By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The idea of writing text books for use in our schools is no longer new as it has been done for decades. Thanks to that turn of events, gone are the days when most, if not all, secondary school text books were imported, at great cost to both school and parents. Now that the trend has been reversed, students are having on offer, more and more “Made in Cameroon” textbooks. It is precisely in the category of what I call the “home-made textbooks” that Nathaniel Okenyi`s Biotechnology: An Introductory Approach, falls squarely.
Even so, Okenyi`s book is not just one of those “made in Cameroon”. The book is totally and entirely in a class of its own because it embraces a discipline which is new in the country`s school curriculum and one on which little if not nothing has been written specifically. Two leading authorities who have written the forward to the book – Helen Agborbesong who is National Pedagogic Inspector for Biology and Akonumbo Derrick who is Assistant Chief Examiner for Advanced Level Biology – support this view: “The introduction of the study of Biotechnology in our educational system has been very timid. The reasons for this may not be very evident but as a teacher, one would be tempted to think that we need an appropriate text book. Secondly, if we do have a text the next problem would be how to exploit it. This is to say our teachers are not adequately versed on the subject matter. The Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board has introduced this area of study as an integral part of the Ordinary Level as well as the Advanced Level. This makes its study imperative in our schools. The coming up of Biotechnology: An Introductory Approach will certainly be of relief to many a teacher of biology”.
When one examines Okenyi`s profile, one has no doubt that he is quite qualified to write such a book. He has studied biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology and biology education. He holds a BSc and a Maitrise in biochemistry as well as the DIPES II from the Higher Cycle of ENS Yaounde. In terms of practical field experience, Okenyi is Head of the Department of Biology and Science Coordinator at Government Bilingual High School, Tiko. He is also a GCE examiner in Advanced Level Biology. Perhaps to crown it all, he serves as a member of the Cameroon Science Teachers` Association (CAMSTA) as well as the Natural Science Teachers` Association (NASTA).
That being the case, it is therefore not surprising that Okenyi begins his study by giving a definition of biotechnology. According to him, “Biotechnology is any technological application which uses biological systems, living things or derivatives thereof to make and modify products or processes for specific uses (…) Biotechnology can be compared to biology because both studies are carried out on living things. But their differences are enormous. While biology, basically involves the understanding of living things and systems, biotechnology delves into the use of these systems and their understanding. When compared in terms of production we note that biotechnology can be considered as the economic aspect of biology. It involves the stepping up of biological processes. Biological production is measured in terms of grams while biotechnology harnesses knowledge and skills to modify life. It is geared towards production and developmental perspectives”.
Okenyi`s definition ties in with the following one from the website, Wise Geek: “In its most general sense, biotech can be used to refer to any sort of technology that uses biology to accomplish its end. This includes such ‘low-tech’ methods as grafting different plants together, adding yeasts to a drink to ferment it into beer, or supplementing soil with organisms to help manage pest problems. In a more specific sense, biotech is usually used to refer to a higher level of technological intercession, especially in the field of agriculture. There are four main subfields of biotech, which most implementations fit under: green, blue, white, and red. Green biotech has to do with plants and growing, blue biotech has to do with aquatic uses of biological technology, white biotech is used in industry, and red biotech is used for medical purposes. While all four subfields have contributed a number of valuable processes, green biotech is probably the most widely used, while blue biotech is still relatively rare”.
To buttress his definition of biotechnology, the Okenyi adapts an illustrative Biotechnology Knowledge Tree from Wikipedia.org which links 15 other disciplines directly to biotechnology. These are agriculture, genetics, energy and environmental management, biochemistry, chemical engineering, food processing, immunology, parasitology, genetic engineering, bioprocess technology, fermentation technology, medicine, microbiology and cell and molecular biology.
The book is broken up into six broad chapters, each of which is further divided into sub sections. The six are biotechnology and scope, traditional biotechnology, modern biotechnology, techniques of modern biotechnology, sustainability and some applications of biotechnology, and finally bioethics. Some sub chapters taken at random are production of dairies, production of wines, grafting, organisms used in biotechnology, culture media, fermentation technology, tissue-cell culture, protoplast fusion, genetic engineering including polymerase chain reaction and recombinant DNA technology, production of human insulin, biogas production, micro-propagation in plants, the use of pectinase to extract fruit juice, ethanoic and acid production, as well as making soap, ice cream, ginger bread and bread.
