By Nfor Nkfu in Bamenda.
The president of the North West Regional House of Chiefs HRH Yakum Kevin Teuvih has reminded ardos and other Fulani/mbororo title holders to desist from raising hopes of becoming gazetted traditional rulers in the North West Region of Cameroon. He was speaking September 8, 2021 in Bamenda at the close of a month long consultation and concertation with traditional rulers and other auxiliaries of the administration from the seven divisions of the region.
Fon Yakum stressed that most of them are normads and had been able to settle on pieces of land that owe legitimacy to inhabitants with generic leaders
This was after a submission was made by ardos to be gazetted as traditional rulers.The submission was washed away based on the chieftaincy law .
According to the House of Chiefs president a, traditional rulers clamouring for classification based on the provisions of the law must show proof of a territorial land mass, neighbouring villages, and a population that necessitates classification. Anything short of this; Fon Yakum said,the law places any representative of such people as a sub Chief, or caretaker of a community who pays allegiance to a 1st class ruler or a 2nd class ruler.
"You must not take yourselves as traditional rulers.You are like quarter heads and we know you play a very important role in the preservation of peace and dissemination of information", said Fon Yakum Kevin Teuvih,NW President of the House of Chiefs .
"There are many other people like you who are asking to be gazetted perhaps because the state gives some monthly stipend to traditional rulers. But the state has not done so yet" Fon Yakum maintained.
Mbororos and fulani are reported to fall in the line of those bearing the brunt of the ongoing armed Anglophone conflict. Many of them including their cattle have been displaced.
During the consultative talks, mbororos/fulani leaders said most of their cattle and sheep have been siezed by separatist fighters and some invaders who zoomed in to settle farmer grazier scores. According to them, they are being regarded as wonderers who must not have the right to settlement or acquisition of land title.
In an intervention, an official from the delegation of land tenure spelled out that land is owned by the state. Land ownership he added is subject to a land title which is open to all Cameroonians irrespective of class or social distinction.
Satisfied with the clarifications made, the ardos asked of what becomes of their damages incurred in the ongoing Crisis-a demand which Fon Yakum told them will be taken care of by the 'Presidential plan for the Reconstruction of the North West and South West Regions.
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