By Solomon Amabo (In EDEN, Wednesday 31-Monday 05,June 2006 pg.5)
The Four Pillars of Time, a novel by the Cameroonian born IIongo Fritz Ngale was on May 19, launched at the Sullivan Hall , OIC, Buea.
The literary critic, poet and playwright, Dr Bate Besong, BB, praised the author for “constructing an intellectual arsenal for the liberation of the country and the decolonization of the mind”. He pointed out that IIongo Fritz Ngale’s “anti-hero King Lak is a pastmaster at the art of discovering the most ingenious methods of torture and brutality, unleashing a reign of terror and suffering on the innocent people of Suna”.
BB argued that the relevance of IIongo’s novel is the extent to which he “explains the past, understands the present and predicts the future ”. BB used the book launch to criticize the Cameroonian intellectuals who “instead of fulfilling the expectations of the people they are supposed to serve, they are more concerned about the personal material gains that comes with privilege and power ”, BB said amidst thunderous applause that “Intellectuals decode , unmask, condemn, and refute” but the Cameroonian intellectuals are “inert, amorphous , mute … politically sterilized!”
From the Yaounde book launch - From left to right: Ilongo Fritz, Dr Athanasius Ako (book reviewer), Prof.Mbua Ngeve, Dr Njikong Stephen (Representative of the book's chief launcher, Mr. Meoto Paul Njie), and Prof. Nkwi (book reviewer)
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