HRM FON T. T. TABI TEGHENCHA X OF ZANG-TABI, CLAN HEAD OF META, 2023 END OF YEAR MESSAGE.
Dear Meta Citizens, As 2023 draws to a close, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the Fons of Meta, as well as all Meta citizens at home and abroad, that together, let us be proud of who we are as EnebehTewidikum.
Let us, also be proud that we all originated from Gunekwo, Zangmbeng of Zang-Tabi and pledge to continue to do our utmost best to narrate the true history of the Meta people.
It is also a matter of great pride for me that the COVID-19 that hit hard on some of our Meta people at home and abroad in the past few years is now behind us.
As well, we have seen great health initiatives that are being promoted to help our sons and daughters of Meta land, notably, general health screenings at the Mbengwi District Hospital championed by our own daughter, Minister of Supreme State Audit, EngoTewidikum Acha Rose nee Fomundam, and special screenings on cancer championed by Dr. Agwo Tata of Microhealth Services of Mbengwi in collaboration with Prof. Paul Mobit of Cameroon Oncological Center in Douala. We are following their works closely and we thank them for their sacrifices.
We are also grateful to the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) for working hard with all stakeholders to ensure the Acha-Tugi General Hospital is once more operational and with a resident Doctor. Thank you also Dr. Fidelis Nyaah, Secretary of Health of the PCC as well as the Synod Clerk of the PCC Rev. Miki Hans Abia for being part of this great outcome. As a matter of priority, let us work together as one big family to sustain the Acha-Tugi General hospital.
In the same manner, we cannot also forget Prof. Victor Mbarika, founder of ICT University, who in 2023 was distinguished with the prestigious African Achievers Award, while Hon. Barrister Akere Muna also received the African Union Award, in his role as pioneer Presiding Officer of the Economic Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC-AU), and our beloved HRH, Prof. Fon Wilfred Mbacham of Funam, who was also appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustee of the Global Malaria Consortium.
I cannot also forget, to express my gratitude to Barrister Ntumfon Ndangoh Tah Calvin. He did a wonderful job as the chair of the Meta Clan historic visit to the Ngemba Clan Palace in Mankon in April 2023.
I also wish to recognize and thank all the Meta Elites that carried out fund raising towards the renovations of various palaces as well as financial and other contributions towards the construction of the Tonekwo bridge project spearheaded by MECUDA.
Additionally, I know too well that, Meta got so many talents and the list of Meta achievers or those championing various causes in our society in the year 2023 is quite long and I pray they will continue to work hard for the betterment of humanity.
I would also like to congratulate MECUDA and its leadership for exceeding all expectations in the organization of this year’s ADM and AGM. I equally thank the peoples of Ngembo and Tugi for their warm hospitality during these events. As we move forward into 2024, we hope that MECUDA will perform even better and bring the much-needed development to Meta land as well as rally all of our sons and daughters at home and abroad. However, I strongly advise MECUDA to stay away from politics in actions and in words. They should not be saying something and doing the contrary. MECUDA should be seen in all aspects to be apolitical!!
Allow me to also use this opportunity to decry the Fulani harassments that have taken place all over the Meta land; particularly, the manheim which happened in Kob village. The Fulanis, being part of the Meta communities must learn to live in peace with us all.
Dear Meta Fons, for how long shall we abandon our respective palaces? Elites, please encourage our Fons to regain their palaces fully and to take the responsibilities bestowed on them by the ancestors.
Dear Fons of Meta, in these difficult times, many facts about our Meta ancestry are being distorted under our watch. We as custodians of the Meta land, are cautioned not to distort the truths about our rich and beautiful history. It is important to remember that Meta Clan already existed for centuries under a clear traditional leadership structure under my forefathers before the white man came to colonize us. We can always revisit our traditional oaths as Meta Fons, as well as those elites who take the plight to distort our history. They will be dumbfounded for I strongly believe that, our traditional shrines will tell us who is telling the truth and the consequences most often are non-negotiable.
