Mukonje and Malende fighting over land

By Atemnkeng Evaristius in Kumba
The Chairman of the Mukonje Village Traditional Council, Otto Abange Alexander, has debunked allegations that he goes around selling parcels of land in Malende and Mukonje.
    He has been accused by the Chief of Malende HRH Chief Esambi Peter Ngoh II for illegally selling parcels of land belonging to Malende village.   
      He was speaking during a press briefing recently that he does not have any thing to do with Malende land. That being the chairman in his village traditional council does not give him any local standing to sell land.
He lamented that if the Chief of Malende, HRH Chief Ngoh, is accusing him of selling his village land, he should let the Chief of Mukonje HRH Chief Dr.Ebanja know that his chairman is busy selling parcels of land belonging to Malende.He noted that if he as a chairman of Mukonje traditional council can sell parcels of land belonging to Malende then he is very certain that HRH Chief Ngoh is not the Chief of Malende village. He disclosed that Malende and Mokunje are brothers as they were called Malende-Mukonje but that the Chief of Malende is insisting that his village is called Malende-Kumba. The chairman challenged the Chief of Malende to ask the Paramount Chief of the Bafaws HRH Nfon V.E Mukete and others to show him his own boundary.

    Otto Abange disclosed that Malende means palm tree where palm wine was been tapped. He noted that both Malende and Mundame were under Mukonje and not Kumba.
    The chairman challenged the Chief of Malende with these documents dated as far back as February 8th 1980 which stated that Mukonje is sharing a common boundary with Kang Barombi which runs along a stream called “PUPUNGE” which empties itself into the Mungo River, while another document of February 25th 1980 shows that Mukonje equally shares a land boundary with Ediki and another one of January 24th 1978 stating that there is a school called Malende Mukonje school,there is Esok village MukonjeCommunity,Dchang quarters Mukonje Community Malende Mukonje community and Mamba Village Mukonje community. He said “Let the Chief of Malende show  those he is sharing common boundaries with.” He noted that Malende is a quarter in Mukonje village and the so-called chief,is a quarter head and not a chief as he claims. He cited a recent case where the Chief of Malende has showed a parcel of Land to build a school in Mukonje.He noted that the land was given to the Mukonje people by C.D.C that is why it is called C.D.C Mukonje.He said he protested immediately that no school will be built on the said land.
        In a nut shell Otto Abange argued that if there is any problem the Chief of Malende has the right to let the Chief of Mukonje know rather than making unnecessary accusations left and right. He noted that there are no illegal sales of land in either Mukonje or Malende.
      Talking to this reporter, the Chief of Malenge HRH Chief Ngoh Esambi  disclosed that the chairman of Mukonje traditional council is going about selling parcels of land belonging to his village. Asked whether Malende has ever been a quarter in Mukonje, as narrated by the Chairman of  Mukonje traditional  council, Chief Ngoh said that, Malende was once a quarter in Mukonje  until when his late father D.J Ngoh was being enthroned, then Malende was then called " Malende-Kumba" and no longer "Malende-Mukonje".Reasons why during his coronation, Chief Dr. Ebange of Mukonje and his chairman Otto Abange, attended the ceremony. This was a proof that Malende was not a quarter but a village on its own and has a chief. He noted that he has addressed a complain to the Senior Divisional Officer for Meme and as at now he is waiting for the reply from the S.D.O. Adding that, if Otto Abange is not stopped by the administration from selling and putting pillars in Malende land, then they should expect a serious confrontation between the two villages or the area in question.