STEPHEN NJUMBE SAKO LAID TO REST

By Moki Stephen Mokondo for Mount Fako News Centre

Mourners who attended the funeral of a young CRTV journalist, Njumbe Stephen Sako of Great Soppo-Buea, who died recently found it very difficult to hold their tears. His relatives, friends, school mates, lecturers, colleagues and neighbours wept bitterly at his funeral especially for seeing him leave the stage when he was just emerging in life.

Speaking during the funeral mass organised for the deceased on Saturday November 19, 2017 at the Immaculate Conception Parish Great Soppo, Buea, his foster father, Mola Matute Menyoli, lamented that death has succeeded to crush the hopes they all placed on the Stephen. Mola Matute explained that Stephen was a bright light that would have illuminated many in his family and the community if not he was not smashed by death.
Members of his church described him as a dedicated and devoted Christian while his school mates said he was an intelligent student who had great impact in their lives. Stephen who had just spent barely a year and some months with CRTV was described by his bosses as a committed and valuable staff they will miss especially his contributions during news and programmes production.
Also in tears, his former lecturer and Head of Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Buea, Dr. Kingsley Lyonga Ngange, wept seeing the deceased being lowered into the grave. He remarked that all the intelligence, knowledge and skills Stephen possessed were going to waste in the grave.

Born on 18th August 1991 to Sako Stephen Waele (late) and Regina Namondo Kombe, Stephen is reported to have gone through a very challenging childhood. His intelligence and academic performance motivated his foster parents, Mr. And Mrs. Matute Menyoli to give all the support he needed through school right up to when he picked a job with CRTV.
Late Njumbe Stephen Sako passed the 2008 GCE Ordinary Level in ten subjects and later also passed the same exams two years later in the Advanced Level in four subjects in the arts scoring 14 points. He graduated best student with a Second Class Upper Division in 2013 from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Buea.

He had worked shortly with ADDAX and MTN in Douala and also with the Catholic Information Service in Buea before joining the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV) in 2015. However, he effectively started working in February 2016 when he was posted to work in the East Region of Cameroon.
He took ill some three months back complaining of stomach pains. He was operated successfully on September 27, 2017, by a team of four medical doctors when the pains became persistent. He was showing signs of fast recovery and many who visited him in the hospital or talked to him through phone were shock to get news that he finally died on October 20 , 2017 .
Stephen who was preparing to marry his fiancé, Joso, leaves her with a four months old baby and his ailing mother.