SUMMIT MAGAZINE HONOURS BATE BESONG

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By Tikum Mbah

The Yaounde-based international news publication, SUMMIT MAGAZINE, has just celebrated its fifth anniversary. The birthday was marked by a memorial conference devoted to the late poet and dramatist, Bate Besong.

The jamboree was held at the University of Buea`s sumptuous Amphi 750, under the patronage and in the presence of the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the University, Dr. Nalova Lyonga.

Tikum Mbah Azonga sat through the ceremony and put together this report.

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Although Bate Besong may be dead, he lives yet again. This was the overriding message that came across the twin celebration of Summit Magazine and the memorial conference held at the university in honour of Dr. Bate Besong.

The show was a major crowd puller bringing together personalities such as Bole Butake, professor of Literature and Drama and to boot, a playwright in his own right. Also present were Francis Wache, Executive Editor of The Post newspaper who served as moderator, Rumpi Project boss Bisong Ntui Ogork who was the chief launcher, the former parliamentarian for Santa and Tubah, Tasi Ntang Lucas, and veteran journalist Peter Esoka. Also in attendance were Dr Rose Jua who is Dean of the Faculty of Arts of theUniversity ofBuea, and the former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church inCameroon, the Rt. Rev, Nyansako-ni-Nku.

One high point of the bonanza was the award ceremony in which Summit Magazine Publisher Kange Williams Wasaloko recognized some personalities for services rendered to the community.

The aspect that stole the show the most was the screening of an interview which Bate Besong accorded CRTV`s production and programmes Manager, Robert Ekukole, incidentally, shortly before the distinguished poet and playwright perished in a car crash along the Douala-Yaounde road as he returned from a literary event in Buea. As fate would have it he died alongside two long time friends and associates: Kwasen Gwanngwa`a, a renowned television producer at the time working for CRTV Yaounde, and Dr Hilarius Ambe, an upcoming dramatist who was widely regarded as Bate Besong`s “professional son”. Ambe was a university lecturer.

The screening of the Bate Besong interview at some point held the audience spellbound and at others, it caught the audience reeling with laughter. After all, that was “BB”, as Bate Besong was fondly called, true to form: firebrand, critique, trouble rouser, agitator, hothead and stirrer. But he was also eloquent, intelligent, knowledgeable, uncompromising, hardnosed and categorical.

Funds were raised generously with assurances from the publisher of Summit magazine that the Bate Besong family would benefit from them. The late poet and playwright’s wife, Christina and children as well as parents were there to see and hear it all for themselves.

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This paper was first broadcast on Foundation Radio, Ngomgham-Bamenda on Friday the 13^th of July 2012. The Radio is an offshoot of the Fomunyoh Foundation. Dr Chris Fomunyoh recently appointed me Executive Station Manager of Foundation Radio. I am handling this alongside my full time job as Head of the Communication Division of the University of Bamenda.