Of Shey Ngando Peter, Alias Pee Bread, And The Making Of An African Grandmaster

The Colbert Factor By Gwain Colbert

This reflection is inspired by the fact that although it was not until His Most Eminence Highness Fra Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempo di Sanguinetto, visited Cameroon in 2018 that Cameroonians came to understand the official status with which such hitherto secret societies existed, the origin and history of grandmasters and mystical lodges dates back to the ancient Egyptian era as the first mystical order was formed in Egypt and  Westerners only got initiated into it later,

and in the process, codifying it.

It is the more informed by the fact that although the grandmaster of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta attracted negative publicity during his official visit to Cameroon in 2018 as he was seen to be cautioning President Paul Biya's reelection bid by throwing his moral weight behind him, traditional African grandmasters are known for their steadfastness, uprightness, and support for just and right courses.

It is also inspired by the fact that although little noise seems to be made about it, Africa in general and Cameroon in particular, has a richer tradition and culture of mystical lodges and egrandmasters than the Western world could think of.

That is why even before the nationwide publicity and the red carpet coming of His Most Eminence Highness Fra Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempo di Sanguinetto to Cameroon in 2018, very few North Westerners, talk less of Cameeoonians knew that a certain Shey Ngando Peter, alias Pee Bread, had in 2017, after five long years of scrutiny and due diligence, been initiated into the Nwerong secret society or mystical lodge, in almost the same dimension that of as Grandmaster.

It goes without saying that if in the city of Malta the Mastermind or the initiated of the lodge is called the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, then in Nso country, the Nwerong grandmaster should be referred to as the Grandmaster of the Order of Nso. Just like His Most Eminence Highness Fra Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempo di Sanguinetto was observed on a temporal basis for almost seven years before being confirmed Grandmaster in 2018, Shey Ngando Peter was observed within the mystical lodge or Nwerong of Nso land for over five years without his knowledge, before being finally initiated into the grandmasters' circles. It goes without saying that in both lodges, before an individual becomes admitted, he/she must have gone through a

a careful due diligence taste before finally being admitted.

In the typical case of Nso land, just as in other cases, once the fon identifies the grandmasters' potential in you, he alerts other secret cult members who begin monitoring you to be sure you are worthy of the calling. Key factors that cult members watch out for, are amongst others;  your selfless contributions to the development of the community, your standing in society, your track record in gathering people together; the fact that you have never slept with any other person's wife, talk less of sleeping with the wife of a Nwerong member; and so on and so forth. Once this is ascertain and then you go through the process of visiting and entertaining the other Shufais in the fondom, the Fon officially invites you to come for final initiation and public presentation. After that esoteric exercise, you are expected to know only your wife and no one else. It was on the strength of such processes that Shey Peter ngamdo, the Nso Fon's ambassador and the Shey biy Wong of the Nso frontier; was raised to the grandmasters' level. It would be of great interest to note that as of date, only six of such grandmasters exist in the Nso fondom.

Not that Shey Ngando Peter and his peers from Nsoland are the only grandmasters that African mystical lodges have produced. They abound in virtually all fondoms and chiefdoms we have in Cameroon and Africa. The problem by my understanding may be our society's unreadiness to codify and celebrate them. We turn to underlook

and appreciate our own.

 Come to think of the fact that we have had leaders of mystical lodges in our various villages without ever attributing the title of the grandmaster to them. Come to think of the kwifons, the Natang yohs, the obasejoms and other mystical lodges in our various communities that no one ever cared to celebrate. Come to think of the fact that His Most Eminence Highness Fra Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempo di Sanguinetto is only celebrated world wide because his mystical lodge, the Order of Malta is documented and has struggled to obtain International recognition. Come to think of the fact that what makes a mystical lodge, be it a Roscrucian order or a Freemason, is the ability to master secret wisdom. What with the fact that every village in Kom, Nso, Mankon, Bali, Mbumland, aghemland, bali, ngemba or widikum, owns and sustains a mystical lodge and a grandmaster. Come to think of the fact that what makes a grandmaster is his  honesty, truthfulness, sincerity and frankness.

Above all, come to think of the fact that for those who know Shey Ngando Peter, alias Pee Bread, even remotely, knows that he is not only honest, but sincere, truthful and serviceable.

The fundamental question Africans and especially Cameeoonians need to ask is why is it that although the origin and history of grandmasters and mystical lodges come from Africa,  Western lodges and grandmasters are being presented as the be all and the end all of grandmastersism?

Why is that Africa does not want to valorize it's own? Are people like the Shey Ngando Peters, the bochong akus like Alhadji Bako,  the various kwifon and nantang yoh leaders, not a source of pride to Cameroon in particular and Africa in general? Are Nkwen and Mankon not lodging just so many native grandmasters and mystical lodges that only need to be valorized and who can in terms of making the world a better place, beat even the almighty most Eminence Highness Fra Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempo di Sanguinetto?

How sophisticated and different are the concepts enshrined in the African traditional lodges of say nantang yoh in my native Muteff village from the ones documented and practiced by say the Rosicrucian Order? What about the Kwifon or nchong or Nwerong socities? How different could His Most Eminence Highness Fra Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempo di Sanguinetto be from bochong Alhadji Bako and Shey Ngando Peter?

If the foundational learning and initiation principles of the Rosicrucian Order that is the World's leading mystical order are just to name a few: the nature of the Divine, the origin of the universe, the structure of matter, the concepts of time and space, the laws of life, the goal of evolution, the human soul and it's attributes, the phases of consciousness, the psychic phenomena, the mysteries of death, the after life and reincarnation, traditional symbolism, etc, what could be the fundamental difference between this teaching and that of Nwerong secret cult or nantang yoh of Muteff, when we know for a fact that, to be a complete Nwerong or nantang leader, one needs at least six to seven years of titulage and a detachment from the ordinary things of life?

Simply put, is becoming a Grandmaster in Africa and especially in Nsoland, the way Shey Ngando Peter became, not just an art of the beautiful in your life and character? Does it not just mean you have nothing to hide? Does it not simply mean you no longer live for yourself but for the people?

Better still, and in the case of Grandmaster and mystical lodges in Africa and Cameroon, does this not just mean you are a respecter of the 10 commandments and especially the thou shalt not covet another person's wife, as has been indicated in truimphant details in the case of  Shey Ngando Peter?

More importantly, doesn't being a grandmaster in the African and Cameroon not just being a call to serve? Is there any real mysticism to show about that but for the fact that you are a respecter of traditional institutions? And by the way, is grandmastersism necessarily tied up to mystical lodges and Orders? Haven't those who have excelled in the game of chess across the world been simply conferred the title of grandmaster?

Aren't the Presidents of most Republics that gained independence from France not usually conferred the title of the grandmaster of the national order of valor?

More concretely, is it not just hard work and honesty, as can be demonstrated in truimphant detail in the case of Shey Ngando Peter, alias Pee Bread, that could lead to the conferring of the title of grandmaster to a worthy individual?

The Muteff Boy's take