www.fonlon.org: Website created for Dr. Bernard Fonlon

Close to two decades after the death of Dr. Bernard Nsokika Fonlon, one of Cameroon’s foremost thinkers, his ideas and works remain largely unknown to the public. This, in spite of the existence of a Bernard Fonlon Society created to preserve and promote his legacy, and of the renowned Fonlon-Nicholls Award, which is given every year to an African writer for excellence in creative writing and for contributions to the struggles for human rights and freedom of expression.

Described by his contemporaries as "Socrates in Cameroon" or as an "exotic intellectual", Fonlon is, nonetheless, still a complete stranger to a younger generation of Cameroonians who have no access to his out-of-print books or have never set eyes on a copy of the defunct ABBIA journal of which Fonlon was the founder.

The advent of the Internet has not improved Fonlon’s lot as there is very little about him on the web, save for a few footnotes and refences in obscure academic articles. Even the website of the Fonlon-Nicholls Award doesn't have his biography or picture. Amazon.com, the world's largest online bookstore has just one out-of-print book on Fonlon; Churchill Monono’s The torch and the throne: The political philosophy of Bernard Fonlon.

With ABBIA no longer published, with all of Fonlon's books out of print, and with the Bernard Fonlon Society not as active as it once was back in the late eighties, a group of Cameroonians have decided to give Fonlon's ideas the exposure they deserve. To this end, a website, www.fonlon.org has been created to keep Fonlon's work alive in the minds of today's generation and continue his legacy.

The website is a work in progress, a benevolent gesture by individuals who are not experts on Fonlon, but merely facilitators placing tools in the hands of the knowledgeable. So, although the website will ultimately serve as the repository of works by and on Fonlon, and as a forum for the discussion and analysis of his ideas, it sorely lacks content at this time. Interested members of the public, particularly those who may be described as "Fonlonists", are therefore encouraged to send in pictures, quotes, articles, comments, biographical snippets, personal experiences, etc., that are Fonlon-related. In short, everything Fonlon is welcome.

Of course, Fonlon's ideas were not embraced by all. There are many who were and are still critical of Fonlon's philosophy. Their contributions are also welcome.

Fonlon put an amazing amount of thought into the challenge of Cameroon integration, and what it would take to accomplish it. Practically every single one of his precepts was broken and tossed aside. It is very important that people revisit this body of work, or be introduced to it for the first time, so as to realize that all the problems we now confront were foreseen decades ago.

It is our firm belief that Dr. Fonlon and his ideas deserve more than a footnote in history, whether we agree with these ideas or not. We hope, therefore, that this little project is the beginning of a journey in the right direction.

Dibussi Tande and Emil Mondoa, MD

Comments

[Boniface Ndemping Wewe-The Ngonyama (Lion) of Brooklyn]

Hamba Kahle 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 Ph,D to us.He further stressed that Dr. Bernard Fonlon was one of the first Cameroonians to obtain one.The concept stuck and I nursed ambitions or fantasized about doctorate degrees!
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 11 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 2005.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 : HAMBA KAHLE Professor Bernard Nsokika Fonlon!

Boniface Ndemping Wewe
Ngonyama Ka Brooklyn.

[Hoffman Moka Lantum, Shey wo Duuy]

Great site and forum! I am pleasantly surprised and glad that the Fonlon flame is alive. I will let Prof Lantum know about the site. Moka

[Justice M. Mbuh]

Contrary to what Dibussi Tande and Emile Mondoa just said above, inasmuch as Professor Bernard N. Fonlon was very instrumental in forging Cameroun "National Integration," he equally had the foresight of realizing that it was a bad dream or one that went bad. Thus, he is equally credited, more than anything else he ever did, for creating the Ambazonia Restoration Council (ARC) and beyond it, seeing to it that Fon Fongum Gorji-Dinka,then Cameroun Bar Association President, accepted the challenge of being the leader of the Movement!

It was this Movement that challenged Cameroun President Paul Biya, when in 1984, he attempted completing what Ahmadou Ahidjo left undone: that of completely annexing, illegally, the state of erstwhile Southern Cameroons into the mainstream polity of Cameroun by faking national unity while destroying with impunity, all developmental and political institutions of erstwhile Southern Cameroons, now Republic of Ambazonia!

With three powerful successive releases from March 1985 to July of the same year, Ambazonia Restoration council (ARM) effectively put a lasting check on Cameroun illegalities and attempts at annexing, forcefully the Ambazonia Republic. In addition, in 1990, Ambazonia formerly proclaimed the Republic of Ambazonia and submitted documents to the UN and OAU to that effect. Furthermore, Ambazonia challenged Cameroun claims over oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula in 1994-2003. Lastly, Ambazonia took Cameroun to the UN Human Rights Court (UNHRHC) and finalized the quest for a sovereignty almost lost to these French bred political stooges.

Right now, the answer to the efforts of ARC to to which APEC is its legal and diplomatic organ and the tales of Cameroun unity are blowing in the winds! It is only a matter of time for Ambazonia Republic to fully become a living reality--thats to the ingenuity of Professor Bernard Nsokika Fonlon! Only then shall his entire story be told!

Long Live The Republic of Ambazonia,
Long Live the Memories of Prof. Bernard N. Fonlon!

Justice M. Mbuh
Secretary General
Ambazonia People's Emancipation Council, (APEC)
Washington, DC, USA.

[Danny Lantum NTUI]

Wow!
Glad to see that the flame of Prof Fonlon is blazing !
I shall inform my uncle about this site!
Great Site !! Berri fe yii !!

[Tafon]

When some of us of our days get to read stories and testimonies of great people of those days like Dr Bernard Fonlon we are really overjoyed because we get a glimse or a clew of them we studied only in history. I will wish to apreciate the innitiators of this website for a great job. We are impressed and greatful please continue to enligten us so that together we can fight the Southern Cameroon course. We are strongly behind you to see to it that we rightly reap of what is definitely ours. May God guide all of us who are in this course lets be steadfast and we should not give up.
Tafon Denmark

[ilahabahli]

Am coming,i need secret support to bring up my secret action movement for ambazonia,i have only this email,i need to get a number but i will change this number every week.am in French Cameroon.They will soon start getting the incible blows untill they let AMBAS BAY free.Am about to Begin,i will always leave a sign and my name ILAHABAHLI
GET TO ME
I NEED SUPPORT

[Akana Eric]

Thanks for creating a website for Dr. Bernard Fonlon. what i have not been able to see is the biography of Dr. Bernard Fonlon from Birth till when he died.
Infact i need his biography (school life from primary school till death with the dates).
ERIC