Okenyi somehow manages to balance a certain equation that could easily have wrong-footed him. It is the unenviable task of giving satisfaction to both teacher and student in terms of the usefulness of the book. That is why he says in the preface: “A common misconception among teachers is the thought that biotechnology only includes recDNA technology and genetic engineering. To keep students abreast of this current knowledge, some teachers at times have emphasized the techniques of DNA science as the “end-and-all” of biotechnology. This trend has led to a misunderstanding in the general populace Biotechnology is broader than these two techniques. In this book therefore I have not only presented the scope of biotechnology but have also emphasized other techniques and their basic principles. The book will serve as a handbook for both students of the formal and informal education sectors. To teachers, it should serve as the framework for thoughtful teaching not only to make better the creation of God but to render it purposeful and useful”.
The outer back cover of the book says even more about its usefulness: “Biotechnology: An Introductory Approach provides the clearest access to the vast pluri-disciplinary field of biotechnology. It emphasizes the experimental and economic aspects of biotechnology which can be exploited by scholars in the developing world. This book is relevant primarily to teachers given that it provides first hand information and the basics of biotechnology. It is equally relevant to A-Level biology and undergraduates of biochemistry, microbiology and biotechnology. Biotechnology: An Introductory Approach offers clear and simple explanations of biological concepts in biotechnology, progression of concepts from simple to complex with thoughtful insights, real and comprehensive texts for students to explore, experiments and laboratory activities that can be converted into business ventures, as well as revision exercises and past questions of the London and Cameroon GCE examination on biotechnology, with answers traceable inside the text.
The author goes the extra mile for the sake of the student, by setting at the end of chapters, examination-like revision questions. At the end of the entire work he sets what he calls “General Question” which are in fact a bird`s eye view revision of the entire book. The book is written in simple English, with sufficient care being taken to ensure that even when scientific formulas and equations are used, the non-scientific mind is not scared off. It contains an appendix which gives a table for ammonium medium for nitrosomonas, one for Emmons` Culture Medium for Fungi and one on the Phage Growth Medium. The book also contains a glossary which defines useful related terms such as absorption, antibiotic, cloning vector, hemocytometer, molasses, pasteurization, restriction endonuclease and sparging. Further on he includes a selected bibliography of proven authors such as Lealy & al, Mullis, Lodish, Benson, Cooper, Nagamani and Ramasamyi, Jens and Villadsen as well as an alphabetical index.
Biotechnology: An Introductory Approach was published in 2008 by Bookhouse, P.O. Box 14030, Yaounde.
Author`s contact details:
Mr. Nathaniel Okenyi
GBHS Tiko
Fako Division
South West Region
Republic of Cameroon
TEL: (237) 9981 9775 or (237) 7658 8733
EMAIL: nathokenyi@yahoo.com
Copyright 2010
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est TIKUM MBAH AZONGA BOOK REVIEWS. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est TIKUM MBAH AZONGA BOOK REVIEWS. Afficher tous les articles
lundi 16 août 2010
vendredi 13 août 2010
NSO CULTURE RE-ENACTED IN KUMBO
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
(alias Lukong Mbilam, Wan Shufai Ndzendzev wo Mandze, wo Kimbo)
There is something mythical about Nso sons and daughters: generally, they like their culture, but especially their language. This statement is borne out by two facts, the first of which is that when someone from outside arrives in that homeland to take up residence, they are told in Lamnso: “A ked fo ye’ lamnso’eh!” meaning, “You must learn Lamnso, eh?” The other supporting evidence is that Nso people generally like to marry among themselves. Although they marry outside of the Nso clan, such instances are few and far between.