On another note, it’s unfortunate that, some Fons have also appointed spokesmen to be insulting other Fons and calling them names on social media. The Meta Fons should sanction their citizens or be considered accomplices to the acts of their citizens and representatives. Social media should not be used to insult people and worst still, Fons. The institution of the FON should be respected and given all the honours.
Dear Meta Citizens, Zang-Tabi is the ancestral root village of over 85% of the villages that make up the Meta Clan and which also make up the whole of Mbengwi Subdivision.
When the Meta people migrated from Tadkon in the Widikums long time ago, my forefathers moved along with other family groupings led by Teghencha and founded present day Zang-Tabi which incorporates the most dreaded Gunekwo, Zangmbeng Meta acceptable ancestral shrine. Many of the other family groupings settled along with Teghencha in Zang-Tabi and lived harmoniously with Teghencha and his successors till date.
To be precise, Teghencha settled in Gunekwo up the hills of Zangmbeng, both which are integral parts of present day Zang-Tabi. All of Gunekwo and Zangmbeng is owned by Zang-Tabi Palace. The traditional gateway into Zang-Tabi Palace is found in Zangmbeng farmland. Teghencha and his entire 3 mendig family covers just about 30% of Zang-Tabi making just one quarter out of 8 principal quarters that make up Zang-Tabi village. The rest of the other families from Tadkon covered even till date, the other 70% of Zang-Tabi with Teghencha being their leader.
To date, most Meta villages are named after historic family settlements in present day Zang-Tabi. For example, Ku, Nyen, Njinibi, Gundom, Kob, Chenam, Ngwokong, Kobenyang, Tuanyang, Njekwo, Chup, Guneku, Nwong in BOME, E-ngang in Mbengwi, etc.
So we have Teghencha as lineage head of all mendig of the Meta Clan, Tembeng Njoh of all bonjoh and Tetteh Mundam of all the mundams who first settled in Kwojoh and Baat of Zang-Tabi before continuing to present day Tuanyang. Therefore 70% of Zang-Tabi is typically the other Meta family groupings which include: Bogwaniks, Mewum, Mewum Bosa, Menong, Meteng, Bonesig, Bonegob with remnants of the Oshie and Konda families of neighbouring Ngwo Clan, still live in Zang-Tabi. One of the most dreaded archaeological foundation sites in Zang-Tabi is that of present day people of Bossa village in Bali Subdivision. The list is not closed because, family groupings in Bafut, Mankon, Santa Mbei, Baforcho and Mbouda in the West Region still have their roots in present day Zang-Tabi.
I also want to clarify that, Teghencha had many sons which are not limited to the six sons as have been portrayed on different instances simply because of the emblematic stones at the Zangmbeng ancestral shrine. Teghencha’s first son is of course Fon Mbakwa of Tugi, followed by Fon Fominyen of Nyen village. Other sons include Fon Teghenbi (Forembeng) of Gundom, Fon Fonguh of Ku, Fon Tebo Amunum Teghen of Njekwo, Fon Fominyam of Njinibi, Fon Mbabit of Mbemi, Fon Banung of Chup and Asanga of Njaah; as well as the emblematic son called Fomukwen of Kwen in present day Funam village. These sons in-turned gave birth to their own children who have become traditional rulers in Meta today. Most conspicuous of all Teghencha’s grandchildren are two Second Class Fondoms: Njokem of Mbengwi and Fomuki of Guneku villages respectively.
To date, and in Gunekwo, Zangmbeng of Zang-Tabi, these truths about who we are, are found at the only Meta acceptable ancestral shrine with immortalized stones representing Teghencha and some of his sons, which meets the 7-figure spirit-setting traditional principle. Details of why some sons have emblematic stones at the ancestral shrine in Gunekwo, Zangmbeng, Zang-Tabi while others don’t have is a reserve of the Kwifor to Teghencha’s Dynasty.
On a different note, unlike it was propagated on social media, I was reported to the Gendarmerie Company in Mbengwi by Fon Mbakwa of Tugi and the matter is currently at the level of an examining Magistrate of the Mbengwi High Court. He sued me instead of coming over to Zang-Tabi for a conversation with his father as he had done severally before. It is therefore needless for Meta citizens to be commenting on it publicly because no one wants to be dragged into a legal matter.
