The Noni Story

1. Origins

Noni people clearly do not have the same origins. Sometimes, even families have an account of how they migrated to eventually settle in Noni. Irrespective of their different origins, they have successfully lived together and blended into a people united by one Noni language albeit different dialects. Shey George Forgwei, retired Seniour Civil Servant and an Engineer with the Ministry of public Works and former Regional Delegate for the same ministry for the Northwest Region and elite from Nkor-Noni traces the roots of some people in Nkor Noni including the roots of his own  family to Kikaikilaki in Kumbo. 

Shey George Forgwei

Their forefather was a brother of the last but two Shufais of Kikaikilaki. This forefather  was supposed to take over from their father but at the same time he was a trader. Once when he was away, their father died. He had gone to Nigeria to sell Cola nuts and to buy other items but before coming home, their father had passed on. His juniour brother was enthroned in his place and their mother was not happy with the situation. When she heard that her elder son was returning home, she hurriedly snatched certain items that indicated the status of her elder son in Kikaikilaki and intercepted him on the way. She explained what had happened to him and handed him the items she had secretly taken from the Compound. The bewildered son who could not stomach the circumstances had to leave. Some people followed him when he left and that’s how he travelled and settled in Nkor where they are called the Mnjeivu, meaning the people who came from Kikaikilaki. The Mnjeivus in Nkor make up a very big compound. This link is very evident today because compound heads of Kikaikilaki (ShuFai Fai Wo Kikaikilaki) are installed by the Compound head of Mnjeivu in Nkor Noni (BooFaa Wu Mnjeivu) and vice versa.

Still in Nkor, there are some people who came in from Nigeria especially in the Mbin Palace. About this segment of people who came in from Nigeria, Shey George Forgwei, intimated that they came from Takum in Nigeria, (a municipality which is very close to the Cameroonian border.) He explained that if you are traveling to Nigeria from Noni, the first place you reach is Misaje, in Donga Mantung Division. From there, you pass through Dumbu and cross into Nigeria. The first municipality on entering Nigeria via Dumbu is called Takum. That’s why people from Etakum in Nkor-Noni are said to have relatives in Takum in Nigeria. People of the Nkochi Palace on the other hand come from the Wimbum land in the present Donga Mantung Division just like the people of Enteh in Tfuh(Mbinon) who are also known to have come from Wimbum land.  This explains why the Enteh people still speak the Wimbum Language very fluently though this tendency is diminishing with passing generations. Realities on the ground point to the fact that these different groups from different places came and met people already settled who were speaking the Noni Language. As they came in, they settled down among the indigenes who were very open and welcoming. The land was available coupled with the fact that Noni people are originally not too populated. That’s why some Noni families, quarters and palaces have independent histories.  When they came, the Noni people proved to be very tolerant and welcoming. They were given land on which to settle and eventually learnt and spoke the language.    

This partially explains why in most Noni Villages there exist two Fondoms.

In Mbinon (Tfuh) according to another Noni elite Mr. Wifoke Joseph, there exist three main groups of people.

Mr. Wifoke Joseph

 These are the Gii, the Ntfum and the Enteh.  The peculiarity in Tfuh (Mbinon) is that while two of the authorities are called Nfons, the third authority is referred to as the Kibais. As a result, in Tfuh there are two Nfons and one Kibais.

The people in Tfuh just like in other Noni villages came in different groups and at different times.

The Gii, who are made up of many families were the earliest settlers.  The next group of people to settle in Mbinon (Tfuh) was the Ntfum. The Bvutang or the Enteh came in last. This group migrated first to a place called Tarla in Wimbum land in Donga Mantung Division. From Tarla, there was a break away. The group moved to another Wimbum  village called Taku. While in Taku, there was somebody who was supposed to be the Chief but when his father died his juniour brother was enthroned in his place. He became angry and left Taku taking along his followers and some princely objects. He eventually settled in Mbinon (Tfuh) at Enteh.

Back in Taku something curious happened. The younger brother who was enthroned as leader died. A second person was again enthroned but died shortly afterwards. The third one who was enthroned decided to go and look for his brother at Enteh in Tfuh in order to ask for his permission to be enthroned. The elder brother feeling comfortable in his new settlement relinquished his hold on the throne of Taku and crowned the new Fon of Taku.

Having relinquished the title of Nfon he couldn’t refer to himself as Nfon in his new home.

A trend then developed whereby every time a Kibai of Enteh passed on, the Nfon comes from Taku to enthrone the new one. In a similar manner, every time the Nfon of Taku passes on, the Kibai of Enteh is the one who enthrones the new Nfon. Initially, the people of Enteh had no problems with the other two groups that they met there but eventually, animosity grew between them and the others. This has however been managed to the extent that today there is relative peace in Tfuh (Mbinon). According to Mr. Wifoke Joseph, the Bvutangs in Noni are not found only in Tfuh(Mbinon) but also in Djottin. Efaa Kidji in Djottin is part of the Bvutangs. The Enteh in Tfuh(Mbinon) are equally Bvutangs. Bvutangs are also found in Laan (Lasn).

However, the social, cultural and economic interactions between the people is responsible for the development of the language to the present level. If the people continue to stay together as they are presently doing, the language will further develop and reduce the variants to a minimum. It is true that the variants of the Noni Dialects will always exist but they will be completely understood by all Nonians irrespective of where they come from.

To be continued.....

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One Question however still remains unanswered. How can we explain the existence of a Noni Language despite their different Origins?

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