By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I saw him reach out and kiss her
He may deny it now, but he did it
He thinks he`s God`s gift to the world
That`s why he`s not humble enough to admit.
What he doesn`t know is that
He left his footprints all over her lips
He will be tracked down, if not by the Judicial Police
Then by the Special Intervention Unit
His days are numbered and there`s no escape route
The die is cast and he must bite the dust.
Copyright 2011
lundi 31 janvier 2011
MISSING IN TRANSIT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I don`t know if it`s here
But I know it was sent
So, check again and have no fear
If you can`t find it, the caretaker must repent.
Copyright 2011
I don`t know if it`s here
But I know it was sent
So, check again and have no fear
If you can`t find it, the caretaker must repent.
Copyright 2011
GLOBAL SENTENCE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Lecturers didn`t
Only students did
So when we came to the Cape of Good Hope
Everyone was accused of dope.
Copyright 2011
Lecturers didn`t
Only students did
So when we came to the Cape of Good Hope
Everyone was accused of dope.
Copyright 2011
THE VEIL OF SHAME
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Our golden seat is wet
So how on earth can we reserve it for her?
If she comes and causes a stir
Who shall rise and pull off the veil?
Copyright 2011
Our golden seat is wet
So how on earth can we reserve it for her?
If she comes and causes a stir
Who shall rise and pull off the veil?
Copyright 2011
jeudi 27 janvier 2011
THE PATH AHEAD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It isn`t normal at all
No, forget the packed launches
Pick up your holy bible and walk tall
That`s the only way you can avoid the trenches.
Copyright 2011
It isn`t normal at all
No, forget the packed launches
Pick up your holy bible and walk tall
That`s the only way you can avoid the trenches.
Copyright 2011
THE ONE I NEED
For Ola During
By Tikum Mbah Azoga
I need a man
Wherever I can find one
I need him so that the boss can lift the ban
In that way, I`ll be Number One.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azoga
I need a man
Wherever I can find one
I need him so that the boss can lift the ban
In that way, I`ll be Number One.
Copyright 2011
HOLD YOUR HORSES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Let`s not talk about it now
Let`s leave it for the evening before
When you hear the Queen Mother vow
Wheel out all the pregnant girls to the fore.
Copyright 2011
Let`s not talk about it now
Let`s leave it for the evening before
When you hear the Queen Mother vow
Wheel out all the pregnant girls to the fore.
Copyright 2011
AWKWARD ACT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
All the birds have flown
Flown even before the Fon has sneezed
Flown before the young have grown
So, how shall the lone widows be quizzed?
Copyright 2011
All the birds have flown
Flown even before the Fon has sneezed
Flown before the young have grown
So, how shall the lone widows be quizzed?
Copyright 2011
mercredi 26 janvier 2011
THE PARLIAMENTARY MACE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
(For Dr. Joel Fusi Na`a Mukong)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I saw it
I saw it all
I saw it coming
I saw it with my own eyes
So, don`t start telling me stories.
Forget the pounding rain
Or the merciless floods
What matters is the mace
The one the governor`s man grabbed
And wreaked havoc in the National Assembly.
Copyright 2011
(For Dr. Joel Fusi Na`a Mukong)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I saw it
I saw it all
I saw it coming
I saw it with my own eyes
So, don`t start telling me stories.
Forget the pounding rain
Or the merciless floods
What matters is the mace
The one the governor`s man grabbed
And wreaked havoc in the National Assembly.
Copyright 2011
THE FIFTH DOSE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Surely, a sledgehammer isn`t enough
We need God`s eternal wheelbarrow, and to boot, his will
So that once we wind the wind mill
All table birds will be rid of their cough.
Copyright 2011
Surely, a sledgehammer isn`t enough
We need God`s eternal wheelbarrow, and to boot, his will
So that once we wind the wind mill
All table birds will be rid of their cough.
Copyright 2011
RETURN MATCH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I will strike back
And match him dollar for dollar
We use the dollar
His ugly wings must be clipped
For too long
The idiot has dictated the pace
So, finally, who are we if not
Toothless dogs
And Lame ducks?
Copyright 2011
I will strike back
And match him dollar for dollar
We use the dollar
His ugly wings must be clipped
For too long
The idiot has dictated the pace
So, finally, who are we if not
Toothless dogs
And Lame ducks?
Copyright 2011
FORWARD MARCH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
He carried his luggage away
And strode like a peacock
No one could force him back into the shell
Because all previous promises had been broken.
Copyright 2011
He carried his luggage away
And strode like a peacock
No one could force him back into the shell
Because all previous promises had been broken.
Copyright 2011
jeudi 20 janvier 2011
MIRACLE TIME
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We may be blackened by centuries of bondage
But when the husbandmen arrive
All the floodgates will close up
The lame will walk
The deaf will hear
The blind will see
And the dumb will talk.
Copyright 2011
We may be blackened by centuries of bondage
But when the husbandmen arrive
All the floodgates will close up
The lame will walk
The deaf will hear
The blind will see
And the dumb will talk.
Copyright 2011
ON THAT DAY
(For Njeke Ngwa)
Shall these glories ever light up again?
Or shall they like the Titanic, go down for ever?
When all,that glitters ceases to be gold
Then shall we the down and out rise and walk.
Copyright 2011
Shall these glories ever light up again?
Or shall they like the Titanic, go down for ever?
When all,that glitters ceases to be gold
Then shall we the down and out rise and walk.
Copyright 2011
THE WRONG FRAMES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Don`t write epitaphs
They can never be monuments
Etch effigies on http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcanvass
No one will call you an ass.
Copyright 2011
Don`t write epitaphs
They can never be monuments
Etch effigies on http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcanvass
No one will call you an ass.
Copyright 2011
DOUBLE BLESSING
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Our guilt is crystal clear
Conceived in vampiric jerks
But fashioned out of holy perks
What else can we hold on to with so much gear?
Copyright 2011
Our guilt is crystal clear
Conceived in vampiric jerks
But fashioned out of holy perks
What else can we hold on to with so much gear?
Copyright 2011
STILL THE BIBLE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The wooden bicycle isn`t enough
We must add a pinch of salt
Even if the bike is cluttered and disfigured
It is still the bible.
Copyright 2011
The wooden bicycle isn`t enough
We must add a pinch of salt
Even if the bike is cluttered and disfigured
It is still the bible.
Copyright 2011
MY ASSIGNED TASK
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I wasn`t an idiot
Although everyone thought I was
I was the standard bearer
That`s why OI darn socks for auction.
Copyright 2011
I wasn`t an idiot
Although everyone thought I was
I was the standard bearer
That`s why OI darn socks for auction.
Copyright 2011
DEPRESSED MARKET PRICES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It`s like conscience
Not omniscience
So when the sand pits overflow
Let not the victims soar.
Copyright 2011
It`s like conscience
Not omniscience
So when the sand pits overflow
Let not the victims soar.
Copyright 2011
MOUTH OF THE QUEEN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Let the mouths speak
Let them all speak
But give them no vinaigrette
In case verbal strokes
All the way from Newcastle
Whet the queen`s dampened appetite.
Copyright 2011
Let the mouths speak
Let them all speak
But give them no vinaigrette
In case verbal strokes
All the way from Newcastle
Whet the queen`s dampened appetite.
Copyright 2011
MY HOLY ORDER
(For Njie Enow-Ebai-Enow)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am a triumpher
Today celebrating my birthday
With the sun in Aquarius
My oysters are my pearls and my rubies
And my island; my bosom
The day I become an artful interpreter
Like old Jairius
I`ll fetch my crowns and my candies
And take off before the flowers blossom.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am a triumpher
Today celebrating my birthday
With the sun in Aquarius
My oysters are my pearls and my rubies
And my island; my bosom
The day I become an artful interpreter
Like old Jairius
I`ll fetch my crowns and my candies
And take off before the flowers blossom.
Copyright 2011
LOVE AS A WRAPPED GIFT
(For Juliet Efuka Veseke)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Good, it feels to have a taste of true love
And I know what I`m on about
Even at midnight, forgotten nuns
All clad in their Sunday best
Stream out to commune with loved ones.
Today, at least, I`ve found my treasure trove
And I did so without a single bout
Nor any innings, nor runs
So if I`m put to the test
I`ll quickly offer my birthday cake to the blessed one.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Good, it feels to have a taste of true love
And I know what I`m on about
Even at midnight, forgotten nuns
All clad in their Sunday best
Stream out to commune with loved ones.
Today, at least, I`ve found my treasure trove
And I did so without a single bout
Nor any innings, nor runs
So if I`m put to the test
I`ll quickly offer my birthday cake to the blessed one.
Copyright 2011
HOST FROM FONTEM
(For Amindeh Blaise Atabong)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am an ambidexter in every sense of the word
But I`m far from being your soldier hamster
What I need then
Is to be your five-star Lebialem host
That`s where I`ll celebrate my birthday.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am an ambidexter in every sense of the word
But I`m far from being your soldier hamster
What I need then
Is to be your five-star Lebialem host
That`s where I`ll celebrate my birthday.
Copyright 2011
HOST FROM FONTEM
(For Amindeh Blaise Atabong)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am an ambidexter in very sense of the word
But I`m far from being your soldier hamster
What I need then
Is to be your five-star Lebialem host
That`s where I`ll celebrate my birthday.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am an ambidexter in very sense of the word
But I`m far from being your soldier hamster
What I need then
Is to be your five-star Lebialem host
That`s where I`ll celebrate my birthday.
Copyright 2011
LINEAR PROGRESSION
(For Sylvie Glenis Venyuy)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Growing old is compulsory
Growing up, optional
But when in good, old Baltimore
There`s one thing I yearn for most
The dog that barked at me
When I thought of my birthday.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Growing old is compulsory
Growing up, optional
But when in good, old Baltimore
There`s one thing I yearn for most
The dog that barked at me
When I thought of my birthday.
Copyright 2011
MY BIRTHDAY AS A COCK
(For Neba Diana Lum)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The desire to inspire and acquire, never to expire
That`s my philosophy
For eulogies, homilies and frost bites
Forget pigs` furrows and dented hips
What counts is the talcumed hoof.
That`s why in order to inspire
You must shun controversy
Even if you believe in the princess`s rights
As such, when it comes to golden trips
My birthday will be the only cock under the roof.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The desire to inspire and acquire, never to expire
That`s my philosophy
For eulogies, homilies and frost bites
Forget pigs` furrows and dented hips
What counts is the talcumed hoof.
That`s why in order to inspire
You must shun controversy
Even if you believe in the princess`s rights
As such, when it comes to golden trips
My birthday will be the only cock under the roof.
Copyright 2011
ALL OR NOTHING
(For Tem Menging Honorine)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Every opportunity in life should not be spoiled
It should be grabbed as if it was the last
And made maximum use of
Life is like the wind
It blows in different directions at different times
Seize it now or lose it for ever
That`s it
There are no half measures
No midddle way
It`s all or nothing.
Happy birthday!
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Every opportunity in life should not be spoiled
It should be grabbed as if it was the last
And made maximum use of
Life is like the wind
It blows in different directions at different times
Seize it now or lose it for ever
That`s it
There are no half measures
No midddle way
It`s all or nothing.
Happy birthday!
Copyright 2011
mercredi 19 janvier 2011
BIDONS TROUES
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Plus jamais je ne ferai ça
Comment veux-tu que seul au monde
Et sans fortune aucune
Je chante à longueur de journée
Juste pour remplir
De symboles vénérables
D`oiseaux de fortune
D`ossements de fossiles
De vieux mortiers tapissés
Et de faux parfums d`oracles déchus
Les obélisques incendiaires du roi ?
Ne s`agit-t-il pas de bidons troués
Purement
Simplement ?
