this report. Mbengwi Online is not liable to any intrigues surrounding his chieftaincy title.

"H.R.H" Chick Marcus of Njinibi Village, Meta Canadidate for the Upcoming NW Regional House of Chiefs

The first thing we sort to know was his plans and he said "The whole Meta fons and community have to be very proud and thank God a lot for having somebody like me going in for their well being and for the development of the place because first of all, I'm very strong, financially and in everything. I'm not that kind of fon that goes around begging money. No. I'm instead the fon that gives things to people. The Njinibi people in particular have to make a church service and thank God for having somebody like me as their fon because the type of development I'll bring in the village is that which nobody has ever brought. The Njinibi people too must know that it's God that chooses a fon, not them"

Having claimed to be an agent of development, one that gives and hardly asks, one that has much, we sort to know from him what he had been able to do before, in terms of concrete personal realisations on the ground for the betterment of his villagers and the Meta people so that more could be expected from him now that he's going into the House of Chiefs. Unfortunately, Fon Marcus Chick said he's been helping individuals but will soon start doing open development for communities.  "I'm not that type of politician  that says I'll do this. Just wait and see how things shall be going" he added. 

The aspirant also disclosed his other developmental plans but quickly shifted the blame for not realising an inch of them on the ongoing Anglophone crisis. Hear him "I had a very big plan to build a big storeyed building at the Njinibi junction, by the main road where the ground floor was to be a  boulangerie (bakery) and the upper floors designed as hotel rooms for lodging but for this Ambazonia problem that came and disturbed me."

More curious, Mbengwi Online also sort to know from the "fon" how his candidacy came about. Was he nominated/voted in any primaries by the Meta Fons' Union (MEFU) before being sent forth to the Regional House of Chiefs? "Hmm!!! Overcoming challengers, no. We just agreed. Everybody knows that at least I'm a capable person that can go there. There was no person that was challenging me but I know that behind, people are talking things. People must talk" was his response. 

Njinibi Fon's Palace

Does this therefore mean your candidacy wasn't endorsed by neither the Meta Fon's Union nor the people? Mbengwi Online pressed on and he responded in a seemingly uncomfortable tone that "Why? It has been done. How then is my name on the list now? What do you want them to say? They don't have anything to say. It's the regulations of the system. They just have to follow as things are going, prepare for elections  and go vote or if somebody wants to come in and replace me as the fon, there's no problem." On his relationship with the Meta Fon's Union, he said "I just want to develop Meta. I don't even need to be in their union. Those contesting that I shouldn't be in their union, it means nothing to me. My problem is just to develop Meta"

Concerning his priority projects after the upcoming December 6th 2020 elections, the traditional authority said he will ensure the road from Bamenda through Mbengwi to Acha is tarred and that he shall ensure a project for the reconstruction of Tad market is realised by FEICOM. Having been reminded that the said road had long been tarred, from Bamenda to Mbengwi and Kob to Acha, he responded that "They need to do something proper because the tar on it is passable but not proper. We need something that will be really nice from Bamenda right to Acha Hospital"

Talking at a time when schools are gradually resuming in Mbengwi but for communities having only government schools whose kids remain unfortunate since calls are still being made for government schools not to function, Njinibi village being one of such unfortunate communities, the "fon" said he's received several calls from the village requesting for the creation of a community school and so required his authorisation to use the community (MECUDA) hall to realise the initiative, a request he's granted after advising they come in agreement with the councillors. He however added that he's requested for the Head Teacher and all other teachers of Government Nursery and Primary School Njinibi to resume teaching. He promised to be paying salaries of the community school teachers.

"The fon of Njinibi is not looking for any money or anything from the House of Chiefs. Rather, he's going there for development. I'm a very big fon in Cameroon. So the Meta people just have to follow me and benefit. But if they (the people) have somebody who's more capable than me, then they can put me aside and send forth the person. It means nothing to me" he ended our phone interview.

ELECAM List of Validated Candidates

Mbengwi Online has no knowledge about when a catching and subsequent enthronement ceremony of a new fon for Njinibi was ever done since the previous one "travelled" in 2017. However we have noticed severally in many Meta online and offline groups that it seems to be a controversial subject with many preferring to keep sealed lips over it. For better clarity, we spoke on phone to H.R.H Fon Mbahbit of Mbemi village, a member of the Meta Fons' Union on the Njinibi chieftaincy issue.  

Speaking as an individual, not designated by the union to talk on the subject, he said; "He has administrative documents recognising him as a fon. There's a prefectural order to that, giving him royal respect. But the population seems not to be recognising him as such on the basis that he's not gone through the traditional coronation process. If he's already enjoying the rights and privileges accrued traditional authorities by the administration to the level where he's going into the Regional House of Chiefs, then we can't say otherwise. However, those directly concerned, the Njinibi people especially the king makers haven't complained publicly. It means they're satisfied. Ours (referring to MEFU) is that if the village gives us somebody as their fon, then we take him and integrate into our union. But since the departure of the last fon, no such presentation has been done. If he wasn't their choice, the Njinibi people should've signalled the administration and the Fon's Union with a petition. Since they, especially the royal family never did it and since silence means consent, for no reason will anybody criticise his candidature.

According to his profile that he revealed to Mbengwi Online, Chick Marcus Fominyam was born in 1964 to his late father who was the last fon of Njinibi before he succeeded him. Prince Chick Marcus studied in GTHS Bamenda, left for Italy where he studied Business Administration, came back to Cameroon to study political science in the University of Soa. He's member of the central committee in the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) and a contractor by profession. Though he's not executed any contract in Mbengwi, he said he was building the residence of the Fundong Senior Divisional Officer, a 200 million contract but unfortunately the Ambazonia crisis came and disrupted work.