CI-NEWS

Celebrating Papa William Nji Tamu.

2019-08-25

No: 443

Papa William Nji Tamu, popularly known as ‘Pa Efog toug,’ meaning white hair (sign of wisdom) in the Mbatu mother tongue is no more. He died on Friday August 16th and was buried on Tuesday, August 20th, 2019 at Njimafor, Mbatu in Bamenda. In honour of their “fallen Iroko Tree”, a memorial site has been created, one of his sons, the very inspirational Essoh Nji Godfred based in the US announced. This is intended for those who knew him personally, or attended the funeral, or have words of condolence to the family, to “immortalize your memories with tributes, photos and videos,” Essoh said. They are called upon to follow the link https://www.gatheringus.com/memorial/william-nji-tamu/1349 .

Following is a biography crafted by Essoh:

The first son of Chi Mbindagha, William was named after his grandfather, Nji Tamu, son of Akum, of the Bemenwing Clan of Mbatu Fondom. His mother was Princess Neh Nchang, the sister of Fon Fonguh II of Nsongwa Fondom. According to the children of his age mates who are now all of blessed memory, Pa Nji was born around the time of the First World War. Since he had no birth certificate, he was later given the birth year 1926 by his British employer who sent him to school while he was working as a Steward in Nigeria. He, therefore, in reality, lived up to the 100-year mark before leaving this earth, one of the very few people to do so while in a state of relatively good health.

He grew up as an ordinary boy in Mbatu Village, who, apart from helping his father in his palm oil trading business, also engaged in the adventure of carrying firewood from the family compound below the Mbatu palace through the jungles to Ntah-mbaghe (now Bamenda town) for sale. He recounts an incident in which it got too late to return to the village one evening, and he slept under a tree at the spot where we now have City Chemist Roundabout. These were the days when the city center was at Old Town, and the present Commercial Avenue was only a footpath. When he woke up the next morning, he arrived at the decision that life could be better. So, he refused to return to Munjuh-Mbetu, and rather went searching for a job.

With the help of Pa Fru Ntah whom he met at the market, he had his first job as a Yard Boy to a British Colonial Administrative Officer at Up Station. Through the practice of impeccable hygiene, honesty, dedication, economy, and the commitment to learn, young William steadily grew in his career. When his boss was transferred to Lagos, Nigeria, he took William along. In Lagos, William had a chance to attend school up to Standard 3. This gave him the preparation to read, write, and speak the Queen’s Language at a level that would tremendously affect his career. The height of his career was when he served as the Chief Steward for the Governor-General for Nigeria and The Southern Cameroons. In this role, he enjoyed the privilege of being the personal host of the Queen’s Doctor when Queen Elizabeth II visited Nigeria in 1956.

As Doctor Awasum Soh Simon reiterates, “working for the Governor-General was in itself a big deal in those days. Being the Chief Steward of the Governor-General meant that Pa Nji was in a rank of his own among the Cameroonian community. William was a great benefactor and mentor to many of the young Cameroonians who went to Lagos to study, do business, or to transit for studies abroad.”

Some of the closely guarded relics in his treasure chest are a photograph of his onetime friend, Doctor Dorothy Limunga Njeuma when she was attending school in Lagos, his coat-and-bow-tie photo with the brother (cousin) with whom he was closest in his childhood, Papa Daniel Awah Nangah, and a Letter of Credence granting him access into the Ikeja Airport to welcome His Excellency Ahmadu Ahidjo, President of the Federal Republic of Cameroon when he visited Nigeria on the 25th of September 1970.

His first relationship was with the dream girl of his youth, a girl from Yoroba land who gave him two sons, Emmanuel and James. When this did not work out, he later came home and married Regina Kieng, daughter of Barnabas Fru Awasum, with whom he enjoyed 56 years of married life before she passed on in 2014 at the age of 75. With Regina, William had ten more children, Alice, George, Veronica, Lucas, Christopher, Marie, Therese, Godfrey, and Bridget/Irene (twins). These children have so far given them 23 grandchildren (the eldest being Njibaloh Nji Samuel), and 3 great grandchildren.