Copyright 2011
Plus jamais je ne ferai ça
Comment veux-tu que seul au monde
Et sans fortune aucune
Je chante à longueur de journée
Juste pour remplir
De symboles vénérables
D`oiseaux de fortune
D`ossements de fossiles
De vieux mortiers tapissés
Et de faux parfums d`oracles déchus
Les obélisques incendiaires du roi ?
Ne s`agit-t-il pas de bidons troués
Purement
Simplement ?
Copyright 2011
LE JONGLEUR DE LA PLACE PUBLIQUE
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Je suis celui qui
Au jour le jour, camoufle
Oui, je camoufle les choses du roi
Et protège ainsi ses intérêts les plus chers.
Oubliez pour une fois les intimidantes collines de Tabati
Sauf si vous avez suffisamment de truffes
Et si vous vous voyez comme un homme de poids
Arrêtez et envoyez chercher le foulard du Guide de la Révolution.
Copyright 2011
Je suis celui qui
Au jour le jour, camoufle
Oui, je camoufle les choses du roi
Et protège ainsi ses intérêts les plus chers.
Oubliez pour une fois les intimidantes collines de Tabati
Sauf si vous avez suffisamment de truffes
Et si vous vous voyez comme un homme de poids
Arrêtez et envoyez chercher le foulard du Guide de la Révolution.
Copyright 2011
LIFE`S MULTIPLE FACETS
(For Chia)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My life is exactly where it`s supposed to be
Upfront and centre-stage
I maintain a straight course
Head erect
Shoulders high
Not late
Not early
Just spot on
On the dot.
You may call me the Queen Bee
But, please, the one without rage
But when necessary, I can seek recourse
Like the President Elect
Who came hither and nigh
I don`t have a bait
Because I also want to be treated fairly
So that when my neighbour sues for fun
I`ll put her on the spot.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My life is exactly where it`s supposed to be
Upfront and centre-stage
I maintain a straight course
Head erect
Shoulders high
Not late
Not early
Just spot on
On the dot.
You may call me the Queen Bee
But, please, the one without rage
But when necessary, I can seek recourse
Like the President Elect
Who came hither and nigh
I don`t have a bait
Because I also want to be treated fairly
So that when my neighbour sues for fun
I`ll put her on the spot.
Copyright 2011
MY APOSTLE`S CREED
(For Bei)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
What I wish in life
Is all that I`ll include
In my letter to God the Almighty
I`ll ask him for good health in deed
Not a life of luxury
I`ll ask him for wisdom
Not only beauty
About which I am flattered.
In a world where evil is rife
And people tend to be rude
I`m bent on leaning heavily
On whatever is his will. That`s my daily bid
I don`t want to arrive in a flurry
When it comes to the Lord`s kingdom
Here at U.B., though, I have a duty
And that is to shower my God with praises daily.
Copyright 2011
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
What I wish in life
Is all that I`ll include
In my letter to God the Almighty
I`ll ask him for good health in deed
Not a life of luxury
I`ll ask him for wisdom
Not only beauty
About which I am flattered.
In a world where evil is rife
And people tend to be rude
I`m bent on leaning heavily
On whatever is his will. That`s my daily bid
I don`t want to arrive in a flurry
When it comes to the Lord`s kingdom
Here at U.B., though, I have a duty
And that is to shower my God with praises daily.
Copyright 2011
mardi 18 janvier 2011
THE LOVE THAT NEVER WAS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We met them by the pool of the village stream
And at once we knew their pants were crimson-red
If I were alone, I mean all alone
I would have known what to do
But alas!
This life being what it is
I was not to be alone
And so it was I lost the chance of my life
To do what I knew best.
Copyright 2011
We met them by the pool of the village stream
And at once we knew their pants were crimson-red
If I were alone, I mean all alone
I would have known what to do
But alas!
This life being what it is
I was not to be alone
And so it was I lost the chance of my life
To do what I knew best.
Copyright 2011
THE COWRIE NECKLACE (BOOK OF POEMS)
ABSTRACT
Name: Tikum Mbah Azonga
Title of publication: The Cowrie Necklace (poems)
Not only does Cameroon have its own share of world poets, the country is poetry itself, considering its multiple beauty and tourist attractions. Even so, the fatherland still has its own share of troubles among which are poverty, corruption, disease, unemployment, juvenile delinquency, to name those. The Cowrie Necklace is a collection of poems on everyday life situations. As such, the collection gives the reader a bird’s-eye-view of the rhythm of daily life as it is lived by man in particular and the living things of the universe in general.
The methodology used is that which presents the specific without concealing the general. Poems are generally brief and so necessarily made to catch and retain the attention of the reader. Yet they are complex enough for the researcher looking for twists in information flow and new scientific discoveries. The poems seek to answer questions such as: Who is man? Why is he here on earth? What is government? What are the constituent parts of the universe and how does the universe relate to him? What is man’s duty and mission as a link in the chain of life? Does man really see and appreciate the beauty around him or is all he sees dross and decay?
The ultimate aim of the book is to raise the reader to the lofty and noble heights of poetry, while at the same time offering the researcher interested in the domains of poetry and life, new pathways for investigating what it is exactly like, to be part of the human poetic chain.
COPYRIGHT 2011
Name: Tikum Mbah Azonga
Title of publication: The Cowrie Necklace (poems)
Not only does Cameroon have its own share of world poets, the country is poetry itself, considering its multiple beauty and tourist attractions. Even so, the fatherland still has its own share of troubles among which are poverty, corruption, disease, unemployment, juvenile delinquency, to name those. The Cowrie Necklace is a collection of poems on everyday life situations. As such, the collection gives the reader a bird’s-eye-view of the rhythm of daily life as it is lived by man in particular and the living things of the universe in general.
The methodology used is that which presents the specific without concealing the general. Poems are generally brief and so necessarily made to catch and retain the attention of the reader. Yet they are complex enough for the researcher looking for twists in information flow and new scientific discoveries. The poems seek to answer questions such as: Who is man? Why is he here on earth? What is government? What are the constituent parts of the universe and how does the universe relate to him? What is man’s duty and mission as a link in the chain of life? Does man really see and appreciate the beauty around him or is all he sees dross and decay?
The ultimate aim of the book is to raise the reader to the lofty and noble heights of poetry, while at the same time offering the researcher interested in the domains of poetry and life, new pathways for investigating what it is exactly like, to be part of the human poetic chain.
COPYRIGHT 2011
TELEVISION NEWS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY: FACT OR FICTION?
ABSTRACT
Name: Tikum Mbah Azonga
Research topic: Television news and the construction of reality: fact or fiction?
The television set is more and more becoming a reality in the homes of Cameroonians. Those who have access to it rely on it for news of what is going on around them. However, they also use it for entertainment and education, generally. There is some advantage that television enjoys over radio and the print media in the sense that with radio, one only “hears” and with the print media one only “sees” (reads), with television, does both hearing and viewing.
This paper takes an incisive look at the mechanism of television news by actually examining the “package” that the televiewer watches when in front of the screen. The package includes images – live and moving images – and sound (the spoke word, music and artificial sound effects). The paper analyses and explains the complex and disparate process that involves television news gathering and broadcast, to form one homogeneous “flow” that the televiewer now sits back and watches as if the product was strung together in that linear manner from the very beginning. Key questions that are tackled include: What is television news if not just an extension of cinema – that is, a combination of filmic language and cinematographic techniques? Is television news fact or fiction, especially considering the fact that the “news” that is watched as if it was unfolding at the moment of watching actually happened some time ago and was now simply re-enacted and made to look real? How exactly is the message in television news transmitted to the televiewer and how does the viewer perceive, receive and interpret it?
The aim of the paper is to demystify television news and explain it such that the televiewer, notably the adult one can understand better what he is watching. He or she will also be in a position to use the tools of film analysis such as punctuation, characterization, time, space and narrative to consolidate that understanding.
Copyright 2011
Name: Tikum Mbah Azonga
Research topic: Television news and the construction of reality: fact or fiction?
The television set is more and more becoming a reality in the homes of Cameroonians. Those who have access to it rely on it for news of what is going on around them. However, they also use it for entertainment and education, generally. There is some advantage that television enjoys over radio and the print media in the sense that with radio, one only “hears” and with the print media one only “sees” (reads), with television, does both hearing and viewing.
This paper takes an incisive look at the mechanism of television news by actually examining the “package” that the televiewer watches when in front of the screen. The package includes images – live and moving images – and sound (the spoke word, music and artificial sound effects). The paper analyses and explains the complex and disparate process that involves television news gathering and broadcast, to form one homogeneous “flow” that the televiewer now sits back and watches as if the product was strung together in that linear manner from the very beginning. Key questions that are tackled include: What is television news if not just an extension of cinema – that is, a combination of filmic language and cinematographic techniques? Is television news fact or fiction, especially considering the fact that the “news” that is watched as if it was unfolding at the moment of watching actually happened some time ago and was now simply re-enacted and made to look real? How exactly is the message in television news transmitted to the televiewer and how does the viewer perceive, receive and interpret it?
The aim of the paper is to demystify television news and explain it such that the televiewer, notably the adult one can understand better what he is watching. He or she will also be in a position to use the tools of film analysis such as punctuation, characterization, time, space and narrative to consolidate that understanding.
Copyright 2011
SAY NO TO AIDS (Book of poems)
ABSTRACT
Researcher: Tikum Mbah Azonga
Book title: Say No To AIDS (Poems)
This collection of poems combines the art of poetry which is an ancient one with that of health care, while using the medium of mass communication. As such, the issue of health communication is approached through the creative arts and literature. This is the kind of measure Cameroon needs in order to do what countries at the fore front of the fight against HIV AIDS are already doing, with some degree of success: containing the Bubonic plague.
This book aims at sensitizing the general public, but especially young people on the risks and ravages caused by the HIV AIDS pandemic. The methodology used in the book includes poems, some in French and some in English – without there being any translation of poems from one language into the other- thus taking into account the fact that Cameroon is a nation that uses both English and French as national languages. The poems are graduated in order to broaden the base of readership. Each poem is also set within a context that is clearly defined.
Questions the poems set out to investigate include: What is HIV AIDS? What are its symptoms? What are its vulnerable groups in society? How much damage has the pandemic caused? What are the remedial steps taken so far? What are the future prospects of the deadly disease? Finding answers to the above questions would enable stakeholders in the area of HIV AIDS in particular and health care in general to gain a deeper understanding of the pandemic and be better placed to stem its rising tide.
Copyright 2011
Researcher: Tikum Mbah Azonga
Book title: Say No To AIDS (Poems)
This collection of poems combines the art of poetry which is an ancient one with that of health care, while using the medium of mass communication. As such, the issue of health communication is approached through the creative arts and literature. This is the kind of measure Cameroon needs in order to do what countries at the fore front of the fight against HIV AIDS are already doing, with some degree of success: containing the Bubonic plague.
This book aims at sensitizing the general public, but especially young people on the risks and ravages caused by the HIV AIDS pandemic. The methodology used in the book includes poems, some in French and some in English – without there being any translation of poems from one language into the other- thus taking into account the fact that Cameroon is a nation that uses both English and French as national languages. The poems are graduated in order to broaden the base of readership. Each poem is also set within a context that is clearly defined.
Questions the poems set out to investigate include: What is HIV AIDS? What are its symptoms? What are its vulnerable groups in society? How much damage has the pandemic caused? What are the remedial steps taken so far? What are the future prospects of the deadly disease? Finding answers to the above questions would enable stakeholders in the area of HIV AIDS in particular and health care in general to gain a deeper understanding of the pandemic and be better placed to stem its rising tide.
Copyright 2011
dimanche 16 janvier 2011
POST CARD FROM CAMEROON
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper was published in the then London-based weekly international magazine WEST AFRICA, on the 2nd of November 1987, under the same title as above and with a stand first that states: "Tikum Mbah Azonga closes his recent notebook.” I wrote the piece after returning to London from a mission in Cameroon.
