Bate Besong, The "Obasinjom Warrior" Is Dead!
Bate Besong, the award-winning poet, playright, firebrand social critic and lecturer at the University of Buea (UB) died this morning (March 8th) in a ghastly car accident on the infamous Douala - Yaounde highway, less than 24 hours after the launching of his latest book Disgrace.
Also dead in the accident are Dr. Hilarious Ambe (Lecturer and Director, UB Theatre) and Kwasen Gwangwa’a (Actor, Film Director, TV Producer).
Click here for a CRTV report of the accident (mp3)
Details will Follow as they become available.
As I told BBs mentee today, let the battle continue. The gap is too big to be filled, but let's take solace in the hackneyed expression that says, "a journey of 1000miles begins with a step".
BB, YOU HAVE BOWED OUT OF THE STAGE LIKE A HERO. ALAS FOR THEY THAT REJOICE. THE TRUTH WILL CATCH UP WITH THEM.
This world is not our home.
Posted by: Leslie Ngwa | March 08, 2007 at 12:14 PM
Yes Death u dong doam again!
You di chop people like say you be di wait them!
Shame na ya own because we no go ever stop for cry dem?
BB may your soul rest in peace.
We always have different ways to be informed about events but today while scrolling through my phone's address phone, I came across a name BB and immediately thought about BB. Oh I feel ashamed when this past 7.38, I am informed of his passing away.
Just like another shock, Kwansen too.
And Mr Ambe!
May their souls rest in Peace. Amen!
Posted by: Cho Ransome | March 08, 2007 at 01:58 PM
The Lost of a Beautiful Mind
It was like a tsunami that shook my heart when I heard the dead of BB. Just last month, I stumbled on one of his latest reviews, on "Men of Courage," a brilliant study of political parties, elections and independent candidates in modern Cameroon political history by Churchill E. Monono. BB's comments and analogies reveal the genious in him as a thinker and a staunch opponent of authoritarianism.
I still recall vividly those days at Lycée Bilingue Molyko, when BB thought us drama. He made the subject so easy and interesting that even King Richard II and other readings on Shakespear were liked by many students, even those who didn't aspire to do literature. BB is one of the rare intellectuals I have come across who could inspire, impart knowledge and simplify complex thoughts.
As one of his privileged students, I think we have lost one of the most beautiful minds of our generation, in the ranks of late Dr. Benard Folon. BB is one of the few Cameroonian intellectuals I have seen, whom, in a world so corrupt and saturated with greeds and psycophants, has sustained principles and remained honest to his ideological and political views.
His death on the notorious Douala-Yaounde road brings to the fore the shame on our country, for a major road like this one to be a two-carriage way with only a few centimetres wide. I hope, our engineers, if we have any left, will wake up from slumber to redesign the road, to prevent another "disgrace" of this sort.
All my heartfelt condolences to BB's lovely family and to all Cameroonian and African intellectuals, academics and independent thinkers.
May his soul rest in peace on the right-hand side of God!
Posted by: Martin A. Ewi | March 08, 2007 at 02:01 PM
When the road got farmished
It chose the warior's blood to savour
BB, a heror, YOU, told us, goes to war to die.
BB, U prayed even for your students
to live to the end of this regime
This was not to be your own fate.
Do not DIE yet BB, DON'T LET HIM DIE PLEASE.
BUT if you must go, Okigbo awaits your arrival. Adieu BB , Adieu.
TEM EDWIN NJI, WAS BB'S student from 2002-2005 at the University of Buea.
Posted by: TEM EDWIN NJI | March 09, 2007 at 04:28 AM
When the road got farmished
It chose the warior's blood to savour
BB, a heror, YOU, told us, goes to war to die.
BB, U prayed even for your students
to live to the end of this regime
This was not to be your own fate.
Do not DIE yet BB, DON'T LET HIM DIE PLEASE.
BUT if you must go, Okigbo awaits your arrival. Adieu BB , Adieu.
TEM EDWIN NJI, WAS BB'S student from 2002-2005 at the University of Buea.
Posted by: TEM EDWIN NJI | March 09, 2007 at 04:32 AM
I am utterly dismayed. Three great minds vanished in a disgracefully tragedy.
I benefited from the literary ingenuity of BB, being the first batch of students he thought in Cameroon Protestant College Bali upon returning from Nigeria. BB inspired us; we emulated his speech, handwriting and graved to be the critic he epitomised. BB is not gone but with us forever.
How can PAPS (Dr Hilarious Ambe) do this to us? Back in the days in Yaoundé University, we aspired, and vowed to be the future. We fought the regime in our own small way, ran away, hoping to one day complete the fight. PAPs will not be there.
To lose our intelligentsia is fatal, but not to ghastly accidents on bad roads. Who takes the blame but a regime that cares less about the infrastructure of our country?
Posted by: Chebe Edwin Ambe | March 09, 2007 at 10:22 AM