Thousands of mourners who turned out on Saturday July 12, 2014 at the Mile One neighbourhood in Kumba , Meme Division, Southwest Region, to pay their last respects to the former Secretary General of the Southwest Elite Association, SWELA, Shadrack Epie EKalle, almost eclipsed the association.

Apart from a few banners around the metropolis of Kumba in honour of the departed educationist, politician and businessman, attendance at the occasion skewed towards personal relationships rather than a collective representation of elite of the Region.

Among the tributes paid to the former Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education, were those from the acting SWELA scribe, Rudolf Niaba Nganda and the Coordinator of the Good Governance Programme, Lydia Belle Efimba.

According to the acting scribe, Shadrack Epie Ekalle was an embodiment of the aspirations of the people of the Southwest Region.

Nganda acknowledged that the deceased sacrificed his time, employed his abilities and devoted his resources to advance and protect the interest of the Southwest Region.

Nganda asked the entire elite of the Region to stand up to the new challenge of sustaining SWELA from the level where the former scribe raised it to during his days on earth.

Lydia Efimba described the deceased as an eloquent communicator with a verve for always expressing his views as a politician, educationist and as an elite of the Bafaw tribe in these days of mediocrity.

Efimba said that Ekalle's deliveries carried so much conviction, strength and purpose of admiration. At the level of his tribe. Efimba, in her tribute, said Ekalle was grounded in culture and was able to convey complex ideas in the Bafaw language.

BIODATA

Shadrack Epie Ekalle was born to Helen Epie Njeweu and Isaac Njang on December 26, 1960, in Kombone Bafaw, Konye Subdivision.

He attended Basel Mission School in Kumba and passed the First School Living Certificate examination in 1970.

He later gained admission into Frank Harcourt Secondary School Kumba in 1972 where he earned his Ordinary Level certificate before moving to Government High School Nkambe for his Advanced Level studies.

In 1985, he enrolled into the Higher Teachers Training College Yaounde from where he graduated as a language teacher.

In 1987, he started teaching in the Far North Region before moving to Yaounde, a period during which he accumulated teaching and studies for a Bachelor’s degree and later on a Maitrise in 1990.

The tutor of language lectured at GBHS and CCAS Kumba between 1991 and 1996 from where he was promoted to Vice Principal at Government High School Buea, and later on made Principal of Government Secondary School, GSS Konye in 1997.

In the year 2000, Ekalle was made Divisional Delegate of National Education for Kupe Muanenguba and Ndian Divisions.

He later became Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Meme from 2008 till June 7, 2014, when he passed on to eternity. Ekalle became SWELA scribe in 2010.

He leaves behind his father, widow, children and friends to mourn him.