At Publisher Francis Wache’s requiem: Journalists tasked to report only the truth or resign

The casket of Late Newspaper  Publisher ,Francis Wache, being taken for funeral mass 

By Christopher Ambe

An outspoken Catholic priest, on January 17, took advantage of a bevy of journalists from   far and wide who attended the funeral mass of Wache Francis, Publisher of The Post newspaper-cum mayor of Nkor-Noni, which took place at the Charles Luanga Catholic parish, Molyko-Buea, to slam failing reporters and their manipulators.

Rev. Fr. Franklin Bayong, in his homily, which harped on the inevitability of death, reiterated eulogies from various speakers, which pointed to the fact that the deceased Publisher and Mayor of Nkor-Noni, was an advocate of truth in his journalistic works, which remain a legacy.

But “nothing is certain in life except death”, he said emphatically.

Highly disappointed at half-baked journalists, who are often at the beck and call of the dubious political elites, the priest regretted that today so-called journalists are agents of fake news, a disservice to society.

“Journalists are like priests who are supposed to be neutral. But many journalists today have been bought over by the political elite”, Rev. Bayong bemoaned. “Some of them even complain that their hands are tied. I hereby advise that if you cannot speak the truth the way it is supposed to be,you should resign. Your work is a vocation”

The Minister of God also used the service to remind every mourner present, especially politicians, senators, mayors and other government officials some of whom he accused of abusing their offices, of the inevitability of death.

“The Death of Wache is a reminder that all of us must die”, he said, adding that “death comes to you no matter what you do in government; your position in government won’t help you. Because of power and wealth some people think they are untouchable and so lose the sense of God.”

 At the funeral service, eulogies came from Wache family; Shey Ndi Mancho ,secretary-general of the Nkor Development Authority;Evelyn Tatah, 1^st Deputy Mayor of Nkor Council;Dr. Ebah Moses Metuge,of CEFAM where Wache had worked there as a trainer until his retirement in 2015;Jude Viban, National President of CAMASEJ;Bouddih Adams, Managing Editor of The Post;the President of the association of ex-students of  Bishop Rogans College,Buea; the SDF party;Hon. Joseph Kwi,of Noni and Robert Abunaw,retired CRTV Journalist and Quarter Head of Wotolo-Buea(where the deceased would later be buried strictly by the family) 

In summary, all the eulogies presented the deceased as one who contributed his best to the development of Cameroon and whose departure has left a vacuum which would be hard to fill.

Dignitaries  present at the funeral included  Larry Langnyuy,SDO for Bui Division; Senator Mbella Moki; Human rights campaigner Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho,Hon Osih Josua,Vice President of the National Assembly;  Christopher Tambe Tiku, Elecam board member and Humphrey Ekema Monono,former registrar of Cameroon GCE Baord.

Wache, who died on December 20, 2019  in Buea would have clocked   64  years on December 31,same year.  

He died at  Buea Regional Hospital as he was about to be operated upon for a serious stomach ailment. He breathed his last outside the theatre as preparations for the operation were underway.

Before becoming Mayor of Nkor, Wache was a senior trainer at Local Government Training Centre, (CEFAM), Buea.He worked at CEFAM from 1978 until his retirement in 2015. 

Even though a government worker at CEFAM, the love for journalism and literary writing, kept Wache busy with editorial work here and there for many years.

  From1997 when The Post Newspaper started till his death, ache remained the Executive Editor/Publisher of the paper; 1996 – 1997 he was Editor-in-Chief, Cameroon Post, Newspaper; 1992 – 1994,Wache served as      Editor-in-Chief, Cameroon Today, Newspaper;1991 – 1994 he was Editor-in-Chief, Cameroon Life, Magazine;1990 - 1991 he was Senior Writer, Cameroon Life Magazine.

Wache also helped organize the journalism profession in Anglophone Cameroon and from 2006 -2009; he served as National President of the Cameroon Association of English-speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ)

Wache   attended Bishop Rogan College, Soppo, Buea(1968-1971),passing the  G.C.E. ‘O’ Level and proceeded to Cameroon College of Arts Science and Technology (CCAST) Bambili (1971-73) where he got his G.C.E. ‘A’ Level.

He furthered his studies at the then University of Yaounde, Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences, University of Yaounde, earning BA. (Hons) in Literature; he earned   Language Proficiency Diploma from Universite d’Avignon, France       (1975 – 1976).       

  

In 2008, Wache bagged   a diploma from Pan African Institute for Development (PAID-WA),Buea.  

The deceased has left behind, among others, a wife, four children, seven grandchildren, and colleagues, friends to mourn and remember him.