Buea Paramount Chieftaincy Succession:

Who is Prince Robert EsukaLifafal’Endeley?

-Why the Royal Family chose him as their candidate to succeed the late Paramount Chief of Buea?   

With infos from Mokunda Palace, Buea town    

Prince Robert EsukaEndeley: Will he become

the “Na’mbellaLifafa, Chief Endeley V?

Prince Robert EsukaMbellaLifafaL’Endeley, the chosen but yet-to-be-proclaimed successor of the Paramount Ruler of the Bakweris, the late HRM Nakuve Chief Justice Samuel MokaLifafal’Endeley, was born in Buea, on July 20th 1975. He is the last child of Iya Fanny EbenyeEndeley née Njoh and the late Prince Hon. Dr. Emmanuel MbellaLifafaEndeley (1916-1988). Prince Esuka’s father, Dr. EML Endeley was the first medical doctor in Cameroon and the first Premier of the British Southern Cameroons. He was also the Pioneer President of the Grand Fako Section of the CNU party under President AhmadouAhidjo; Pioneer President of the Grand Fako Section of Paul Biya’s CPDM, and Pioneer CPDM Parliamentarian for Fako Division.

                It is in record that Prince EsukaEndeley’s father was the entitled successor to the throne as the eldest son of late H.R.M. Matthias LifafaI’Endeley (Chief Endeley II), and also as a nephew of the late H.R.M GervasiusMbellaI’Endeley (Chief Endeley III).

                Before his demise in 1988, during the Interregnum, Prince Robert Esuka’s father shared in the royal family’s resolve that succession be not by the Will and Testament of the predecessor but a prerogative of the surviving family. This norm favored his younger brother the late Nakuve Chief Justice Samuel MokaLifafaEndeley (Chief Endeley IV) to succeed their Uncle GervasiusMbellaI’Endeley (Chief Endeley III) in objection of the latter’s last Will and Testament of 20 August 1976.

                Prince Robert EsukaMbellaLifafaI’Endeley (last son of late Dr. Emmanuel MbellaLifafeI’Endeley), who is to be elevated to Chief Endeley V will also be succeeding his Uncle, the Nakuve Samuel MokaLifafaI’Endeley (Chief Endeley IV), who reigned from 1991 to 2015, and who similarly succeeded his Uncle, GervasiusMbellaI’Endeley (Chief Endeley III), who reigned from 1925 to 1982.

                Chief Endeley III succeeded his brother Matthias LifafaI’Endeley (Chief Endeley II) who sat on the throne from 1917 to 1925, and who had succeeded his father, Endel à Likenye (Chief Endeley I), who reigned from 1896 to 1913. Chief Endeley I succeeded his brother, the Great KuvaLikenye, who ruled from 1883 until his demise in 1895.

                The emerging Prince Robert EsukaMbellaLifafaI’Endeley, grew up uninterrupted in Mokunda village, Buea town for about 26 years. During his primary school life, he lived with his father who instilled in him the values of respect and loyalty.

                He started college while his father was alive and moved on through college, living at the Palace of his late uncle, Nakuve Chief Endeley IV where he was groomed to absorb restricted and unrestricted cultural values of the Bakweris.

                Prince Robert EsukaEndeley attended successively the Government Nursery School Buea Town and the Presbyterian Primary School Buea Town, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1987. He obtained his GCE “O” and “A” levels from the renowned Bilingual Grammar School Molyko, Buea in 1992 and 1994 repectively.

                His tertiary education commenced at the University of Buea in 1994 where he obtained a B.Sc. in Geology in 1997 and an M.Sc. in Applied Geology with a Meritorious Award as the Best Graduating Student in 2000. He also pursued studies at the CISCO Systems Inc., in Douala and obtained a Certified Cisco Network Associate diploma (CCNA) in computer networking in 2002.

                Prince Robert Endeley’s M.Sc. research titled: A preliminary Hydrogeochemical Baseline study of Water Sources around Mount Cameroon and the Possible Effects on Human Health was published in the Journal of the Geoscience Society of Cameroon.

                His quenchless appetite for knowledge took him to Minnesota-USA, where he acquired another M.Sc. in Software Engineering from the University of Saint Thomas, Minnesota in 2005. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate Degree (PH.D) in Medical Informatics at the University of Wisconsin, USA.

                Prince EsukaEndeley’s working life started some 14 years ago as a pioneer instructor at the Information Technology Centre of the University of Buea, and undergraduate lecturer and consultant in software development lifecycle. Today, he is Software Engineering Operations Consultant for several banks in the U.S.A, and also runs his private consultancy in software design and architecture.

                He has obtained awards for excellence from the U.S National Science Foundation and the U.S Atomic Playpen in 2004, for developing healthy consulting websites.         

                In social life, Prince Robert EsukaEndeley was Secretary General of the Minnesota Cameroonian Association (MINCAM) from 2012-2013, and is presently the President of Fako America, the largest and most influential Bakweri diaspora cultural organization.

                A member of the ‘Nganya’ sacred society and an expert drummer of the ‘Litembe’, Prince Esukamasters the Bakweri language and is cut, steeped and dried in the Bakweri culture.

                A staunch Presbyterian Christian, he is member of the Christian men’s Fellowship (CMF) of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon and was an Elder of the Presbyterian Church of the Master in Minnesota, USA from 2006-2008.

                Apart from these, Prince Esuka is said to be very dynamic and has gifted leadership skills and the capacity to protect and promote the community’s fundamental interests.

                “His progressive thinking, far sightedness, proven problem-solving skills, mobilizing capacity, impartial and affable nature all combine to make him the best choice for the Buea throne.”

                Prince Robert Esuka is married and a father of 3 children. He plans to return home soon after his PH.D to contribute in the building of his fatherland.