Governance
Strategic direction, cultural stewardship, and institutional continuity.
Ngbe Americas is governed through an executive leadership structure supported by protocol officers, specialized vice presidents, the College of Dicabas, and the Traditional Advisory Council. Together, these bodies provide strategic direction, administrative oversight, cultural stewardship, financial accountability, community order, and institutional continuity.
(a) Executive leadership
Leadership roster
The executive leadership team provides vision, administration, finance, communications, protocol, research, internal development, external relations, religious relations, medical outreach, entertainment, youth and gender affairs, and diplomatic guidance.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Sesekou Joseph Mfonten Mbu |
| Vice President for Administration | Sesekou Mathias Egbe Etta |
| General Secretary | Tata Rufus Takang |
| Deputy General Secretary & Vice President in charge of Publications | Sessekou Joseph Ekortarh |
| General Counsel | Sessekou Egbe Solomon |
| Deputy General Counsel & Vice President in charge of Security & Compliance | Sessekou Philip Tabi |
| Financial Secretary | Sessekou Valery Enowmpeh Enowtambong |
| Secretary of the Treasury | Sessekou Ashu Arreymbunta |
| Vice President for Communications | Sessekou Ako Tabetah |
| Vice President of Protocols, Ethics & Ngbe Regulations | Tata Eyongetah |
| Akwa-Dicaba 1 | Mfongbe Ofungbe David |
| Akwa-Dicaba 2 | Osongoribo Etengeneng Tanyi Ashu |
| Vice President Relations with External Non-Cameroonian groups | Sessekou Philip Mbe Tazi |
| Vice President Relations with External Non-Manyu groups | Sessekou Russel Ebainjong |
| Vice President for Internal development | Sesekou Etchu Ebott Jr |
| Vice President in charge of Research and innovation | Sessekou Enowntai Ayuketang |
| Vice President in charge of the Youth and Gender Affairs | Sessekou Benson Agbortabi |
| Vice President in charge of Relations with Churches and Religious Organizations | Eteme Ntui Bouldwin Enowmbi |
| Vice President in charge of Entertainments | Tata Samuel Assam |
| Senior Political & Diplomatic Affairs Adviser | Eugene Defang Mfontem |
| Senior Political & Diplomatic Affairs Adviser | Sessekou Athanasius Ayuk Ako |
(b) Board of Directors
The Board
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Dean of the Board | Iyamba Sandys Eyong |
| Member | Sesekou Hillman Ayuk Manga |
| Member | Sesekou Bidof Ebai |
| Member | Sesekou Elliot Obitabot |
| Member | Sesekou Emeritus Emmanuel Ojongorock |
| Member | Sesekou Samson Awo |
| Member | Sesekou Sammy Arreymbi |
| Member | Sesekou David Tambe |
| Board Secretary | Tata Ngbe Rufus Takang |
(c) Traditional Advisory Council
Ancestral authority in council
The Traditional Advisory Council is central to the governance and cultural life of Ngbe communities across North and South America. Rooted in ancestral authority, ritual symbolism, and social regulation, the Council resolves traditional-value matters that cannot be resolved by the Executive Committee or the College of Dicabas.
Governance and social order
Acts as a traditional court by resolving disputes through mediation, arbitration, and adjudication; serves as a neutral third party in Ngbe community conflicts; and participates in the endorsement or selection of a Ngbe Americas President in the event of an unexpected leadership vacancy.
Ceremonial and spiritual stewardship
Oversees sacred ceremonies, initiations, and rites of passage within the Ekpe society; reinforces the symbolic authority of Ekpe as a guardian of tradition and justice; and preserves and transmits Nsibidi knowledge used in rituals, governance, and communication.
Conflict resolution
Establishes conflict-resolution teams to mediate non-Ngbe Manyu matters presented to the President and, when delegated, represents Ngbe Americas in mediating conflicts involving Ngbe leaders, traditional rulers in the Americas, and Ekpe communities in Africa and the Americas.
Global cultural collaboration
Facilitates cultural collaboration among Ngbe communities in Nigeria, Cameroon, Cuba, and other parts of the world with identified Ngbe practices, advancing cultural diplomacy as a bridge between ancestral values and modern governance in diaspora contexts.
Composition of the Council
The Council is composed of three categories of members: officially installed traditional rulers from Ekpe or Ngbe regions in Africa or the Americas who are initiated members of Ngbe; founding fathers of Ngbe Americas and its legacy organizations who remained active leaders of the Manyu community or Ngbe in the Americas and are fully initiated in Ekpe; and qualified alternate members under age 65 who may serve when a permanent member is absent and quorum is needed.
Officially installed chiefs
- Chief Asam Asam Eyong
- Chief John Njang
- Chief Franco Egbe Tako
- Chief Alfred Tanyi
- Chief Ferdinand Orock
- Chief William Besong
- Chief Philip Mbe Tazi
Founding fathers
- Dean Sesekou Emmanuel Ojongorock
- Sesekou Joseph Mfonten Mbu
- Sesekou Obi Tabot
- Sesekou David Tambe
- Sesekou Sandys Eyong
- Sesekou Solomon Egbe