Yaa Ngonnso’ was the Founder of the Fondom of Nso’. Some writers have speculated that Ngonnso’ founded the Fondom in 1394 but this is an imaginary date. Yaa Ngonnso’ was not married but had a son Njah and some writers have called him Leh. Her son Njah later became the first Fon of the Nso’ Fondom. Yaa Ngonnso’ was an intelligent princess and was able to employ her wisdom and intellect to enter a treaty with the Mntar Nso’ or the Visale people. Using her intellect and wisdom, she was able to navigate the terms of the treaty and maintained the dominant role in the oral treaty. Thus, Yaa Ngonnso’ was regarded as the only female in Nso’ who had powers more than the Fon of Nso’. Thus Yaa Ngonnso’ carried the highest title in Nso’ and no other female in Nso will ever be powerful or accorded the powers of Yaa Ngonnso’. It is not proper to address a woman of such a magnitude, just a Ngonnso’ without adding Yaa to her name.

Yaa Ngonnso was a phenomenal lady with wisdom. After his demise, the Nso high priests-Faay Tawong and the Queen mother-Yaa Yewong continue to officiate sacrifices of appeasement on her tomb. These sacrifices were very essential for the peace of the Nso land. Oral history narrates that after the Nso migrated from Kov Vifem under the reign of Fon Fomukong to Kimbo around 18--, a statue of Yaa Ngonnso was made on her honor and the Nso priests continue to perform the sacrifices of appeasement of the land using the statue of Yaa Ngonnso. To a Wifrom (Nso man), the statue was not just an ordinary statue, but a spiritual mother of the Nso land. Every new Fon of Nso made homage to the Yaa Ngonnso statue.

Yaa Ngonnso was a princess of the Tikar Kingdom in the Adamawa region of Cameroon. History narrates that Yaa Ngonnso has two junior brothers, Nchare-yen and Mfombam. They left their Tikar Kingdom in around 1394 after a dispute over succession right. They left together, but found themselves in different directions, each founded a new dynasty. Yaa Ngonnso founded the Nso dynasty, Nchare-yen founded the Bamoum dynasty, and Mfoumbam founded the Mbam (Nditam) dynasty in the Western Region of Cameroon. Little did Yaa Ngonnso knew that her spirit will end in captivity under the Germans.

The coming of the Germans to Nso was a dark era for Cameroon, and especially for Wirfon. The German-Cameroon relationship dates as far back as 1862 when the German traders first arrived in Cameroon. By 1884, the Germans had signed a treaty with King Manga Bell and King Akwa of Douala, under which Kamerun (Cameroon) became a German Protectorate State. Their trading adventure did not end on in Douala but expanded to many other regions of Cameroon. The Germans were very brutal and never sorted for diplomatic relationship with the Chiefs and Fons of Cameroon. They resulted to a haphazard hazardous courtship of force that would later plunge the Nso people into the biggest identity crisis their history. The Germans reign in Cameroon was aimed at denigrating the chieftaincy role.

Similar to what was happening in Douala under King Bell and King Akwa, they wanted the Fon of Nso to be handing subjects to them for slave trades, but His Majesty Fon Sehmbum vehemently refused. Such refusal came with a big price-the Sehm or Sehmbum II (1875-1907) crisis. During his reign, the Fon was forced to undertake a tediously journey to Bamenda Upstation, where the Fon later disappeared the same night that he arrived in Bamenda. Hence, Fon Sehmbum II is often referred to as Kimforkir ke Chisong.

During the period of Germans exploration of the Cameroon Grassfields for trading (1884-1816), the Nso people resisted to the exploration. They wanted to protect their subjects and land, and they were made with met with bloodshed, destruction of property, and looting of valuable items. The spiritual statue of Yaa Ngonnso was one of the items that were looted from the Nso Palace in Kimbo.

The first European expedition to reach Nso land was headed by Lt. Col von Pavel who was en route to Banyo. From the report of the expedition, the Fon of Nso was friendly and was prepared to fulfil their demands of providing them with laves, punctually. The Lt. Pavel team spent two days in Kumbo and were well entertained by the Fon of Nso. The Fon went as far as offering them a ram before they entered Kumbo and abundance of provisions and goods.

The second expedition after Lt. Pavel, also en route to Banyo was let by Captain Hans von Ramsey and the trader Habisch, who were exploring the region for a produce buying concession (GNWK). Cpt Ramsay team left Bamenda in January of 1902 and arrived Banyo in May of 1902. His report does not indicate when they were in Kumbo but stated that they were received in the Fon Palace in Kumbo where they shared great quantities of palm wine and exchanged pleasantries. The Ramsey report did not mention any exchange of goods.

The third German expedition, also en route to Banyo, was let by Lt Houben and NCO Stamm, who were accompanied by numerous armed soldiers and carriers. The Houben’s report stated that the group arrived in Kumbo on June 3, 1902, and were ready to confront the Fon Sehmbum of Nso. According to the Houben, “the Fon, when he came to know of my coming, had agreed on [a] surprise attack with his sub-chiefs” after he (Houben) had “repeatedly communicated my peaceful intention”. Houben stated that the victuals that he had ordered two days before arriving Kumbo were not ready, despite the prosperity of the whole neighborhood and were therefore supplied only in small quantities. He then decided to pitch camp in the Nso palace in Kumbo.

The Houben report continued that, the next day, which was June 4, 1902, between the hour of noon and one o’clock, “the Banso unexpectedly attacked me with a force of about 1200 men and surrounded the chief’s compound”. He then ordered a counterattack. “I myself and 16 men against the centre, the White NCO Stamm with 10 men against the left and colored NCO Monrovia with 10 men against the enemy right wing attacking the enemy by storm”. “At 5 o’clock, I assembled my people, burnt the palace, and moved camp to a hill 1 km sound of Kumbo. The report stated that the ivory stored in the chief’s compound was buried, since it was impossible to take them to Bamenda by Unteroffizier Stamm on his return. The report does not mention other treasures looted items from the palace during the battle before the palace was set ablaze by Houben. The items which are not mentioned include the statue of Yaa Ngonnso, the Fon’s stool (Kava’), big talking drum (Kimankar), big talking gong (Ngu’), the Fon’s cap, and many other valuable items.

For several years, the Nso Development Association (NSODA) has made tremendous efforts in the restitution fight of the statue of Yaa Ngonnso. The social media activism of Sylvie Njobati culminated in the SPK’s President, Herman Parzinger, abiding by the decision of the Foundation Board of the Prussian Cultural Heritage to return the Ngonnso’ Sculpture to the Paramount Kingdom of Nso’ in Bui Division of Cameroon (The SPK Press Release of June 27, 2022, in Germany).

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