One thing no one can deny Nso people is that they have a very rich cultural background. Aware of this, they have in recent years sought to revamp and showcase their patrimony whenever they can. An example is Mfu` House in Ghana Street Bamenda which is a replica of what such a `meeting House` looks like back home. On Mfu` days, members all clad in the corresponding traditional regalia, come together, deliberate, drink, sing, and clash their Mfu` `swords`. When they at the climax, they can be heard exclaiming joyously in the name of the Mfu` secret society: “Mfu` eh!”. A Mfu` meeting is an event worth witnessing, the more so as it really looks like what one might call a piece of Nso in Bamenda. Another eloquent demonstration of Nso culture is the Ngon-Nso 2010 Festival that was held in Kumbo in April of this year. To be more precise, the cultural bonanza took place from April 3 to 11. As part of the celebration, a special magazine was produced with the participation of the Nso royal family, the NSO Development Association (NSODA), internal and external elite as well as many other Nso sons and daughters.
Ngon-Nso was more than a cultural festival. It was a celebration whose focus was on Ngon-Nso, the founder of the Nso dynasty. Ngon-Nso was a sister to Nchare-Yen and Mfomban. It turned out that the two brothers left their ancestral land for greener pastures but carefully avoided informing their sister because they wanted her to stay at home. However, Ngon-Nso got wind of the departure and also took off with her own followers. While Ngon-Nso founded the Nso clan, Nchare-Yen founded the Bamoun clan and Mfomban started the Mbam family which is today found in the Mbam and Inoubou and Mbam and Kim Divisions around Bafia and Ntui in the Centre Province of Cameroon.
As might be expected, the cover of the magazine is dominated by a remarkable figure of Ngon-Nso sitting on a stool (or so it seems) that forms part of her lower body. In conformity with royal taste, the ancestor’s entire body – except for the face, ears and hands - is covered with cowries carefully planted so that they form an exquisite architecture capable of wooing anybody who looks at it: children and adults; women and children; primary, secondary and university scholars, researchers and even the laity. On the illustration, Ngon-Nso is alone with not a single other soul anywhere around her. In a way, this could be interpreted as an emphasis of her absolute power over her kingdom and those over whom she rules and has dominion. This is so because according to tradition, a Fon never dies. The Fon “goes missing”. It is therefore believed that wherever this mother ancestor of the Nso clan is, she is still brooding over her children and keeping them out of harm`s way, like every good mother would do. On another note, the inside front cover of the publication carries the photograph of the Head of State, Paul Biya while on the opposite page is that of Prime Minister Philemon Yang. The third page features Culture Minister Ama Tutu Muna.
It was in the year 1394 that the three siblings - Nchare-Yen, Ngon-Nso and Mfomban - went their separate ways and it was in that same year that they founded their respective dynasties. Not irrelevantly, the current Fon of Nso, the relatively young, handsome and dynamic Sehm Mbinglo III, in his address published in the magazine on the occasion of Ngon-Nso 2010, lays emphasis on the need for the families of the three dynasties to work in synergy with each other. He even goes the extra mile to advocate a football tournament whose matches would take place alternately in Kumbo, Foumban and Bafia.
In his own address also published in the magazine, the National President of NSODA, Shey Wilfred Banmbuh says: “The primordial objective of the festival is to transmit and indeed inculcate our ancestral norms, values and traditions in our offspring. It could not be otherwise because our tradition, norms and values are what together bind us as one people, give us one culture and one identity”.
The publication is rich in its treatment of different aspects of Nso culture. It is thus that in it one finds an article on the Nchumelu, ‘the Matrilineal Line of the Nso Fon’, written by Bulami Edward Fonyuy and Prof Daniel Lantum. ‘Nso Traditional Orders and Etiquette’ is handled by Mzeka Nzegha Paul and ‘The Political Organization of the Nso Paramouncy from 1970 to 2010’, by Sakah J. Tatah. ‘Ngon-Nso Cultural Festival 2010: A Scientific/Literary Appreciation and Appraisal’ is a contribution by Dr. Faay Woo Bamfen’. Grace Bonglamonyuy Lafon writes on the topic: ‘Hiding the Umbilical cord: For Women Only’. The exploits of Milano Kumbo Sports Academy, flag bearers of sports in Bui Division are recounted by its Executive President Mbenkum Roland Kiven. Some poetry is thrown in for good measure by the young and dashing Mirabel Fonyuy aka Myra.
