The coronation will climax a series of two-day activities that are scheduled to punctuate the groundbreaking crowd-pulling event. The activity will flag off tomorrow Friday June 6 before culminating in the final coronation ritual on Saturday following other pre-coronation traditional rites.
Iconic Cameroonian journalism maestro, His Royal Majesty Albert Njie Mbonde will be coronated as the traditional ruler of Bokwaongo-Membea village in Buea Subdivision of the South West Region on Saturday June 7. The coronation will climax a series of two-day activities that are scheduled to punctuate the groundbreaking crowd-pulling event. The activity will flag off tomorrow Friday June 6 before culminating in the final coronation ritual following other pre-coronation traditional rites. Njie Mbonde was designated traditional ruler of the third-class chiefdom of Bokwaongo by village’s kingmakers in March this year. He was selected ahead of several other contenders that had also entered the race.
Speaking to pressmen after the designation of the journalist who presently works as political desk editor of the radio service of state broadcaster, the Cameroon Radio Television, Crtv, locals said his designation is a major step towards filling the vacancy that had been left in the chiefdom since the exit of the village’s former ruler. Njie Mbonde’s coronation will have him joining what is now becoming a growing list of Cameroonian journalists who secured other major posts of responsibility outside their traditional professional milieu in the journalism industry in recent years.
The locals received his designation with joy and jubilation. Njie Mbonde expressed gratitude to the people of Bokwaongo and the God almighty in an interview after the designation exercise. “First of all, to strongly say that it was only delayed but never denied. Because I think honesty requires that we say that the choice of the kingmakers was made since the first consultative talks. I can readily tell you that the consultative talks at the end of the day was a formality to fulfill administrative requirements because the choice was made very long ago,” the newly-designated ruler stated at the time. “I want to give gratitude to God who has directed my footsteps from this modest home.
I am a product of these two hills so I am glad that God has raised me to oversee the destiny of this village,” Njie Mbonde added. He ruler urged the population to remain united, encouraging them to join him as he embarks on a long journey toward continuing with the project of building the Bokwaongo village and making the village a place to be for all, regardless of their backgrounds and other personal differences. “…We may be different families.
But we are one people. Before these consultative talks, I did not know the other people. As a young man, my grandparents taught me that Bokwaongo people are one people,” the multimedia personality-turned traditional ruler said. “Each time I did something to help the community or individuals.
I did not do so because I knew. I did the little I could do as, first of all, a Cameroonian who knows that you must help people, but also as a Bokwango son who helped Bokwaongo people,” the chief added. He said one his biggest priorities as the ruler of the Bokwaongo people will be to ensure that Bokwaongo remains a peaceful community like it was during and after the reign of his immediate predecessor.
He said he will push to continue having a Bokwaongo people that are fully law-abiding and respectful to the republic and its institutions like they have done over the years. “Being a traditional ruler is not only talking about land. We shall be firm on the management of land in our village. Questions will be asked about what was done before,” the newly-designated ruler said, also promising to address issues like the electricity challenges faced by the community.
