Cameroon:Royal Family says Buea Traditional Council that “rejected” Essuka Endeley’s candidature is fake

By Christopher Ambe

 The faction of Likenya royal family that selected Robert Essuka Endeley as candidate for the throne of Buea Paramount Chieftaincy has alleged that the Buea Traditional Council that “rejected” their candidate is fake

     In swift reactions to an earlier report Buea Chieftaincy Succession: Kingmakers reject Esssuka Endeley's candidature by The Recorder about the refusal of the candidature of US-based Robert Essuka Endeley for the succession race by kingmakers and the Buea Traditional Council, some members of the Likenya family told The Recorder that their choice remains Robert Essuka and nobody else.

Late Chief SML Endeley

    Njoh Wose Likenye,a retired military officer, who spoke to The Recorder on phone Monday June 27, claiming to be the spokesman of the Likenya royal family, said “succession in Likenya royal family is hereditary but it does not automatically pass from father to son”, .He insisted that the royal family has chosen Robert Essuka Endeley to succeed the late Chief Endeley. “It is  only the Likenya Family that  can give a successor; no other person or authority is competent to do that”

   Some Kingmakers and notables of Buea in an enlarged Buea Royal Traditional Council Session on Sunday 26 June, had reportedly rejected the selection of Robert Essuka Endeley made a few weeks ago as candidate to succeed late Chief SML Endeley.

    Chief SML Endeley died in July 2015 at the age of 92 after serving as the Paramount ruler of the first- class chiefdom of Buea for 25 years.

Essuka’s candidature was said to have been rejected for allegedly not respecting required procedure.

   But Njoh Wose Likenye told The Recorder that the Dr.Humphrey Ekema Monono-led Buea Traditional Council is not recognized. According to him, when a chief dies his traditional council becomes useless until a new chief puts in place a new council.

 “The family is not answerable to the Traditional Council. As a family we owe no duty to report to the traditional council,”Njoh Wose said insistently, challenging the claim that the Likenya royal family was supposed to submit the name of their choice to the council apparently for vetting.

He said they have already submitted the candidature of Robert Essuka at the Fako SDO’s office and they are now only waiting for consultative talks.

Luma Stephen:Accuses Traditional Council Chair

  Also reacting, Mola Luma Stephen Njoke, member of the Buea traditional Council who did not attend the enlarged meeting, alleged that “Dr. Humphrey Monono unilaterally convened an enlarged traditional council without consulting the executive body of the Council. We see this as a move to destabilize the smooth transition to the throne of Buea chiefdom because the royal family had made their choice and forwarded such to the competent administrative authority as required by law; 13 kingmakers and 25 notables endorsed the choice of Robert Essuka Endeley.Let it be known that the traditional council is not above kingmakers and notables; that traditional council as per the law has no place in the putting in place of a successor to the throne. Mola Luma faulted the Chairman of the Buea Traditional Council for inviting outsiders to talk on Buea Royal issues

   Ndive Njoh Paul, another member of Buea Traditional Council, who attended the meeting, said it had a one-point agenda-being the succession of the Paramount Chief. He alleged that after the choice of Robert Essuka, they wrote to the chairman of the traditional Council and he replied, but would not call a meeting early enough for them to present their candidate.

”I am a member of the Traditional Council and a notable but we cannot challenge a decision of the royal family on their choice”, he told The Recorder. “The Buea town chieftaincy has never been father-to-son but house-to- house affair”

   For his part, Oscar Isuma Endeley, presenting himself to The Recorder as one of the kingmakers, said the family had lost several people in the past in connection with succession to the throne. “This royal family is not ready to shed any blood. We want a peaceful ascension to the throne of our choice Robert Essuka Endeley”, he said, adding the traditional council should facilitate and not create confusion. He said late Chief Endeley did not succeed his father, an apparent reference to speculation that one of the sons of late chief Endeley will likely succeed his father.