Bui Community Radio (BCR) which has become a celebrity in its own right in Bui Division takes up the whole of the back page of the publication to advertise itself. In its own words, it “has 450 000 listeners in Bui, Donga Mantung and parts of Noun, Ngoketunjia and Mezam”.
Nonetheless, the magazine has some weaknesses which the editors would do well to examine and rectify. These include the fact that its pages are not numbered and it has no contact details just in case a reader wants to get in touch. This is regrettable because spontaneous reactions from Nso people and well wishers in the diaspora, for example, might want to support the venture by either contributing towards the next edition of Ngon-Nso, or even going further to ensure that the Nso community worldwide has a permanent periodical magazine to report on their events and in the process, mirror and propagate Nso culture.
Despite these shortcomings, the publication is worth acquiring and keeping. It is more than just a magazine. It is a photo album. Magazines are read and then put away. Photo albums are looked at and then returned to often as a means of reconnecting with the past and reliving the good old days.
Beri ven feyi. Abeni.
Thanks a lot. See you.
Copyright 2010
(alias Lukong Mbilam, Wan Shufai Ndzendzev wo Mandze, wo Kimbo)
There is something mythical about Nso sons and daughters: generally, they like their culture, but especially their language. This statement is borne out by two facts, the first of which is that when someone from outside arrives in that homeland to take up residence, they are told in Lamnso: “A ked fo ye’ lamnso’eh!” meaning, “You must learn Lamnso, eh?” The other supporting evidence is that Nso people generally like to marry among themselves. Although they marry outside of the Nso clan, such instances are few and far between.
One thing no one can deny Nso people is that they have a very rich cultural background. Aware of this, they have in recent years sought to revamp and showcase their patrimony whenever they can. An example is Mfu` House in Ghana Street Bamenda which is a replica of what such a `meeting House` looks like back home. On Mfu` days, members all clad in the corresponding traditional regalia, come together, deliberate, drink, sing, and clash their Mfu` `swords`. When they at the climax, they can be heard exclaiming joyously in the name of the Mfu` secret society: “Mfu` eh!”. A Mfu` meeting is an event worth witnessing, the more so as it really looks like what one might call a piece of Nso in Bamenda. Another eloquent demonstration of Nso culture is the Ngon-Nso 2010 Festival that was held in Kumbo in April of this year. To be more precise, the cultural bonanza took place from April 3 to 11. As part of the celebration, a special magazine was produced with the participation of the Nso royal family, the NSO Development Association (NSODA), internal and external elite as well as many other Nso sons and daughters.
Ngon-Nso was more than a cultural festival. It was a celebration whose focus was on Ngon-Nso, the founder of the Nso dynasty. Ngon-Nso was a sister to Nchare-Yen and Mfomban. It turned out that the two brothers left their ancestral land for greener pastures but carefully avoided informing their sister because they wanted her to stay at home. However, Ngon-Nso got wind of the departure and also took off with her own followers. While Ngon-Nso founded the Nso clan, Nchare-Yen founded the Bamoun clan and Mfomban started the Mbam family which is today found in the Mbam and Inoubou and Mbam and Kim Divisions around Bafia and Ntui in the Centre Province of Cameroon.
As might be expected, the cover of the magazine is dominated by a remarkable figure of Ngon-Nso sitting on a stool (or so it seems) that forms part of her lower body. In conformity with royal taste, the ancestor’s entire body – except for the face, ears and hands - is covered with cowries carefully planted so that they form an exquisite architecture capable of wooing anybody who looks at it: children and adults; women and children; primary, secondary and university scholars, researchers and even the laity. On the illustration, Ngon-Nso is alone with not a single other soul anywhere around her. In a way, this could be interpreted as an emphasis of her absolute power over her kingdom and those over whom she rules and has dominion. This is so because according to tradition, a Fon never dies. The Fon “goes missing”. It is therefore believed that wherever this mother ancestor of the Nso clan is, she is still brooding over her children and keeping them out of harm`s way, like every good mother would do. On another note, the inside front cover of the publication carries the photograph of the Head of State, Paul Biya while on the opposite page is that of Prime Minister Philemon Yang. The third page features Culture Minister Ama Tutu Muna.
It was in the year 1394 that the three siblings - Nchare-Yen, Ngon-Nso and Mfomban - went their separate ways and it was in that same year that they founded their respective dynasties. Not irrelevantly, the current Fon of Nso, the relatively young, handsome and dynamic Sehm Mbinglo III, in his address published in the magazine on the occasion of Ngon-Nso 2010, lays emphasis on the need for the families of the three dynasties to work in synergy with each other. He even goes the extra mile to advocate a football tournament whose matches would take place alternately in Kumbo, Foumban and Bafia.
In his own address also published in the magazine, the National President of NSODA, Shey Wilfred Banmbuh says: “The primordial objective of the festival is to transmit and indeed inculcate our ancestral norms, values and traditions in our offspring. It could not be otherwise because our tradition, norms and values are what together bind us as one people, give us one culture and one identity”.
The publication is rich in its treatment of different aspects of Nso culture. It is thus that in it one finds an article on the Nchumelu, ‘the Matrilineal Line of the Nso Fon’, written by Bulami Edward Fonyuy and Prof Daniel Lantum. ‘Nso Traditional Orders and Etiquette’ is handled by Mzeka Nzegha Paul and ‘The Political Organization of the Nso Paramouncy from 1970 to 2010’, by Sakah J. Tatah. ‘Ngon-Nso Cultural Festival 2010: A Scientific/Literary Appreciation and Appraisal’ is a contribution by Dr. Faay Woo Bamfen’. Grace Bonglamonyuy Lafon writes on the topic: ‘Hiding the Umbilical cord: For Women Only’. The exploits of Milano Kumbo Sports Academy, flag bearers of sports in Bui Division are recounted by its Executive President Mbenkum Roland Kiven. Some poetry is thrown in for good measure by the young and dashing Mirabel Fonyuy aka Myra.
Bui Community Radio (BCR) which has become a celebrity in its own right in Bui Division takes up the whole of the back page of the publication to advertise itself. In its own words, it “has 450 000 listeners in Bui, Donga Mantung and parts of Noun, Ngoketunjia and Mezam”.
Nonetheless, the magazine has some weaknesses which the editors would do well to examine and rectify. These include the fact that its pages are not numbered and it has no contact details just in case a reader wants to get in touch. This is regrettable because spontaneous reactions from Nso people and well wishers in the diaspora, for example, might want to support the venture by either contributing towards the next edition of Ngon-Nso, or even going further to ensure that the Nso community worldwide has a permanent periodical magazine to report on their events and in the process, mirror and propagate Nso culture.
Despite these shortcomings, the publication is worth acquiring and keeping. It is more than just a magazine. It is a photo album. Magazines are read and then put away. Photo albums are looked at and then returned to often as a means of reconnecting with the past and reliving the good old days.
Beri ven feyi. Abeni.
Thanks a lot. See you.
Copyright 2010
jeudi 12 août 2010
A LOOK AT FODJE JOHN TAITI’S MIRROR
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
When one examines the book industry in Cameroon one notices that there appear to be more curriculum-related books in circulation than those on subjects that one may call ‘abstract’. The book, The Twisted Nature of Man by Fodje John Taiti, is an eloquent example of a writer who has decided not to follow the crowd but to chart his own way as it were. It is not about everyday routine subjects such as mathematics, chemistry, history or economics. No, it is about the philosophy of life.
Although the book was published eleven years ago, today it is still as relevant as it was in 1999. It still challenges and prods the reader in the same way. The author summarizes the work as follows: “It is an effort to put into words some of the very essential things I have come to have faith in. I have therefore written this book with the trust that many people who read it would appreciate and appraise not only the nature of other people but theirs as well. When we see other people with the ‘eyes’ that we see ourselves the world would surely become a happier home for all of us.” Fodje dedicates the book to a Rev. Pastor Fondo who according to the author first told him “that there was a twist in human nature”. Last but surely not the least in his dedication are those whom he terms “far and near, past, present and future who love me despite the twist in my nature.”
