212. e-Mokpwe ~The Bakweri view of litigation.
Tradition requires a person who has lost a case within the family or in the village courts to pay damages where it is necessary in addition to a fine and court fees. The winner does not go Scot free. He pays a “victory” fee known as “efonja”. Celebration of victory spills over to the home where guests sing the traditional victory song:
“fombowo !
osu yoma mosango, fombowo” !
(Hurrah !
You have obtained an impressive/decisive victory
Guests are not expected to sing for free and return to their homes with their throats not wet with drinks. e-Mokpwe view therefore is that litigation facilitates loss of wealth and time as well as honour.
Hence the warning: “meyango me ji-sene molisa” = “Be ware of litigation”. Litigation facilitates the process of becoming poor.
Nonetheless, whenever e-Mokpwe realizes that court action is necessary he will fight to the finish.
Some people are litigation addicts. As recent as sixty years ago a Mola Mota Mwese was said to have civil cases in all Vakpwe customary courts - at Wonjongo, at Mutengene, at Lysoka, in Muea, in Buea and at the Magistrate court in Buea. He was always on the road trekking to a court or returning from a court. He used to boast:
“na mu mwele” = “I will teach him a lesson”, that is, “I will teach that my adversary, a lesson”.
His wives implored him several times to arrange out of court settlements in respect of some of the minor cases in which he was plaintiff so that he would have more time for domestic matters such as the discipline of the children and repairs to their dilapidating residence, but to no avail.
Oma nanu.
Lexicon:
meyango = litigation (plural).
mwango = litigation (singular).
fombowo = victory; hurrah ! Judgement is in our favour.
mosango = a dispute before a court of law; (plural, mesango)
Mesango = the Bakweri name for Fridays
Note: Fridays used to be reserved for litigations in Buea customary court.
molisa = poor; in want.
molisa moto = a poor person.
efonja = victory fee.
ji-sene = facilitates.
Mota Mweese = a familiar person whose name will not be mentioned in public for obvious reasons.
Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Dallas, TX USA
After dinner it was back to the room to shower and go to bed. I took a nice cold shower (my second of the day) – which while annoying when I have to take them at home are extremely refreshing here – then sat down to start writing this thing while Quy read. The room has a TV, so I also tried watching Vietnamese television for the first time. Reception on the set isn’t the best, but we get some sort of international CNN channel (in English), a few Vietnamese channels and a Muslim channel.
Posted by: True Religion Jeans Outlet | August 11, 2011 at 11:18 PM