The Fon of Batibo
Encyclopedia
His Royal Highness Fon R.A.M Tebo II of Batibo
HRH R.A.M. TEBO II, a Law graduate of the University of Yaounde by training ascended the throne upon the death of his father HRH G.T.T. Mba II in 2005 amidst great political, cultural and economic anxiety in the Batibo Fondon. Even while his story is only being written, he is clearly destined to return Batibo to the rightful place of prominence.
Batiboans have collectively responded to calls for modernization within the fondom starting with but not stopping at the Peoples Palace. His interest in self-reliance and development is infectious and the signs are there to show.
Fon R.A.M.Tebo II of Batibo was born into the royal fondom of Batibo village in the North-West Region of the Republic of Cameroon in 1964. Right from early childhood, he enjoyed the warmth and splendors that exude from a typically huge family from which he imbibed the virtues of gentility, tolerance, hard-work and fortitude. His predecessor and father, Fon GTT Mba 11(paramount chief of Batibo) was a man of firm character yet his love for family and penchant for knowledge were easy magnets that compelled the attention of the budding king. His mother, who we have always called mama, though soft-spoken, hospitable and motherly by all estimation equally had her thumb on her children and would not let them falter. Here therefore is the context of the grooming of a man of indescribable character, a man to whose custody was to be entrusted the customs and traditions of a people proud of their ancestry and engendering to its neighbors.
Fon R.A.M. Tebo II's primary education spans from 1970 to 1977. Starting off in Presbyterian primary school Guka, he later transferred to Government Primary School Wumukan where he polished up and obtained his F.S.L.C and the following year moved on to pursue his secondary education in C.P.C Bali. After 5 years of intensive studies, he sat and was successful at the G.C.E 0/L and opted for GHS Mbengwi. Majoring in the pure liberal arts, Fon Tebo, at the time called Roger Mba, distinguished himself for excellence and enjoyed the respect of his classmates. Again, his hard work paid off as he was victorious at his end of course examination GCE A/L .In those days it was customary for students to stop right here and go job hunting but this was not the case with the Fon. He was poised for intellectual greatness and would not settle for less and so forged forward into university education. He sought and obtained admission into the University of Yaounde where he studied Law in the Faculty of Laws and Economics and in 1989 was awarded a Bachelors degree in Law upon successful completion.
Subsequent years were spent in job search and business. Starting in Edea where he owned a small business, he retrained in accounting with the British School of accounting, Douala, and then worked for Guinness Cameroon briefly before leaving for an International transportation company that took him off the shores of Cameroon to Dubai. He returned to Cameroon in the declining days of his fathers health to be confronted with succession upon his death. He was enthroned in 2005 upon the death of his father.
Fon R.A.M. Tebo II is married, has children and has within a relatively short temporal dimension has earned respect for his unwavering focus on self-reliant development. That approach coupled with his youth has generated a new-found cross-generational enthusiasm and patriotism within the fondom that could only be imagined in the immediate past.
Though not active in any political party, (which earns him all the respect he deserves from his diverse subjects) is an active member of the Northwest Fons Union (NOWEFU). A Fon
who is always ready for dialogue and engages in all disputes or conflicts that end up being resolve diplomatically is a Gift to its subjects.
History of the Batibo Palace
The history of the Batibo Palace and Fondon is intractably linked to that of the entire Widikum tribe in the North Western Region of Cameroon. It dates as far back as to the mid 17th century, when lovebirds Tembeka and Akumaka defected from a wave of Bantu migrants and settled in Tegheben, in a quarter called Tad in todays Batibo, located two miles South of the current Batibo palace.
Tegheben is therefore the site of the first palace of the Batibo Fondom. Njei Tegha who succeeded Tembeka evacuated his father's compound and erected his own palace at Gowi quarters, located about a mile from North of Tegheben.
Njei Tifuh succeeded Njei Tegha and equally decided to vacate his fathers compound at Gowi and moved his palace to the current palace grounds, the specific site behind the current community hall. Fon Mba II subsequently moved the palace from this location to the present site. This move was still within the palace grounds.
Palace historian Prince Hansel Mba, the eldest son of Fon Mba II writing in a publication "A birds Eye View" published by the Batibo Rural Council, notes that so much animosity was often nursed against a named successor and his life was always threatened by his brothers. Consequently the successor had to change abode while retaining the fathers will making him Fon and successor. This explains some of the movements in the early days of the Fondom.
The explanation also resolves the lingering questions about Wore Tad and Wore Gowi which has led some conjectures that either a Wore Tad or a Wore Gowi would have formed the royal house hold for the Batibo Fondom. What is obvious is that while the successor vacated the fathers home for safety, one of his brothers always remained and governed the rest of the family as quarter head under the authority of the successor and Fon who lived apart.
Today, His Royal Highness R.A.M. Tebo II has engaged the Batibo community to embark on a massive modernization of the Batibo palace, building imposing new structures and upgrading some old ones. It is hard to drive on the trans-African highway through Batibo without recognizing the modern Batibo Fons Palace.
The Origin and evolution of the Batibo Fondom and its palaces nevertheless remains an interesting, all encompassing and compelling story, begging for more research to uncover more details and possibly some missing pieces that will make for a very exciting read. There is no question that as more research is done, more will be uncovered. This page will be updated as more details are gathered.