Concerning the twist, Fodje writes: “There is a twist in human nature which is difficult to explain. No matter how sincere, no matter how straight, the human being has exhibited a twist in his nature at one time or another that does not tally with the overall image he normally presents.” According to the author, this twist in man’s nature makes it hard for man to listen to the other person. Yet, this inability or unwillingness to lend an ear inhibits the learning of new things and the acquisition of new experiences. Fodje argues that between right and wrong, man is not obliged to choose wrong. Consequently, man must not cover up personal weaknesses such as lateness for events with the false claim that lateness is an African thing. On the matter of politics, he contends that it is wrong to claim that free and fair elections are impossible in our community and our context. Fodje frowns at the fact that in a country like Cameroon, so much undue emphasis is placed on the origin of appointees when appointments are being made: “A village which produces a minister has no more right to the services of the ministry he heads than the rest of the country. The author clears any doubts that might limit the readership of the book to just Christians: “Although it uses examples from the Bible, the book cuts across denominational and religious barriers. It is therefore a book for all people and for all seasons.”
The Twisted Nature of Man is a 100-page portable pocket size book, written in plain English and therefore easy to read and understand. Even so, it is not simplistic as it is still rich in metaphors and humour. Although the book contains eighteen chapters, they are so artfully arranged that the reader can pick and choose which chapters to read first, and therefore not be tied down to linearity. Chapters are fairly short which means that once begun, a chapter is soon finished. Some of the chapters include ‘Situation ethics’; ‘God, Man and the Concept of Good and Bad’; ‘Happiness and Sorrow’; ‘The role of Traditional Doctors’; ‘Dishonesty’; ‘The Price of Popularity’; ‘The Dirt Around Us’; and the tantalizing question phrase, ‘Building Bridges or Creating Gulfs?’.
Fodje John Taiti who is a retired secondary school teacher served as principal of GBHS Bamenda and GBHS Ndop. He is currently Social Democratic Front (SDF) Alternate parliamentarian for the Bamenda/Bali constituency.
Copyright 2010
mercredi 28 juillet 2010
NGWANA SPEAKS ON THE ANGLOPHONE PROBLEM
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
One of the most vocal advocates of what has come to be known as “The Anglophone Problem” of Cameroon, has again slammed his hand on the table, figuratively speaking, in order to drive home his point. The advocate, who is none other than Chief A.S. Ngwana, has done so by publishing a pamphlet in which he takes as stimulus the recent verdict by the African Commission in Banjul.
Entitled, “The Anglophone Problem: The Verdict of the African Commission”, the 25 page publication picks up the debate from the point of view of the ruling having been a timely vindication of the author’s advocacy of a federal state structure as the final solution to the Anglophone problem.
A.S. Ngwana places the issue within the wider context of the ‘world’: “The verdict of the SCNC versus La République du Cameroun by the African Commission on Human Rights is so important that we consider it a victory for the English speaking people of the British Southern Cameroons (West Cameroon). The outside world has been informed and alerted as to the injustices, marginalization and the betrayals the people of the British Cameroons (West Cameroon) have suffered since the abolition of the Federal Republic of Cameroon”.
Ngwana reproduces the recommendations made by the African Commission; firstly as they apply to “the Respondent State, the La République du Cameroun”, and next as they pertain to “the complainants and the SCNC and SCAPO in particular”. According to the verdict, the respondent state is enjoined to ensure fairness and justice while the opposite party is asked to “transform into a political party” and “abandon secessionism”, as well as “engage in dialogue with the respondent State on the constitutional issues and grievances”.
The author further remarks: “As you can see from the above, the recommendations are a very great victory for us who actually voted for unification and for the Cameroon Democratic Party / Cardinal Democratic Party and for the Cameroon Democratic Party”. He further says: “We have never supported violent secession but have advocated a return to federalism and have condemned marginalization, betrayal and abuse of unification. So the recommendations are in keeping with our aspirations.” In the latter part of the publication, Ngwana reproduces a speech he made some years earlier outlining the position of his party on the question of the Anglophone problem whose solution he summarizes as federation instead of secession.
Undoubtedly, Ngwana²s pamphlet is a useful contribution to the ongoing debate on the status of Cameroon’s minority Anglophone community and where it goes from here. Nonetheless, it is regrettable that for a publication on such a sensitive issue, the date of publication is nowhere indicated in the work. As a result, this vacuum creates confusion in the mind of the reader and leaves him or her unfocused and unsettled.
