Ekpe Chief Maurice Enoh's funeral in Dallas on January 27th and 28th 2012

The mythical tiger is roaring, anxious to be let out of its cage so it can charge to Dallas, Texas, where it is said that its chief is dead. This is the third Ekpe Chief, or Sessekou, from Manyu who died in the United States of America in any historical accounts. The first was Sessekou Eddie A Besong, from Tayo Village, who died in Florida. The second was Sessekou George Enow Enow from Besong Abang who died in Minnessota.

What makes Maurice Enoh's situation different is that: while in the first two cases the Sessekous were visiting from Cameroon, Sessekou Maurice Enoh had settled in United States; was only 43 years old; had risen to the position of National President of Manyu Elements Cultural & Development Association (MECA-USA); and was a senior member of Ekpe-USA.

All Ekpe members are hereby reminded that under Ekpe custom, we do not leave the lifeless body of our warriors in the battle field, and we certainly do not leave the remains of an Ekpe chief unguarded. On behalf of Ekpe-USA Leadership, I hereby remind every member of Ngbe who has taken the aoth that our fathers and great grand fathers took to uphold those sacred traditions and beliefs, to immediately start preparations to do what they must do to send our brother to join our ancestors.

Wake Keeping is scheduled to take place in Dallas, Texas, on Friday January 27th 2012, and Funeral Services on Friday January 28th 2012. Any updates will be communicated to you as they become available.

Sessekou Solomon Egbe, Esq.
On Behalf of Ekpe-USA (Material used above is from the archives of Ekpe-USA

Maurice Enoh: The 1st Manyu Ekpe USA Sessekou to die in USA

Bario,

Sessekou Maurice Ako Enoh, senior member of Ekpe-USA and former National President of MECA-USA, answered the call to join our ancestors today. He ceased to be one of us and became an ancestor on this blessed Sunday morning, January 8th 2012, after a very brief but aggressive battle with cancer. Maurice is the first Ekpe-USA Sessekou to die in America, and the third Ekpe Sessekou from Manyu Division in Cameroon to die in the United States.

Sessekou Maurice Ako Enoh was born on March 16th 1968, the son of Late Sessekou Mathias Enoh-Akpo who died when Maurice was still a baby. He inherited the title of Sessekou or Nfor Ngbe from his father and was officially crowned as Sessekou on Saturday the 23rd day of May 2009. On that day, Maurice who was born in Kepelle Village in the Upper Banyang Subdivision, in Manyu Division, in the Cross River region of Cameroon where Ekpe originated, completed the rites necessary to rekindle their Ekpe house which had remained dormant for over 30 years, and replanted the Ekpe stone of his late father. On that blessed day, an extremely rare event occurred as an Obasinjom emerged to support this young Ekpe chief whom, onlookers were astonished at the similarity of his agile dance moves to that of his late father.

The young Sessekou cherished Manyu Culture since childhood as could be seen from his unusually high level of participation in Manyu events. He frequently encouraged Manyu youths to participate in community activities. As a child who was introduced to Ekpe at a very young age, he worked very closely with the Ekpe members in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area while carefully ensuring that he did not break any Ekpe Rules and fast became an Ekpe Chief of exemplary character.

Sessekou Enoh came to the Untied States in 1993 and lived in Alexandria, Virginia, until 2007 when he moved to Mansfield, Texas, where he lived with his family until his death.

When he lived in the Washington DC Metropolitan area, he was a very active member of MECA-DC, and the Chief Whip of the Upper Banyang Sub-divisional Group in that Chapter. He became the Secretary General of MECA-Dallas when he moved there, and then became the President of MECA-USA from 2009 to 2011. He has been an active member of The Ekpe Society in USA since 2009. He leaves behind a wife, kids and several siblings.

All Ekpe members are hereby put on notice to start individual and collective preparations to do what our customs and traditions require, to do what is necessary to assist our fallen Sessekou through his final journey to meet our maker. (The above information is based material in the archives of Ekpe-USA provided by Late Sessekou Maurice Ako Enoh himself).

The tentative program is as follows: January 27th and 28th, 2012. Wake Keeping, Viewing and service in Dallas, Texas. The remains will then be taken to Kepelle Village in Cameroon for burial after that.

Mutame!!! Hiii!!!

Sessekou Solomon Egbe, Esq.
On behalf of Ekpe-USA

Ekpe-USA received at the Smithsonian Museum

Bario,

For the first time in history, Ekpe had a presentation at the highest institution of cultural anthropology in the world, the Smithsonian Museum. The presentation, by Ekpe members from Cameroon, Nigeria and Cuba was arranged by Chief Dr. Ivor Miller and coordinated by Sessekous Ojong-Orock, Joseph Mbu and Mbe Tazi. Unfortunately I was at a wedding in New York that weekend and could not attend, so I had to rely on the various members in attendance for this report.

Haven said that, the event took place on November 28th 2011 at the Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution with resounding success. More photos will follow shortly.

Two weeks after this event, Coca-Cola Foundation donated $2Million to the Museum of African Arts of the Smithsonian Intstitution. As most of you know, the Chairman of Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and President of Coca-Cola Africa, Bill Egbe, is the son of a late Sessekou from Manyu, so we hereby extend our gratitude for his company's support of an institution that has now become a highly valued partner of Ekpe-USA.

Mutame! Hiiiii!
Sessekou Solomon Egbe, Esq.
On behalf of Ekpe-USA
(See article from Washington Post below)

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 12/13/2011
Coca-Cola donates $2 million to Smithsonian
By Jacqueline Trescott
Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverage company, donated $2 million to the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex.
The Coca-Cola Foundation hopes that old slogan “Things Go Better with Coke” works its magic on three Smithsonian projects. The entrance to The National Zoo, where Coca-Cola has given money for a new project. (Carol Guzy - THE WASHINGTON POST)
Divided up like those omnipresent soda cartons, the money includes $1.25 million for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. A special African curator-in-residence program at the National Museum of African Art receives $500,000. And the National Zoo’s “At Water’s Edge” exhibit $250,000.

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By Jacqueline Trescott 02:00 PM ET, 12/13/2011