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MANKON INHABITANTS OBSERVE RITUALS  UPON FON'S DISAPPEARANCE

Men with spears accompanying messanger

The traditional authority of Mankon known as the Kwifo has made public the disappearance of HRH Angwafo III Solomon Anyeghamotu.

Messanger of Kwifo talking to pressmen

The announcement was done in keeping with the customs and traditions of Mankon May 29,  2022 . Several men carrying spears among them a man known to be a messanger of Kwifo appeared before the village crowd at the plaza of the Mankon palace. The messanger made utterances in maternal language which was followed by a translation in the English language to the press.

"They will start mourning the Fon from today till the 7th of June. There will be no farmwork. Men would move without caps on their head to show that they are mourning their Fon. On the 7th of June they will come back and get another details. The various quarter heads will further announce this" Anye Joseph messanger of Kwifo told the press as he translated his message from mother tongue to English

Following the announcement by the messanger, there shall be no tilling of the soil for one week in Mankon land or any activity that has to do with the digging of the soil as from the day of the announcement till June 7th 2022. This would be observed to respect the custodian of the land who has joined the ancestors.


Population listen to message at palace Plaza


What However appears as elements of culture and tradition today are remnants of yesteryears rituals. In the past, the disappearance of the Fon was announced with the talking drum followed by several weeks of mourning that goes without farming. 

In an interview granted by Nicodemus Ntikum Nde, notable of Mankon, he said the customs and tradition regarding the disappearance of the King of the land has recorded changes with the evolution of time. Concerning the use of the talking drum to communicate the Fon's disappearance and the about four weeks without farm activity observed in the past, he said 


"Traditional symbols like the talking drum are there. One thing that seems to be eroding our tradition is the unwillingness of youths to learn how to manipulate traditional items . But it will be needless using the talking drum when there are phones and radio announcements. All thesame we are trying to blend tradition with modernism. We find that buildings are now shading sound that could just go without obstruction. Also the times now are very hard so people cannot be asked to stay without working for four weeks. Whatever takes place now is just symbolic"

The week of solemn observances for the Fon is expected to end with the presentation of a new traditional leader in Mankon on June 7. There would also be the resumption of normal indigenous life.  


By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum

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