Friends, mourners and countrymen,
You come to bury me, not to praise me.
The evil that I did will live after me,
If you hold all my guilt in your hearts.
The good that I did will be interred with my bones;
But the effect will remain on those to whom it was done.
This is the last you will ever hear from me. 
Adapted from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar by Tah Protus.

Some of you certainly heard me say and act these words in an OL Literature class. Others heard me read out and dramatize passages from other literary texts in the Cameroon Literature syllabus. Many of you heard me teach English Language, Latin and Literature in classrooms here and there. But many of you probably didn’t ever have the chance to know who I was because I most often told stories of others but hardly of myself.

Because I knew that this final day would inevitably come, I took time off to write down my autobiography myself because I know most of the facts best. I do admit that there are facts about me which other people master better. Such people can tell those stories today and hereafter.

I was born just before break time on Monday 11th September, 1956. My uncles later told me that when my father (a teacher in the nearby Catholic School, Njindom) came home for break that Monday,he met me born under a plantain just below his compound, and above my present compound. Because his first child was a girl, he was very excited to see a son.

My father was Jiggi Cletus Tawang. His parents were Papa Teghen Tawang and Mah (from the palace of Gundom). My father was a long standing catholic school teacher. He died on 10th July 1995. My mother was Akwi Regina Jiggi née Yunga. She died on 28th April, 1960, when I was barely 3 years plus. She had the unique status of “teacher’s wife”. So farm work was not her lot. All I remember of her was that she used to bake bread for my sister, Mrs Fonane Assumpta Miyang Tawang and I to sell by the roadside. The currency at the time was pounds, shillings and pennies.

I am the second in a family of three: Miyang Assumpta Fonane née Tawang, myself and Anoh Henry Tawang.

Because my mother died early, there was nobody to take care of me at home. So I began school early in 1961 in RCM school Njindom. I did Infants I and II. By the time I passed to go to Standard I, in 1963, the school system changed. As a consequence, we henceforth moved to a new class in June. When I started school, the custom was for us to change class in December. I was a living infant witness to pre-independence and independence activities that galvanized several rallies in the Meta area in the 1960s.

However, I attended Infants I to Class 7 in RCM Njindom, which became Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in 1964 when Njindom became a parish, born from Mambu Parish, Bafut. From 1968/69 I moved to Bishop Rogan College full of dreams to be a priest. One evening in Form 5 I (like my classmates) had to face the principal, Rev Fr Peter Leliveld, to declare whether I would continue to the Major seminary or not. That evening changed my life. With guilt and shame, I told the Principal that I did not intend to go to the Major seminary. It was a tough moment for those who know who our principal was. More so, this Dutch Priest had personally done so much for me. He was the one who came to Njindom and admitted me into BIROCOL. He had been a wonderful benefactor to me while I was in BIROCOL; during my years there he often came back from Holland with free clothes for me; usually when I didn’t have money to pay transport to go for holidays, he let me spend holidays in the dormitory and offered me free food at the Soppo convent. When he asked me what I intended to become if I didn’t go to the seminary, I told him I wanted to study Law or Journalism. He persuaded me that even as a priest, I could study either of the two. Influenced by the stories of mischief and adolescent experiences told by my classmates, I walked out of the office determined to go to CCAST Bambili. What a traitor I felt that evening as I told him No, and walked out.

I wrote the London GCE in June 1974. I had the 3rd best OL results in the country that year, passing in 10 subjects with 6 A-grades, 2 C-grades and 2 E-grades. In those days the pass grades were A, C and E; there were no Bs and Ds. The failed grade was F. No Us.

All OL students had to write an entrance examination to get a place in CCAST Bambili, the lone government High School in all of West Cameroon. We who had opted not to go to the Major Seminary, had to go to Sasse College to write the CCAST Entrance. There was a High School in Bishop Rogan College but this was meant for those who intended to move on to the Major Seminary in Bambui. There was also a high school in CPC Bali but the fee was too prohibitive for my father. School fees, boarding, Official Uniform (Complete blue suit – “Tibang”) and all books cost 39.00frs for the two years! When the CCAST Entrance results came out, I was elated to be the first on the Arts List. This earned me a place in Room I, Independence Hall, CCAST Bamili.

