Cameroon: Fako Chiefs vow to use unorthodox means against UB strike instigators

By Christopher Ambe

 Fako chiefs (traditional rulers) have expressed total anger at the recent students protest at the University of Buea, during which the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Nalova Lyonga and native of Fako, was held hostage in her car for at least three hours.

The chiefs, meeting in Limbe last February 12, have resolved to henceforth go as far as using unorthodox means to check such happenings in the future.

 They did not specify the unorthodox means they will employ, but it is common knowledge here that traditional rulers have some spiritual powers or juju power which they use to destroy their enemies with.It was not clear whether the chiefs will decide to  use such powers as one of the unorthodox means referred to in their release.

The chiefs said they were convinced that the striking students were acting “under the remote influence of some known over-zealous lecturers mainly from an identified region” but failed to identify the region.

The chiefs even went further to note that “some of these over-zealous lecturers had earlier been transferred to some newly created state universities but [they] categorically refused to move in a bid to stir chaos by perpetrating their sinister and Machiavellian plans in the University of Buea”

At a press conference organized recently in relation to the  student protest, the UB administration disclosed that  investigations  found that some lecturers /and other staff  were behind the  students’  strike on campus. The UB Administration vowed to deal with them, but did not make public their identities.

Following is a statement issued by the Fako Chiefs at the end of their February 12 meeting:
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FAKO CHIEF’S DIVISIONAL CONFERENCE
SOUTHWEST REGION
MINISTRY OF TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION
REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON

REF: FCC/04/2/13

Limbe, 12 February 2013

POSTION STATEMNENT BY THE FAKO DIVISIONAL CONFERENCE OF TRADITIONAL RULERS ON THE RECENT STRIKE ACTION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BUEA ON THE  6TH OF FEBRUARY 2013

Meeting this 12th day of February 2013, the Traditional rulers of Fako Division after taking cognizance of the recent brutal and inhumane realities of the strike action at the University of Buea that occurred on the 6th of February 2013;

Considering that on the 6th of February 2013 a group of misguided and teleguided students of the University of Buea did take an attitude which is entirely hostile to the education and training they receive from such an institution;

Considering that the sequestration or hostage taking of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea Professor NALOVA LYONGA, an illustrious daughter of Fako Division for over Four Hours by these misguided students was based on very frivolous claims;

Considering that divine providence has this time again, reserved the University of Buea to be headed by an indigene of Fako Division in the face of complex sociological sensibilities of this institution;

Convinced that these misguided students are acting under the remote influence of some known over-zealous lecturers mainly from an indentified region;

Considering that some of these over-zealous lecturers had earlier been transferred to some newly created state universities but categorically refused to move in a bid to stir chaos by perpetrating their sinister and Machiavellian plans in the University of Buea;

Aware that such acts present a picture of what could be logically termed and considered as a “fog of war”, on our soil;

Considering that strike actions have never been a panacea to conflict resolutions in our state universities and the University of Buea is not an exception;

We the traditional rulers of Fako Division do vehemently condemn in very unequivocal terms, the recent unrest at the University of Buea on the 6th of February 2013;

Do, call on the powers that be to open investigations that would unmask those persons manipulating and maneuvering innocent students to be involved in acts of terrorism;

Do, pray for an enabling environment for all those that have been called upon to occupy positions of authority at the University of Buea;

And finally, do resolve  and make bold the claim that such acts of intimidation, brutality, destruction, hostage taking, etc., perpetrated in an ominously peaceful educational institution and on innocent authorities, especially those of this land, shall no longer be tolerated as they shall face the wrath of the people of Fako both by orthodox and unorthodox means.
Signed:
President Muyuka Chiefs: HRH Chief Mokoto Njie
President Buea Chiefs: HRH Chief Linonge F. Kinge
President Limbe Chiefs: HRH Chief Alani Ekane of Bokindi
President Tiko Chiefs
South West Chief’s Conference Representative
Secretary General Fako Chief’s Conference: HRH Chief Joke Johnson
President Fako Chiefs: HRH Chief Samuel Ekum of Bimbia