__________________________________________
Death on the roads
Road transport is becoming more and more risky, due to motor accidents. On the major highways it is estimated that there is an average of at least one fatal accident on each of the nation’s roads each day. A couple of days before I left the country last month two taxi minibuses crashed into each other some 30 kilometers from Douala on the way to Nkongsamba. Eight of the passengers died. But what struck me about this spate of accidents in the country was that in spite of the apparent concern the government has shown (holding conferences and seminars on the subject as well as even inviting experts from abroad), no concrete steps seem to have been taken to arrest the situation.
Nowhere did I find traffic police checking speed, neither did I find anyone using their seat belt as security regulations demand. Yet government officials have repeatedly told of how very much a seat belt can reduce the likelihood of death in case of an accident. I did put mine on but was greeted by jeers of “I was! I was dong come!” an obvious reference to someone "who wants to show that he or she is a been-to". The wearing of crash helmets has not been made compulsory in Cameroon as is the case in some countries, neither have alcohol tests been introduced for highway drivers. Traffic rules are flouted openly, as drivers disregard red traffic lights, each struggling to take off first, shouting insults at each other.
However, security-wise road transport is safe. There were no reports of armed robbers attacking vehicles traveling at night. We traveled from Limbe to Bamenda and from Bamenda to Yaounde, all at night, without incident. It is worth pointing out that night bus journeys have become very popular in the country, notably on the Bamenda-Yaounde, Bamenda-Douala and Bamenda-South West routes. Buses take off at about 10.30 pm and reach their destinations at about 5.30 am. Passengers have found this option very time saving because someone can now spend the whole day working without interruption and at night take off for the other city so that by morning they arrive. Once there, they can spend the whole day doing their business and take off again at night for the return journey which is completed in the morning. In that sense, the passenger does not have to spend the whole traveling like he or she would have done if traveling in the day.
While in Cameroon, I noticed that public transport had been reorganized with there now being a marked degree of discipline in the running of affairs. It is now difficult for fare collectors to charge more than the stipulated amount. Taxis queue up as they enter the park and the National Transport Syndicate - commonly known as Syndicat, even in English – load the vehicles with the assistance of "park boys", while the driver relaxes, most probably with a bottle of beer! Ticket buyers queue up as they come in, in front of the counter on which their destination and the exact fare are conspicuously written. One is charged and one pays only the stipulated amount, with perhaps a little something extra if one has luggage. As soon as the vehicle is full and the driver is informed, he slips a tip into the hand of the "park boy" who assisted him and drives off. The next taxi moves forward into the place of the previous one and the process goes on.
The association of musical record producers (SOCILADRA) has made a major breakthrough. The cassette market has been so reorganized that it is now difficult to carry out acts of piracy. Cassettes that enter the market are carefully monitored. Furthermore, SOCILADRA has started producing its own cassettes within the country. They have set up a solid distribution network throughout the country, and as a rule, Cameroonian cassettes are sold for CFA1000 while foreign ones fetch CFA1500.
Rubbish city
In Yaounde I was shocked by the generally unpleasant state of the city. Many street corners were littered with randomly disposed refuse and the rains made things worse by creating and acrid stench of decay. Many of the roads had lost their tar and the rains again, had turned them into slippery muddy tracks. It must have been such a situation to which one of the taxi drivers I hired in Douala (the situation in Douala is not as bad as that in Yaounde) referred to when he said he hoped President Paul Biya would visit Douala every week. When I asked him why, he said if the president were to visit Douala, the city would be given an overnight face-lift.
Law and order
I found that crime had risen in Cameroon, compared with the 1992 level, for example. But the forces of law and order are responding accordingly by stepping up reinforcements. Every now and then, some gang is broken up. In some cases, gangs of murderers have been caught. One of the most recent cases is that of Ambassa Mbazoa Jean-Marie, a "businessman" who allegedly robbed the state of Cameroon of about CFA 1bn by putting in false claims at the state treasury.
I noticed the Cameroonian police force now has a new uniform: a light-blue shirt-top with dark-blue trousers. When I asked a senior police officer why the government had decided to change the uniform at this particular time when measures are being taken to stem the economic crisis, he said that it was not anything new in the sense that the uniforms had been ordered and paid for several years previously; the implication being that now it was only a question of collecting what had already been paid for, otherwise the money would be forfeited. I asked a junior police officer how significant the change was. He said there was now a clear distinction for example, between a policeman on the one hand and a customs official penitentiary officers and game reserve wardens on the other hand.
Copyright 2011
This paper was published in the then London-based weekly international magazine WEST AFRICA, on the 2nd of November 1987, under the same title as above and with a stand first that states: "Tikum Mbah Azonga closes his recent notebook.” I wrote the piece after returning to London from a mission in Cameroon.
__________________________________________
Death on the roads
Road transport is becoming more and more risky, due to motor accidents. On the major highways it is estimated that there is an average of at least one fatal accident on each of the nation’s roads each day. A couple of days before I left the country last month two taxi minibuses crashed into each other some 30 kilometers from Douala on the way to Nkongsamba. Eight of the passengers died. But what struck me about this spate of accidents in the country was that in spite of the apparent concern the government has shown (holding conferences and seminars on the subject as well as even inviting experts from abroad), no concrete steps seem to have been taken to arrest the situation.
Nowhere did I find traffic police checking speed, neither did I find anyone using their seat belt as security regulations demand. Yet government officials have repeatedly told of how very much a seat belt can reduce the likelihood of death in case of an accident. I did put mine on but was greeted by jeers of “I was! I was dong come!” an obvious reference to someone "who wants to show that he or she is a been-to". The wearing of crash helmets has not been made compulsory in Cameroon as is the case in some countries, neither have alcohol tests been introduced for highway drivers. Traffic rules are flouted openly, as drivers disregard red traffic lights, each struggling to take off first, shouting insults at each other.
However, security-wise road transport is safe. There were no reports of armed robbers attacking vehicles traveling at night. We traveled from Limbe to Bamenda and from Bamenda to Yaounde, all at night, without incident. It is worth pointing out that night bus journeys have become very popular in the country, notably on the Bamenda-Yaounde, Bamenda-Douala and Bamenda-South West routes. Buses take off at about 10.30 pm and reach their destinations at about 5.30 am. Passengers have found this option very time saving because someone can now spend the whole day working without interruption and at night take off for the other city so that by morning they arrive. Once there, they can spend the whole day doing their business and take off again at night for the return journey which is completed in the morning. In that sense, the passenger does not have to spend the whole traveling like he or she would have done if traveling in the day.
While in Cameroon, I noticed that public transport had been reorganized with there now being a marked degree of discipline in the running of affairs. It is now difficult for fare collectors to charge more than the stipulated amount. Taxis queue up as they enter the park and the National Transport Syndicate - commonly known as Syndicat, even in English – load the vehicles with the assistance of "park boys", while the driver relaxes, most probably with a bottle of beer! Ticket buyers queue up as they come in, in front of the counter on which their destination and the exact fare are conspicuously written. One is charged and one pays only the stipulated amount, with perhaps a little something extra if one has luggage. As soon as the vehicle is full and the driver is informed, he slips a tip into the hand of the "park boy" who assisted him and drives off. The next taxi moves forward into the place of the previous one and the process goes on.
The association of musical record producers (SOCILADRA) has made a major breakthrough. The cassette market has been so reorganized that it is now difficult to carry out acts of piracy. Cassettes that enter the market are carefully monitored. Furthermore, SOCILADRA has started producing its own cassettes within the country. They have set up a solid distribution network throughout the country, and as a rule, Cameroonian cassettes are sold for CFA1000 while foreign ones fetch CFA1500.
Rubbish city
In Yaounde I was shocked by the generally unpleasant state of the city. Many street corners were littered with randomly disposed refuse and the rains made things worse by creating and acrid stench of decay. Many of the roads had lost their tar and the rains again, had turned them into slippery muddy tracks. It must have been such a situation to which one of the taxi drivers I hired in Douala (the situation in Douala is not as bad as that in Yaounde) referred to when he said he hoped President Paul Biya would visit Douala every week. When I asked him why, he said if the president were to visit Douala, the city would be given an overnight face-lift.
Law and order
I found that crime had risen in Cameroon, compared with the 1992 level, for example. But the forces of law and order are responding accordingly by stepping up reinforcements. Every now and then, some gang is broken up. In some cases, gangs of murderers have been caught. One of the most recent cases is that of Ambassa Mbazoa Jean-Marie, a "businessman" who allegedly robbed the state of Cameroon of about CFA 1bn by putting in false claims at the state treasury.
I noticed the Cameroonian police force now has a new uniform: a light-blue shirt-top with dark-blue trousers. When I asked a senior police officer why the government had decided to change the uniform at this particular time when measures are being taken to stem the economic crisis, he said that it was not anything new in the sense that the uniforms had been ordered and paid for several years previously; the implication being that now it was only a question of collecting what had already been paid for, otherwise the money would be forfeited. I asked a junior police officer how significant the change was. He said there was now a clear distinction for example, between a policeman on the one hand and a customs official penitentiary officers and game reserve wardens on the other hand.
Copyright 2011
A TONIC FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper was published in the then London-based weekly international magazine WEST AFRICA, on the 17th of May 1986, under the title Moves For a Change and a stand first which read: Tikum Mbah Azonga finds signs in recent events that the government means to improve conditions in the educational system.
________________________________________________
Recent events in Cameroon indicate that the authorities are intent on improving conditions in the educational system of the country. A few weeks ago, President Paul Biya signed a decree offering jobs to some 329 graduates who have been employed in the Economic and Social Council, 24 of the country’s 27 ministerial departments and two secretariats of states. The new recruits have been distributed such that the Ministry of National Education alone has 131 followed by Finance with 25, and Information and Culture with 15. The Ministries of Animal Breeding and Livestock and Animal Industries, Mines and Power, Youths and Sports, Social Affairs, and Women’s Affairs each have three, while the Ministry of Town Planning and Housing has two.
The decree said candidates recruited inside Cameroon were to report for duty on or before the 21st of May 1986 while those recruited from abroad should report by the 20th of June 1986. The decree further said the expenses incurred would come from the 1985-1986 Compte Hors Budget (CHB), the extra-budgetary account in which oil revenue is held.
Graduate jobs
In January 1986, President Paul Biya had signed a similar decree offering jobs to 1700 other graduates. Out of that number 52.7 per cent were absorbed by the ministries in charge of social and cultural administration, 17.9 went to the economic and financial ministries, 14.3 per cent to the autonomous ministerial departments and the department in charge of security. Technical ministries took 9.5 per cent of the employees while those in charge of coordination were given 4.6 per cent.
These steps which government sources said were "in spite of the difficult world order", are in addition to a series of development projects proposed for the University of Yaounde, the dream destination of many a Cameroonian holder of the BAC or the GCE A Level Certificate. The new lease package includes the extension of the Science Faculty and the University Library, as well as a portion for the Ecole Nationale Polytechnique and the Ecole Normale Superieure (Faculty of Education).
Two weeks previously, Abdoulaye Babale, the Minister of Town Planning and Housing, inspected the proposed site for five amphitheatres at the university. He expressed satisfaction at the pace of work being done, since as he put it, the buildings would be ready for the end-of-year exams next month. The new amphitheatres are expected to provide additional classrooms as well as lecture amphitheatres and thus solve the problem of students being cut off from their lectures as a result of overcrowding.
The transportation problem was tackled in January when the government provided special buses to ease movement to and from the faculty. The buses which sources in Yaounde say are still operational are available only to those with student passes. In another move, the authorities, for the second time in the same academic year, have offered 1000 allowances to be paid every month to students in faculties at the university. This latest award has increased the number of beneficiaries for the 1985-1986 academic year by 70 per cent. In addition to the allowances, no tuition fees are charged students at the university.
