Ako-Aya: A Cameroorian Pioneer in Daring Journalism and Social Commentary

16. Ako-Aya and Christmas

201 Chapter Sixteen Ako-Aya and Christmas A ko-Aya never failed to wish his readers a ‘Happy Christmas.’ And it was in such articles that he articulated on the various financial problems which family members have to face up to. This is moreso because gifts have to be bought. Of course, like he rightly pointed out, January is often a difficult month for many, as all that had been saved was used up for Christmas entertainments. He wrote: i) “FRIDAY JAN. 1, 1971; HAPPY1! HAPPY!” “Christmas found me on the mail van bound for the North. I wanted to get away from it all, what with the pretentious greetings of ‘Merry Xmas.’ Even my enemy came to shake hands with me on this day and this woman who drinks twenty gallons of water everyday to shake her unquenchable thirst was wishing me happy, happy, several days before 25th. “I got to the North at this place of the big river feeling dusty. Two thousand francs changed hands with the driver for seating at the back. I didn’t blame him, he had a right to enjoy Xmas at my expense. “There was a fund-raising dance organized by a football club. I went to the dance first to sea why dances are staged in this place only on Friday and to look at the girls. I had no explanation to my enquiry but had a good eyeful of the girls - fat, small, tall, long, short tumbu and all in all. “I paid 200 francs to get into this dance not so much for the sake of the dance than to help a football club suddenly a something officer came with a big agbada as 202 Ako-Aya: A Cameroonian Pioneer in Daring Journalism and Social Commentary if he had just had an Alhajirate from Mecca University. He glided passed the gates without so much as directing his eyes to where the tickets are sold. The clerk at the gate sent him a small note asking for donations and the man rose to his full height and refused to pay any donations. ‘Don’t you know I am privileged and I have immunity even up to not paying donations.’ He further threatened the clerk with a sack-such naked display of power. “I know that even the Big VIPS donate to worthy causes but not his lesser official. Veil, was it not happy happy I left that hall and town a changed man, and destroyed all the greeting cards sent to me. There is none who really wishes the other a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. I have been asked by the Editor of this paper to compile my 1970 writings into book form. I intend to sell the book for 100 francs. “Next issue my New Year Resolution.” ii) “FRIDAY DEC. 3, 1971: KAM FOR OFFICE” “I have been thinking of leaving this work and being a servant of the people who pay tax. Think of the money and authority, for example you can ask anybody to ‘Kam for your office and he will be “shaking” to come. “So I went to borrow some money from one of my big friends, ‘Look Thomas’ he said ‘I don’t have a mite, I’m living on 0.0.’ but he took the telephone and rang the chairman ‘Masse i bad, we no fit hold meeting?’ he then asked we to come back in two days and after that he gave me the money ‘part of my allowance’ he told me gladly. “They get their pay, they get duty salaries, and they get ten thousand francs each day when they attend meetings and of course it must take several meetings to reach a decision. 203 Chapter Sixteen: Ako-Aya and Christmas “Then one of these men saw a beautiful girl selling in a shop in Tiko. But as Tiko has very few girls they all have their ‘permanent people.’ This servant of the people made advances but they were repulsed by the women. “As a servant, he merely sent a note demanding her presence and she came all the way from Tiko to Victoria. ‘I wan show you se I get power, you go sleep here today.’ But the girl refused and returned. You may think they are your servants because your taxes pay them, but make no mistake about it, they are your masters and are riding...