All roads in the South West Region led to Kumba, chief town of Meme Division last Saturday, July 12 as South West elite, members of the education family, friends and well wishers, went to pay their last hommage to the Secretary General of the South West Elites Association, SWELA, cum Meme Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education, Epie Ekalle Shadrack.

The accomplished and refined educationist died on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at the Addis Abba International Airport on board an Ethiopian Airlines en route to India for medical attention.

His remains were lowered in his residence in Mile 1 Kumba and witnessed amongst others by the Inspector General at the South West Governor’s Office, Haman Dahirou, the SDO for Meme, Koulbout Aman David, the Director of Secondary Education sitting in for Minister Louis Bapes Bapes, Senators Mbella Moki Charles and Otte Andrew Mofa, the President of the Special Criminal Court, Justice Bea Abenego Kalla, the scribe of South West Chiefs’ Conference cum Secretary General in the Ministry of State Property and Land Tenure HRH Chief Nasako Fritz Gerald, the Director of the Kumba General Hospital, Dr Ebongo Zachs Nanje, the Director of the Good Governance Program at the PM’s Office, Lydia Efimba, the Registrar of the Cameroon GCE Board, Humphrey Monono and the South West Regional Delegate for Secondary Education, Ngundu Francis Mekumba, amongst others.

The journey to his final resting place started with an all night virgil without corpse on Friday, July 11 with the removal of the mortal remains from the Kumba District hospital mortuary, latter on to be followed be viewing at his Mile 1 Kumba residence and a church service at the PCC Mile 1 Congregation where he was a frontline Christian and member of the Christian Men Fellowship officiated by a college of pastors amongst them the Rt Rev Emeritus Dr Nyansako-ni-Nku, Rev Fomuso Sama, Rev Dr Nje David King, Ngalle Simon, Mekumba Francis Elonge Neville, Dr Mbengu David Neba Muangu and Rev Kulu Daniel.

In his homily Rt Rev Nyasako-ni-Nku, called on God Almighty to forgive the late educationist and nation builder.

He used the service to remind all and sundry of the necessity to give themselves to Christ, live in peace, harmony, faith with Christ and to cultivate the spirit of forgiveness with the strong belief that after death there is life.

He equally called on the mourners and colleagues to keep putting his family in prayers so that could remain strong within the difficulties left by the vacuum of the late Epie Ekalle Shadrack.

In their various eulogies, the Acting Scribe of SWELA, Nganda Rudolf, the President of Meme college of principals, Dr Mbencho Andrew Tazi and Lydia Efimba, Director of the Good Governance Program at the PM’s Office in Yaounde, described him as an eloquent communicator who had the knack of forcefully expressing his views as an educator, politician and SWELA scribe.

He was equally remembered as a dynamic, multifaceted and multi-tasks person who dabbled in extra-professional activities that contributed to the well-being of his people and nation.

He usually saw the bigger picture and vision of life and this was reflected in the way he spoke, dressed and carried himself around.

Bio Data

He was born on December 26, 1960 in Kombone Bafaw, Kumba-Mamfe road in Meme Division.

He obtained his FSLC in 1970 at the Basel Mission School in Kumba and Wone and later served as a primary school teacher for two years.

The influence of his uncle, Pa Solomon Ebako saw his father sending him to secondary school where he obtained his Ordinary and Advanced Levels respectively in Frank Harcourt Secondary School and GHS Nkambe.

In 1985 he gained admission into ENS Yaounde and will serve as a teacher in CES Logone Far North Region and CES Ngaoundere where he later gained admission into the University of Yaounde and bagged a B.A and a post graduate Diploma.

He will then proceed to teach in GBHS Kumba, Lycee Bilingue D’Application Yaounde and in CCAS Kumba.

The quest for knowledge saw him gaining a scholarship for a Summer Program to study Afro-American Classics in the Graduate School Of Trinity College Hartford in the USA.

He was pioneer Principal of GHS Konye, Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education in Kupe Muanenguba and Manyu Divisions and later in 2008 he moved to the Meme Delegation in the same capacity until the June 7, 2014 when he was called to eternity.

A staunch CPDM militant, he served in many capacities. He also served as the scribe of the Ngwa-Bafaw Association and was voted Secretary General of SWELA in 2010.

He will be fondly remembered for playing a key role in the recent successful celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence and Reunification of Cameroon in Buea last February 20.

The services he rendered to the nation attracted a reward of National Orders with the rank of Knight of the Cameroon Order of Valour in 2012. He lives behind his wife, children, grand children friends and relatives to mourn him.

Late Epie Ekalle’s death came barely two months after the Region went mourning following the passing on of the president of a sister organization, the South West Chiefs’ Conference, SWECC, HRH Senator Fontem Njifua.

Both men, coincidentally, died on the eve of the end of their respective mandates.

He had in a communiqué announced the holding on an elective General Assembly for Limbe in Fako on the July 25 and 26, 2014 and had equally enjoined all the chapter presidents and secretaries to enhance serious moblisation and sensitization.