Bleak weekend as Inoni’s wife, Sen. Jikong, former Amb. to US, former Lion die

Last weekend was a bleak one in the history of Cameroon as the country lost four of some of her prominent political and sports personalities.

The four – Senator Jikong Stephen of Donga Mantung, one of the wives of Former Prime Minister, Inoni Ephraim, former Cameroon’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Jerome Mendouga and former Indomitable Lions’ midfielder, Valery Mezague all died last Saturday.

Jikong, elected Senator April last year died at the Yaounde General Hospital where he was hospitalized on Friday. He was 69. The senator who hailed from Nwah Sub Division had been experiencing bad health ever since his election.

He becomes the third Senator to pass on in seven months. Fon Lucas Njifua of Fontem in the South West Region led the way in April, followed by Francis Nkwain in October. The trio, all of them Anglophones, died in Yaounde.

For Jerome Mendouga, former Cameroon Ambassador to the U.S, he died in hospital in Yaounde after battling with a prolonged sickness.

He was serving a-10-year jail sentence handed down against him in 2012 by the Mfoundi High Court over the botched presidential-jet-purchase scandal. The court had also charged him to pay the sum of 121MFCFA. He appealed the verdict. It was still pending hearing at his death.

Mendouga was convicted alongside Marafa Hamidou Yaya for complicity in the mafia transactions that led to the purchase of the ill-fated jet that almost killed President Biya and wife. He is about the third high profile prisoner to have died while still serving prison term.

Prime Minister Inoni’s first wife whose names we couldn’t get at press time died in the United States of America where she was residing after a protracted illness. She had refused to return to Cameroon when Inoni was jailed. The lady who had four children with Inoni had not divorced with the former P.M who is currently serving a 15-year jail term in Kondengui.

In France, former Indomitable Lions’ midfielder, Valery Mézague was found dead in his apartment. The Cameroonian spent a year with Portsmouth after accepting a one-year loan deal to join the south coast side from parent club Montpellier in 2004.

Mezague spent last season with League Two club, Bury where he made seven appearances before joining French fifth division outfit Sporting Toulon Var. He was part of the Cameroon side that reached the finals of the 2003 Confederations Cup in which Marc-Vivien Foe tragically died.

Later that year, Mezague was involved in a car crash that left him hospitalised and in a coma for three days. His last club confirmed his passing on its twitter page: “It is with great sadness that Sporting Toulon informs you of the death of Valery Mezague.” A statement said.

The cause of his death is unknown, but a Toulon police source told AFP: “An autopsy will be done on Monday. We do not currently have any suspicions (of criminal activity).”

Mezague was born in Marseille but represented the country of his parents, although his international career was cut short after the car crash. A promising, athletic youngster, he joined Sochaux in 2005 but the last five years of his club career were mostly spent in France’s lower leagues, with the exception of a season in Greece with Panetolikos. Mezague’s younger brother, Teddy currently plays for Belgian side Mouscron.