Life in CCAST was very eventful. My two years there ended with a pass in A-L Literature, History and Economics. This opened the way for me to move on to the University of Yaounde. Entrance to ENS Bambili was by application. In ENS Bambili, students earned an allowance of 45.000frs per month. But many of us preferred to go to Yaounde where the allowance was 15.000frs per month. I guess that the many motivation to turn one’s back against ENS Bambili was that some of us did not wish to be associated with being “Ballads!” Real juvenile stupidity, when I think about it today. However, the real reason was that those who went to ENS were old guys of over 30 years, whereas we were just approaching 20 years.

In Yaounde, I enrolled in the Faculty of Laws with mates like Barrister Sama Francis, Hon Jua Paulinus, Mr Mbonde Barnabas, Mr Nkemka John, etc. But the government gave me a scholarship allowance under the Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences. So I quit Law after one month and moved to Letters. That was fate at work.

In the Faculty of Letters class of 12 students, I met Akwangka Joe Ndifor, Professor Nol Alembong, Dr Humphrey Ekema Monono, Mr Henry Nsang, Mr Tayong Martin, Mary Njende, Anna Tamasang, Munu Saah Agartha and others. It was a wonderful family. I had the privilege to be taught by Professors Bernard Fonlon, Gervais Mendoze, Bole Butake, Tabi Manga, Mr Ferdinand Oyono, etc. These are the people who have made me who I was up to the other day.

After a BA in 1979 and a Post Graduate Diploma in 1981, I later returned to the University of Yaounde I in 2010 where I pursued an MA in African Literature and Civilisations. I ended up with a PhD (Ecocriticism) in 2017 under the learned Professor Nol Alembong who, to me, has the aura of Professor Bernard Fonlon.

I met my wife in 1978, then a student in GHS Mbengwi. We signed our marriage in Mbengwi Council in 1981 and had our first kid, Jiggi Urbain Tah, in 1981. Later, there followed Nji Hopkins Tah, Akwi Anjoh Tah and Kimbeng Tebene Tah.

Earlier in 1979, I moved to the field as a graduate teacher, where I began a long tortuous career. First I was posted to CES (GSS) Zoetele in the Centre-South province. From there I was transferred to Lycée de Monatele, still in the Centre-South province in February 1981. In September 1982 I was transferred to GHS Wum. My stay in Wum from then to 1987 is a whole novel in itself. Noteworthy is the fact that I had a break between 1985 and 1989 for administrative reasons.

During this break, I taught in Nacho College Bamenda where I first came in contact with large classes (450 Literature students in Form 5 and over 650 students in the English Language class – all taught in one hall). These exigent students made me learn to burn the midnight oil. That is where I learnt and began to write for students.

From Nacho College, I worked in the Central Administration, Yaounde, in the Directorate of Secondary Education. In 1989, I was deployed to GBHS Ntamulung. Here I found myself in another big school, but with normal classes of 60. I served as Dean of Socials for a staff of over 400 teachers.

In 1992, I was appointed Vice Principal to the newly created GHS Santa. It was while I was in Santa that civil servants suffered two salary cuts on account of the devaluation of the CFA franc. I suffered the stress to the extent that I skipped paying my rents for four months.

