Dynamism of traditional rulership in Oshie chiefdom , Cameroon ca ,1918-2009

Abstract

This study examines the dynamism of traditional rulers in the governance of the chiefdom of Oshie during the period 1918 to 2009. Oshie is located within the administrative unit of Njikwa Sub-division in Momo division, the North West Region of Cameroon. It begins with a presentation of the political structure, the organisation and functioning of the traditional governing institutions of Oshie. It further focuses on an overview of European colonial influences on traditional rulers in the chiefdom of Oshie. The central argument of this study is that, Oshie Polity had since 1918 witnessed a very dynamic system of rulership. The corollaries of this argument are that, the Oshie traditional rulers show great dynamism in regional diplomacy as seen in the way they collaborated with their neighbouring Polities. We also contend that, Oshie traditional rulers displayed great initiatives in economic development of the chiefdom. We further argue that Oshie traditional rulers played an enormous role in socio-cultural development of the chiefdom. By exploring the concepts, themes, theories and facts related to the central argument, the key findings are that, Oshie chiefdom grew to prominence to the envy of her neighbours, indeed, marking the golden age of traditional governance of its rulers. The study affirms that, the development of formal education in the chiefdom was promoted by the rulers through their collaboration with the Basel Mission. It equally reveals that, the uplifting of the economic and socio-cultural activities provided the basic needs of the people. Lastly the study reveals that, although there were challenges, the rulers still attained a lot in the Polity. In data collection, we borrowed the methodology used in Anthropology and Sociology which include secondary and primary sources especially in the collection of oral material through interviews. Through these interviews, oral information was obtained from informants, based in Oshie and Bamenda, who are knowledgeable on the subject. The data collected was analysed using both the thematic and chronological approaches. This was to ensure that the entire discourse follows a historical logic. The analytical, narrative and descriptive methods were variably used in the write-up. We also illustrated the work with maps, plates and tables in different chapters.