Copyright 2010
One of the most vocal advocates of what has come to be known as “The Anglophone Problem” of Cameroon, has again slammed his hand on the table, figuratively speaking, in order to drive home his point. The advocate, who is none other than Chief A.S. Ngwana, has done so by publishing a pamphlet in which he takes as stimulus the recent verdict by the African Commission in Banjul.
Entitled, “The Anglophone Problem: The Verdict of the African Commission”, the 25 page publication picks up the debate from the point of view of the ruling having been a timely vindication of the author’s advocacy of a federal state structure as the final solution to the Anglophone problem.
A.S. Ngwana places the issue within the wider context of the ‘world’: “The verdict of the SCNC versus La République du Cameroun by the African Commission on Human Rights is so important that we consider it a victory for the English speaking people of the British Southern Cameroons (West Cameroon). The outside world has been informed and alerted as to the injustices, marginalization and the betrayals the people of the British Cameroons (West Cameroon) have suffered since the abolition of the Federal Republic of Cameroon”.
Ngwana reproduces the recommendations made by the African Commission; firstly as they apply to “the Respondent State, the La République du Cameroun”, and next as they pertain to “the complainants and the SCNC and SCAPO in particular”. According to the verdict, the respondent state is enjoined to ensure fairness and justice while the opposite party is asked to “transform into a political party” and “abandon secessionism”, as well as “engage in dialogue with the respondent State on the constitutional issues and grievances”.
The author further remarks: “As you can see from the above, the recommendations are a very great victory for us who actually voted for unification and for the Cameroon Democratic Party / Cardinal Democratic Party and for the Cameroon Democratic Party”. He further says: “We have never supported violent secession but have advocated a return to federalism and have condemned marginalization, betrayal and abuse of unification. So the recommendations are in keeping with our aspirations.” In the latter part of the publication, Ngwana reproduces a speech he made some years earlier outlining the position of his party on the question of the Anglophone problem whose solution he summarizes as federation instead of secession.
Undoubtedly, Ngwana²s pamphlet is a useful contribution to the ongoing debate on the status of Cameroon’s minority Anglophone community and where it goes from here. Nonetheless, it is regrettable that for a publication on such a sensitive issue, the date of publication is nowhere indicated in the work. As a result, this vacuum creates confusion in the mind of the reader and leaves him or her unfocused and unsettled.
Copyright 2010
mercredi 21 juillet 2010
MANKON CULTURE AS A STEPPING STONE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It’s surely not everyday that one comes across a book on one’s own local community, especially in a Cameroon where the average citizen with money in his pocket, would rush for a bottle of beer rather than a book to read. So when one is landed with such a catch, it is a moment that calls for celebration. It’s a windfall.
Such is the case with my recent discovery somewhere of a booklet that traces the recent history of the Mankon people. Mankon is one of the four main villages that make up Bamenda I Sub Division and Bamenda I Council in Mezam Division of the North West Province of Cameroon. The other three are Chomba, Mbatu and Nsongwa. Interestingly the four villages speak various dialects of the same language which when expanded to include similar other ones in the Division, is called, “Ngemba”, the meaning being, “I say, eh?”
The book entitled: Focus on Nukwi Nu Fo Ndefru III: Mankon Cultural Festival, 23rd to 31st December 1984, is compiled and edited by Yalla Eballa and Emmanuel Aloangamo Aka. In the introduction, A.F. Monikang and F.A. Ndenge state: “In this pamphlet an attempt has been made to present the Mankon people to the general public, especially to the younger generation, and the significance of the cultural festival, Nukwi which is one of the most important heritages of the Mankon people.”
The writers go on to say: “historically, Nukwi dates back to the period of the founding fathers of Mankon. This cultural event takes place once during the reign of each Fo of Mankon to commemorate the death of his successor. Thus the present festival is in memory of the late Fo Ndefru III, and therefore called Nukwi Nu Fo Ndefru III. My impression is that although the present publication is on the Nukwi, it could, in fact have been on any other topic related to the Mankon people, the topic itself being only a ‘pretext’ to highlight some aspect of the locality covered.
