Straddling the Mungo
A Book of Poems in English and French
A sinister form of oppression, linguistic oppression, is the key ingredient in this rich collection of poems written in both the English and the French languages. Highly charged with political overtones, this anthology awakens the conscience of a society in lethargy, one in which even those who lay claim to superiority display gross incompetence in the management of state and societal affairs. Vakunta raises a strong voice against the wanton abuse of the constitutional provision that protects the Cameroon's official bilingual policy. This collection makes a forceful case that official bilingualism is not a pipe-dream, but rather a powerful modus operandi with the potential to ease a myriad of socio-political bottlenecks. It is hoped that this bilingual anthology of poems would provide useful instructional material for educators and serve as an eye-opener to Cameroon's leadership and role-players.
ISBN 9789956558896 | 88 pages | 216 x 140 mm | 2009 | Langaa RPCIG, Cameroon | Paperback
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Reviews
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“These poems are informed by a society ambushed by its own leadership, thanks to a scandalous historical foundation and a myopic and corrupt system that has yielded unrepresentative kleptomaniacs masquerading as leaders of a nation. These are poems by a proud but grieving patriot who has identified his country’s meaningless yet divisive squabbles and is determined to educate his compatriots in the virtues of peace and true unity. This volume is counseling to humankind as a whole.”
- Emmanuel Fru Doh
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“The anthology is a powerful indictment of a system where abuse and dereliction of duty have been given the leeway to run roughshod. It interrogates the functionality of a bilingual system where the notion of bilingualism is a burdensome imposition on the Anglophone minority.”
- Dr. Bill Ndi, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
