A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH WILFRED MBELEM`S SON

Today, I accidentally (but who can be so sure about it?) ran into the son of my late good friend, Pa Wilfred Mbelem, formerly Director of Linguistic Services at the Presidency of the Republic and a worthy son of this Republic. Mr. Mbelem died in a road accident in Yaounde in May 2005. The son I met was Theophile Awung, a typical carbon copy of his dad. On many occasions that I met with Pa Mbelem in his lifetime, Theophile was present. The most memorable moment was when we got together and traveled to their native Fontem in Lebialem Division. I cannot quite remember the occasion but it must have been either a CPDM event or a royal celebration at the palace of Fon Fontem Njifua. On this trip, Theophile and I journeyed in the same vehicle which unfortunately broke down on the way and transformed our journey from one of glee to one of gloom. But we had a good time in Lebialem. I traveled as a journalist on mission from CRTV television. I had known about Mr. Mbelem while still in Europe and before finally returning to settle back home. In 1998, while still based in London I returned to Cameroon to do a special edition on Cameroon in AIMET Magazine whose Editor-in-Chief I was. While in Yaounde, I was a guest on both CAMEROON CALLING and DIMACHE MIDI. When Pa Mbelem heard me on the air, he drove to the National Radio Station and picked me up for lunch at his Yaounde residence. During the meal he asked me to accompany him to the residence of Grégoire Owona, at the time Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Relations with the Assemblies. It was a party attended by the top brass of Yaounde. One particular personality whose presence I enjoyed was Mrs. Françoise Foning, Cameroon`s female heavyweight business woman and ace politician. I realized that everyone referred to her as “Maman”. From that day, she became my own “Maman” and I became her “mon fils”, just like Grégoire Owona. During the week I spent in Yaounde, my host also insisted that I meet his boss the Secretary General at the Central Committee of the CPDM, Charles Joseph Doumba. He said he would convince Doumba to receive me. When I asked why he said the boss received people a bit rarely. At last the day of the visit came and here we were in a reception hall at the CPDM`s headquarters at the Yaounde Conference Centre. Once Mr. Doumba stepped in, he said to us in French, “So where is this gentleman I have been told I must meet?” It was a constructive meeting during which I told him what I liked about the government and the CPDM and what I did not like. He was appreciative of what he termed my “frankness”. My relationship with Mr. Mbelem remained rock solid until his death eight years ago. That was why I became so moved when I saw his son again today.