Rene Emmanuel Sadi represented the Head of State and decorated the late Fon posthumously as knight of the Cameroon Order of Valour.

Twenty-five-year-old Asabatong Njifua, a Masters’ student, is the new Paramount ruler of the Lebang clan of Nweh in Lebialem Division. He was enthroned as the new Fon Fontem Asabatong Njifua and presented to the special envoy of the President of the Republic, Head of State to Azi-Lebang Palace, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, who is the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, on 9 May, 2014.

At the official funeral at Azi-Lebang palace, the Head of State’s envoy decorated posthumously the late Fon Fontem Njifua as Knight of the Cameroon Order of Valour. In his speech, Minister Sadi paid deserved tribute to the departed and underscored the significant turnout in large numbers. He expressed the heartfelt condolences of the Head of State, President Paul Biya and wife. He presented a wreath from the Head of State and wife, and recalled that as Senator, Fon Fontem Njifua passed away during their session on 2 April, 2014. He reiterated that once elected to the Senate in 2013, Fon Fontem Njifua demonstrated rare personal qualities and readiness to serve the Nation leading to his election as Questor in the Bureau of the Senate, a function he was exercising with dynamism, patriotism and spirit of hard work that characterized him. “As former Secretary General of the CPDM party, I am well placed to bear testimony of intense political activities of Fon Fontem Njifua.” Rene Sadi said. He went on, “in that capacity Fon Fontem used his great qualities and abilities to consolidate the grounds of the party in Lebialem serving under the umbrella of the party as the peace maker wherever and whenever there was a bridge of peace in his constituency and beyond.” Besides, Fon Fontem Njifua was a Guidance Counsellor with significant contribution to the academic training of young Cameroonians. “For the past three decades, Fon Fontem Njifua has served as the Paramount Chief and custodian of traditional values and social cohesion of the Nweh people in Lebialem with resounding success. His works have contributed to the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of the people,” the Head of State’s envoy underscored.

Otherwise, the late Fon Fontem Njifua, who loved and served the people with abnegation and determination, was Questor in the Upper House of the National Assembly (The Senate), Substantive member of the ruling CPDM Central Committee, a member of the committee of Wise Men in the National Forum of Cameroon’s Traditional Rulers, President of the South West Chiefs’ Conference, Educationist, Jurist and Politician. In various and corresponding capacities, representation at the funeral was vivid and the eulogies all testified to the late Fon’s dynamism, hardworking and achieving prowess. They remarked that he had passed away at 53, an age when he was maturing and gathering more experience to continue to serve his people, especially when these people still needed his contribution. The Lebialem people expressed, through the voice of Fon Asongtia, the cry of the people for due and commensurate replacement of their great loss by the Central Government.  The Senate was highly led by former Prime Minister and Senator, Simon Achidi Achu, the Secretary General of the Central Committee, the National Forum of Cameroon Traditional