Bamenda, falling apart over boundary disputes

The beautiful Bamenda city whose center is not holding

The National Commission for the demarcation of boundaries has failed to reach a decision on the boundaries crisis in Bamenda I, II and III. Meeting in Bamenda this Wednesday in the conference hall of the Regional Delegation of Public Works, the commission examined the dispute over Sisia or Ntenefor between Nkwen and Bamendakwe as well as the dispute between mankon and Bamendakwe over Ntabak that is the piece of land hosting PCHS mankon, Mondial and Ayaba Hotels. Using information from the National cartographic center the commissioned came to Bamenda prepared to hand down the verdict. After listening to submissions by the representatives of the people of Nkwen , Bamendakwe and Mankon (Bamenda III, Bamenda I and Bamenda II respectively) the commission concluded that  the facts gathered during the session were too new for them to settle on a decision.

Disappointed faces at the close of the session

Ndumu Nji Vincent Govt Del BCC

It is worth noting that these disputes became very pronounced after the creation of the Bamenda City Council. Talking to a Fon and a Mayor at the meeting on condition of anonymity they opined that the Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council Vincent Nji Ndumu himself a son of Bamendakwe was at center of these “controversies”. They questioned why it was only Bamendakwe having problems with their neighbors and particularly at this time when he is Government Delegate.

It is worth noting  that the dispute between Nkwen and Bamendakwe came close to going violent at the close of 2013 during the disappearance of HRH Fon Ngufor III of Nkwen. As the community was planing the celebration of his reign the Divisional Officer (DO) for Bamenda I embarked on a tour of his area of command. Whether by design or fate he took the disputed area ie Sisia as Nkwen people call it and Ntenefor according to Bamendakwe  people as part of his jurisdiction. While on the site information went to the Nkwen Palace resulting in an immediate reaction from the elites who rushed to site chased the DO, scattered the canopies and chairs that were mounted in his honour promising hell to anyone who considered the area to be part of Bamendaklwe.
The decision the commission said is expected in the nearest future.