The cover of the book is a display of history because it carries the photographs of three Mankon Fons: Fo Angwafo II, grandfather of the current Fo Angwafo III, and Fo Ndefru III, son of the former and father of the latter. Also conspicuously on display on the cover is the cultural emblem of the Mankon people. According to a description of the object found on page 5, the emblem is made up of the cassia leaf which symbolizes compromise and peace, the twin gongs which represent authority, as well as the two elephant tusks which stand for the monarchy. Finally the two hands signify the Kwi’fo (executive body) and Takumbeng (legislative body).
The publication is divided into thirteen sections which include the introduction, the Nukwi festival, an outline geography of Mankon, the origin and migration of the Mankon people, the reign of Fo Ndefru 1919-1959, the integration of malcontents in Mankon in 1947, as well as biographical notes on the late Mafo Manka’a Ngunguru, an outstanding political figure in Mankon political history.
Focus on Nukwi Nu Fo Ndefru III: Mankon Cultural Festival, 23rd to 31st December 1984 is flawed by the fact that it does not carry a date of publication. Furthermore, although the photographs reproduced therein are attention catching, their value diminishes because many are not captioned, neither do they have the year in which they were taken indicated. Even so, the book is one that should be read by everyone, not only people from Mankon.
Copyright 2010
It’s surely not everyday that one comes across a book on one’s own local community, especially in a Cameroon where the average citizen with money in his pocket, would rush for a bottle of beer rather than a book to read. So when one is landed with such a catch, it is a moment that calls for celebration. It’s a windfall.
Such is the case with my recent discovery somewhere of a booklet that traces the recent history of the Mankon people. Mankon is one of the four main villages that make up Bamenda I Sub Division and Bamenda I Council in Mezam Division of the North West Province of Cameroon. The other three are Chomba, Mbatu and Nsongwa. Interestingly the four villages speak various dialects of the same language which when expanded to include similar other ones in the Division, is called, “Ngemba”, the meaning being, “I say, eh?”
The book entitled: Focus on Nukwi Nu Fo Ndefru III: Mankon Cultural Festival, 23rd to 31st December 1984, is compiled and edited by Yalla Eballa and Emmanuel Aloangamo Aka. In the introduction, A.F. Monikang and F.A. Ndenge state: “In this pamphlet an attempt has been made to present the Mankon people to the general public, especially to the younger generation, and the significance of the cultural festival, Nukwi which is one of the most important heritages of the Mankon people.”
The writers go on to say: “historically, Nukwi dates back to the period of the founding fathers of Mankon. This cultural event takes place once during the reign of each Fo of Mankon to commemorate the death of his successor. Thus the present festival is in memory of the late Fo Ndefru III, and therefore called Nukwi Nu Fo Ndefru III. My impression is that although the present publication is on the Nukwi, it could, in fact have been on any other topic related to the Mankon people, the topic itself being only a ‘pretext’ to highlight some aspect of the locality covered.
The cover of the book is a display of history because it carries the photographs of three Mankon Fons: Fo Angwafo II, grandfather of the current Fo Angwafo III, and Fo Ndefru III, son of the former and father of the latter. Also conspicuously on display on the cover is the cultural emblem of the Mankon people. According to a description of the object found on page 5, the emblem is made up of the cassia leaf which symbolizes compromise and peace, the twin gongs which represent authority, as well as the two elephant tusks which stand for the monarchy. Finally the two hands signify the Kwi’fo (executive body) and Takumbeng (legislative body).
The publication is divided into thirteen sections which include the introduction, the Nukwi festival, an outline geography of Mankon, the origin and migration of the Mankon people, the reign of Fo Ndefru 1919-1959, the integration of malcontents in Mankon in 1947, as well as biographical notes on the late Mafo Manka’a Ngunguru, an outstanding political figure in Mankon political history.
Focus on Nukwi Nu Fo Ndefru III: Mankon Cultural Festival, 23rd to 31st December 1984 is flawed by the fact that it does not carry a date of publication. Furthermore, although the photographs reproduced therein are attention catching, their value diminishes because many are not captioned, neither do they have the year in which they were taken indicated. Even so, the book is one that should be read by everyone, not only people from Mankon.
Copyright 2010
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