By Boris Esono and Yollande Mbombe in Buea
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| Cross section of Sw Chiefs with Nfon V.E Mukete of Kumba and Chief Etina Monono of Great Soppo sitting prominently on the front row |
The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga
Nji has promised to restore the authority of Chiefs in the NW and SW regions
whose authority has been seriously compromised during the ongoing Anglophone
crisis.
Atanga
posits that traditional authorities in the Anglophone regions deserved to be
respected and honored like their counterparts in the West and Northern regions.
He was
speaking in Buea last week, at the close of a two-day working visit to the
South West Region during which he met with administrative and security
officials; Motor taxi riders’ unions, religious authorities, economic operators
and traditional authorities.
Unveiling
his message to the traditional rulers, the minister said he has come for
dialogue and to seek ways of restoring the authority of traditional rulers.
“If you
go to the west region, traditional rulers who are auxiliaries of the government
and the custodians of our tradition are respected. There they are not insulted
and disrespected. Young people do not threaten their traditional leaders in
these areas and go with it. That is why the West region is a tourist hub
because people go there to visit the palaces of the traditional leaders. We
will not tolerate a situation where chiefs are being disrespected and insulted
to the point where some are forced to flee their palaces like is the case in
some parts of NW and SW. It is my mission as minister of territorial
administration to safeguard and protect the authority of traditional rulers.
But these traditional rulers should also help me in this challeging task.”
Atanga
Nji added: “the government cannot work without the collaboration of the
traditional leaders. We have to play our respective roles because if we shy
away from them truants will continue to occupy our Chiefdoms”.
The
MINAT urged the traditional rulers to return to their various palaces,
promising that maximum security will be provided to them.
“Cameroon
is a state of law and we have a right to our different opinions. But you cannot
violate the authority of the chiefs and fons. This is not acceptable,” said
Atanga Nji, urging the chiefs to call their subjects who have taken to the
bushes and are orchestrating killings, burnings and rape to stop these
activities and come out of their hiding places.
“All
those who are hiding in the bushes should come out and surrender their weapons
so that they will be pardoned and reintegrated in society as prodigal sons. If
you surrender by yourself you will be accepted, but if you allow yourself to be
caught in the act of killing or burning you will be handed to the judiciary and
you risk being imprisoned for life,” Atanga Nji said, noting that: “Any person
who attacks or tries to undermine the authority of the Chiefs shall be arrested
and detained.”
The
Chiefs have greeted the remarks of the Minister with joy.
“His
message has been that of peace and reconciliation. We got from the minister
that the state will pardon all youths who willingly drop their weapons and come
of of the bushes as prodigal sons and daughters. That to us is a good message
because we too are for peace and reconciliation. Our country must remain one
and indivisible,” said Chief Godson Oben of Mamfe town.
His
counterpart of Tinto, HRH Robinson Tanyi, echoed that many chiefs have been
unable to go out of their various palaces
because of the threats and insecurity.
“We want
our elites reason like the Minister and give us due respectt because most of
the time our elites from Yaoundé come down to the grassroots and impose on us
what do or say,” HRH Tanyi Robinson regretted.
At the
end of the meeting a vote of thanks was extended to the head of state for
appointing sons and daughters of the SW to top positions in the government.
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