In 2017, due to the same issue with Njaah, both parties officially made acknowledgements in the presence of the Fon of Nyen and the oldest Fon on the throne in Meta Clan, Fon Azah of Ngwokong village together with the Mbengwi State Counsel as well as in the presence of then SDO of Momo, the fact that I was their father. Ensuing the Mbengwi Legal Department officially handed their matter to Zang-Tabi Palace for resolution in the traditional way. I held series of meetings with both parties and ended up with an enlarged family reconciliatory meeting with far reaching resolutions at the end. The 4 Legal Department and the Administration were provided with the minutes as expected. Hon Edena was my spokesperson. I just wish to emphasize here that, in those days of our forefathers,Tugi and Njaah left Zang-Tabi at different times, migrated differently and settled in their current respective locations and are both my sons. However, the situation ends up again in the hands of the administration, Tugi and Njaah are brothers and they must live in peace as it was in the past. No party should assimilate the other. And for those who are making comparison between Njaah and Fringyeng in Guneku or Nkwen in Funam village and other areas in Meta Clan who will want to use Njaah as an example to fight for their own autonomy have missed it all.
Let me also repeat! The Clan Head does not create villages nor does he appoints new traditional rulers. He only enthrones after official consultations and authorizations come from the government. By the time those promoting hatred between the two communities will get to listen to both sides of the stories, then logical thinking and acceptance will prevail. In Njaah, everything was done with the blessings of the Administration contrary to what some spoilers are saying. I’m taking time to provide these details, because, I do not want that our youths should be misled. Our history does not have to be distorted simply because we have political ambitions. My hope as father is that let the position of the State prevails so that justice will permit things to fall in place correctly in 2024.
Dear Meta citizens, I’m a Fon that is deeply rooted in Meta traditions, and I’m not doing anything extraordinary or out of the Meta norms in fulfilling my traditional duties as Clan Head even when I am pushed to the wall with all sorts of falsehood. In recent years, the social media landscape has seen individuals exploiting and distorting historical and ancestral truths for personal reasons. That is why these individuals will try to give a false picture of the place they call “Zangmbeng” and Zang-Tabi as though these are separate villages, just to confuse Meta young minds and promote anarchy in all its forms.
With regards to MEFU, my predecessor or I have never sought to be a MEFU President since its inception, and will never do so, but will continue to play the advisory role of the traditional father. MEFU has now become a political organization instead of being apolitical. Its various leadership including the present one has been posturing for a long time now thinking, they will use MEFU to distort the history of Meta for their political ambitions. I’m closely monitoring MEFU activities and will put a check to any of the over zealousness that is not enshrined in MEFU by-laws or customs and tradition of Meta. Let it be very clear, MEFU has no jurisdiction over Tugi and Njaah and cannot take the place of a Meta Customary Court.
Once more, MEFU is not a Meta Customary Court and will never be one with the current dispensation. All cardinal family issues should be settled along family lineages in the way it was done in the past. For example, any issue concerning Funam (Bonjoh) should be first shared with Kai Palace. If such an issue is more than Kai, Kai will know the next palace to consult for resolution. If there is an issue in Barakwe, Barakwe (mendig) should seek Njinibi first and if it above Njinibi, Njinibi will know who to consult for resolution. Njindom reports to Mbemi, ZangTembeng reports to Nyen, and so on.
In 2024, my wish is that, the Kwifors and the traditional institutions of Zang-Tabi will develop a plan to bring together all the Fons of Meta, to reconcile one another, perform traditional rites and to bless the land and its people to prosper.
Finally, the year 2023 was hard on farmers, including those in the animal husbandry sector due to the African swine fever that swept away most of our pigs. We pray the year 2024 will be a better year for all, including those that are not farmers.
Let us continue to stay close to our ancestors and to look up to the Almighty God for a better year 2024.
Happy New Year 2024!
Fon TT Tabi Tengencha X
