Exceptional farewell to the Mayor of Douala V

The funeral rite took place in the presence of Governors Joseph Beti Assomo of the Littoral and Bernard Okalia Bilai of the South West Regions.

The esplanade of the Douala V Council in Bonamussadi was filled to capacity yesterday afternoon. A feeling of remorse was the only visible expression on the faces of the countless mourners that turned out mostly in black or white wears, party uniforms and specially-designed fabric and buttons bearing the image of the fallen mayor; all as way to pay the last respect to late Françoise Foning who passed on as a serving mayor at the Douala V Council.

In a motion of farewell, the funeral ceremony began with ecumenical prayers led by a collage of priests from EPC, NBC, EEC, Roman Catholic Church and the Muslim community in Douala.

In his presiding address, the Senior Divisional Officer of Wouri, Naseri Paul Bea, described late Mayor Françoise Foning as one with the dream of transforming the municipality into a place to be - a paradise.

He remembered the late mayor for her unvaried opinion in favour of the governing Cameroon People's Democratic Movement, CPDM, party with an unshakeable conviviality and respect for administrative authorities and sympathy towards the underprivileged. He extended warm appreciations to the Governors of the Littoral Region, Joseph Beti Assomo, and South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai, for taking off time to personally condole and pay homage to Françoise Foning.

Far from empty eulogies, each speaker including the traditional chief of the Bassa Township, the First Assistant Mayor of the Douala V Council, Senator Din Bell, business people representative, the Secretary General of the Douala V Council noted that she was a woman of integrity and esteem who leaves behind a wide heritage.

He substantiated his claim with the fact that Foning's tenure never witnessed any salary arrears to the workers. Rather she beefed up the workforce from 70 when she took office as mayor of the Council in 2002 to 226 at her death on January 23, 2015.

At the end of the ceremony, local administration and the horde of other mourners thronged behind the funeral convoy to the Omnisports Stadium in Bépanda where the mortal remains confined in a coffin sealed in green, red and yellow flag was laid in state for the public.