In 1995, I was appointed Principal of GSS Elak-Oku where I took over from Mr Sunjo George who later became NW Regional Delegate for Secondary Education. While in Oku I suffered politically motivated sanctions which demoted me first to classroom teacher in GHS Kumbo from September 1997, then to Vice Principal in GHS Atiela – Nkwen in 2000. When I look back at the intrigues that trailed me when I served as administrator in GHS Santa, GSS Oku and GHS Atiela, I blame myself for being very naïve, and unsuspecting that men could be very treacherous. I have wondered why many colleagues were often scared of my professional nearness to them. For instance, all throughout my teaching career, I have never been accepted to teach Form 4 or 5 in a government school. I only started teaching these classes when as principal, I would assign myself to these examination classes. Conversely, private schools regularly solicited me to come handle their Form 5s. That was life!

In April 2003 I obtained official permission from hierarchy and travelled to the USA (with covert dreams of going to settle out there). But my experiences did not convince me to stay in America. I saw that my dreams were realisable in Cameroon. However, I attended the Playback School, Poughkeepsie – New York where I obtained a Diploma in Playback Theater that same year. After a number of “bush faller” jobs from company to company, I took the difficult but rewarding decision to return to Cameroon. On return, I once more observed the colour of the heart of man. While I was out, all kinds of reports and rumours were stewed against me, explaining why I had escaped Cameroon for good – never to come back. However, I returned on September 6th, in time to retain my coveted post of Vice Principal in GHS Atiela.

In 2004, I was appointed Principal of GHS Andek, where I served for 8 years. It is in Andek that I learnt to turn stumbling blocks into building blocks. It is also in Andek that I learnt to change community life. With no electricity, no phone network, no easy roads, I turned first to creative writing and finally to university studies. It is in Andek that I polished The Immortal Seed which I began in 2002. It is also here that I published Introduction to Poetry – Books 1, 2 and 3. It is also here that I published Two Short Plays. All these books were accepted into the National booklist one after the other. Finally, it was in Andek, in the face of social and administrative adversities, that I earned a Masters degree from the University of Yaounde I. I attended classes from time to time, received notes and assignments from my classmates through memory cards and expensive phone calls. In the end, I made it! This accomplishment confirmed to me that once one is determined, he can always attain his goals.

In 2012, I was transferred to GBHS Widikum. While in Widikum, I enrolled for the PhD programme in Yaounde I. I equally intensified my crusade for socio-academic change in my new professional milieu. Like in GHS Andek, I introduced many changes in the school life: Majorette displays, novel traditional dance, competitive sports that earned the school the Girls and Boys Momo Divisional football trophies and annual participation in regional finals. I often wish to give myself a pat on the back like the proverbial lizard because after my passage as principal through a school, what has often followed is akin to a deluge .

In September 2016 I was confirmed ripe for retirement. In fact, I couldn’t wait to go having emptied my entire self for the good of students and rural communities.

The following year, 2017, I was called up to defend the PhD.

Most people have been asking why I went in for a PhD on the eve of retirement. Simple! For me, certificates must not be only for financial remuneration. Acquiring a certificate increases one’s knowledge. I am obviously much more intellectually equipped now than before to be useful to my community and humanity. Now I am equipped to carry out many writing and research projects, and to deliver informed community education talks. This is what I hope to be doing during my retirement till I can do no more.

I also decided to do a PhD as a way of encouraging my (biological and academic) children and sibling that it is not ideal to branch out of school too early, and that it is never too late to go back to school. Age is no barrier. It’s no shame nor degradation to sit in class with children 40 years younger than you. My adult presence gave my young classmates the courage to forge on. I can remember my Masters youthful classmates saying: Massa, if répé fit doam then man get to tie heart oh! And tie heart they did, though some gave up. In my Masters class of 12, only 3 of us moved on to PhD. Of the 3, 2 of us have so far defended!

