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Louis Egbe Mbua
A recent debate in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/camnetwork/, has given room for thought as to the origins of the Bantus in Africa and, subsequently, the origins of man. The first part of this argument will dwell on the genesis of the debate; while the second part will dwell on the origins of the Bantus and life as opined by the diverse and able participants.
It all began with the author suggesting that there is no smoke without fire; and therefore the Chariot of the Gods may indeed be eponymous; and that the natives themselves believe that there are gods living on the volcanic massive. While the native Bakweris may not have complete evidence of this supernatural belief, there are indications that the mountain erupts to announce an important event or to foretell a possible arrival or departure of non-natives for good or bad.
In 1909, the German Kamerun was in its full colonial gear, conquering and subjugating from the Chariot's of the Gods to Garoua and Lake Chad, the most Northern point of Cameroon. Having subjugated the native Bakweris, they made a point by establishing their capital in Buea. Living in a vantage mountainous point, they sure dreamt of the new Roman empire until 1908 when the Mountain erupted, spewing lava through Buea and on to the coastal City of Victoria, where they originally began their colonial pursuit.
The incident so unnerved the new masters that they had to hurriedly transfer their Capital to Douala, present day economic hub of West Africa and economic power house of Cameroon; and renaming the city Kamerunstat -- they possibly thought this will either appease the gods or most probably escape further punishment. This turned out to be a misplaced move. They never returned to Buea because eight years later, in 1916, they were driven out of the territory.
1922 was the period of reconciliation between the World Powers after the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The former German Kamerun has now been partitioned and mandated to the League of Nations: the West was mandated to the United Kingdom while the East was a French mandate. While the French amalgamated their former colonies into the French Equatorial Africa, the British were busy dividing their own share of the British Cameroons into: the Southern Cameroons and the Northern Cameroons. The Chariot of the Gods again reminded them of her power. Before this decision was executed, the volcanic giant erupted again in 1922 pouring lava into the sea at the west coast of Cameroon as Hanno had described 2500 earlier.
It all began with the author suggesting that there is no smoke without fire; and therefore the Chariot of the Gods may indeed be eponymous; and that the natives themselves believe that there are gods living on the volcanic massive. While the native Bakweris may not have complete evidence of this supernatural belief, there are indications that the mountain erupts to announce an important event or to foretell a possible arrival or departure of non-natives for good or bad.
In 1909, the German Kamerun was in its full colonial gear, conquering and subjugating from the Chariot's of the Gods to Garoua and Lake Chad, the most Northern point of Cameroon. Having subjugated the native Bakweris, they made a point by establishing their capital in Buea. Living in a vantage mountainous point, they sure dreamt of the new Roman empire until 1908 when the Mountain erupted, spewing lava through Buea and on to the coastal City of Victoria, where they originally began their colonial pursuit.
The incident so unnerved the new masters that they had to hurriedly transfer their Capital to Douala, present day economic hub of West Africa and economic power house of Cameroon; and renaming the city Kamerunstat -- they possibly thought this will either appease the gods or most probably escape further punishment. This turned out to be a misplaced move. They never returned to Buea because eight years later, in 1916, they were driven out of the territory.
1922 was the period of reconciliation between the World Powers after the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The former German Kamerun has now been partitioned and mandated to the League of Nations: the West was mandated to the United Kingdom while the East was a French mandate. While the French amalgamated their former colonies into the French Equatorial Africa, the British were busy dividing their own share of the British Cameroons into: the Southern Cameroons and the Northern Cameroons. The Chariot of the Gods again reminded them of her power. Before this decision was executed, the volcanic giant erupted again in 1922 pouring lava into the sea at the west coast of Cameroon as Hanno had described 2500 earlier.
The Southern Cameroons and the Northern Cameroons were to part for ever. After a doomed administrative co-habitation with Nigeria, it was time for the Southern Cameroons to become autonomous. After this was achieved in 1953, a government was set up in Buea with Dr. Endeley, a native Bakweri, as Premier in 1954 when the Fako Mountain again erupted.
