It was the turn of Fako Division to produce the SWECC President and many were divided whether such a candidate should come from Limbe or Buea. Meeting in Limbe Friday, July 19, 2019, the custodians of the tradition of the people of Fako decided to break the ice and move together in unison.

 “The Chiefs of Fako sat down today after a series of consultations for reconciliation and peace. And today, the final results were being presented… and we agreed that we should be one man and to forge in peace and harmony,” Chief Ndike Richard Kombe, President of the Fako Chiefs’ Conference told The Post.

The bickering over which of the chiefs’ conference, that of Buea or Limbe, had the right to provide a candidate to succeed the outgone President of the South Chiefs’ Conference, HRH Chief Victor E. Mukete, had torn the Fako Chiefs apart.

It was clear that it was Fako’s turn to take over. But the Chiefs found it had to agree on where the Candidate should come from. This led to a bitter quarrel between a good number of the Chiefs from the Buea Chiefs’ Conference and some from Limbe. Chief Samuel Ekum, for instance, was strongly for the fact that it was Limbe’s turn to provide a candidate. But a candidate finally emerged but from Buea.

This, among other differences, led to a bitter divide which has been threatening, not just the unity of the chiefs’ corps, but also the peace and progress of the Division as a whole.

It is for this reason that the executive members of the Fako Chiefs Conference, led by their President, Chief Richard Ndike Kombe of the Mondoni Chiefdom, Tiko Subdivision, in collaboration with the Presidents of the Subdivisional Chiefs’ Conferences across the Division, all met in Limbe to bury their differences and chart a common way forward.

“Well, you can see that things are moving forward. For quite a while, the Fako Chiefs’ Conference has not been itself. So, we are making sure that this executive keeps to all what it says,” Chief Etina Monono of Great Soppo, Buea, said.

Chief Monono intimated that there was need for the chiefs to close ranks and work as one, so that, together, they can be able to rally the rest of the people across the Division towards a peaceful outcome to the current crisis.

“We are hoping that peace returns… our people are suffering, our people are displaced. And the only way it can be done is for our Chiefs to do what we are doing to bring ourselves together, bring our villages together to know that something is going to come out from the person who is our Head of State, because, he is the main person who can ensure a return to peace in this country. Things are not moving at all in the Southwest and Northwest and the only way things can move is if peace is accorded as soon as possible,” Chief Etina added.

The Chiefs used the occasion to crown Chief Samuel Epupa Ekum of Dikolo Village, Limbe III, as the Father of the Fako People. The President of the Fako Chiefs, HRH Chief Ndike, stated that this decision was taken after Chief Ekum, who has reigned for close to 39 years as Chief, accepted to sue for peace.

“Chief Ekum is a father who has sacrificed a lot for Fako and for Cameroon as a whole. So, when he stood up today and said he has accepted reconciliation, he has accepted peace and agreed that we should be one people, so we deemed it necessary to give him that grand title of the Father of the Fako People,” Chief Ndike said.

The Chiefs, in their close session meeting, also resolved that it shall be Limbe’s turn to present a candidate for the Southwest Chief’s Conference whenever the rotatory presidency shall come round to Fako Division.

They set August 31 as the date for their General Assembly.