There has been outrage and widespread condemnation from locals in Buea, South West region of Cameroon after the Governor of the South West region threatened chiefs to march on May 20 or be dethroned.

Bernard Okalia Bilai fired the warning on Thursday April 25 as he ordered the Buea Council to prepare placards bearing the various villages which the chiefs will use to march on May 20 with their subordinates.

“On 20 May this year, all the chiefs will march with placards indicating their villages and their population following behind,”Governor Okalia Bilai said while adding if the chiefs fail to respect his orders then they should know they don’t “exists”.

However, this warning has not gone down well with locals who see this as an attempt to undermine the tradition of their land and rubbish their traditional leaders.

“How responsible are our chiefs to the violence befalling our  land? In as much as I support a return to normal life in our land, I think the Governor is disrespecting a people and their history and showing his incompetence to handle matters in the region,” Leonard Lyonga, a local in Bokwaongo village in Buea said.

Bernard Okalia Bilai also fired his warning to chiefs who have fled their localities to the Littoral regions that they will be replaced withing 30 days.