Mrs. Françoise Foning was decorated posthumously with the Grand Condor of National Order of Merit before being interred last Saturday March 21, 2015 in Baleng, West Region.
All roads led to Baleng village near Dschang in the Menoua Division where thousands of mourners and sympathisers across the nation converged to pay homage to the late Mayor of Douala V, CPDM Central Committee member and Wouri V CPDM Section President, Françoise Foning. Before being laid in her final resting place, the personal representative of the President of the Republic, Prime Minister Philemon Yang, posthumously decorated the emblematic Douala V Mayor with the Grand Condor of National Order of Merit to mark the end of the official burial ordered by the Head of State in honour of the indefatigable politician.
From cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, diplomatic corps, CPDM top brass and grassroot supporters, CERAC women, Mayors, business moguls, religious leaders to ‘buyam sellers’, commercial bike riders, an unprecedented multitude thronged the palace of Johny Baleng to bid farewell to the legendary Mama Foning as she was affectionately called who died on January 23, 2015 in Yaounde. In a brief ecumenical service that preceded the burial, the President of the Eglise Evangélique du Cameroun (EEC) in Dschang, Rev. Isaac Batomen Henga and the Bishop of Bafoussam, Mgr. Dieudonne Watio, reminded mourners that there is time for everything; time to be born and die, time to laugh and cry. Death, they said, is inevitable and no one knows neither the hour nor the day, thus challenging Christians to be alert and live exemplary lives.
All the seven eulogies presented during official burial ceremony, portrayed the 66-year old Mrs. Foning as one who was a devoted politician, business tycoon, with exceptional qualities and legendary generosity. The traditional ruler of Bafou clan, where Mrs Foning had a traditional title of “Ma Mefo Nkong-lah” (Queen Mother of the village), regretted the great loss of their most illustrious daughter. The General Coordinator of the Circle of Friends of Cameroon, CERAC, Mrs. Linda Yang described their late Vice President as a great woman who was not only innovative but was also full of ideas. On his part, the deceased’s eldest son, Tsopgny Foning Salomon, while expressing gratitude to the Head of State for the befitting burial reserved for his late mother, announced the eminent creation of Françoise Foning Foundation in her political fief in Bepanda-Douala and a Museum in Baleng to keep her aspirations alive.
Perhaps the most exhaustive tribute was that of the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPDM party, Jean Nkuete, who hailed Mrs Foning’s unreserved, unlimited commitment to the party and it’s National President. Nkuete described her as an exemplary militant and a unique woman who occupied several posts within the CPDM such as CPDM Wouri V section President and Central Committee member.
Before her interment in strict family closet, the Head of State’s condolence message was read and handed to the family by the SDO for the Menoua, Joseph Bertrand Mache.
