NDI NKEMENKONG GERTRUDE
“The story of the Matriarch”
“Mami Nkem” as she was fondly called, was born in M’mockmbie in 1938, to Papa Peter ZENKENG and Mami Pauline AZENKENG, both of blessed memory. At the age of six, her father died, leaving behind her mother, herself and her only brother, who later on also died very young. After succeeding his father, late Papa Peter ZENKENG became Ndi NKEMENKONG, a title which made him the number one king maker of M’mockmbie. Given that he died when Mama was so young and his only surviving child, she could not step into the cherished position of leader of the king makers. Several of her uncles ensured regency over the position.
Meanwhile, her uncle, late Pa Fongoh Die-No-Hard married Mami Pauline, with who she put forth seven other children who all survived her.
She had no formal education as there were no schools available in the village and in the neighboring villages. She married Pa Francis TASONG TALEH in the late fifties. He was a man of several trades among which a farmer and a businessman. Her professional life therefore developed around that of her husband. They went into coffee farming creating several farms, food crop production of cocoyams, irish potatoes etc notwithstanding. He started business as a trader of wax print from Nigeria and they both trekked to Mamfe from where he went to Onitsha for purchases, and both transported by headload to M’mockmbie from where they sold in the markets of neighboring villages. The business expanded to grocery and an on-license beer and liquor store. As the business and farms grew bigger, on mutual agreement, Pa took in two other wives.
In 1999, during a ceremony to celebrate the life of late Papa Peter ZENKENG, the Fon of M’mockmbie formally gave back the title of Nkemenkong to Mami, thus creating history by making a woman leader of the Nkems (King Makers) of M’mockmbie. She animated the group of notables which they expanded to cover all the Melem’Alahs. The highest point of her leadership in this position, was in March 2004, when she led her eight peers to ensuring a smooth transition of power in the village following the disappearance of Fon Ajamah of M’mockmbie. She held this position till her death on August 5, 2021.
Ndi Nkemenkong and her Husband in their Gentleman years
Her legacy
In 2009, Mami NKEMENKONG and Pa Francis, who had become Chief FONJUKANG, decided to get baptism, receive holy communion, and get married in Church. Given their complex polygamous situation, they got clearance from the Mamfe Diocese and were married. She thereafter went to church every Sunday and when her health deteriorated to a level where she could no longer go to church, she was lucky to be surrounded by several priests who came visiting every Sunday after mass and gave her the holy eucharist.
Mami brought to the world nine children of which seven survived her. Peter, Paul, Nicholas, Richard, Ignatius, Bernard and Ernestine in that order. Besides these seven, she raised many other children some of who were her siblings and her uncles and aunts’ children. From these seven, she had nine daughters-in-laws and one son-in-law, who in turn graced her life with an abundant harvest of 53 grandchildren, and 30 great grandchildren.