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Cameroon: Poet Lauded for Fighting Societal Ills
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The Post (Buea)
17 April 2008
Posted to the web 17 April 2008
Chris Mbunwe
Educationists, authors, politicians and church officials who attended the launching of Mathew Takwi's "Fire On the Mountain" at Ayaba Hotel, April 10, lauded the poet's simplistic style that exposes societal ills.
Speaking during the launching, Mrs. Pauline Chateh, on behalf of the GCE Board, said Takwi, in his poems, illuminates virtues and lashes out at those with unrestrained desire to cheat, corrupt, embezzle and so on.
"In fact, he readily turns his searchlight unto our freakish behaviours," said Mrs. Chateh.
According to her, Takwi's crave for writing and his genre had earned him several national and international literacy awards. These distinctions have brought pride and great excitement to the GCE Board family.
Representing Rev. Fr Humphrey Tata Mbuy, Chrysantus Azeh, who reviewed the book, described the themes of the poems as apt and timely.To SDF Provincial Chairman, Bernard Tabali, after perusing a few of the poems, said his spirits were stirred to full-blown.
The Northwest Provincial Delegate of Secondary Education, George Awuro Atene, principal launcher and chairman of the occasion, thanked Takwi for investing in book publishing and was happy that some of his books are already on school syllabuses.
Barrister Henry Kemende, while presenting the author, said many people shy away from publishing books because it is time consuming and requires enormous financial sacrifices. He encouraged the pubic to develop a reading culture, so that their children can emulate them.
When Takwi took the rostrum, he said after "People Be Not Fooled", On Their Knees, here comes, "Fire On The Mountain", chanting songs that wipe away misdemeanour of all sorts and propel religion, love, peace, patriotism, hard work, success and excellence for the betterment of society.
"In our incessant determination to place my own minuscule stone on the degrading societal wall, all those whose social, political, economic and cultural callousness only helps society to sink, are herein pricked. This is our sincere and pious intention to correct and metamorphose mankind to be love sharers and true partners in development," Takwi observed.
The poet says a penetrating reading of Fire On The Mountain would therefore tickle and trigger, shake and shift, rock and rush off, whip and whistle, touch and tear minds clung to waywardness like a finger to nail, that turn society's diamond face to frown than glee, bloom and blossom.
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"Hence, this silent storm of the fire ignited from the mountain top destroying these bad ways of mankind but yet, cleanse at the same time," Takwi concluded, appealing that we should not let our iniquities be brushed pure, as "our reason ticks to the rhythms of the glowing flames of the Fire On The Mountain.
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