Bernard Fonlon: Bernard Fonlon: Can you build people and die a pauper?
Boniface Ndemping Wewe (Ngonyama Ka Brooklyn) Hamba Kahle (Farewell) Shufai Nto Drev! As a primary school pupil in the former West Cameroon and precisely at St.Joseph's Catholic Boy's School Bamenda in the early 1970's, my teacher introduced the concept of...
As I grew older, I read news articles about Dr. Fonlon's intellectual wizardry at the University of Yaounde and also listened to the Sunday Classical Music Hour that he hosted over Radio Yaounde in the eighties. As a university freshman in 1984, I befriended Dr. Fonlon who was always available to answer my inquisitive questions and even administer some counseling to me as I had failed my exams and became extremely depressed.

He was retired by 1985 and lived behind the National Social Insurance Fund Building in Yaounde. I would pop in unannounced with my worries and questions but he never hesitated to share his food and humor with me and at no cost! Little did both of us know that a future writer or troublemaker was being groomed.

Before my visits, I asked Dr. Fonlon on campus if he was still occupying his house behind the National Social Insurance Fund. It was his residence when he served as a cabinet minister under President Ahmadou Ahidjo. His answer was 'even wild horses will never kick me out of that house'. He claimed Ahidjo was not a bad president at all but marred all his achievements by trying to recapture power in the abortive coup of April 6, 1984. Fonlon also turned away body guards assigned to him after the coup claiming that he had hurt nobody and expected retributory treatment from no one!

During the GCE strikes of 1983, he was accosted by a bunch of students and jeered at for being "brainwashed" or having caved into francophone supremacy. He politely told them that they were mistaken and that important issues are not discussed in a market. When a CNU (Cameroon National Party) session was convened during the strike, Professor Fonlon boldly placed the issue on the agenda with President Biya declining all responsibility for the mess. A CNU delegation consisting of John Ngu Foncha, Egbe Tabi, S.T.Muna and Delphine Tsanga convened a meeting with the striking students at the Muna residence to difuse the situation!

Professor Fonlon provided pipe borne water to his Nso constituency earning the title of "Shufai Nto Drev". I have fond memories watching TV and seeing him face to face with the Holy Father-Pope John Paul II during communion time in 1985 when the pope visited Cameroon.

Professor Fonlon was once asked why he was a pauper and had not built a house or mansion after having served as a cabinet minister.This would have been the avenue of opportunity to hedonism and looting the treasury! Fonlon's reply was-"They build houses and I build people". People - he built. He also narrated an

incident during one of his lectures when a young lady, one of his students asked him why he was not married. He kept lecturing and towards the end of his class,he turned to the student and asked "Darling-are you a candidate?".

Indeed, Shufai-you built me and numerous men and women. I have paid tributes to you in my latest work- The Joys of African Sex,Jokes,Courtesies and Idiosyncracies that was released in November 2004. My tributes to you had been overdue but I hope you'll still intercede for me in heaven. Your untimely death

shocked us in 1986 shortly after we lost 2000 souls in the Lake Nyos Disaster. I am honored to conclude with a South African expression of tributes to the dead: