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

10. Ako-Aya and the Big Towns

109 Chapter Ten Ako-Aya and the Big Towns A lthough Ako-Aya was based in Victoria, he travelled extensively. This enabled him to cover interesting stories in various other towns, notably, Tiko, Buea, Kumba and Bamenda. His famous title, ‘WEEK-END RETURNS’, usually gave the reader a summary of the goings-on in all these towns. However, there were often occasions in which he devoted a whole article to a particular town. So in Ako-Aya’s column, one got to know of the promiscuous tenden-cies of the women in Kumba, the lamentation of the people to the dusty and muddy nature of their streets following the change of seasons, and finally the high degree of tax eva-sions which understandably is the cause of the financial plight of the Kumba Urban Council. As to Tiko, he drew our attention to the ‘Camp’ mentality of the C.D.C. workers, the acrid stench of the Rubber Factory, and the crime wave in the fishing ports. He called the people of Buea, ‘gentle-men’, who were living on the past glories of a one time Capital City. Ako-Aya seemed to have liked Bamenda and so praised the industriousness of the Bamenda people, al-though he regretted the fact that the city was not blessed with an ocean and government-managed or private industries. Before putting down the articles, Ako-Aya wrote on the various towns, I would first of all present those which summarily discussed all the towns. He wrote: i) “FRIDAY JULY 2, 1971: ABOUT MANY THINGS “I did not know that a stove was such a valuable possession till last week when in Bwinga road Tiko, this utensil was used in exchange for services rendered. A fight ensured in the early hours of the morning because payment was not forthcoming. 110 Ako-Aya: A Cameroonian Pioneer in Daring Journalism and Social Commentary “One of our groups, Agi, here wants men also to gor for treatment. “KUMBA: “Men here are sending their wives home - ‘to take the children to see their grand-dads. I hear holidays are on, the divorces are rife. A friend of mind really advocates for divorce once a year. “VICTORIA: “The rains are sitting in with divorces and marriages. Recent ones have been these ins-pections boss. “More marriages in the offing, after last weeks inclusive of a chief taking on the third Race and Mbo and Lyn and Oson. “Gregory is sky-rocketing the cost of living. “BUEA: “Chiefs here all fuming with 1819 age date of birth. Here also no divorces, just marriages planned - what with the cold and rains on M. Ndongs series of sendoff ’s continue. I have taken purgative. “MAMFE: “Beautiful Miss M is to be elected at a dance tomorrow. No sanjas at this dance - let us also see the legs. “BAMENDA: “Good country, no problems, every body working hard with young men, their eyes down-south. “Till next issue.’.” ii) “TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 1971: THE WEEK-END RETURNS “The week end these days actually started from Friday afternoon with few hours on Saturday which interfere with drinking time. I first shuffled to the Atlantic Bis and the seats were entirely taken by bank people. I hear they were receiving and sending-off their West African Manager. “Came Saturday, and the pulse of the cities 111 Chapter Ten: Ako-Aya and the Big Towns was beating faster and faster geamed up towards travelling of several crates. After witnessing a fight at the standard where ‘woman beat man’, I left for Kumba. “There was hardly much around except a dance organised by the Sasse Old Boys resident in Kumba. This place has always shown the light as far as SOBA is concerned. Don’t forget that ‘Government dem be get pay’ by week-end and such little money that left their hands found its way into the pubs. “Of course, the usual Kumba beauties, the mammy wagons with big tail-boards grace the front rows of the seats. A few minutes stay and we drove off to the capital where the Prisons Club had a dance. “I was afraid to enter the hall as the place looked like a night session of the Court of Appeal and I did not know whether their wives were witnesses or accused persons. Just like every body in the Ndian Creeks has a mosquito to net so every body in...