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Oku – Mbessa Crisis re-surface• Women March again in protest • continuity of Cameroon administration put to taste • Some Oku elite implicated



By Bakah Derick 

The Tuesday 16 February, 2016 peaceful march by close to 500 women from Mbessa Boyo Division to Kejom Keku (Big Babangki) in Mezam Division brought forth a baby from an overdue pregnancy that dates back to 1989 and even beyond.  

Watching some of these women sleep helplessly in the open in front of the Kejom Palace that night spoke volumes. They had surely been chased from the comfort of their homes by something more serious adding credibility to the African proverb which says “if you see a rat run into the fire then what is chasing it is more than the fire.” 

Their march was a repeat of a similar action in 1989 following what Mbessa people describe as a show of injustice. Oral History gathered from the women say in 1989 the Mbessa women organised another march to Bamenda but where stopped at the boarder between Kedjom Keku and Bambui (where the immediate past Fon of Keku was burnt to death) by the then governor of the Northwest province. Following that incident, the governor created a commission which went down to Mbessa to examine the land under dispute between Mbessa and Oku. 

After findings, the commission established that the land belonged to Mbessa people. This followed by the planting of boundary pillars demarcating the land. The lifespan of these pillars were relatively short. They were uprooted by unknown persons though according to the Mbessa women they were removed by the Oku people since they saw them farming on the area. From 1989 till 2007 despite the removal of the pillars there was relative calm. 

In 2007 a fresh crisis surfaced with the burning of farm hurts and houses around and close to the disputed area. Human live was lost and charities and individuals had to head to Mbessa with various forms of assistance. “I saw misery on their faces when I accompanied someone to Mbessa to donate food items.” A reporter said.  In reaction, Governor Abaka Ahamat then governor of the Northwest sent another land commission to the disputed area which ended dividing the land between both villages. Mbessa people here say more than half of the land was given to Oku adding that Mbessa was not represented in the commission. 

The continuity of the administration here comes under review as two commissions created by two separate administrators provided two separate results. Ngeh Wilfred Nseey an expert in administrative procedures commented on the issue saying it was out of place for the 2007 governor to have created another commission. It was just normal for him to have implemented the decision of his predecessor.  

As to what provoked the February 16 peaceful march, to explained that it was on the 30th of December 2016 that 70yrs old Shey William Mukong of Mbessa origin was found dead on the Mbessa side of the disputed land and according to the women he was killed by Oku people who have cultivated right into the Mbessa side of the disputed land. In anger and tears one of the women explained “after killing him they waited in the bush thinking that we will come to fight but we did not.” “When refuse to go to war with them” she continued “they then (the Oku people) then continued to farm on our soil.”
“This was enough provocation but we were not ready for war and that is why we decided to march to Bamenda to see the governor and inform him about it.” Another woman said.
Current Northwest regional governor Aholph Lele L’adrique later met the women to calm them down causing them to return to the village with financial assistance from the Governor and the Mayor of the Belo Sub divisional Council. 

As we raise worries over the silence of the local politicians particularly Parliamentarians of the area, that of the Oku elite comes to mind. 

The Prime Minister and Head of Government Philemon Yang who is from Oku is yet to make a statement. Noting that during his stay in Canada where he worked as high for over 17years from 1989 to 2007 there was relative peace. These years are significant years in the Oku Mbessa crisis. 

Fai Yengo Francis former governor of the littoral region was SDO for Mechum at the time when Boyo was still a sub division under Menchum.
Their influence on the decisions and may be the actions of their countrymen cannot be ignored. 

As the women returned to Mbessa after the late night meeting with Governor Lele Adolph, a two weeks ultimatum was issued stating that should the governor not come to their aid they will be returning to Bamenda again on foot. Its surely a file the governor must manage with care as anger could read on the faces of the furious women as they spoke to us.

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