Nso Fon's Royal Power

Fon of Nso

A Fon with a lot of dignity was Fon Shem Mbinglo I of Nso who traveled to eternity several years ago. In the mid 60s, Fon Shem Mbinglo I of Nso was amongst the members of the House of Chiefs of Southern Cameroons who went to Nigeria to received Queen Elizabeth of England on her first tour to Africa.

At the Lagos Ceremonial grounds, Fon Shem Mbinglo I was amongst the constituted authority placed on a line for the Queen to greet. As she greeted pass, the authorities, Queen Elizabeth was shocked when she got to the Fon of Nso. She offered her hand, but Fon Shem Mbinglo I refused to take and instead kept his behind on his waist. Government Officials of Nigeria became embarrassed and sent Fon Mbinglo back to Cameroon.

He returned happily to Southern Cameroons, but the press in Nigeria was awash with articles on the Fon of Nso. Most of the articles described the Fon of Nso as a made Fon from Southern Cameroons. But the Daily Times took exception and dispatched reporters to the Nso Palace where they met a rather serene Fon who gave the reporters a wonderful reception. The Fon of Nso had the following discussion with the Daily Times reporters.

Question: Your Highness, why did you refuse to greet the Queen?

Answer: Because she is a woman. We don’t greet women with our hands.

Question: But she is the ruler of England called Queen Elizabeth.

Answer: Yes, I also have many Queens in my Palace here. Moreover, I could not greet her because she is young and I did not know her state. I could greet her and instead destroy her by causing her to menstruate continuously.

After the publication of Daily Times the population was informed and many came to know that being a Fon was a powerful institution.

The same Fon Shem Mbinglo I performed another feat in the early 70s when President Amadou Alhidjo visited Nso. The ceremonial ground was in Tobin but Fon Shem Mbinglo I refused to go there saying he was waiting for Alhidjo in the Palace. The administration did all it could to persuade Fon Shem Mbinglo I leave his Palace for the ceremonial ground but the Fon refused. The administration only had to tell a lie to the President that the Fon was sick. Alhidjo coming from Garoua where tradition is highly respected decided to visit the Fon in his Palace. At the Palace he was shocked to notice that instead of seeing a sick Fon there was a wonderful reception prepared for him with food, drinks and traditional dances. The Fon of Nso told him “you are welcome to my Palace” and asked “how are you and your people”? Alhidjo replied that all was well and everybody was well. Many people did not understand what the Fon of Nso meant but the truth is that as a Fon he considered the Nso land as a separate entity from the Republic of Cameroon. And that Alhidjo was just a leader like himself leading the Nso people. That was real power manifested by the Fon of Nso.