By Bakah Derick
News of the documentation of the history of Nkwen people in Mezam Division North West Region of Cameroon is already making rounds in the Fondom. According to sources close to the Nkwen Palace, a Book authored by the Second Adviser to the Fon of Nkwen Muma Azeh is expected to see the light of day before the month of July 2022 runs out. The Book according to the author traces the routes of the Nkwen people to pre-colonial times.
“Since the existence of Bafreng (German appellation for Nkwen), its history has remained largely Oral than Written. Efforts to assemble facts about the village met with little success as contrary views were presented by the interviewees. However, following deep consultations and presentatations of some artifacts and pictures of old by the palace authorities, village elders and individuals who lived certain events, publications were able to be met by some researchers , particularly on certain aspects that constitute the existence of Nkwen Fondom. Most of what had been presented so far before now appeared as write ups, articles, seminar paper presentations and dissertations with focus on particular aspects of the Fondom’s existence and lay outs. Hence, with globalization and the constant research by researchers to know more about Nkwen village, it became necessary to assemble these articles that have been written about the village into a single booklet for easy reading and also transmit the oral history into written history for posterity.” Muma Azehfor told Hilltopvoices in a confirmation message on the eventual publication.
The outstanding teacher of Geography before 2014 known as Ngufor Tanwie Emmanuel and now Muma Azehfor following his new traditional attributions, decided in 2014 to embark on the assembling and review of some of these dissertations and articles, verified to be of authentic content.
According to him “much vital information was also gathered through oral interviews, with targeted interviewees being indigenes that have stood the test of time in terms of having lived the history of an eye witness to certain events that occurred in the yesteryears or served as village notables in any of the saluted traditional positions in the village of Nkwen.”
The lover of culture and that of Nkwen in particular already has an idea of what the new book will be called.
“What I gathered through research findings and published in this book “Nkwenberee, An Exposition of the Cultural and Traditional Norms of the Nkwen People”, might not fully represent a hundred percent view of what constitute the insight of Nkwen village. But mindful of the very verifiable visitations to some individuals of traditional weight, viewing of some artifacts with legal history, content and personal village connection and interactions with fellow kids and kins from childhood up to recent days, I strongly believe this publication projects a Panoramic View of the Nkwen Fondom. However, as research challenges hold, this book may still fall short of certain expectations.” He concluded