After several failed attempts, Pa Nangah finally succeeded to bring Pa Nji back home in the late 1970s. Among the many settlement opportunities that were given to him, he opted to return to the trade of his father – trading in palm oil. He went into business as a wholesale distributor for Pamol but he did not last long in this domain due to the slippery nature of business of that caliber in a country from which he had been absent for several decades.

As his next career move, Pa Nji once more put his Catering skills to work at the Bamenda Modern Bakery (Nangah Bakery). It is while on this job that he had the car accident that would redefine the rest of his life. He was bedridden for over a year, but eventually got back on his feet. By this time, he was no longer able to do hard work. This is how “Pa Willy’s Store”, also called “Family Store”, came into the scene.

By the time he finally got tired and was forced by his children to stay at home in his 90s, Pa Willy had run the most consistent retail business in Mbatu for a period of close to 30 years. As part of his retail business, he introduced in Mbatu the practice of a Mobile Pharmacy through which he sold over-the-counter drugs and other essential/emergency needs at traditional occasions, funerals, and public events in the village.

In the late 80s he earned the nickname “Papa I Trowey” because of his tendency to go to Bali and bring items for sale, such as sugarcanes, only to share them out to people for free. In the 1990s and 2000s, the school kids of Catholic School Njimafor called him “Papa Mbong-Mbong” because every child who went to his store during break time was certain of returning with sweets in her mouth, whether or not she had money. Likewise, he and his first female grandchild, Emmaculate (aka Crystal Beauty), coined the code name “I land” because his return home every evening was always the “landing of a goody plane”.

Until the early 2000s when the Nji Tamu residence had electricity and a television set, Pa Willy had his battery-powered radio cassette player with which he started his day every morning by playing “Voice of the Cross”, and ended his day every night by playing “Prince Nico Mbarga”. He so loved High Life Music and the Lagos way of life that he was famously known as “Lagos Boy”. Because of his totally grey hair, long beard, elegant statue, and playfulness, the youths also fondly called him, Chinese Maitre, Shao Mao, and Kingfu Master. His own favourite name that he loved to call himself was “Ndimung”, which means “Nanny” in Mbatu. He repeatedly told his children that his own destiny on earth was to take care of other people. He was a man devoid of personal ambition, because he was a devoted and loyal servant.

Pa Willy survived a total of three accidents and a surgery from which he bounced back like a tennis ball. After the death of his beloved wife in 2014, he convened a “Reconciliation Meeting” with his kids. The essence of his words to them was as follows:

_“My dear children, I apologize to you that I was not the perfect father you would have loved to have. I apologize that I did not pay your fees in good schools and give you the kind of life that your peers have. But I am grateful that God kept me alive to see the fulfillment of the covenant he and I made. Yes, to my last breath, I am proud to call you, “self-made doctors, engineers, and teachers”. People admire and even envy me, not because of material possessions but because of you, the children that are a blessing to me and your mother, as well as the community and the many friends you have. There are things about life that you will understand only later. Always remember Jeremiah 29:11.”_

Over the past 2 years, his physical strength has been slowly declining, although his mind was as sharp as ever. In August 2018, he was surrounded by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family and friends who came to celebrate a Thanksgiving for his life and share in his symbolic Birthday Cake. On Friday 16th August 2019, he was taken to Mezam Polyclinic Bamenda for a routine medical check after he had complained of cough and difficulty breathing. When it became obvious that he was going, his kids immediately called a priest who administered him the Communion of the Sick and anointed him with Holy Chrism. He transitioned peacefully a few moments later.

The most important lesson I have learned from my father is this: The best way to live this life is to live it in such a way that when you die, you will leave behind seeds that will grow to be greater than you. The best way to succeed in life is to leave a legacy by which the world will celebrate you forever. People who die are those who merely existed. Those who truly lived, continue to live forever even after their bodies have returned to dust. Tangui William Nji Tamu lived life to the fullest; so, his legacy lives on. On behalf of the Tamu’s family, I channel to you the spirit of love, joy, and selfless service that characterized the life of this Prince. If I, the last male among his many seeds, have been a force of transformation in your life, then you too are part of the living legacy of William Nji Tamu (The Great). We love you, and we are proud to be your family.

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Celebrating Papa William Nji Tamu.