National Assembly pays homage to MP, Hon Ndongo Essomba.

The Senior Vice President of the National Assembly, Hon Hilarion Etong, led other members of the House to pay tribute to their colleague who died last month.

The corpse of the late Member of Parliament for Lekie East constituency, who died March 17, was removed from the Yaounde General Hospital Mortuary yesterday.

His mortal remains was conveyed to the Yaounde Conference Centre for a tribute ceremony from his fellow lawmakers, friends and family members. 

The ceremony was marked by church service, video projection of the life late Hon Essomba at the National Assembly and a series of speeches paying tribute to the fallen statesman. 

In a eulogy delivered during the event, the Chief Whip of the CPDM Parliamentary Group at the National Assembly, Hon Roger Melingui said the demise of Hon Essombe is a big loss to not just the National Assembly but also the ruling party under which his ardently militated for.

“President Ndongo Essomba climbed all the ranks within our party, from the grassroots organs to the higher structures: President of Sub-Section, President of Section, full member of the CPDM Central Committee, Conflict Delegate to the Central Committee, Political Bureau member and head of the Central Committee Regional Permanent Delegation for the Central Region,” the MP said.

He continued that the people-centred MP earned the trust of his people of Lekie who accorded him through voting, five mandates at the National Assembly that spanned from 1992 to 2023 when he passed on.

Hon Melingui added: “his sense of duty, discipline and personal prestige have prevailed to the point that throughout his mandates, he was President of the CPDM Parliamentary Group, which is why he was trusted by his colleagues and the hierarchy of his party”.

He then pledged to continue with the works of the late multidimensional MP at the level of the lawmaking chamber and within the party. 

“I will therefore be part of all battles and face all challenges to remain faithful to the memory of this great man, loyal to our party and committed to the work of consolidating our institution, the National Assembly to which the President of the Republic of Cameroon is attached to” he concluded.

MPs salute memory of deceased colleague

According to Hon Kumase Simon, the National Assembly has lost a great leader and silent achiever. 

“Losing Hon Essomba to death was something very bad for us because he was a man that loved to assemble, advice and to be with people. So his absence is going to be a big blow to us at the National Assembly,” the CPDM MP for Santa in the North West Region said.

For Adamu Edward Lambe from Donga Mantung, the late Hon Ndongo Essomba “…was a soft-spoken and we will be remembered for all that he did for the parliament. At the level of the Finance Committee, he made sure that all the regions were represented”. 

Similarly, the Deputy Vice Speaker of the National Assembly and MP for Ndian, Hon Mary Meboka, mentioned that it was a great opportunity to work with the late Hon Essomba. 

“It was a. He had a lot of political experience and he knew how to handle problems quietly. He was unassuming, effective but powerful which I have learned. Working with him has helped me to withstand the challenges of politics,” she said.

The late business tycoon cum politician, born on April 20, 1946 in Nkolmelok by Sa’a subdivision, Lekie Division of the Centre Region was the President of the Cameroon-France Friendship Parliamentary Group. 

The late MP will be buried in his native Nkol-Ebae village on Saturday April 22. He had occupied several positions within the political and business world.

The former President of the Cameroon Boxing Federation, was married and left behind several children and grand-children to continue his legacy.