Coronation of Paramount Chief of Limbe: Legal action for annulment of PM’s approval order started!

By Christopher Ambe

Chief Kingi Liwoto II

As   preparations intensify for the coronation of Mr. John Elufa Manga Williams as the Paramount   Chief of Limbe this weekend, Chief Kingi Liwoto II of Bambuko    has initiated legal action at the Administrative Court in Yaoundé, calling for the annulment of the Prime Ministerial Order that recognized the former as First-class Traditional Chief of Limbe.

Chief Kinghi  informed this reporter,  yesterday , that  he was at the Administrative Court in Yaounde  last Monday  where he gave  his submissions  ,adding that his application for the stay of execution of  the Prime Ministerial Order was  upheld, pending the hearing of the substantive matter as to why  Mr.John  Elufa Manga Williams should not be the First-Class Chief of Limbe.Asked if he was already in possession of a copy of the Court ruling temporarily suspending the Prime Ministerial order, Chief kinghi said no but expressed hope that the signed ruling will be out soon. “I have not collected the ruling yet. It may be ready by Friday”, he said.

The Prime Minister, Head of Government  ,Joseph  Dion Ngute,in an order No 004 and dated January 13, 2022 , noted: “ The appointment of Mr. John Elufa Manga Williams as  first class traditional  Chief of Limbe,Fako Division ,Southwest Region, in replacement of Mr. Ferguson Bill Manga  Williams, who died on the 9^th of July 2005, is hereby approved with effects from 18^th July 2018.”

But the PM’s order sparked controversy and angered some indigenes of Limbe(Bambukos and Bakweris)s  who feel betrayed by the order.

And Chief kinghi, who alleges that Mr. John Elufa Manga Williams is a “stranger in Bakweri land” , last month filed an ex parte motion  at the Administrative Court in Yaounde ,requesting the cancellation of the PM’s order that approved Mr. John Elufa Manga Williams as First-Class Traditional Chief of Limbe. 

At a press conference in Limbe last Saturday, Chief Kinghi told reporters that he had invited them to clarify in good faith on an illegality about to happen.

“This illegality is about the coronation of John Elufa Manga Williams as Chief of Limbe of Bambuko tribe”, he said in his introductory remarks, stressing that “the Bambuko and Bakweri People of Limbe say no to the coronation of a stranger,Elufa John Manga Williams as their chief”

The Horizon has not been able to independently verify the claim that Mr. Elufa John Manga Williams is a stranger in Limbe.

According to Chief Kinghi, the Prime Minister was misled into signing the order that approved Mr. Elufa John Manga Williams as first-Class Traditional chief and as such there is that urgent need for justice to be done.

[ First published in The Horizon  Newspaper ,Cameroon  June 9,2022 ]