CI-NEWS

Intellectuals publish book that details the Anglophone Struggle from birth till 2017.

2019-09-06

No: 445

Intellectuals publish book that details the Anglophone Struggle from birth till 2017.

By Fonban Emmanuel.

Great men of honour have succeeded in taking the world through the history of Anglophone crisis from the strikes launched by lawyers and teachers in 2016 and the tragedies that followed till 2017.

These events are chronicled in a book titled “Anglophone Lawyers and Teachers’ Strikes in Cameroon (2016-2017), A Multidimensional Perspective with editors, Professor Emeritus, Kashim Ibrahim Tala and

Dr. Ngange Kingsley, all academicians from the University of Buea. The book was seen launched during a ceremony that brought together people from all social aspects of life at ESSTIC on Wednesday, 28 August 2019. The authors are not politicians but academicians from multiple backgrounds and this explains why the content of the book doesn’t take sides, according to the editors.

The book was reviewed by Professor Nol Alembong who was recently appointed Vice Chancellor at the University of Buea, while the Foreword was done by Barrister Nico Halle, a legal luminary, peace crusader and a member of the National Commission for the Promotion Bilingualism and Multiculturalism.

“No man however intelligent, however educated, however experienced, knows everything, has the monopoly of wisdom. No man however good, however sincere, however well-intentioned, is infallible”, said Professor Nol Alembong as he quoted Bernard Fonlon, the astute scholar of the yesteryears. In his words, Prof. Nol acknowledged that the level-headedness of the writers and editors may fall short of the expectations of those in the conflict because they are presenting facts from their experiences and research from authentic material.

The book has 302pages, seven chapters with contributions from Prof Tala, Dr.Kingsley, Stephen N. Ndode, Roland Ndile, Franklin Sone Bayen, Tamfuh Y. N. Wilson, George E. Fokeng, Sophie E. Etomes and Ernest L. Molua who put their expertise together to produce the multidimensional piece which uses facts without distortion.

Prof Talla Kashim, during the launching, said the book is inspired by the philosophy which buys the African proverb that “a man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried himself”. He said the book has no intention to point fingers at anyone but only aimed at making Cameroonians to keep track of their history.

However, it is important to indicate that the book traces the path taken by the crisis from birth and also acknowledges that the outcome of the 2016 strikes by lawyers and teachers were ramifications from post-independent dilemma. The book also records the negotiations between the government and the consortium, why they ended in a fiasco and also the efforts made by religious bodies and other civil society organisations to worsening situation amid the war.

In his remarks, Barr.Nico Halle lauded the efforts of the intelligentsia who thought of writing the book. To him, the apolitical and a non-misguiding perspective of the book makes the book very valuable to Cameroonians from all areas of life. The great peace crusader said the problems in Cameroon are fanned by lack of love for one another and he blamed those in power who even go as far as depriving others of what belongs to them. He encouraged everyone to glue themselves to their bibles because even the law they so practice has been a failure in the current context.

The editors encouraged everyone to get copies especially those who could not make it at the launching and they equally promised to continue in the same good faith as academicians, satisfying facts and not the politicians.

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Intellectuals publish book that details the Anglophone Struggle from birth till 2017.