Similarly, and just as it did last year, the government has distributed financial aid to privately sponsored Cameroonian students studying abroad, notably in France, the US as well as the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. At the newly opened Advanced School of Translators And Interpretation (ASTI) in Buea where the school year started in January, students were jubilant when they were told the number of lecturers would increase from three in July to include professors, professional translators and lecturers from international institutions abroad. Although the new lecturers will be on a visiting basis Dr Fidelis Morfaw the Director of ASTI says their coming will be beneficial since they will further broaden students’ knowledge.
Forgotten Bambili
Another sore point in the Cameroonian educational system is the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Annex in Bambili where students often complain they are "forgotten" when major decisions are taken in Yaounde. This, they say, is evidenced in the long-standing presidential decree which allows students of the institution to sit for Bachelors degrees in their various disciplines, as well as for the usual diploma in education. The argument put forward by Bambili is that whereas their counterparts at the main campus of the ENS in Yaounde can conveniently attend first degree courses at the University of Yaounde campus on account of the proximity of those two campuses, they at Bambili are completely cut off and excluded. However, most of them say this problem would be solved if Bambili were converted into a university campus of its own.
Although the opening of the long-awaited ASTI in Buea came as a relief to many, there is still a general belief that Cameroon is not adequately exploiting the advantages that official bilingualism can offer a country. From that view point it is argued that Cameroon treats its bilingualism more or less like the person who owns a million francs but prefers to live on a hundred. In Cameroon, despite the much sloganeering about official bilingualism (in this particular case, French and English), it appears there is a covert attempt by some officials to give one language (French), greater emphasis. This is clearly seen on the language of official sign boards which in the predominantly English-speaking provinces (the South West and the North West), is usually in both English and French, whereas in the French-speaking provinces, sign boards are inscribed mainly in French. The issue of postage stamps is another bone of contention in the sense that the description of the image on the stamp is usually in French alone.989
The general belief is that if an autonomous ministerial department were set up for translation and interpretation (and possibly the promotion of Cameroons national languages which number at least 230, dialects excluded), the problem would be solved. This is so because up till now, translation, interpretation and the promotion of national languages seem to have no fixed parent ministry. Such a ministry could be made to comprise a central administration, provincial, divisional and sub Divisional services. This may, of course, not have the desired effect unless Cameroonians themselves are willing to accept that French and English as official languages are equal and belong to all Cameroonians and not just to separate communities. It is only in this way that bilingualism, claimed to be a priority area in the educational, system of the country, can be fully promoted.
Copyright 2011
This paper was published in the then London-based weekly international magazine WEST AFRICA, on the 17th of May 1986, under the title Moves For a Change and a stand first which read: Tikum Mbah Azonga finds signs in recent events that the government means to improve conditions in the educational system.
________________________________________________
Recent events in Cameroon indicate that the authorities are intent on improving conditions in the educational system of the country. A few weeks ago, President Paul Biya signed a decree offering jobs to some 329 graduates who have been employed in the Economic and Social Council, 24 of the country’s 27 ministerial departments and two secretariats of states. The new recruits have been distributed such that the Ministry of National Education alone has 131 followed by Finance with 25, and Information and Culture with 15. The Ministries of Animal Breeding and Livestock and Animal Industries, Mines and Power, Youths and Sports, Social Affairs, and Women’s Affairs each have three, while the Ministry of Town Planning and Housing has two.
The decree said candidates recruited inside Cameroon were to report for duty on or before the 21st of May 1986 while those recruited from abroad should report by the 20th of June 1986. The decree further said the expenses incurred would come from the 1985-1986 Compte Hors Budget (CHB), the extra-budgetary account in which oil revenue is held.
Graduate jobs
In January 1986, President Paul Biya had signed a similar decree offering jobs to 1700 other graduates. Out of that number 52.7 per cent were absorbed by the ministries in charge of social and cultural administration, 17.9 went to the economic and financial ministries, 14.3 per cent to the autonomous ministerial departments and the department in charge of security. Technical ministries took 9.5 per cent of the employees while those in charge of coordination were given 4.6 per cent.
These steps which government sources said were "in spite of the difficult world order", are in addition to a series of development projects proposed for the University of Yaounde, the dream destination of many a Cameroonian holder of the BAC or the GCE A Level Certificate. The new lease package includes the extension of the Science Faculty and the University Library, as well as a portion for the Ecole Nationale Polytechnique and the Ecole Normale Superieure (Faculty of Education).
Two weeks previously, Abdoulaye Babale, the Minister of Town Planning and Housing, inspected the proposed site for five amphitheatres at the university. He expressed satisfaction at the pace of work being done, since as he put it, the buildings would be ready for the end-of-year exams next month. The new amphitheatres are expected to provide additional classrooms as well as lecture amphitheatres and thus solve the problem of students being cut off from their lectures as a result of overcrowding.
The transportation problem was tackled in January when the government provided special buses to ease movement to and from the faculty. The buses which sources in Yaounde say are still operational are available only to those with student passes. In another move, the authorities, for the second time in the same academic year, have offered 1000 allowances to be paid every month to students in faculties at the university. This latest award has increased the number of beneficiaries for the 1985-1986 academic year by 70 per cent. In addition to the allowances, no tuition fees are charged students at the university.
Similarly, and just as it did last year, the government has distributed financial aid to privately sponsored Cameroonian students studying abroad, notably in France, the US as well as the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. At the newly opened Advanced School of Translators And Interpretation (ASTI) in Buea where the school year started in January, students were jubilant when they were told the number of lecturers would increase from three in July to include professors, professional translators and lecturers from international institutions abroad. Although the new lecturers will be on a visiting basis Dr Fidelis Morfaw the Director of ASTI says their coming will be beneficial since they will further broaden students’ knowledge.
Forgotten Bambili
Another sore point in the Cameroonian educational system is the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), Annex in Bambili where students often complain they are "forgotten" when major decisions are taken in Yaounde. This, they say, is evidenced in the long-standing presidential decree which allows students of the institution to sit for Bachelors degrees in their various disciplines, as well as for the usual diploma in education. The argument put forward by Bambili is that whereas their counterparts at the main campus of the ENS in Yaounde can conveniently attend first degree courses at the University of Yaounde campus on account of the proximity of those two campuses, they at Bambili are completely cut off and excluded. However, most of them say this problem would be solved if Bambili were converted into a university campus of its own.
Although the opening of the long-awaited ASTI in Buea came as a relief to many, there is still a general belief that Cameroon is not adequately exploiting the advantages that official bilingualism can offer a country. From that view point it is argued that Cameroon treats its bilingualism more or less like the person who owns a million francs but prefers to live on a hundred. In Cameroon, despite the much sloganeering about official bilingualism (in this particular case, French and English), it appears there is a covert attempt by some officials to give one language (French), greater emphasis. This is clearly seen on the language of official sign boards which in the predominantly English-speaking provinces (the South West and the North West), is usually in both English and French, whereas in the French-speaking provinces, sign boards are inscribed mainly in French. The issue of postage stamps is another bone of contention in the sense that the description of the image on the stamp is usually in French alone.989
The general belief is that if an autonomous ministerial department were set up for translation and interpretation (and possibly the promotion of Cameroons national languages which number at least 230, dialects excluded), the problem would be solved. This is so because up till now, translation, interpretation and the promotion of national languages seem to have no fixed parent ministry. Such a ministry could be made to comprise a central administration, provincial, divisional and sub Divisional services. This may, of course, not have the desired effect unless Cameroonians themselves are willing to accept that French and English as official languages are equal and belong to all Cameroonians and not just to separate communities. It is only in this way that bilingualism, claimed to be a priority area in the educational, system of the country, can be fully promoted.
Copyright 2011
samedi 15 janvier 2011
WHEN RETIREMENT IS FUN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 11th of April 2003 with a view to provoking reflection on the dreaded question of retirement and consequently prepare for it. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
___________________________________________________
For every employee, retirement ought to be viewed as something inevitable and therefore planned ahead of time. This is because people grow ordinarily as well as in their jobs. In one's life time there is an indisputable peak period or some crescendo, so to speak, during which one is at one's best performance. Thereafter, there is a decline which inevitably leads to retirement. Even so, the exact point at which one actually goes on retirement - that is, the cut off point, can be flexible in the sense that the employee can either take early retirement or ask for an extension of time when retirement is due so that he or she works for a few more years before signing off.
Under normal circumstances a retired employee is supposed to be resting. After all, retirement is that one period when after years of toiling to earn a living and taking responsibility for family and other commitments the retiree is supposed to put up his or her feet and have a good time. The retired person or "Senior Citizen" as they are commonly referred to in Cameroon can at this juncture proudly enjoy his or her pension, although according to pension rules it is usually only a fraction of the salary that was earned in active service. Another point that really must be raised here is that which concerns the annoyingly slow process involved in processing the files of retirees in Yaounde so that their pension can start flowing. Even so, one can draw comfort from the adage that half a loaf is better than none, for, the truth is that if a retiree can not reap the dividends of years of hard work at such a point, then when else can he or she do it? If the employee fails in this, he or she should be selling themselves short and shooting themselves in the foot.
However it is a fact that some retirees have been known to put their retirement years into good use especially as the professional ones notably, when they retire, are at the apex of their careers in terms of mastery of their jobs. Some dynamic ones have been known to land lucrative jobs in other countries as they embark on this second life of theirs. A good number of those who stay in Cameroon have also been known to re-engage themselves in other activities that give them an income and keep them busy and away from bad health. Some of such activities include farming in the large sense of the word, opening and running a school, a secretariat/documentation office or engaging other activity.
One compelling reason for the need to go on retirement is that when senior employees leave their jobs, this enables younger staff members to also rise within the ranks. If this did not happen, the young would have no real chance of putting into practice the skills which they have acquired. They would also be denied the enjoyment of the aphorism which requires: "The young must grow".
The truth is that retirement can, if well planned, be turned into a pleasant new lease of life. Unfortunately, many people do not prepare for it so that when the time comes, they are caught between a rock and a hard place, as the saying goes. Out of frustration, victims of such circumstances then get hooked on alcohol, a factor which creates other problems like where to get the money to sustain the life of an alcoholic. Such people then spend their time complaining about everything and everyone. Their discourse becomes loaded with anti-Biya and anti-government daily diatribe. They stop and complain to anyone who is willing to listen and in a sense, re-enact the ancient mariner in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
The best way of enjoying retirement is to prepare for it long before it is due. An example is that in addition to the pension scheme, a prospective retiree could invest in some venture, either as an individual if he or she has the means or collectively as a group with other similar minded people. Even when already on retirement, the retired person can still sustain the momentum by keeping themselves busy. This can be done either through joining a social group like a charity, a choir or enrolling on a course, taking up writing or even just reading books and newspapers.
Many Cameroonian professionals are bilingual in terms of mastery of English and French. These include the military, accountants, magistrates, doctors, engineers and secretaries, to name those. They could therefore use bilingualism as an asset in their international job search for there are many a country that would whole-heartedly welcome them, considering that being officially monolingual, they need to open up to the world by having contact with another international language.
So whatever the senior citizen does, he or she would do well to remember that retirement is a golden opportunity to fulfill those thousand and one dreams they had nursed previously. It is therefore not doom and gloom. In fact, retirement is a second birth, a rebirth, a renaissance, a second life, a new lease of life
Copyright 2011
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 11th of April 2003 with a view to provoking reflection on the dreaded question of retirement and consequently prepare for it. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
___________________________________________________
For every employee, retirement ought to be viewed as something inevitable and therefore planned ahead of time. This is because people grow ordinarily as well as in their jobs. In one's life time there is an indisputable peak period or some crescendo, so to speak, during which one is at one's best performance. Thereafter, there is a decline which inevitably leads to retirement. Even so, the exact point at which one actually goes on retirement - that is, the cut off point, can be flexible in the sense that the employee can either take early retirement or ask for an extension of time when retirement is due so that he or she works for a few more years before signing off.
