Fragments of Ngie Culture

By Achowah Umenei

A book about the fragments of pre-colonial and pre-christian culture, heritage, values, beliefs and social constructs of the Ngie people from the Bantu tribe, as passed down through storytelling. It engagingly and masterfully captures the treasures and wisdom of a quickly disappearing culture in the face of globalization.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543923087

Book preview

Chapter 1

Brief Information on the Ngie Clan

Ngie Villages and their Chiefs

The Ngie clan has 19 villages. This seems to be a later historical development probably based on ethnic or political reasons. According to some older informants, the clan was bigger than that, based on the names of villages. Apparently certain quarters were regarded as full villages. Another possibility is that small villages that were autonomous at one time were fused into others later for certain reasons.

Just for the sake of knowledge, here are the names that were regarded as villages which are not on the official list of Ngie villages today. They have been fused into other villages found on the list of the 19. On one side of Ngie we have Afed, Mbambe with Akan and Anjong as quarters, Achang with Uding and Ukwenenjuh as quarters, and then Mbabum with its quarter being Atoinah. At the central part, Akuabong has its own Anjong, while Aghemengwi stands opposite Akutah. Injimungieh is close to Akoh, both quarters of Andek. Bonanyang and Tineko were once regarded as independent villages but that is not the case today. As for the Mbororos, a semi-nomadic cattle-rearing community, they used to wander from place to place on the hills; now they seem to be gradually settling down into two groups or aldorets. A leader of the Mbororos is called an aldore, and his area of jurisdiction is an aldoret.

Was Mengom one village with Nkon, Basik, Esaw, Echia, and Abichia as quarters or an area with five independent villages? Some people, out of ignorance thought they were quarters; it should be known that Mengom is the area with five separate villages, not quarters. Another name mentioned in that area is Abiatong, a quarter in Esaw. Two quarters of Angong village were often regarded by some people as full villages. They are Asowai and Umon. Whatever reasons are given for the fusion of certain quarters or villages into others, some individuals of such areas are still contesting the fusions till today.

That aside, Ngie villages live in relative peace with each other. The villagers intermarry, socialize, carry out internal development activities and do many things together. Apart from a few cases of land dispute, with one that stretches back to the 50s and resurfaces once in awhile, mutual coexistence permeates the entire clan.

An umbrella organization known as the Ngie Cultural and Development Association (NCADA) is the development body that ties the Ngie people together. It is an offshoot from the Ngie Students and Teachers’ Union holiday meetings of the 60s to the 80s. At the beginning, the Association attracted hundreds of Ngie people and contributed to strengthening the cultural and development activities of the area. Unfortunately, it almost lost the original enthusiasm due to poor leadership and financial mismanagement. That is a challenge to the current leadership; it has to find strategies to rekindle Ngie people’s interest in the Cultural and Development Association. NCADA still has a vital role to play in the promotion of Ngie culture and development activities. Natives of the clan at home and abroad need to support the Association to function effectively and efficiently.

Meanwhile, the following are the 19 villages of Ngie and the Aldorets. The name of the fon or chief listed against each village is based on what is tenable in the year 2017. Unfortunately, the death of the Chief of Ebang, Awad Reuben, was announced as this book was going to the printing press.

Young chief of Etoh (not yet garbed) flanked by his senior colleagues of Ebang (late) & Tinechung (L) and that of Andek & Angai

These traditional rulers have a rallying body called the Ngie Fons’ Union whose President at the time of writing this book is the Fon of Andek, Bonanjah Richard Kings, and the Secretary is Tapong Gaius, the Fon of Angong. It may interest you to know that Dr. Julius Peka Abiedu wrote a 195-page book entitled, "Teze in the History of Ngie" published in 2015. It gives a historical trace of the clan head of Ngie among other useful information. It is a good document with useful information on the Ngie administration in colonial days.

When a chief is not yet enthroned, he appears in ordinary clothes like other villagers. But when crowned, he is robbed with the royal gown by elderly chiefs. The attire comprises of a huge and colourful embroidered gown, a hat, special beads and a staff which is the symbol of power and authority. From that moment, he no longer stretches his hand to greet ordinary people, but he can greet other chiefs. When he calls a man or woman, the person answers, Mbeh and then greets the chief by bowing and clapping the hands three times. That’s the conventional way of respect to answer royalty in the Ngie clan and throughout all the tribes of the North West Region of Cameroon.

Situating the Ngie Clan

The Republic of Cameroon has ten Regions, namely, Adamawa, Extreme North, North, Centre, South, East, Littoral, West, South West and North West. Ngie is found in Momo Division, one of the seven Divisions of the North West Region. It is a Sub-Division with headquarters at Andek. The other Sub-Divisions of Momo bounding Ngie are Mbengwi in the North, Widikum/Menka in the South, Njikwa in the West, and Batibo in the East. In effect, Ngie Sub-Division is located at the centre of Momo Division. Some people hold that it could have served as its headquarters instead of Mbengwi because of proximity to various parts of the Division.

From a sociological distinction, a number of villages make up a clan, then clans make up a tribe and the various tribes constitute a nation. Ngie is one of the five clans that make up the Widikum tribe or ethnic group and Cameroon as a nation has many tribes speaking different languages. The other clans of the Widikum tribe are Meta, also known as Menemo, Moghamo, Njikwa, and Upper Ngemba. It is said Ngie people originated from Dudum in the Teze area and they call themselves Ungie though the more popular term is Ngie. Other alternate names used by Ngie neighbours and foreigners are Baminge, Mingi, Angie, Ugie, and Baninge. It is incumbent on the indigenes of Ngie to give the correct version of how others should know and address them. The Ngie are also found in the Bandundu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Given that we fall within the big Bantu group, there is definitely a connection. To further investigate this, our seasoned experts on Sociology and Anthropology should take the initiative for academic