Land tenure is one of, if not the most trouble-fraught sector in Cameroon. Something that is intrinsically attached to it is traditional chieftaincy. We are witness to the often long and scary battles that erupt each time a traditional ruler quits the stage and has to be replaced. Court cases, administrative ordinances, collegial designations and counter ones, extensive bribery and corruption, and worst of all illumination of contestants or their supporters; are amongst the many vices that surround traditional authority nowadays.
While this apparent reawakening in the value now attached to our traditional cultural values is plausible, a proper dispensation for preserving the genuineness inherent in them is an unavoidable necessity.
There is this difficulty wherein the main custodians of these values acquire the status through lineage. The foregone makes it possible that from time to time, we get persons whose countenance doesn’t comply with the dignity and self-discipline that is required.
Recently, the President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o Fils, has been crisscrossing the country, being conferred different traditional titles. One notable example is that of ‘Ntumfon’ given to him by the Fon of Koshin in Douala, His Majesty Ju Wilson. That particular title has been at the centre of debates in the country with other Fons of the North West, distancing themselves from the actions of their colleague. There’s no scintilla of doubt that Eto’o was a great footballer, but his management of the FA since his election in December 2021 has been described as one that has fallen short of expectations.
Let’s be clear; conferring titles on Royals and non-royals is not new nor it is a bad idea. Personal acts of bravery, distinguished success, worthy contributions to societal wellbeing, are amongst those considerations for which decisions for conferring titles were made in the yesteryear.
Intellectual honesty warrants that our ancestral cultures can never remain entirely undiluted. The influence from other foreign cultures and that of technological advancements, allow that we mostly thrive to preserve the basic components of our heritage.
Human nature (in the likeness of God) is closely harmonious with praise and adoration. People almost always want their praises to be sung, even when they claim a penchant for discretion. What is further contagious is the fact that a form of positive feedback characterises fame and glory. People who have enjoyed it, will always wish to continue and get even more. And this is where most people slump into despair.
A good number of traditional authorities maintain the dignity that comes with their distinct positions, yet more and more individuals of not-too-satisfactory conduct keep joining their ranks. Fons have been accused of abandoning their subjects and relocating to other localities, including going overseas. Others have almost completely sold off ancestral lands, leaving the people with nowhere to farm and game. After abandoning responsibility and subjecting their own to suffering, these deviant traditional rulers never dissociate themselves from the attributes. They carry them everywhere they go.
If the remnants of our heritage must be preserved, then we need to keep a few salient preoccupations in mind. Does a traditional ruler have complete independence to attribute whatever distinction to whoever? Many people will say yes. Come to think of it. In as much as one might succeed a father, uncle or brother, as the case maybe, he has a responsibility of loyalty toward his subjects. With no subject, there is no king. A king could decide to decorate a friend for personal reasons, it is acceptable.
However, those personal reasons must not be diametrically opposed to the very interest of the people. Imagine the Paramount Chief of Buea in the South West Region for instance, making a notorious land grabber notable of his chiefdom. Imagine an even unlikely scenario of President Paul Biya knighting the abductors of the Divisional Officer (DO) of Idabato, who was taken away in the night of October 1, 2024. While we acknowledge that there is no human infallibility, we however just need to be reasonable.
At NewsWatch, we think it is good for anyone conferring a traditional title on another person to do a proper background check on the latter and also publicly state the reason for such a title. This way, the honorability of traditional title conferral will certainly be maintained and preserved.
First published in NewsWatch newspaper No 196 of Wednesday, January 29, 2025
