- Makes Clarion Call To Sons & Daughters To Return Home
- Warns Land-Grabbers To Hands-off Community Land
By Andrew Nsoseka
The Chief of the once thriving, but now defunct village of Wonya Nango in Buea Subdivision, HRH Pastor Oscar Teke Etute, has made a clarion call to his kinsmen who have, over the years, settled in neighbouring villages, to return home, build and develop the community they left behind.
He made the call on Sunday, April 2, from his Palace in Wonya Nango, after he finished supervising the day’s work of demarcating community land into structured blocks to enable planned construction in an orderly manner. He also demarcated community centres such as playing grounds where children and youths can relax, and have fun all the time.
Talking about the village which had been abandoned over the years, Chief Teke said his people migrated to neighbouring villages years ago and the wooden structures they predominantly lived in were consumed by weeds and forests. He said the people who had occupied the area for over eight decades left because they were hit hard by strange ailments which could not be treated in the village, and as such, they had to migrate to other areas where health facilities were found.
Wonya Nango, which was named after its founder, Nango, a hunter from Bonduma, in Buea, according to Chief Teke, is made up of three principal families: the Wonya Njumbe family, the Wonya Ekovi family, and Wonya Ewange family; who, after consultations, made Pastor Oscar Teke Etute, their traditional ruler. He is said to have been chosen by the customs and traditionalists of Wonya Nango Council of Elders, and confirmed by prefectorial order number 18/AP/G.37/C83/SP approving his designation on January 17, 2021, in replacement of late Chief Peter Ikome Mokoko.
After his enthronement, Chief Teke Etuke immediately appointed his Council of Elders with nine members, and the village traditional council with 10 members. This was followed by the creation various committees charged with Wonya Nango Community development as well as social services needed by the would-be returning sons and daughters of the land.
The village of Wonya Nango is encircled by many other neighbouring villages; to the North by Nanga Village, to the South by Sasse Village, to the East by Bwassa Village, and to the West by Tole village.
According to the Chief and his team, the first priority will be to tap water from available catchments, to ensure that the village has constant flowing water, managed by the committee charged with the task. The team says it is also wooing investors under friendly conditions to invest in areas like health, education and other sectors that will bring development to the village. “We can make this our village a city in the jungle,” Chief Teke said as he urged his subjects to return and resettle.
Land Grabbers Warned To Hands-off Community Land
In a message addressed to those who acquired potions of Wanya Nango Village land through questionable procedures, Chief Teke Etute said they should hands off community land to indigenes.
The Chief said he had, through radio announcements, called on all land owners who acquired land during the period the village had no leadership to come to the Wonya Nango Palace, and explain how they got the lands, so that amicable solutions could be sought in the interest of the individual and the community.
The Chief, while noting that many people heard the radio calls and responded positively and their cases are under review, however, regretted that many ‘land grabbers’ holding chunks of the village land in hectares refused to show up and rather issued threats. He said, while some are hoping to use their ‘high offices’ to fight the community, others have reported to direct personal threats.
“Some people decided not to come, maybe because they look at the size of the Chief, and say he is ‘a small boy’ as they usually call him, but you know, we did our best, we have done our best,” Chief Teke Etute said. He furthered that notices were sent to the administration, informing it of the village’s plans and that the administration is aware of their moves. He said roads, already being worked on, is his first priority which will be followed by others in terms of paramount importance.