The SDO and his entourage was well received by the Chief and the people of Muangwekan
By Mesumbe Nelly
MUANGWEKAN- Elung BANGEM was the happy host of the Senior Divisional Officer Kupe-Muanenguba ,Ekema Williams Mungambo and his entourage, May 17, 2025 for a working visit.
According to the SDO official visit was to familiarize and concert with the community.
” We are glad to have reached out through this visit to the Muangwekan community and we urge them to be law abiding and continue working hard for the development of their area and the division,” Kupe-Muanenguba SDO EKEMA WILLIAMS said.
The SDO and his entourage was gladly by the chief of Muangwekan, Chief Atabe Emmanuel Ndonjume, and his entourage as well as the ‘behons’ in the area.
“ It is our joy to receive the SDO of Kupe-Muanenguba in Muangekan and we the people of this community pledge to work hand in glove with the administration for the development of Kupe-Muaneguba,” the chief said.
Muangwekan accordingly is one of 13 villages of the Elung clan. It sits on the eastern slopes of the Kupe Mwanenguba mountains, near the Picot Line. This coffee-growing village still bears remnants of colonial rule – most notably, a large concrete border marker once used to delineate British territory, perched on a hill overlooking the settlement. Though Muangwekan is wagging on as usual, its traditional ruler, Chief Atabe Emmanuel Ndonjume and the elite from the area have been deeply worried recently.
A few years ago, a government commission proposed transferring Muangwekan to Melong Subdivision, part of the Moungo Division in the French-speaking Littoral region.
The proposal prompted unrest, as Muangwekan has historically belonged to the Bangem administrative unit in the English-speaking region since Cameroon’s reunification in 1961.
“This pillar was planted in 1947 by the British Commissioner in Buea. It shows that the next village [Ninong] is four miles away,” Chief Atabe said tapping the concrete marker with his walking stick as villagers gathered around, a recent media report said.
For Chief Atabe and his people, the proposal was more than just a bureaucratic shift – it threatens the village’s historical identity and cultural heritage, a lingering consequence of colonial-era partitions that continue to shape Cameroon’s geopolitical landscape.
Despite the controversy, Chief Atabe insists the colonial pillar should remain. “We shall uphold it because it serves as proof of where Muangwekan belongs and can help resolve any disputes over its administrative unit. Muangwekan is in Bangem, Kupe-Munenguba, nothing more, nothing less.”