Foumban Mayor clashes with Sultan Njoya over reconstruction of 200-year-old monument

The Mayor of Foumban, Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, is fiercely opposing Bamoum Sultan, Senator Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, over the reconstruction of the access monument into Foumban, the capital city of the Noun Division in the West Region, according to Amzine Ndam Fewou, promoter of the Bamoum Cultural Heritage.

The Mayor wants the Bamoum King to attain authorization from the Municipal Council before any construction works can be done on the over 200-year-old historical edifice that caught fire on Sunday.

Reports say Mayor Tomaino Njoya, yesterday, mobilized and queued vehicles for long hours on the monument’s reconstruction site located at the gateway into the town of Foumban.

The municipal authority is considering the monument as part of Municipal property and has blocked development on the site of this monument, asking traditional authorities to seek municipal approval, according to Amzine Ndam Fewou.

The Mayor opposed negotiations, stating, “I’m tired of seeing my authority being flouted” as she hushed down the negotiators.
The monument under construction was built in 1814 by the 11th king of the Bamoun dynasty, Sultan Mbouombouo Mandù.

The monument, a gate, harbors the cultural heritage of the Bamoun people and stops any evil person from entering into Bamoum land, according to local sources.
The place is highly cherished by the grass field tribe of Bamoum and usually called the “Holy Place of the Bamoun Kingdom,” where people pass for purification before they can access the Bamoum Palace.

“Any complicated person wanting to enter the royal city has always avoided going through there, in order not to see his “power” fly away,” said Amzine Ndam Fewou, culture promoter and President of the association for socio-cultural development of Bamoum.