In all, I have written and published many books. I have asked my children to display some of them along my veranda so that you may renew memories of what many of you inspired me to do. While many of my friends and colleagues have admired, praised and willingly used this rich collection, others have seen these books as a reason to describe me as greedy, materialistic and “money eyed!” Negative remarks have never stopped my progress. I did not even stop to grimace for one second when I heard that some of my colleagues were working sleeplessly to scrape The Immortal Seed off the OL Literature GCE Syllabus. What they probably didn’t know was that my name and money came not from that novel but from Mastering Literature in English! They fired in the wrong direction. Their impotent attacks made me see how insincere humans are. As junior colleagues who knew me, the matter should have been more beneficial to both parties if they had walked up and broached the issues with me.  However, no human effort can be positively appreciated by all and sundry. Jesus healed for free; he was killed. Jesus educated for free; he was killed. Jesus forgave sins; he was killed. Who then is Tah Protus, a mere mortal who could only teach and write books? My aim and desire has been to write things that can be useful to my entourage. So, if some money followed my efforts, I can only thank God who inspired me. What do you do when you go to the river to fetch water and fish glides into your bucket?

Some of my greatest satisfactions are that: I was taught in Form 1 and 2 by Cardinal Tumi, then Rev Fr Christian Tumi. I was equally taught in Form 1 and 2 by Professor Bole Butake, then an A-Level holder, before we met again in the University where he initiated me into African Literature and Creative Writing. I was privileged to be taught by the revered Professor Bernard Fonlon during all my three undergraduate years in Yaounde University. My last years in university (MA and PhD) were under the guidance of the very seasoned and solid Professor Nol Alembong. I feel exceptionally fortunate to have passed through these polished hands.

One of the things I have enjoyed doing all these years is writing and acting Drama. I first came into drama after I met Tangyie Suh Nfoh whose ability and reputation in the field has not received enough acknowledgement. He created a forum, Palace Productions Association, in which we, the adherents, practised creative writing and drama. It is here that I first began to write and act drama. Then I frequently travelled to Calabar and Ibadan, Nigeria, where I interacted with Nigerian playwrights and enhanced my writing skills.

I ended up writing a good number of drama and film scripts. I produced two films: The Ordeal of the eight Day and Beyond Repair. I also produced one musical album in memory of my father’s demise, and to concretise my musical leanings.

I have enjoyed my teaching career so much that if I had to start all over, I’m sure I’ll still get back to teaching. I taught mostly in government schools. But I also taught in private schools such as Nacho Comprehensive High School Bamenda (one year), Progressive Comprehensive High School Mankon (15 years), Fobison Hossana Bilingual School Nkwen, etc. Apart from these quasi-permanent private teaching posts, I was often invited to give catch up classes here and there. But one of the craziest things I did in Bamenda city was the organisation of weekend Revision Classes in O-L Literature and English Language. It is in these classes that I met most of the students who have become my very closest lifetime friends. I had a passion for these classes because, while the students thought I was the best teacher in town, they didn’t know that that they were actually the ones enriching me with ideas from all the good teachers in town. And so whenever I wrote subsequent editions of Mastering Literature in English the book had almost every idea and approach that any teacher or student could think of. This was thanks to my colleagues’ ideas which their students freely brought to me. Therefore, I stop to acknowledge the direct and indirect contributions of my students and colleagues, respectively, to the production of my best study guide.

One incomprehensive comic experience I often had during my teaching years was that people have often mistaken me for the famous Tangyie Peter Suh Nfoh. I have never understood why. We are friends and colleagues. But we are very different. Tangyie excels in A-Level Literature.  I teach O-Level Literature. He is fair in complexion, not black like me! But the confusion always brings a warm smile to my face.

I have had so many useful colleagues and friends that to begin to list them would be scarily impossible.  If I begin from my son and friend, Mr Enci Elias who has always urged me on in my creativity, and if I mention Mr Tata Patrick, an eagle-eyed critic and editor, what would I say of Mr Mfone Nde Zama and Mr Oliver Kefnojev, keen and alert creative readers and writers, who have been as children and brothers to me? Then there comes a torrent of names. Who would I leave out? Therefore, suffice it to acknowledge all who in one way or the other have been contributory factors in my life.