Under normal circumstances a retired employee is supposed to be resting. After all, retirement is that one period when after years of toiling to earn a living and taking responsibility for family and other commitments the retiree is supposed to put up his or her feet and have a good time. The retired person or "Senior Citizen" as they are commonly referred to in Cameroon can at this juncture proudly enjoy his or her pension, although according to pension rules it is usually only a fraction of the salary that was earned in active service. Another point that really must be raised here is that which concerns the annoyingly slow process involved in processing the files of retirees in Yaounde so that their pension can start flowing. Even so, one can draw comfort from the adage that half a loaf is better than none, for, the truth is that if a retiree can not reap the dividends of years of hard work at such a point, then when else can he or she do it? If the employee fails in this, he or she should be selling themselves short and shooting themselves in the foot.
However it is a fact that some retirees have been known to put their retirement years into good use especially as the professional ones notably, when they retire, are at the apex of their careers in terms of mastery of their jobs. Some dynamic ones have been known to land lucrative jobs in other countries as they embark on this second life of theirs. A good number of those who stay in Cameroon have also been known to re-engage themselves in other activities that give them an income and keep them busy and away from bad health. Some of such activities include farming in the large sense of the word, opening and running a school, a secretariat/documentation office or engaging other activity.
One compelling reason for the need to go on retirement is that when senior employees leave their jobs, this enables younger staff members to also rise within the ranks. If this did not happen, the young would have no real chance of putting into practice the skills which they have acquired. They would also be denied the enjoyment of the aphorism which requires: "The young must grow".
The truth is that retirement can, if well planned, be turned into a pleasant new lease of life. Unfortunately, many people do not prepare for it so that when the time comes, they are caught between a rock and a hard place, as the saying goes. Out of frustration, victims of such circumstances then get hooked on alcohol, a factor which creates other problems like where to get the money to sustain the life of an alcoholic. Such people then spend their time complaining about everything and everyone. Their discourse becomes loaded with anti-Biya and anti-government daily diatribe. They stop and complain to anyone who is willing to listen and in a sense, re-enact the ancient mariner in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
The best way of enjoying retirement is to prepare for it long before it is due. An example is that in addition to the pension scheme, a prospective retiree could invest in some venture, either as an individual if he or she has the means or collectively as a group with other similar minded people. Even when already on retirement, the retired person can still sustain the momentum by keeping themselves busy. This can be done either through joining a social group like a charity, a choir or enrolling on a course, taking up writing or even just reading books and newspapers.
Many Cameroonian professionals are bilingual in terms of mastery of English and French. These include the military, accountants, magistrates, doctors, engineers and secretaries, to name those. They could therefore use bilingualism as an asset in their international job search for there are many a country that would whole-heartedly welcome them, considering that being officially monolingual, they need to open up to the world by having contact with another international language.
So whatever the senior citizen does, he or she would do well to remember that retirement is a golden opportunity to fulfill those thousand and one dreams they had nursed previously. It is therefore not doom and gloom. In fact, retirement is a second birth, a rebirth, a renaissance, a second life, a new lease of life
Copyright 2011
THE VEXATIOUS QUESTION OF MEMOIRS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 29th of June 2005 with a view to raising general awareness on the need for statesmen to write their memoirs. It was occasioned by the passing away in 2005 of Nzo Ekanghaki, former cabinet minister of Cameroon and perhaps above all, former Secretary General of the OAU. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
When the recent death of Now Ekanghaki was made known recently, it touched the hearts of many people not only in Cameroon or Africa, but even around the world. President Paul Biya sent condolence messages to his widow and dispatched a special representative to the funeral. Outside of Cameroon Nzo was mourned in a number of countries among which were Ethiopia, Sudan and Nigeria.
Such a reaction is hardly surprising for Nzo made his mark in his life time in many ways. At a young age he quickly became a minister and soon acceded to the coveted post of Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity, thus succeeding the Guinean Diallo Telli. One factor that contributed to Nzo´s acceptance in the post was obviously that as a Cameroonian he spoke both French and English well. Another factor was what Nzo was the right man at the right place and at the right time for, he came up at a time when Heads of States within the OAU were fed up with his predecessor, Diallo Telli, and were determined to get rid of him. No wonder, Ivory Coast President Houphouet Boigny is quoted as having once shouted at Diallo and saying : “Lorsque nous avons demandé un Secrétaire Général, nous ne voulions pas un Général, mais un Secrétaire”, which means, "When we asked for a Secretary General, we didn’t mean a General but a Secretary".
Nzo´s tenure at the OAU will obviously be remembered for a long time to come because unlike many African leaders he took observers by surprise when he resigned from his post of Secretary General as a result of the corruption charges that arose from his relationship with Tiny Rowlands, boss of Lonrho, an international firm based in the then hated apartheid Republic of South Africa, and the fact that he as Secretary General had gone as far as committing the OAU through a consultancy contract with Lonrho. Eyewitnesses who were at the OAU headquarters in Addis Ababa at the time Nzo threw the bomb shell remember that his own president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, walked out of the conference hall as a sign of disappointment with Nzo. Perhaps as a providential measure of comfort to Ahidjo or perhaps thanks to the latter's lobbying skills, Nzo was succeeded as Secretary General of the OAU by another Cameroonian, William Aurélien Eteki Mboumoua. However that is another story.
Nzo Ekanghaki is by no means the only top Cameroonian to have died in recent years. His predecessors in the matter include Ahmadou Ahidjo himself, N.N. Mbile, Mgr Andre Wouking, Mgr Jean Zoa, Christian Tobie Kuo, Samuel Eboua, François Sengat Kuo, Victor Ayissi Mvodo, Dr E.M.L. Endeley, Dr John Ngu Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna. Of course, the list is not exhaustive. It is interesting to note that some, like Mbile, wrote their memoirs before departing. Nonetheless, the majority took off without leaving behind any such legacy. Among existing top Cameroonians of today, many have still not committed their life’s experiences to writing. Yet, time waits for no one and death can strike at any time, without any prior notice. So the importance of memoirs can not be overemphasized. And for the record, a memoir should not be the daunting task it appears to be, considering that the Oxford Advanced Learner taking up writing's Dictionary describes it as “an account written usually by somebody in public life of their life and experiences.” Many people believe that they must be fully prepared before writing their memoirs. But they could in fact start by just making random jottings and keeping photographs.
Whatever is the case it must be remembered that the longest journey begins with the first step. Over and above everything else, our leaders should realize that they owe it to posterity to leave behind something document by which they can be remembered.
Copyright 2011
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 29th of June 2005 with a view to raising general awareness on the need for statesmen to write their memoirs. It was occasioned by the passing away in 2005 of Nzo Ekanghaki, former cabinet minister of Cameroon and perhaps above all, former Secretary General of the OAU. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
When the recent death of Now Ekanghaki was made known recently, it touched the hearts of many people not only in Cameroon or Africa, but even around the world. President Paul Biya sent condolence messages to his widow and dispatched a special representative to the funeral. Outside of Cameroon Nzo was mourned in a number of countries among which were Ethiopia, Sudan and Nigeria.
Such a reaction is hardly surprising for Nzo made his mark in his life time in many ways. At a young age he quickly became a minister and soon acceded to the coveted post of Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity, thus succeeding the Guinean Diallo Telli. One factor that contributed to Nzo´s acceptance in the post was obviously that as a Cameroonian he spoke both French and English well. Another factor was what Nzo was the right man at the right place and at the right time for, he came up at a time when Heads of States within the OAU were fed up with his predecessor, Diallo Telli, and were determined to get rid of him. No wonder, Ivory Coast President Houphouet Boigny is quoted as having once shouted at Diallo and saying : “Lorsque nous avons demandé un Secrétaire Général, nous ne voulions pas un Général, mais un Secrétaire”, which means, "When we asked for a Secretary General, we didn’t mean a General but a Secretary".
Nzo´s tenure at the OAU will obviously be remembered for a long time to come because unlike many African leaders he took observers by surprise when he resigned from his post of Secretary General as a result of the corruption charges that arose from his relationship with Tiny Rowlands, boss of Lonrho, an international firm based in the then hated apartheid Republic of South Africa, and the fact that he as Secretary General had gone as far as committing the OAU through a consultancy contract with Lonrho. Eyewitnesses who were at the OAU headquarters in Addis Ababa at the time Nzo threw the bomb shell remember that his own president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, walked out of the conference hall as a sign of disappointment with Nzo. Perhaps as a providential measure of comfort to Ahidjo or perhaps thanks to the latter's lobbying skills, Nzo was succeeded as Secretary General of the OAU by another Cameroonian, William Aurélien Eteki Mboumoua. However that is another story.
Nzo Ekanghaki is by no means the only top Cameroonian to have died in recent years. His predecessors in the matter include Ahmadou Ahidjo himself, N.N. Mbile, Mgr Andre Wouking, Mgr Jean Zoa, Christian Tobie Kuo, Samuel Eboua, François Sengat Kuo, Victor Ayissi Mvodo, Dr E.M.L. Endeley, Dr John Ngu Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna. Of course, the list is not exhaustive. It is interesting to note that some, like Mbile, wrote their memoirs before departing. Nonetheless, the majority took off without leaving behind any such legacy. Among existing top Cameroonians of today, many have still not committed their life’s experiences to writing. Yet, time waits for no one and death can strike at any time, without any prior notice. So the importance of memoirs can not be overemphasized. And for the record, a memoir should not be the daunting task it appears to be, considering that the Oxford Advanced Learner taking up writing's Dictionary describes it as “an account written usually by somebody in public life of their life and experiences.” Many people believe that they must be fully prepared before writing their memoirs. But they could in fact start by just making random jottings and keeping photographs.
Whatever is the case it must be remembered that the longest journey begins with the first step. Over and above everything else, our leaders should realize that they owe it to posterity to leave behind something document by which they can be remembered.
Copyright 2011
vendredi 14 janvier 2011
ETATS D`AME
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
On n`était ni triste ni nomade
Tout ce qui comptait était la promenade
Pour quiconque espérait être
Serein, sublime, fécond et prodigieux.
Copyright 2011
On n`était ni triste ni nomade
Tout ce qui comptait était la promenade
Pour quiconque espérait être
Serein, sublime, fécond et prodigieux.
Copyright 2011
ESCARGOT EN CHUTE LIBRE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Je suis l`escargot ligoté
J`ai une grosse tête
Une poitrine épaisse
Et les mains sales
Mais je suis sans rancune
Même si j`ai le regard froid
J`ai également la peau qui colle
Et l`esprit sain
Un visage tatoué
Et des pieds de plomb
Cependant, sachez que
Pour une poignée de main
Je vous livrerais tous mes biens
Sans condition
Sans condition aucune.
Copyright 2011
Je suis l`escargot ligoté
J`ai une grosse tête
Une poitrine épaisse
Et les mains sales
Mais je suis sans rancune
Même si j`ai le regard froid
J`ai également la peau qui colle
Et l`esprit sain
Un visage tatoué
Et des pieds de plomb
Cependant, sachez que
Pour une poignée de main
Je vous livrerais tous mes biens
Sans condition
Sans condition aucune.
Copyright 2011
LE CHEVAL FOU
LE CHEVAL FOU
(A Petit Pays)
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
J`ai un corps
Je veux dire, sans os
Ni moelle
Pourtant, je suis loin d`être amorphe
Je suis simultanément symétrique, linéaire et éclectique
Le Fleur-de-Lys, voyez-vous?
Je n`aime pas beaucoup le porc
Même quand j`ai des bâtons dans le dos
Ce qui m`enchante le plus c`est la poêle
Celle qui nous est limitrophe
Et qui est la seule sans dents électriques
Après tout, ne suis-je pas le cheval fou ?
