Tazoacha Asonganyi

Two years ago, precisely on July 3 2016, Prof. Tazoacha Asonganyi transitioned to the land of his forefathers.  He passed barely a few months before the onset of what is today the Anglophone crisis.  This memorial website starts out with a deep saying by one of the most acclaimed writers, Lois McMaster Bujold: “The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do so for them. “

 

Prof. Asonganyi was a statesman, educator, scientist, social activist, among other personalities and devoted his life towards advancing democracy and social justice. He was a prolific writer and a clear thinker. Prof. Asonganyi was humble and kind.

 

His published memoir:  "Difficult Choices in A Failed Democracy" talks about ordinary Cameroonians who lived their lives dreaming about the possibility of democracy … and ended up being murdered needlessly because of political intolerance.  He got it right and must be watching the current state of affairs from above.  May his soul rest in peace and may the ideals he stood for become a reality someday.

 

We miss our dearest friend, brother, husband, father and statesman Prof. Tazoacha Asonganyi but he lives forever in our memories and hearts.

 

Prof. Nkemnji

What we see, have or possess and face must be subject to change… How then do we take ownership of you when we already know each is a passing craze and temporary stuff! Death is inevitable for all that is born; but out of sight will not be out of mind!

As a genuine intellectual, you lived in the world of ideas, books and writing. You always held up a mirror to those in authority; you always occupied the moral high ground, you always worked for the good of society... You lived in truth and spoke the same to all.

For this and more, we promise to keep your flame burning bright by not neglecting any tasks that cry out to be carried to fruition. Also we promise that anyone may take us on task regarding our promise! Your flame with continue to burn, your physical absence notwithstanding!

Go well SG Asontaz…and rest in the peace of the Lord. Angels have taken you to the Lord, this much we believe and so we know one day we will meet again. We know that for every pain, burden, grief, hurt and tear-drop, there must be a reason or more… thus if we trust the Almighty and His favours as we should, your departure will work out for some good. Some may feel cheated that the Lord took you away from us without warning… yet we must learn to be grateful that He gave us an extra-ordinary being in the first place. We will therefor continue to speak to you, poke fun, jokes and smiles about you… we will maintain your name as our household names even in our turbulent waters of grief and confusion, as you wait for us yonder!

RIP PROF TAZOACHA ASONGANYI

Reflection by Prof Nkemnji & family:

 

In 1949, God gave Lebialem and Cameroon a gift in the person of Prof. Tazoacha Asonganyi through Pa Asonganyi-fua and Ma Nzengung.  God in his infinite wisdom decided to take away that gift in 2016. Nobody ever knows when God decides to give or to take away. As believers, we are thankful and sadden. Prof. Asonganyi.  accomplished his mission on earth, as a constructive social critic, to the best of his abilities.  Family, friends, his students, and readers of his numerous pieces are impressed and thankful to God for his intellect, generosity, pursuit of truth, and struggle for cultural and national development.  As friends, we worked closely with him on a number of projects: his trips to talk to LECA or LECUDO in the USA, and most recently, on the publication of his memoir:  Difficult Choices in a Failed Democracy. We are thankful to all those who helped in making sure the publication saw the light of day.  He pushed forward the project as if he knew the end was near and was thankful that he was able to launch bilingual versions of his memoir in Cameroon. We had a few more projects in the pipeline. We sincerely admired his life-consuming struggles for family, truth, and development, and we hope with your help these struggles will come to fruition both in Lebialem and in Cameroon. He is leading from paradise and expecting nothing less from those who mourn him. Our regards to his family: Flo, Nze, Njuzi, Anyi and Nji.

Go well, brother...
First, it sounded like a joke in bad taste. But the more the hours passed, the more social media echoed the unbelieveable news. Uncertainty was soon confirmed after a few phone calls. Unbelieve gradually became reality as a new day brought clarification and confirmation to what I had feared.
And so a Lebialem brother, a SOBAN senior and mentor moves on? Caught so suddenly by that shameless, dreaded happening in human life.
Prof. so you are really no more?
A summer launching of your autobiographical story in North America will now not take place the way book launches are done. Your story will not be told with you present to share a smile, tell a joke, and reminisce on those good old times: as my first guest on Cameroon Report in 1980, in your usual way telling it as it should be; as a concerned son of Lebialem reiterating the need for untiy as we sought to bring down walls of character assassination, stop the unholy practice of petition writing...things that continue to hold development and meaningful representation of our common heritage hostage.
Prof. the ink in your pen has suddenly gone dry! Our agreement to compile your writings in the form of Kenneth Kaunda's "Letter to my Children" is thus put on hold; but given the strength, and God willing, will be pursued.
Flo and the family, we miss a father, a hero, a role model, a torchbearer who never relented in the pursuit of truth, justice, and fairplay.
We will miss your physical presence; we will not hear your counseling urges; but we will continue to travel the path of truth. We will not surrender until the light you incarnated shines and brings meaningful people change to the Land of Promise, Land of Glory, Land of our Forefathers
Go well Brother and may the soil of the land of our Ancestors be light on your shoulders. You fought the good fight; you never gave up! Your prize remains our tears and the prayers we will continue to offer for you.
Fondly remembered by Asonglefac Nkemleke (Nkemabas, as would jokingly say whenvever we met.)
Rest in perfect Peace!