In 1959, elections were held to choose a new Prime Minister. The Chariot of the Gods again roared, erupting. The most intriguing aspect was that Dr. Endeley, and indigenous to Buea was defeated in a democratic election by Dr. John Ngu Foncha: a victory many today have come to consider as heralding the suffering of the people of this region of Cameroon; both the natives and the entire English speaking Cameroonians.
In 1982, there was an earth tremor and a mild eruption at the Chariot of the Gods which was followed by the sudden resignation of Cameroon's first President, Ahmadou Ahidjo; and the death of the Chief of Buea thus paving the way for the present President of La Republique du Cameroun, Mr. Paul Biya, to begin his long and questionable rule in Cameroon.
In 1999 the Cameroon government attempted to privatise and sell the Cameroon Development Corporation complete with the disputed Bakweri land which caused a war with the Germans in 1891. After international pressure and the rallying of the Bakweris the world over: opposing such blatant land theft, the Fako Mountain again erupted in 1999 -2000. Fearing reprisals, the Biya government experimented on co-opting the Fako elite into high positions in government to obviate militant actions that might follow. He reneged on this shameful policy of land theft but began a systematic abuse of the land by stripping it piece by piece, with the Cameroon Development Corporation as partners in crime, and selling the partitions to non-indigenous people especially people from the French Cameroun. The received wisdom is that this is a pre-meditated action founded on greed, evil and the insanity of unaccountable and absolute corrupt power: designed to drive the natives out of the land to be replaced by non-indigenes from his own part of the country.
The conclusion of the matter is that the Chariot of the Gods appears to have proved itself as a harbinger for the arrival of significant events to come and persons-- good or bad-- arriving or leaving its venerable vicinities; and that when it begins to smoke with fire, it is time for malevolent intruders with evil intent to leave the people alone; treat them with respect; sue for peace and integrity or return to where they came from so that peace might reign since the gods may be preparing their chariots for their appointed task as guardians of the Gulf of Guinea.
In addition, the mystery of the Chariot of the Gods is that it is further linked to the birth place of the Bantu tribe of Africa; and the beginning of their relentless and unstoppable match and subsequent settlements from the deepest point in the Gulf of Guinea to Cape Town in South Africa: spreading their language and culture throughout East, Central and Southern Africa. This will be the subject of subsequent exploration in the Living Lights.
In 1982, there was an earth tremor and a mild eruption at the Chariot of the Gods which was followed by the sudden resignation of Cameroon's first President, Ahmadou Ahidjo; and the death of the Chief of Buea thus paving the way for the present President of La Republique du Cameroun, Mr. Paul Biya, to begin his long and questionable rule in Cameroon.
In 1999 the Cameroon government attempted to privatise and sell the Cameroon Development Corporation complete with the disputed Bakweri land which caused a war with the Germans in 1891. After international pressure and the rallying of the Bakweris the world over: opposing such blatant land theft, the Fako Mountain again erupted in 1999 -2000. Fearing reprisals, the Biya government experimented on co-opting the Fako elite into high positions in government to obviate militant actions that might follow. He reneged on this shameful policy of land theft but began a systematic abuse of the land by stripping it piece by piece, with the Cameroon Development Corporation as partners in crime, and selling the partitions to non-indigenous people especially people from the French Cameroun. The received wisdom is that this is a pre-meditated action founded on greed, evil and the insanity of unaccountable and absolute corrupt power: designed to drive the natives out of the land to be replaced by non-indigenes from his own part of the country.
The conclusion of the matter is that the Chariot of the Gods appears to have proved itself as a harbinger for the arrival of significant events to come and persons-- good or bad-- arriving or leaving its venerable vicinities; and that when it begins to smoke with fire, it is time for malevolent intruders with evil intent to leave the people alone; treat them with respect; sue for peace and integrity or return to where they came from so that peace might reign since the gods may be preparing their chariots for their appointed task as guardians of the Gulf of Guinea.
In addition, the mystery of the Chariot of the Gods is that it is further linked to the birth place of the Bantu tribe of Africa; and the beginning of their relentless and unstoppable match and subsequent settlements from the deepest point in the Gulf of Guinea to Cape Town in South Africa: spreading their language and culture throughout East, Central and Southern Africa. This will be the subject of subsequent exploration in the Living Lights.
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