Copyright 2011
(A Petit Pays)
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
J`ai un corps
Je veux dire, sans os
Ni moelle
Pourtant, je suis loin d`être amorphe
Je suis simultanément symétrique, linéaire et éclectique
Le Fleur-de-Lys, voyez-vous?
Je n`aime pas beaucoup le porc
Même quand j`ai des bâtons dans le dos
Ce qui m`enchante le plus c`est la poêle
Celle qui nous est limitrophe
Et qui est la seule sans dents électriques
Après tout, ne suis-je pas le cheval fou ?
Copyright 2011
lundi 10 janvier 2011
JESUS OF CRESUS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I'll transfer the balace
So that nothing
Nothing whatsoever
hangs in the balance
The only person I'll owe is Jesus
Because he alone toiled in Cresus.
Copyright 2011
I'll transfer the balace
So that nothing
Nothing whatsoever
hangs in the balance
The only person I'll owe is Jesus
Because he alone toiled in Cresus.
Copyright 2011
L'AMOUR DE MA VIE
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Je vais mourir de joie
Car je suis amoureux
Elle, la vingtaine à peine
M’a purement et simplement envahi
C’est son charme fétiche
Ses paroles douces comme le miel
Son haleine parfumé et envoutant
Ses yeux revolvers me percent
Comme l’épée de Damoclès aux pieds de la croix
Son regard hypnotisant me désarme totalement
Martine a volé mon cœur
Et elle l’a mis dans son sac
Son sac à main.
Copyright 2011
Je vais mourir de joie
Car je suis amoureux
Elle, la vingtaine à peine
M’a purement et simplement envahi
C’est son charme fétiche
Ses paroles douces comme le miel
Son haleine parfumé et envoutant
Ses yeux revolvers me percent
Comme l’épée de Damoclès aux pieds de la croix
Son regard hypnotisant me désarme totalement
Martine a volé mon cœur
Et elle l’a mis dans son sac
Son sac à main.
Copyright 2011
PAROLES A TROUS
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
(A la mémoire du soldat inconnu)
Les paroles monotones
Sont également les paroles épuisées, lourdes et insultantes
Elles relèvent sans aucun doute de la langue de bois
Elles ressemblent curieusement à la première baguette sculptée
Ce sont des servantes sombres, reléguées et en larmes, comme Bopper
Elles sont loin d’être pieuses, innocentes et naïves
Savent-elles qu’elles labourent pour rien
Car le fond du réceptacle est troué ?
Copyright 2011
(A la mémoire du soldat inconnu)
Les paroles monotones
Sont également les paroles épuisées, lourdes et insultantes
Elles relèvent sans aucun doute de la langue de bois
Elles ressemblent curieusement à la première baguette sculptée
Ce sont des servantes sombres, reléguées et en larmes, comme Bopper
Elles sont loin d’être pieuses, innocentes et naïves
Savent-elles qu’elles labourent pour rien
Car le fond du réceptacle est troué ?
Copyright 2011
SEUL DEVANT SON DIEU
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
(A Marie la mère de Dieu, fidèle compagne de voyage)
Mais c’est un peu difficile
Car rien n’est facile ici bas. Pourtant, et pourtant
Il n’y a qu’une seule chose qui prime
Qui soit primordiale, prépondérante et inéluctable
C’est ce seul et unique Dieu Tout Puissant
L’Alpha et l’Oméga
Avec lui, on est quel que chose
Sans lui, on n’est rien
Même au cours de ce voyage Douala-Yaoundé à deux.
Malheureusement, l’homme n’est jamais à l’heure pile
Voilà pourquoi il est carrément le néant
L’homme adore les ténèbres et déteste le sublime
Il aime l’exécrable et le cru, et abomine le bon et le palpable
Alors, quand sera-t-il enfin réjouissant ?
Est-ce lorsqu’il sera de retour à Mbanga ?
Reconnaitra-t-il alors sa vraie dose ?
Franchement, si l’homme ne se rapprochait pas plutôt du chien
Il partirait de la terre au paradis comme de Douala à Yaoundé.
Copyright 2011
(A Marie la mère de Dieu, fidèle compagne de voyage)
Mais c’est un peu difficile
Car rien n’est facile ici bas. Pourtant, et pourtant
Il n’y a qu’une seule chose qui prime
Qui soit primordiale, prépondérante et inéluctable
C’est ce seul et unique Dieu Tout Puissant
L’Alpha et l’Oméga
Avec lui, on est quel que chose
Sans lui, on n’est rien
Même au cours de ce voyage Douala-Yaoundé à deux.
Malheureusement, l’homme n’est jamais à l’heure pile
Voilà pourquoi il est carrément le néant
L’homme adore les ténèbres et déteste le sublime
Il aime l’exécrable et le cru, et abomine le bon et le palpable
Alors, quand sera-t-il enfin réjouissant ?
Est-ce lorsqu’il sera de retour à Mbanga ?
Reconnaitra-t-il alors sa vraie dose ?
Franchement, si l’homme ne se rapprochait pas plutôt du chien
Il partirait de la terre au paradis comme de Douala à Yaoundé.
Copyright 2011
THE GAME OF PRINCES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Princes
All of them
Are nothing but needleword
What they need most is the needle
For fear of playing second fiddle
Always they want to push off the bulwark.
Copyright 2011
Princes
All of them
Are nothing but needleword
What they need most is the needle
For fear of playing second fiddle
Always they want to push off the bulwark.
Copyright 2011
BAIT FOR A TOE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Shall he wait
Or shall he go?
And if we stepped on her toe
Would she then drop the bait?
Copyright 2011
Shall he wait
Or shall he go?
And if we stepped on her toe
Would she then drop the bait?
Copyright 2011
ALON E FOR LUNCH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Why so few feeding bottles?
Is it because of the crunch?
And what if we short-circuited all the throttles?
Would the First Lady then turn up for lunch?
Copyright 2011
Why so few feeding bottles?
Is it because of the crunch?
And what if we short-circuited all the throttles?
Would the First Lady then turn up for lunch?
Copyright 2011
samedi 8 janvier 2011
LOST IN THE JUNGLE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
In the midst of the down and out
I saw my face
Like the ghost face of Jackson
It was the living among the dead
Searching
Trudging
Shuffling
Disfigured
Changed
Transformed
Metamorphosized
Smelling
Unwanted
And dumped.
Copyright 2011
In the midst of the down and out
I saw my face
Like the ghost face of Jackson
It was the living among the dead
Searching
Trudging
Shuffling
Disfigured
Changed
Transformed
Metamorphosized
Smelling
Unwanted
And dumped.
Copyright 2011
THE RIGHT WAY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Don`t hold it that way
Hold it this way
Because if she makes another claim
We`ll all go lame.
Copyright 2011
Don`t hold it that way
Hold it this way
Because if she makes another claim
We`ll all go lame.
Copyright 2011
THE SPEAR FROM ON HIGH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
What did they say?
That all spears must come down?
But how about the risen one?
Has he come down?
Copyright 2011
What did they say?
That all spears must come down?
But how about the risen one?
Has he come down?
Copyright 2011
ROME AS THE ULTIMATE PRICE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
What is the reason
If not treason?
And you say they deserve the bagpipes?
You may as well cede them Rome.
Copyright 2011
What is the reason
If not treason?
And you say they deserve the bagpipes?
You may as well cede them Rome.
Copyright 2011
A CHOIR TOO MANY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Are you a hero or a mirror?
Famished, bruised and bleeding
You still sing praises
So what about the future generations?
Copyright 2011
Are you a hero or a mirror?
Famished, bruised and bleeding
You still sing praises
So what about the future generations?
Copyright 2011
THE VICIOUS CIRCLE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Let`s break this circle
And get out of here
Or do we want to go on limping
As if we were punished for the world`s sins?
Copyright 2011
Let`s break this circle
And get out of here
Or do we want to go on limping
As if we were punished for the world`s sins?
Copyright 2011
HANKIES AS LAST FLAGS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
A million mouths for one loaf?
Only here in this country
And despite the buzzing flies
And the stained white hankies.
Copyright 2011
A million mouths for one loaf?
Only here in this country
And despite the buzzing flies
And the stained white hankies.
Copyright 2011
jeudi 6 janvier 2011
THE TABOO WORD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I can not pronounce the word
It`s too obscene
But if you want us to create a scene
Then I`ll say it`s the third.
Copyright 2011
I can not pronounce the word
It`s too obscene
But if you want us to create a scene
Then I`ll say it`s the third.
Copyright 2011
THE ROYAL RECIPE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It`s not cognac
Neither is it a Big Mac
It`s water fufu and eru
Topped up with kata and fufu corn.
Copyright 2011
It`s not cognac
Neither is it a Big Mac
It`s water fufu and eru
Topped up with kata and fufu corn.
Copyright 2011
THE PASTOR`S GIRL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
She spoke the unspeakable
And got away with it
Just because
The pastor admired her voice.
That was it.
Copyright 2011
She spoke the unspeakable
And got away with it
Just because
The pastor admired her voice.
That was it.
Copyright 2011
VICTIMS OF PROSTITUTION
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Prostitutes are risk takers
But not everyone is one
That`s why the one-day thief
Can easily get caught
And then is maimed for life.
Copyright 2011
Prostitutes are risk takers
But not everyone is one
That`s why the one-day thief
Can easily get caught
And then is maimed for life.
Copyright 2011
THE PAINTER`S HANDS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
They were big hands
Not stained glass windows
If Michael Angelo were to return
We would burn a lot of midnight oil.
Copyright 2011
They were big hands
Not stained glass windows
If Michael Angelo were to return
We would burn a lot of midnight oil.
Copyright 2011
VOICES FROM YONDER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We`re opening up
Not closing in
When a girl works too hard
She begins to hear voices.
Copyright 2011
We`re opening up
Not closing in
When a girl works too hard
She begins to hear voices.
Copyright 2011
CITY LIGHTS AGAIN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I`m on the high seas
All alone
But I`m not complaining
I`m simply telling it as it is.
When the glinting lid comes off
And the odalisque babes go missing
We shall all regret
We didn`t comb the city first.
Copyright 2011
I`m on the high seas
All alone
But I`m not complaining
I`m simply telling it as it is.
When the glinting lid comes off
And the odalisque babes go missing
We shall all regret
We didn`t comb the city first.
Copyright 2011
MEASUREMENTS FOR TWO
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It wasn`t the henchman
No, it was the footman
His measurements are taken in centimeters
Not millimeters.
Copyright 2011
It wasn`t the henchman
No, it was the footman
His measurements are taken in centimeters
Not millimeters.
Copyright 2011
DEVICES FOR THE MONARCH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The mechanism is alive
Just send a tinderbox for five
So that when the inevitable happens
We`ll know why the Queen Bee got rattled.
Copyright 2011
The mechanism is alive
Just send a tinderbox for five
So that when the inevitable happens
We`ll know why the Queen Bee got rattled.
Copyright 2011
STUFF FOR THE LOO
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I didn`t deceive you
You refused to receive me
Just because I`m numb in the knee
It doesn't`t mean I was meant for you.
Copyright 2010
I didn`t deceive you
You refused to receive me
Just because I`m numb in the knee
It doesn't`t mean I was meant for you.
Copyright 2010
mercredi 5 janvier 2011
HANKIES AS FLAGS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
A million mouths for one loaf?
Only here in this country
And despite the buzzing flies
And the stained cathedral windows.
Copyright 2011
A million mouths for one loaf?
Only here in this country
And despite the buzzing flies
And the stained cathedral windows.
Copyright 2011
THE HIDDEN TRUTH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Patricia has written
I received it this morning
But the letter came in ashes
My own letters burnt and the dust gathered up
As proof of my infidelity
If only she knew the truth!
