Paul Biya’s doctor buried

The personal physician of the President of the Republic who died April 20, 2015 in Yaoundé from ailments was buried on Saturday in his native village Nkol-Ndobo in the Lékié section, Central Region.

The burial ceremony was done in the presence of the Director of the Civil Cabinet (Dcc), Martin Belinga Eboutou, representing the Head of State. The occasion which was held at the premises of the deceased saw several members of the government and according to some sources, some actually attended the funeral to prevent being criticised by other influential people who knew the role the Physician played in their lives.

Aside the massive turnout of government officials, those who were from the Lékié and attended were the Contrôle supérieur de l’Etat (Consupe); Henri Ayissi Eyebe, l’Agriculture et du Développement rural (Minader); the Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Mbaka Mbock, the former boss of Defence, Remy Ze Meka, MPs and senators from all over the country.

The d’Obala bishop, Mgr Bayemi Sosthenes preached to the mourners on the issues of life during the requiem mass. The prelate stressed that “not all roads are good even if they effective”.

The clergyman dedicated Dr. Damien Andela to God before referring the attendees to St. Augustine's words while talking about the life led by the doctor bfore his death. He stated “For all those who believe in God, life is not destroyed, it is transformed,".

This statement paved way for tributes and the most touching of all was the late doctor’s daughter who referred to her father as “a man known to be the gold of the republic, he remained humble and was close to his family”.

But the highlight of the ceremony was the “message de la Lékié" and condolences from the Head of State to Dr. Damien Andela’s family. The second was read by the prefect of that department, while the first was unveiled by the Mayor of Obala, André Tsalé Messi.

The deceased doctor was pronounced as a person with dignity and value by the Dcc.

Asked about the meaning of the ‘message de la Lékié’ Henri Ayissi Eyebe stated “elite such as him should be celebrated as it ought to be. He was a true son of the State who knew what he was about and his way of living earned and maintained the trust of the Head of State until his death”.

“It was necessary that people be aware of what Dr. Andela meant to us”, explained the Consupe.