Bernard Fonlon

Consequences of Fonlon's Individual Bilingualism Policy

By Jikong Stephen Yeriwa, Ph.D - University of Yaounde I, Department of English

Culled from "Official Bilingualism in Cameroon: A Double-edged Sword" in Revue ALIZES N°19

Implementation of the Bilingual Policy

When the Cameroon government adopted the bilingual policy, language experts elaborated the implementation principles. Professor Fonlon was one of the experts. According to him the bilingual policy enshrined in the constitution of 1st September, 1961, placed Cameroon among other bilingual countries in the world, like Canada and Belgium. He pointed out that though these countries adopted the bilingual policy a long time ago, not all Canadians speak English and French, nor all Belgians French and Dutch (or the Belgian variety of Dutch), but he went ahead to suggest that Cameroon should be different:

Revisiting Fonlon's Vision of a Bilingual Cameroon

“de jure, Cameroon has become a bilingual state; but, de facto, it is a highly diversified multilingual, multi-cultural country” (1969)

Described as "the chief philosopher and theoretician of Kamerun's official bilingualism" (Tangwa), Bernard Fonlon was one of the main architects of Cameroon's bilingualism policy. This policy's long term goal was to transform Cameroon into a country where bilingualism would be even more deeply engrained in every day life than in Canada, and where every citizen would flawlessly speak both French and English.

According to Fonlon:

The Time is Now (A secret memo by Bernard Fonlon to Ahmadou Ahidjo)

In 1964, barely three years after the unification of the British Southern Cameroons and the French Cameroons and the creation of the Federal Republic of Cameroon, cracks began appearing in the edifice. Dr. Bernard Fonlon, then Chief scribe of the K.N.D.P. (the ruling party in the former Southern Cameroons), wrote a secret letter to President Ahidjo informing him that the KNDP was disillusioned with its marginalization within the federation.

Fonlon and National Integration

"I had naively believed that, with the struggle over, common sense and political insight would prevail and the leaders would sink their differences and close ranks and make unification a resounding victory. I was soon to learn that they had not attained the depth of personal and political maturity, which makes statesmen of politicians and enable them to crush personal hurt underfoot in the interest of lofty national undertaking. I have grown up to detest bitterness and hatred and thus it was a rude shock to me, on my arrival, to hear our leaders tearing each other to bits. Today they have reached the stage where they do not hesitate to sling mud at each other in the East Cameroon press. What a shame!"

Fonlon, B. N. (1966) The Task of Today. Cameroon Printing and Publishing Company Ltd, Victoria, West Cameroon, p. 52.

A Student Remembers the Master

By Francis K. Wache

Of course, we had heard of Bernard Fonlon. Who had not? He was a living legend. As a result, many stories were circulating about the man; his erudition, self abnegation, abstemiousness, scholarship, lifestyle....

So that morning when we were told that he would be giving us a lecture, our anxiety grew. Earlier than usual, the lecture hall was jammed. There were the usual catcalls when the attention-attracting damsels arrived flouncing their backsides. There were the customary squeals of "Anglo! Anglo!" when some chairs creaked or someone coughed. Then, all of a sudden, stony silence.

Dr. Bernard Fonlon, the long-awaited, was here in flesh and bone.

Canadian Professor's Homage to Bernard Nsokika Fonlon

The following is an interview Martin K. Jumbam conducted on July 19, 1987 in Douala with Dr Stephen Arnold, then Professor of Comparative Literature and Vice-Dean for Graduate Studies and Research at Canada’s second largest university, the University of Alberta in Edmonton [now retired]. A scholar of African literature with a world-wide reputation, Dr. Arnold has written many articles on Cameroon’s literatures in English and French. He is also the Editor of the quarterly African Literature Association Bulletin.

Rename the University of Yaounde : The B.N. Fonlon University

By Martin Jumbam

Revised and reproduced from Le Mont Cameroun, No. 0036 of August 19, 1989 – September 5, 1989, p.3.

Much has already been said and written about the late Venerable Professor Emeritus of the University of Yaounde, Dr Bernard Nsokika Fonlon, of blessed memory. Much more remains to be unveiled about this man who was, even to his closest colleagues, something of an enigma.

Fonlon’s contribution to the academic world, in general, and to the University of Yaounde, in particular, has been, and is still being widely analysed, dissected, commented upon, vilified and applauded by friends and foes alike.

Dr. BERNARD NSOKIKA FONLON

One of the advocates of the integration of the anglophone and francophone traditions was Bernard Fonlon (1924-1986), also known as the Cameroonian Socrates (read, Nalova Lyonga, editor, Socrates in Cameroon. The Life and Works of Bernard Fonlon, Yaounde, Leeds: Tortoise Books, 1989). Founder of the Abbia Review, many times Minister, Fonlon was endowed with a vast Greco-Latin culture, Anglo-Saxon culture as well as Christian and African cultures. His ethical integrity was in stark contrast to the political culture at the time. As Noam Chomsky wrote, “the responsibility of the intellectual as a moral agent – […] - is to try to reveal the truth to interlocutors who are able to intervene.”

Bernard Fonlon: A Select Bibliography

This section will contain a select bibliography of all publications by and about Dr. Bernard Fonlon. The current bibliography is not an exhaustive one. Tracking down publications by Fonlon has been a Herculean task since virtually all of his works are currently out of print. The same is the case with most of the books about his life and philosophy which were limited edition releases in Cameroon. It is our hope that the public will help in updating the current bibliographical selection, and if possible, make available copies of his out of print works.

My Fonlon Story

Fonlon friends, colleagues and protegees are invited to present the story of their personal experience with Dr Fonlon, and they will be published here.

In addition, experts on the Fonlon legacy are invited to contribute to and coordinate the management of this website.