Copyright 2011
Patricia has written
I received it this morning
But the letter came in ashes
My own letters burnt and the dust gathered up
As proof of my infidelity
If only she knew the truth!
Copyright 2011
MY LOCATION
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I`m in the middle room
Not the prime minister`s lodge
In my right hand I carry a broom
But I bear no grudge.
Copyright 2011
I`m in the middle room
Not the prime minister`s lodge
In my right hand I carry a broom
But I bear no grudge.
Copyright 2011
THE ROAD TO SCOAN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I want to follow him
All the way to SCOAN
If the prophet shows the way
Then the whole nation will rise and believe.
Copyright 2011
I want to follow him
All the way to SCOAN
If the prophet shows the way
Then the whole nation will rise and believe.
Copyright 2011
A ROPE FOR HOPE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
He gives hope
And asks for nothing in return
When it comes to our turn
We ask for the rope.
Copyright 2011
He gives hope
And asks for nothing in return
When it comes to our turn
We ask for the rope.
Copyright 2011
THE LAST PLOUGHMAN AND HIS WIFE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The plowman is her
He came with his wife
To search for the meaning of life
So why be filled with rage and fear?
Copyright 2010
The plowman is her
He came with his wife
To search for the meaning of life
So why be filled with rage and fear?
Copyright 2010
LETTER FOR A FOOL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This is my open letter
Dug up from the corner pool
If I weren`t a fool
I would have acted better.
Copyright 2011
This is my open letter
Dug up from the corner pool
If I weren`t a fool
I would have acted better.
Copyright 2011
DOGS OF CHANGE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We dread martyrdom
But we want change
If only we were dogs of war
We would have moved mountains.
Copyright 2011
We dread martyrdom
But we want change
If only we were dogs of war
We would have moved mountains.
Copyright 2011
FAITH AS ONE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Give them another chance
Please, don`t shoot them down
They`re the ones of faith
And we, the faint hearted.
Copyright 2011
Give them another chance
Please, don`t shoot them down
They`re the ones of faith
And we, the faint hearted.
Copyright 2011
PRAYER BEADS WITHOUT A ROUND
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It`s a good idea
One that will weigh more than a pound
But if they challenge us to a round
We won`t rise without asking for a beer.
Copyright 2011
It`s a good idea
One that will weigh more than a pound
But if they challenge us to a round
We won`t rise without asking for a beer.
Copyright 2011
BOUT OF THE DAY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
She worked all day
Taking the rubbish bags out
But when we asked him to pray
She claimed we had declared another bout.
Copyright 2011
She worked all day
Taking the rubbish bags out
But when we asked him to pray
She claimed we had declared another bout.
Copyright 2011
SUITOR FOR TRISH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
What was it, really?
Just rat infested rubbish?
Then why did you get up so early
If not only to woo Trish?
Copyright 2011
What was it, really?
Just rat infested rubbish?
Then why did you get up so early
If not only to woo Trish?
Copyright 2011
CATALYSTS FOR WIVES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
He knows his fate
So save your breath for your porridge
The day we become hoofed ring leaders
Our wives will all run to the shopkeepers.
Copyright 2010
He knows his fate
So save your breath for your porridge
The day we become hoofed ring leaders
Our wives will all run to the shopkeepers.
Copyright 2010
scarecrow with a hoe
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It was his word against ours
Forget about the maimed scarecrow
That`s why when mother sent for her hoe
We knew we`d starve for hours.
Copyright 2010
It was his word against ours
Forget about the maimed scarecrow
That`s why when mother sent for her hoe
We knew we`d starve for hours.
Copyright 2010
BROTHER NORBERT AND I
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This is a reaction to a post on SHESA GOLD.
The reference I have just read about Br. Norbert is very heartwarming to me. Br. Norbert touched my heart when I was in Form Two. After spending Form I in St, Andrew`s Dormitory, I along with other Form One class mates moved to Main Dormitory St. John`s Dormitory.
And it came to pass that one night while were all in class for prep, thieves visited some dormitories. After picking up various items from some of the other dormitories, the men of the underworld deemed it necessary to use my suitcase as the container for their booty. They went away with every single item that was in my suitcase. I was aghast when I returned to the dormitory and found that my box had gone.
It turned out that I was not the only victim. The following morning the Principal, Br. John Phillips instructed Bro. Douglas to take us to the police station so that we could give statements. It turned out that the ringleader was a Shesan who had dropped out some years previously and now returned through the backdoor. As soon as we arrived at the station and he was brought out, he recognized one of the victims, Fabian Suh Fomanji and said to him, "Fabian, how now?" , and Fabian responded, "Fine."
Bro. Norbert was so moved by what had happened to me that he promised my family he would buy me a different suit case. And he did.
However, I wasn`t particularly close to him because I wasn`t good at sports. But I was quite close to Bro. John Phillips because I was good at French and he taught French. I suppose this is how I was able to even the score and balance the equation. I am sure that later the principal was personally instrumental in my being appointed Assistant House Captain for St Johns and Class Prefect for Form Two B when we moved from Form 4 to 5.
Copyright 2011
This is a reaction to a post on SHESA GOLD.
The reference I have just read about Br. Norbert is very heartwarming to me. Br. Norbert touched my heart when I was in Form Two. After spending Form I in St, Andrew`s Dormitory, I along with other Form One class mates moved to Main Dormitory St. John`s Dormitory.
And it came to pass that one night while were all in class for prep, thieves visited some dormitories. After picking up various items from some of the other dormitories, the men of the underworld deemed it necessary to use my suitcase as the container for their booty. They went away with every single item that was in my suitcase. I was aghast when I returned to the dormitory and found that my box had gone.
It turned out that I was not the only victim. The following morning the Principal, Br. John Phillips instructed Bro. Douglas to take us to the police station so that we could give statements. It turned out that the ringleader was a Shesan who had dropped out some years previously and now returned through the backdoor. As soon as we arrived at the station and he was brought out, he recognized one of the victims, Fabian Suh Fomanji and said to him, "Fabian, how now?" , and Fabian responded, "Fine."
Bro. Norbert was so moved by what had happened to me that he promised my family he would buy me a different suit case. And he did.
However, I wasn`t particularly close to him because I wasn`t good at sports. But I was quite close to Bro. John Phillips because I was good at French and he taught French. I suppose this is how I was able to even the score and balance the equation. I am sure that later the principal was personally instrumental in my being appointed Assistant House Captain for St Johns and Class Prefect for Form Two B when we moved from Form 4 to 5.
Copyright 2011
HEARING AMONG OARS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
For all sons and daughters of Bota Island
The oars are all roaring
Like the angry waves of Bota Island
When fishermen start to band
Who`ll seek the red herring?
Copyright 2011
For all sons and daughters of Bota Island
The oars are all roaring
Like the angry waves of Bota Island
When fishermen start to band
Who`ll seek the red herring?
Copyright 2011
NAKED TRUTH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Could you say that to her face
Or would you only whisper it under your breath
Claiming that all jumpers of lace
Are both deep in starch and width?
Copyright 2011
Could you say that to her face
Or would you only whisper it under your breath
Claiming that all jumpers of lace
Are both deep in starch and width?
Copyright 2011
THE STANDARD WRETCH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
If I`m a wretch
You`re a drunkard
But at least, I don`t work for the Standard
And I know about the Treaty of Utretch.
Copyright 2011
If I`m a wretch
You`re a drunkard
But at least, I don`t work for the Standard
And I know about the Treaty of Utretch.
Copyright 2011
mardi 4 janvier 2011
GROUP ACTION
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Like glue we`ll stick together
Tomorrow or the day after
Not in dad`s shirt sleeves
Or the headmistress`s borrowed robes
We`ll be clad in our wardrobe garments
Those the parish priest left after his retreat.
Copyright 2011
Like glue we`ll stick together
Tomorrow or the day after
Not in dad`s shirt sleeves
Or the headmistress`s borrowed robes
We`ll be clad in our wardrobe garments
Those the parish priest left after his retreat.
Copyright 2011
MEN WHO ACT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We don`t ask questions
We simply act
Call us Yes Men or stooges
It won`t change anything.
Copyright 2010
We don`t ask questions
We simply act
Call us Yes Men or stooges
It won`t change anything.
Copyright 2010
THE GAP BETWEEN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The gap is too large
Larger than life
Like New York, the big apple
But then where is the Stature if Liberty?
Copyright 2011
The gap is too large
Larger than life
Like New York, the big apple
But then where is the Stature if Liberty?
Copyright 2011
dimanche 2 janvier 2011
THE QUEEN`S RETURN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
He sped past
As if rushing to Heathrow
Aghast,
The archbishop asked if the queen was back.
Copyright 2011
He sped past
As if rushing to Heathrow
Aghast,
The archbishop asked if the queen was back.
Copyright 2011
THE BOTTOM LINE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
(For Eddie Momoh)
He gives what he has
The buzz, acid rain and animals
She gives what she hasn`t
Love, perfumed hankies and velvet toys.
Copyright 2011
(For Eddie Momoh)
He gives what he has
The buzz, acid rain and animals
She gives what she hasn`t
Love, perfumed hankies and velvet toys.
Copyright 2011
PARENTS` COLOURED HANDS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Mother`s left hand is green
Her right hand, pink
Father`s right hand is pink
His left hand, green.
Copyright 2010
Mother`s left hand is green
Her right hand, pink
Father`s right hand is pink
His left hand, green.
Copyright 2010
CROSSING BRANCHES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My tree branches won`t cross
So, don`t bother
Put back your axes
And pick up your wheelbarrow.
Copyright 2011
My tree branches won`t cross
So, don`t bother
Put back your axes
And pick up your wheelbarrow.
Copyright 2011
COWS IN STOCKWELL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I know cows well
I’ve lived with them
Not in Bethlehem
But in good, old Stockwell.
Copyright 2011
I know cows well
I’ve lived with them
Not in Bethlehem
But in good, old Stockwell.
Copyright 2011
MY FRIGHT OF HILLS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I really don’t like hills
They pose like bully boulders
With large gaps between their teeth
And Frost’s yelping dogs
Too thirsty for blood to retreat.
Copyright 2011
I really don’t like hills
They pose like bully boulders
With large gaps between their teeth
And Frost’s yelping dogs
Too thirsty for blood to retreat.
Copyright 2011
THE PRICE OF A SECRET
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I know the secret
And I’ll tell you if you give me
A female wasp, a cup of black coffee
A calabash of overnight palm wine
Two male goats
A mature white cock
Seven six-lobe cola nuts
An unopened tin of palm of
And the sum of a million Francs.
Copyright 2011
I know the secret
And I’ll tell you if you give me
A female wasp, a cup of black coffee
A calabash of overnight palm wine
Two male goats
A mature white cock
Seven six-lobe cola nuts
An unopened tin of palm of
And the sum of a million Francs.
Copyright 2011
THE LAWLESS STATE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I don`t like sponges
They`ve soaked everything I have
Where then is equity?
Where’s the legislative arm?
Copyright 2011
I don`t like sponges
They`ve soaked everything I have
Where then is equity?
Where’s the legislative arm?
Copyright 2011
JUDAS IN THE FAMILY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My heart is in distress
She left me this morning
Carting away my wedding ring and bible
She eloped with my best man.
Copyright 2011
My heart is in distress
She left me this morning
Carting away my wedding ring and bible
She eloped with my best man.
Copyright 2011
BORN AGAIN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It`s all futile
So give it up
Think nothing of luxury
Give your life to Christ.
Copyright 2011
It`s all futile
So give it up
Think nothing of luxury
Give your life to Christ.
Copyright 2011
HIGH SOCIETY PARTY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
When it comes
We shall be there
Even without our apples
We shall be given access.
Copyright 2010
When it comes
We shall be there
Even without our apples
We shall be given access.
Copyright 2010
SHE AS SOLE PROPRIETOR
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I`m done with you
You`re not my Cancerian RAK
So why ask me for the world?
All I possess is hers.
Copyright 2010
I`m done with you
You`re not my Cancerian RAK
So why ask me for the world?
All I possess is hers.
Copyright 2010
LIFE AS A CROOK
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Life is never straight
It comes in contours and meanders
If you`re not thehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif wooden man
You won`t even remembehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr the first verse.
Copyright 2011
Life is never straight
It comes in contours and meanders
If you`re not thehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif wooden man
You won`t even remembehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr the first verse.
Copyright 2011
DECEPTIVE COLOURS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Colours can really be misleading
They make you miss your step
But turn out to be only a mirage
Far off hills looking green.
Copyright 2010
Colours can really be misleading
They make you miss your step
But turn out to be only a mirage
Far off hills looking green.
Copyright 2010
NIGHT DUTY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
He massaged his head
All night
Outside, the owls suffocated
All night.
Copyright 2011
He massaged his head
All night
Outside, the owls suffocated
All night.
Copyright 2011
THE CURSED ONE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
These whispering birds aren`t cursed
We are
That`s why we pray daily
And they feast daily.
Copyright 2010
These whispering birds aren`t cursed
We are
That`s why we pray daily
And they feast daily.
Copyright 2010
samedi 1 janvier 2011
POP UP AT THE POOL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I didn`t see him drown
In the municipal lake
But I was told
I saw his fly-infested clothes by the pool
And like they predicted
On the third day
His body surfaced on the pool.
Copyright 1011
I didn`t see him drown
In the municipal lake
But I was told
I saw his fly-infested clothes by the pool
And like they predicted
On the third day
His body surfaced on the pool.
Copyright 1011
THE FIRST LADY`S NIPPLES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I didn`t count her nipples
But I noticed they were legion
And they were crowded like cattle in a pen
It`s not only runaway nuns called Rose Kate
Whose nipples have something to write home about.
Copyright 2011
I didn`t count her nipples
But I noticed they were legion
And they were crowded like cattle in a pen
It`s not only runaway nuns called Rose Kate
Whose nipples have something to write home about.
Copyright 2011
THE END LOSER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
In the end
I who stood still
Have become the loser
Yet, I`m neither the revenge seeker
Nor the muscle developer
Nor the railway signal man
Nor the court registrar
Nor the Council ombudsman.
Copyright 2011
In the end
I who stood still
Have become the loser
Yet, I`m neither the revenge seeker
Nor the muscle developer
Nor the railway signal man
Nor the court registrar
Nor the Council ombudsman.
Copyright 2011
BETHROTED TO A PRINCE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
That`s my last hope
That she comes back
Not with the golden fleece
But with the charming prince.
Copyright 2010
That`s my last hope
That she comes back
Not with the golden fleece
But with the charming prince.
Copyright 2010
ON SELF EXILE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
(For Ngafor Antoine. He and I know best the man who left without a forwarding address)
I will rise and speak
When everyone else is silent
And I will tell the truth
The whole truth
Let no one stop me
Not even my parish priest
Because after the rally
I`m taking off
I will go never to return
And without leaving a forwarding address.
Copyright 2010
(For Ngafor Antoine. He and I know best the man who left without a forwarding address)
I will rise and speak
When everyone else is silent
And I will tell the truth
The whole truth
Let no one stop me
Not even my parish priest
Because after the rally
I`m taking off
I will go never to return
And without leaving a forwarding address.
Copyright 2010
DRUNK WITH LOVE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I can feel her touch
It`s as sweet as honey
Her angelic breath; yes - that one
Lifts me above all heights
Today I`m simply drunk with love.
Copyright 2011
I can feel her touch
It`s as sweet as honey
Her angelic breath; yes - that one
Lifts me above all heights
Today I`m simply drunk with love.
Copyright 2011
ANGST OF THE GODS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Stone walls don`t speak
But they choke with words
That`s why from the Stature of Liberty
Every wall looks like a stone wall.
Copyright 2011
Stone walls don`t speak
But they choke with words
That`s why from the Stature of Liberty
Every wall looks like a stone wall.
Copyright 2011
THE TRUTH ABOUT STONE WALLS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Stone walls don`t speak
But they`re choking with words
That`s why from the Stature of Liberty
Any wall looks like a stone wall.
Copyright 2011
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Stone walls don`t speak
But they`re choking with words
That`s why from the Stature of Liberty
Any wall looks like a stone wall.
Copyright 2011
THE END OF SWEETNESS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Sweetness is nothing
Not even a winged bird
But if your holed up in an iron cage
You`ll think the end is near.
Copyright 2011
Sweetness is nothing
Not even a winged bird
But if your holed up in an iron cage
You`ll think the end is near.
Copyright 2011
THIRST AS A SPHYNX
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Thirst isn`t grief
Far from it, it`s an appetizer
So when you smell fermented corn beer
Don`t yet sing your last hymn.
Copyright 2011
Thirst isn`t grief
Far from it, it`s an appetizer
So when you smell fermented corn beer
Don`t yet sing your last hymn.
Copyright 2011
A DOLLAR FOR OBAMA
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
One dollar isn`t enough
Make it two
Do you think it`s that easy
To push a confidential note to Obama
While he presides over a cabinet meeting?
Copyright 2010
One dollar isn`t enough
Make it two
Do you think it`s that easy
To push a confidential note to Obama
While he presides over a cabinet meeting?
Copyright 2010
ANGST OF THE GODS
by Tikum Mbah Azonga
The gods are angry
And our forefathers jittery
If we in turn become so watery
Then how shall the village solve the quandary?
Copyright 2010
The gods are angry
And our forefathers jittery
If we in turn become so watery
Then how shall the village solve the quandary?
Copyright 2010
LOVE FOR TWO
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
When love comes down
With wings at last unclipped
The lone damsel will float in a gown.
But let no Kom man be irked.
Copyright 2010
When love comes down
With wings at last unclipped
The lone damsel will float in a gown.
But let no Kom man be irked.
Copyright 2010
MAROONED AN AN ISLAND
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Oh! Rose of my life!
Where is your gloss?Or is it your cross?
I`m stuck here in Fyffe.
Copyright 2010
Oh! Rose of my life!
Where is your gloss?Or is it your cross?
I`m stuck here in Fyffe.
Copyright 2010
SINGING FOR THE DEAD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
You must stand up and sing
If you want to be remembered
But if your notes are too long for meaning
Then the old matron`s bones must be deterred.
Copyright 1011
You must stand up and sing
If you want to be remembered
But if your notes are too long for meaning
Then the old matron`s bones must be deterred.
Copyright 1011
THE STRAY RESEARCHER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Where does he think he is going
Carrying Gertrude`s prized wedding photograph?
Is he banking on quantitative analysands
Or is he thinking of the quantitative approach?
Check it out.
Copyright 2011
Where does he think he is going
Carrying Gertrude`s prized wedding photograph?
Is he banking on quantitative analysands
Or is he thinking of the quantitative approach?
Check it out.
Copyright 2011
THE IMF VISITS CAMEROON
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 27th of November 2002, in reaction to a visit to Cameroon by officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF and the World Bank. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are two United Nations financial institutions which are well known the world over. Basically their job is to help prop world ailing economies by working in close collaboration with national governments in terms of assistance in diagnosis, strategic planning, funding and continuous guidance.
When the organizations work with a country, they do so in a carefully planned manner that involves work being paced out according to clear cut phases and a definite time table and so from time to time, and in conformity with the time table they make trips to the country in question and hand-in-hand with the country’s authorities, they assess progress made, point or weaknesses and agree on what has to be done next. It is within such a context that the just ended mission to Cameroon led by the now only too familiar Edward Maciejewski should be placed.
During the two-day visit, the officials met with Cameroon`s Prime Minister Head of Government, the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, the Minister of Finance and the Budget, as well as the Minister of Economic Affairs, Programming and Regional Development. As usual, the visitors received the active participation of the Cameroon Country Office of their organizations, as well as the other related organs of the United Nations based here in Cameroon.
Discussions centered around progress being made on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Document which covers a wider sphere than the Facility for the Reduction of Poverty and Growth. It emerged that the government must work harder towards integrating the new fiscal year that now runs from January to December, instead of the former one that ran from July to June, while ensuring that the first year of the Poverty Reduction Strategy corresponds to the last year of the Facility for Poverty Reduction one.
The head of the visiting delegation felt that at the macroeconomic level, the Cameroonian economy was moving in the right direction, nut thought some catching up needed to be done at the level of structural reforms. He noted that although considerable effort had been made in terms of governance, the gains needed to be consolidated and a lot more ground covered. There was concern that attainment of the Finishing Point for the HIPC would experience some delay.
The IMF and World Bank are institutions that should be taken seriously and their recommendations implemented. Implementation, of course, calls for enormous, perhaps incredible, self sacrifice on the part of the people in the countries concerned. Even so, the conditions are so tedious that some countries have found their draconian nature too heavy to bear and so have called off the whole deal and backed out of policy implementation. Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda did just that by pulling his country out of the donor institutions on the grounds that no country in the world had been taken to court for not paying debts.
Right now though, our country Cameroon is in the good books of both institutions and is regarded as a model pupil within its circles. For our national economy to stage a full recovery, Cameroonians must continue to tough it out. But perhaps the government should do more to sensitize Cameroonians about the role of the donor organizations and the implications of implementing lending conditionality on their daily lives. It is a question of give and take.
Copyright 2011
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 27th of November 2002, in reaction to a visit to Cameroon by officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF and the World Bank. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are two United Nations financial institutions which are well known the world over. Basically their job is to help prop world ailing economies by working in close collaboration with national governments in terms of assistance in diagnosis, strategic planning, funding and continuous guidance.
When the organizations work with a country, they do so in a carefully planned manner that involves work being paced out according to clear cut phases and a definite time table and so from time to time, and in conformity with the time table they make trips to the country in question and hand-in-hand with the country’s authorities, they assess progress made, point or weaknesses and agree on what has to be done next. It is within such a context that the just ended mission to Cameroon led by the now only too familiar Edward Maciejewski should be placed.
During the two-day visit, the officials met with Cameroon`s Prime Minister Head of Government, the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, the Minister of Finance and the Budget, as well as the Minister of Economic Affairs, Programming and Regional Development. As usual, the visitors received the active participation of the Cameroon Country Office of their organizations, as well as the other related organs of the United Nations based here in Cameroon.
Discussions centered around progress being made on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Document which covers a wider sphere than the Facility for the Reduction of Poverty and Growth. It emerged that the government must work harder towards integrating the new fiscal year that now runs from January to December, instead of the former one that ran from July to June, while ensuring that the first year of the Poverty Reduction Strategy corresponds to the last year of the Facility for Poverty Reduction one.
The head of the visiting delegation felt that at the macroeconomic level, the Cameroonian economy was moving in the right direction, nut thought some catching up needed to be done at the level of structural reforms. He noted that although considerable effort had been made in terms of governance, the gains needed to be consolidated and a lot more ground covered. There was concern that attainment of the Finishing Point for the HIPC would experience some delay.
The IMF and World Bank are institutions that should be taken seriously and their recommendations implemented. Implementation, of course, calls for enormous, perhaps incredible, self sacrifice on the part of the people in the countries concerned. Even so, the conditions are so tedious that some countries have found their draconian nature too heavy to bear and so have called off the whole deal and backed out of policy implementation. Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda did just that by pulling his country out of the donor institutions on the grounds that no country in the world had been taken to court for not paying debts.
Right now though, our country Cameroon is in the good books of both institutions and is regarded as a model pupil within its circles. For our national economy to stage a full recovery, Cameroonians must continue to tough it out. But perhaps the government should do more to sensitize Cameroonians about the role of the donor organizations and the implications of implementing lending conditionality on their daily lives. It is a question of give and take.
Copyright 2011
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