When the former Nakuve of the Bakweries, HRH Chief Justice Samuel Moka Lifafa Endeley was called to join his ancestors on July 7, 2015, the throne of the Paramount Chiefdom of Buea was left vacant for a period of about 10months.

Then a process was initiated by the Wonya Likenye Royal Family in Buea and the Kingmakers (13 of them) commissioned to get a replacement to the throne.

Due to the large family size, a team of four (4) elders were designated to start the process of picking the new Chief. They included: Mola Otto Mbendu Endeley, Mola Joseph Mwambo Endeley, Mola Njoh Wose Likenye, Mola Franco and John Endeley a’ Njie. The group collected one name each from all the 13 kingmakers. The Kingmakers were designated from all the households that make up Wonya Likenye Royal Family.

The succession Dynamics:

The succession of the Buea Paramountcy it should be noted is by and large hereditary but not necessarily perfunctorily from father to son exclusively. The very history of the lineage of the Wonya Likenye throne has over the centuries shown this to be true. This throne has moved from brother to brother and uncle to nephew as well.

When the great King Kuve Likenye for example, past on, he was succeeded by his brother Chief Endeley Kikenye (a.k.a Chief Endeley I) and not his son. In the same light, Chief Mathias Lifafa Endeley (a.k.a Chief Endeley II and grandfather of the new Paramount Chief) was not succeeded by his son but by his brother Gervasius Mbella Endeley (Chief Endeley III). As a matter of fact the former Nakuve-Chief SML Endeley (Endeley IV) inherited the throne from his own uncle Garvasius Endeley.

It should be noted that in his last will dated August 20th, 1976, Chief Garvasius Mbella Endeley appointed his son Prince Stephen Lifafe Mbella to succeed him. However, the Kingmakers ignored his will and followed their customs and traditions to select his nephew Chief Justice Samuel Moka Lifafa Endeley (Chief Endeley IV) to succeed him.

It is therefore in the same vein that the Wonya Likenye Royal Family, King Makers and Notables of Buea Royal Paramount Chiefdom decided to overwhelmingly choose and hallowed Prince Robert Esuka Endeley as the new Chief of Buea and the Paramount Ruler of the Bakweri Clan.

The customary, legal and Administrative standing:Being sensitive and cognizant to this succession history, the departed Nakuve SML Endeley, a traditionalist himself did not leave a will specifically on his succession.

The enlarged Wonya Likenye Royal Family and designated Kingmakers in consultation with the Indigenous Notable families of the Buea Paramount Chiefdom, selected and endorsed the successor to the vacant throne of the Buea Paramount Chiefdom in compliance to Law # 77/245 of July 15 1977, reorganizing the Traditional Chiefdoms and in accordance to the modifications in Law # 79/17 of June 30th, 1979, Law # 82/242 of June 24th, 1982 and accordingly Law # 2013/332 of September 13th, 2013.

At press time, the Memorandum and official succession documents of the Wonya Likenye Royal family and the Buea Kingmakers and Indigenous Notable families of the Buea Paramountcy are making their way via the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization and eventually to the Prime Minister’s Office and a date for coronation will be set upon completion of this process.

In the meantime, the New Paramount Chief was presented to his subjects by the Royal Family, the Kingmakers and Notables in Buea on May 22ND 2016.The event was a graceful event full of fanfare and jubilation by the population of Buea that gathered to take a gaze at their new, dynamic and handsome young Chief.

The selection Process:

The Kingmakers of the Buea Paramountcy seemed to have resolved to make the process of the selection of their King more open, transparent and perceptible. The way they did it this time will be a reference point for the future.

They were very thorough, deliberative and meticulous in order to avoid any conflict or bad blood.

First off, from the onset, it was clear that there should be no expectation that the throne will automatically transition from father to son. In that light, there was a pool of contenders (5 of them) who were seen as viable and eligible each in his own right.

According to the Wonya Likenye Royal Family Memorandum, the candidates included: Remigius Endeley,Fritz Wose Likenye, Daniel Ngomba Wose, Prince Charles Efungani Endeley,- son of departed Nakuve Chief SML Endeley and Prince Robert Esuka Endeley – the last son of The First Prime Minister of Southern Cameroons-Dr EML Endeley.

When time for choosing came, 1/13 chose Mola Charles Efungani Endeley, 1/13 chose Remigius Endeley, 1/13 chose Fritz Wose Likenye and 0/13 chose Daniel Ngomba Wose. Meanwhile 10/13 of the King Makers picked Prince Robert Esuka Endeley.

After the votes, the unification process commenced at the end of which was an endorsement by 12 of the Kingmakers present and basically the entire pool of hopefuls to the throne.

The contestants did not just endorse the new chief but signed the Memorandum that was published by the Wonya Likenye Royal Family with their National ID card numbers and their thump prints including Prince Charles Efungany Endeley one of the strong contenders.

Make no mistake, there is no doubt that this throne is a coveted one that any of the contenders wanted as much. There is no active dispute or opposition to the Chieftaincy of HRH Chief REML Endeley at this point according to sources whose voices are relevant to the selection process.

*Watch out for Part II. Bouldwin Enohmbi writes from Minnesota-USA. Credit: Wonya Likenye Royal Family Buea: Memorandum on the succession of Vacant throne of the Buea Paramountcy. Published May 22nd 2016.