Lekunze Jacob Ketuma, 62 died of heart attack in Yaounde.

“We have been given Bakassi Peninsula to build. Let us dream Bakassi, talk Bakassi and build Bakassi for posterity to judge us.” The declaration made on June 4, 2009 at the Prime Minister’s Office in Yaounde summarises the vision and vocation of Lekunze Jacob Ketuma appointed by the Head of State, Paul Biya in 2008 to chair the Coordination and Follow-up Committee of Priority Projects to be realized in the Bakassi zone. Before then, the illustrious son of Bamumbu Village, Wabane Subdivision in Lebialem Division of South West Cameroon, born on November 20, 1950, was in 2003 appointed the Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, Head of Government.
Mr Lekunze prior to his death on early Tuesday, August 14, 2012 devoted his life to see the Bakassi Peninsular gotten back from Nigeria following the 2002 International Court of Justice ruling on the border dispute between the two Cameroon and Nigeria transformed into an attractive destination. His death on August 14, coincided with the fourth anniversary of the handing over of Bakassi to Cameroon on August 14, 2008. It also comes exactly a year to the expiration of the terms of the Green Tree Agreement between the two countries in 2013. Mr Lekunze on January 30 to February 1, 2012 led the last delegation of the Committee members to inspect the execution rate of projects in the peninsular.
Talking to Cameroon Tribune on Tuesday evening in late Lekunze’s lake-side residence in Yaounde, his brother-in-law, Chief Taku Jacob narrated the circumstances of the death. “I arrived from Bamenda on Monday evening at 8 p.m. My brother-in-law was fine. We ate and discussed up to around 11 p.m. and decided to go to bed. He went to the bathroom, came out and started complaining to his wife that he had shortage of breathe.” Chief Taku Jacob said “This persisted and we rushed him to the Emergency Unit of the Central Hospital and were told that there was no oxygen to re-animate him. We then took him to the University Teaching Hospital where he died on arrival,” he added. Lekunze Ketuma who is holder of Master Degree in Agriculture from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, also worked as the Extension Manager in the Wum Area Development Authority (WADA) and before his appointment as the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser, he was the Deputy General Manager of the South West Development Authority (SOWEDA).