Peterkins Manyong
8 May 2008
column
"Death is the end of man as well as his thinking parts" This definition found in Henry Fielding's "A Modern Glossary" is better than many others on the same topic because it describes not only the physical, but also the intellectual aspect of death.
When a man stops thinking, he has truly stopped living.In Africa, there are three events that generally bring people together: birth, marriage and death. On such occasions, there is not only feasting and merry making, but above all, harmony.
In April, two significant deaths hit Cameroon. That of Professor Clement Nforti Ngwasiri, an SDF Founding Father and former MP and that of Christopher Nsahlai, a long term serving Ambassador to Central Africa, former Minister of Transport and Northwest CPDM heavyweight.
Ngwasiri died after a protracted illness and after reconciling with John Fru Ndi, his former friend, later transformed into political foe. Fru Ndi was at his funeral and said good things about him to the press since his name was not in the list of those to speak officially. The other speeches on the occasion were, according to convention, positive.
Because he was ill for long, Ngwasiri had enough time to settle his accounts in this world to avoid sinking into his grave with all his imperfections on his head.That was not the case with Nsahlai. His death was an embarrassment to his family, his friends and even his adversaries because of its suddenness.
He was ill for only a few hours, or at least, visibly so. The circumstances surrounding his demise suggest that he did not die a natural death. But the most shocking aspect of his demise event was the publication of very disparaging remarks about him.
The public, especially in the Northwest, reacted very angrily to this publication, not necessarily because it was faulty in some aspects, but because it was the most inappropriate moment to do it. A father, a husband and the breadwinner of a family had just passed away; he was yet to be buried and all his well-wishers were still mortified because of the colossal loss. Why couldn't his enemies wait? Many asked.
When a politician who has not himself been a model, casts aspersions on another who has been a comparative success, he hopes by that means to divert the attention of the public from his own calamities. A politician who by design or accident is also a writer, has a bounden duty to sympathise with his readers.
Journalism is at its basest when a newspaper which should be a weapon for positive social transformation, becomes an instrument of score settling. A writer who misapplies information is even more of a terror to society than a trigger-happy policeman. He therefore equally deserves the rebuke of the Yoruba poet, Akinwumi Isola, who asks "Why is a mad man given a sword? Who made the Thief the Chief Guard and the Burglar the Patrolman?"
Revenge is damnable at all times. It is even more despicable when manifested through insults on the dead and has deadly consequences. As John Milton puts it, "Revenge though sweet at first, bitter ere long back on itself recoils" Francis Bacon, in his essay tiled "Of
Revenge", tells us 'Revenge is a kind of wild justice" which "flies like an arrow in the dark" The Bible quotes God as saying "vengeance is mine" which means "leave revenge to me".
Christ spoke elaborately on it when, without name calling, he demolished the laws of Hammurabi that propagate revenge (Matt.5:37-48). Nobody can, in absolute sincerity, lay claim to happiness that makes vengeance a fundamental principle of his/her philosophy.
It would, however, be misleading to say a man's errors in life should be ignored indefinitely out of sympathy for him or his family. Politicians, like writers, have a second life. A politician, whose decisions affect future generations negatively, deserves criticism even after his death and the writer is guilty of conspiratorial silence if he omits to do this.
This explains why late Foncha, Muna and all those who contributed to the present predicament of Anglophones continue to be the subjects of posthumous criticisms. These criticisms were, however, suppressed soon after their deaths because, although they each died at a ripe old age, they did not go unlamented by their families and admirers.
It is good to criticise, but better to be fair. Only sadists derive delight from the misfortunes of others. Those who depart from convention only for the purpose of novelty, contribute very little towards the happiness or progress of mankind. Not everything that is new is news.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