Because I knew I would eventually come on retirement; because I didn’t wish to begin having children anew when on retirement; because I had not enjoyed my brief political practice; because I don’t enjoy vying for community power posts, I went into farming a few years prior to retirement. Simply following my volunteers to the farm and returning home with fresh plantains, palm produce, yams, etc, gives me much pleasure and some money.

Something else I have found time to do during retirement is more creative writing, and guiding my granddaughter’s toddling steps into creativity.

However, as soon as I started retirement and staying home during long hours, I looked back into my life and saw how far I had waded away from my catholic faith. Too many changes had taken place in the church while I was teaching and administering away in the rural areas, busy with things unconnected to church and faith. I found a deep and urgent need to catch up with what I had lost during these years. So, I decided to go to the Maryvale Institute of Catechises, Bamenda where I updated my faith in the theory and practice of Catholicism.

I don’t have a medal to show for my 37 years career in government service: 1979 to 2016. I never applied for one. I do not believe that hierarchy should expect workers to apply for their hard work to be recognised.  If hierarchy itself is hardworking and good intentioned, then it would readily notice and reward hardworking personnel. However, I did not enter the public service to earn a medal. I went in in order to have a means of earning a living. I worked hard. I climbed to the highest salary any civil servant can earn. I enjoyed sundry administrative benefits – especially in the years preceding the drastic salary cuts. My service took me from Zoetele, to Monatele, Wum, Yaounde, Bamenda, Santa, Oku, Atiela, Andek and conclusively to Widikum. All these years, I am proud that I never received nor offered bribe for any service. I never benefitted from the propping of a godfather; I’ve never had nor waited on one. I thank God that I received my retirement benefits the very month I went on retirement without having to do pilgrimage to Yaounde.

My final joy and desire is that the last school I have attended, The Maryvale Institute for Catechises, should earn me the medal of faith, the medal of divine eternity. That is my prayer.

And that is my life as I lived and saw it.

Pray for me always. If those in the world beyond pray for those this way, I shall surely pray for you after “I cross the bar”. I am sure there is no social, economic and political discrimination over there. I am sure there is no class, race and gender discrimination over there. I am sure there is neither illness nor poverty over there. So do you imagine I’ll be unhappy, overworked, ill, hungry, underpaid, indebted, there? No! Therefore, weep not for me. I’ll be happily contemplating God as I finally understand the mysteries that elude us here.

I cannot wish that you crossover now. But I almost couldn’t wait to cross. I am confident that life will be blissful because Jesus, the son of God is not a liar.  I have been experiencing much of him lately.

I like to say that while we live, we should be busy doing something that puts bread on our table. But while doing this we must ensure, however we earn this living, that the exercise should not derail us from God our Creator. Instead, all we do should be leading us to God. It’s good to have a lot of money but this should not be the goal of life. The goal of life should be to earn a living and so support those around us, and to know that God made us to know him, love him and serve him. As we live, we must know that, once born, we shall die; and because we know neither how nor where nor when, we must be ever ready for death, death that opens the way back to our maker. The only way to be sure we will return to our creator is to live a life that reflects and echoes Jesus.

As my last word, I wish to thank God for giving me complete consciousness towards the end of my life to put down my thoughts and feelings. That is why I can sincerely thank all those I have encountered in this very busy and fruitful life. I forgive everyone who knowingly or unknowingly hurt me. I sincerely ask those I hurt in the course of relating with them, to frankly forgive me. I thank my wife and children; they have been a deep source of inspiration and reason for all my sweat, which, thank God, has been richly rewarded. I thank all my teachers, friends, students and colleagues. I thank all of you who shall take time and bear the burden to see me off to my final home in the Njindom cemetery. Shed not a tear for me. Rather, pray that I may be worthy of the promises of Christ, and that Mary the Mother of God will lead me to her son after I draw my last breath. God be with you till we meet again. Amen.

 

 HIS SPIRITUAL LIFE

    I was a Christian of the Roman Catholic Church from birth.
I went to junior seminary in Bishop Rogan College, Soppo-Buea, for five years.

