Reviewed by Azore Opio
Ngwa J. Niba. A Royal Turmoil. ANUCAM Publishers, 2005
This book, the latest in Ngwa J. Niba's collections after Manka'a and The Golden Arrow, opens with a symbolic storm, lightning and thunder in the heart of the dry season: a prediction of the stormy plot the story assumes.
The symbolism is two-faceted: preceded by an equally prophetic dream it announces the death of a noble and the troubles that would dog the palace after his departure. The fire flaming on the branches of the sacred tree crowns the Fon's suspicions and fears.
Chapter Two is the beginning of the real story. With moving simplicity, Ngwa traces the story of Tabirh, heir apparent to his late father's throne. Manipulating telepathy and dreams, and sometimes, apparitions, Ngwa sets the scene and hatches the dispute over the throne that justifies the plot.
He presents the complexity of relations amongst members of a polygamous royal home, focusing on how the natives propagate the tradition of inheritance. Tradition is in full sway, producing a very lively narrative that portrays the famous fondoms of the Grassfields of Northwest Cameroon, with its many chiefs and palaces.
The setting would be entirely traditional African had Ngwa not sneaked in the white man's churches. The blend is a coarse one where he merely glosses over issues, and in his enthusiasm he forgets the usefulness of 2nd Conditionals in making wishes and talking about improbable things.
And the originality of Ngwa's approach - showing how a heir is chosen and enthroned even amidst disputes, and that traditional religious beliefs and modern Christianity could be combined at a time when the two seem to be categorically opposed, would have made his work of much broader interest, if he had taken more pains to elaborate the details of traditional marriage, courts, succession rites and enthronement (Chapter 20).
He rather titillates the reader and suddenly denies him the detailed pomp and fanfare of the burial rites of a noble, which could have consolidated the book as an archive of Northwest traditional beliefs and practices.
Nonetheless, Ngwa's excellent prose style, peppered with first-hand anecdotes, draws you into a brief history of Northwest succession rites. In a village where there is no regular police or judicial court, order still reigns supreme. The Fon, assisted by his noblemen, is the embodiment; the incarnation of law and order. He is sacrosanct.
However, the fondom is not free from the trammels of greed and bribery such as Ngwa portrays in the person of Munewo, a noble seduced and bribed by Mbanshe. Says him to the young Mbanshe who is itching to usurp the throne from his stepbrother Tabirh:
"You will go to the hills first thing in the morning and ask for cattle from each of the farmers on your father's hills. We'll take the cattle to the farms for the queens and talk with them." (Page 107)
Ngwa constructs a climactic narrative that makes you shudder with anger at imagining that a character like Mbanshe should want to take over the throne."Now I am the next son in this compound by birth and Tah used to take me to the palace…those two enemies are trying to grasp (grab) my correction, the throne from me…" This is Mbanshe talking. (Page 84)
The work of Ngwa would stand at the forefront of an ever-richer tradition of Grassfields traditional political and social organisation that transcend the binary oppositions - African versus European initiative; African fetish practices and Western religious orientation that have beset African history.
There is a kissing part on page 149 which makes all the tradition harped on in the book assume the image of stark primitiveness. But he presents an ideal married life enacted by Tabirh and his coastal wife.
Sympathetic to the plight of heirs and polygamous homes without being sentimental, Ngwa maintains a good pace; you'll be reluctant to put the book down.
it seems like a great one to get. 'shame the editor didn't do his/her job that well.
Posted by: mn | Saturday, 15 July 2006 at 09:05 PM