Nation Honours Departed Statesman

The mortal remains of the departed Member of the Constitutional Council and former Minister, Emmanuel Bonde, who died on January 3, 2025 after an illness in Yaounde, now rests in Batouri, Kadey Division of the East Region, after an official funeral offered in his honour on February 1, 2025. East Regional Governor, Grégoire Mvogo represented the Head of State at the highly attended farewell ceremony for a man who has served the nation in several capacities. Having been a collaborator of the Head of State, a condolence message from President Paul Biya addressed to the spouse and family of the deceased was read by the Divisional Officer for Kadey, Djadai Yacouba. “Having gained my confidence, he got into government and had a long ministerial career with the sense of reverence to the State. His appointment in 2018 as member of the Constitutional Council was the last step of his rich and long administrative, political and judicial career. The death of Emmanuel Bonde is a big loss to the Bagantou community, the Kadey Division, East Region, the Constitutional Council and Cameroon. During this sad circumstance, I extend, my sincere condolences and that of my spouse,” partly reads the condolence message that equally traced the professional career of the deceased. The Head of State’s representative also placed the funeral wreath from the Presidential couple and extended words of comfort on behalf of the Head of State and First Lady. Different eulogies at the official funeral indicate that the departed was a man of few but meaningful words, discrete and a good listener. A colleague of the deceased, Charles Etienne Lekene Donfack in his eulogy, said Emmanuel Bonde was a multidimentional man who exhibited professionalism during the Council’s working sessions and public audiences. “As a rapporteur, he was very critical in his thinking. He had a sense of humanity and was loyal to State institutions. Emmanuel Bonde, dear colleague, rest in peace in Batouri in the midst of your ancestors,” he said. He added that the deceased was a good politician who respected the laws but resigned from politics in 2018 following his appointment into the Constitutional Council. Speaking on behalf of the family, Alain Momdjol said their late father taught them from childhood that suc...