HRH R.A.M. TEBO II, a Law graduate of the University of Yaounde by training ascended the throne upon the death of his father HRH G.T.T. Mba II in 2005 amidst great political, cultural and economic anxiety in the Batibo Fondon. Even while his story is only being written, he is clearly destined to return Batibo to the rightful place of prominence.
Batiboans have collectively responded to calls for modernization within the fondom starting with but not stopping at the Peoples Palace. His interest in self-reliance and development is infectious and the signs are there to show.
Fon R.A.M.Tebo II of Batibo was born into the royal fondom of Batibo village in the North-West Region of the Republic of Cameroon in 1964. Right from early childhood, he enjoyed the warmth and splendors that exude from a typically huge family from which he imbibed the virtues of gentility, tolerance, hard-work and fortitude. His predecessor and father, Fon GTT Mba 11(paramount chief of Batibo) was a man of firm character yet his love for family and penchant for knowledge were easy magnets that compelled the attention of the budding king. His mother, who we have always called mama, though soft-spoken, hospitable and motherly by all estimation equally had her thumb on her children and would not let them falter. Here therefore is the context of the grooming of a man of indescribable character, a man to whose custody was to be entrusted the customs and traditions of a people proud of their ancestry and engendering to its neighbors.
Fon R.A.M. Tebo II's primary education spans from 1970 to 1977. Starting off in Presbyterian primary school Guka, he later transferred to Government Primary School Wumukan where he polished up and obtained his F.S.L.C and the following year moved on to pursue his secondary education in C.P.C Bali. After 5 years of intensive studies, he sat and was successful at the G.C.E 0/L and opted for GHS Mbengwi. Majoring in the pure liberal arts, Fon Tebo, at the time called Roger Mba, distinguished himself for excellence and enjoyed the respect of his classmates. Again, his hard work paid off as he was victorious at his end of course examination GCE A/L .In those days it was customary for students to stop right here and go job hunting but this was not the case with the Fon. He was poised for intellectual greatness and would not settle for less and so forged forward into university education. He sought and obtained admission into the University of Yaounde where he studied Law in the Faculty of Laws and Economics and in 1989 was awarded a Bachelors degree in Law upon successful completion.
Subsequent years were spent in job search and business. Starting in Edea where he owned a small business, he retrained in accounting with the British School of accounting, Douala, and then worked for Guinness Cameroon briefly before leaving for an International transportation company that took him off the shores of Cameroon to Dubai. He returned to Cameroon in the declining days of his fathers health to be confronted with succession upon his death. He was enthroned in 2005 upon the death of his father.
Fon R.A.M. Tebo II is married, has children and has within a relatively short temporal dimension has earned respect for his unwavering focus on self-reliant development. That approach coupled with his youth has generated a new-found cross-generational enthusiasm and patriotism within the fondom that could only be imagined in the immediate past.
Though not active in any political party, (which earns him all the respect he deserves from his diverse subjects) is an active member of the Northwest Fons Union (NOWEFU). A Fon
FON
Fon is a company that operates a system of dual access wireless networks. Fon is the largest Wi-Fi network in the world, with over 4 million hotspots....
who is always ready for dialogue and engages in all disputes or conflicts that end up being resolve diplomatically is a Gift to its subjects.
History of the Batibo Palace
The history of the Batibo Palace and Fondon is intractably linked to that of the entire Widikum tribe in the North Western Region of Cameroon. It dates as far back as to the mid 17th century, when lovebirds Tembeka and Akumaka defected from a wave of Bantu migrants and settled in Tegheben, in a quarter called Tad in todays Batibo, located two miles South of the current Batibo palace.
Tegheben is therefore the site of the first palace of the Batibo Fondom. Njei Tegha who succeeded Tembeka evacuated his father's compound and erected his own palace at Gowi quarters, located about a mile from North of Tegheben.
Njei Tifuh succeeded Njei Tegha and equally decided to vacate his fathers compound at Gowi and moved his palace to the current palace grounds, the specific site behind the current community hall. Fon Mba II subsequently moved the palace from this location to the present site. This move was still within the palace grounds.
Palace historian Prince Hansel Mba, the eldest son of Fon Mba II writing in a publication "A birds Eye View" published by the Batibo Rural Council, notes that so much animosity was often nursed against a named successor and his life was always threatened by his brothers. Consequently the successor had to change abode while retaining the fathers will making him Fon and successor. This explains some of the movements in the early days of the Fondom.
The explanation also resolves the lingering questions about Wore Tad and Wore Gowi which has led some conjectures that either a Wore Tad or a Wore Gowi would have formed the royal house hold for the Batibo Fondom. What is obvious is that while the successor vacated the fathers home for safety, one of his brothers always remained and governed the rest of the family as quarter head under the authority of the successor and Fon who lived apart.
Today, His Royal Highness R.A.M. Tebo II has engaged the Batibo community to embark on a massive modernization of the Batibo palace, building imposing new structures and upgrading some old ones. It is hard to drive on the trans-African highway through Batibo without recognizing the modern Batibo Fons Palace.
The Origin and evolution of the Batibo Fondom and its palaces nevertheless remains an interesting, all encompassing and compelling story, begging for more research to uncover more details and possibly some missing pieces that will make for a very exciting read. There is no question that as more research is done, more will be uncovered. This page will be updated as more details are gathered.