    I trained and certified as catechist of the Roman Catholic Church at the Maryvale Institute, Cameroon – Bamenda.

TAH PROTUS AS A BUDDING FARMER:

Before I retired from the Public Service, I quickly engaged into medium scale farming producing plantains and palm oil in Upper Bayangi land, Manyu Division, and crops like cassava, yams, cocoyams, maize, beans etc in Mbengtiba, not far from my Benjoh residence. 

 CONFERENCES ATTENDED
I attended many conferences thanks to sponsorship from the American Embassy, the Ministry of National Education, and personal sponsorship. These include:

• Human Rights Clinic and Education (HURCLED) Centre Bamenda, in Bamenda, sponsored by Projet Pro-Democratie Cooperation Cameroun-Canada during the Training of Paralegal Officers: August 1998.
• Sustainable Land Usage Patterns and Strategies (SLUSPS) Bamenda, sponsored by the US Embassy in Fundong on Women’s Access to Justice and Political Leadership: October 25th–29th, 1999.
• North West Fons’ Union (NOWEFU) sponsored by the US Embassy in Mezam, Ngoketunjia, Donga Mantung, Menchum and Bui divisions on Human Rights & Conflict Resolution: February – June 2000.
• Action by Catholics for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT) Bamenda on Torture and Human Rights for the Military in Bamenda May 2000.
• North West Provincial Delegation of Women’s Affairs on HIV/AIDS Prevention, during the 2000 International Day of the Woman.
• Cameroon Teachers’ Trade Union (CATTU) sponsored by Fredrich Erbert Foundation in Ayaba Hotel Bamenda, on Corruption in the School Milieu: October 2001.
• Ministry of National Education in Kribi, on Strategies of fighting AIDS in the School Milieu: June 6 – 8, 2001.
• Bamenda-Dordrecht Friends on HIV/AIDS Prevention at the Nkwen Fon’s Palace in June 2001. Sensitisation and Prevention for school children.

  
PUBLICATIONS:

1.The Immortal Seed (Winner of 2011 Eko Foundation Award, OL GCE text)

2. Mastering English Literature

3. Mastering Literature in English

4. A Tale of AIDS (NW PTG Award Winning Novel)

5.Lemba the Footballer (NW PTG Award Winning Story)

6.Tortoise and the Jungle Folk (co-author) (Form One Book list)

7.The Ordeal of the Eighth Day (Drama)

8.The Dream (Drama)

9.Two Short Plays (Form One Book List)

10. Beyond Repair (Film)

11. The Whiteman’s Friend (Drama)

12. Sunrise at Midday (Drama)

13. The Search (Radio Drama)

14. AIDS Web

15. Too Late to Say No

16. Perpetual Winners

17. The Bully

18. Honourable’s House Girl (Drama)

19. From the Court Room (A BBC Award Winning Drama)

20. 18. Dividends of Fate (Film)

21. Companion English

22. A Latin Course for Cameroon Schools

23. Beginning Poetry: Levels 1 - 3 (On National Book List: F1 -3)

 

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE BY TAH PROTUS

1.The Woman Who Turned into a Duck

2.It’s Right Here (Class 5 & 6 Book list)

3.Maya’s Ant Friend

4.Ebie and the Bee

5.The Village River

6.The Careless Baby Sitter

7.Eposi Learns Her Lesson

8.A Boy Called Jeje

9.The Heady Hen

10. The Number Game

11. An Egg and a Pan

12. The Cat and the Rat

13. Animals Around Me

 

MEMBERSHIP OF ASSOCIATIONS

• Founder and executive Chair of RIFIT Productions, an arts NGO focused on Social Change through the use of writing, theatre and cinema.
• Erstwhile President of NW English Literature Teachers’ Association.
• Member of Cameroon Anglophone Writers Forum.
• Member and one-time Secretary General of NW Musicians Association.