FCFA 400M budgeted for Foning’s funeral

The CDPM party and the family of its deceased stalwart and former Mayor of Douala V, Francoise Foning are at odds over who controls this 400 million FCFA budgeted for her funeral.

Foning died in a road accident January 23, and sources say the funeral has been scheduled for March 8 through to March 21.

However, Foning’s eldest son, Salomon Tsobgny has said he is the one with the legitimate right supposed to collect and manage contributions from sympathizers and not CPDM officials.

It should be noted that the president of the organizing committee for the funeral is CPDM Central Committee Secretary General, Jean Kuete and thus has been put him in charge of funds collection despite complaints from the family.

In Douala V Council, where Foning was Mayor until her passing, the council voted a budget of FCFA 20 million for the funeral. In voting for the bogus budget, party barons argued that the funeral of the late mayor cannot be the exclusive responsibility of the family.

To this effect, Ebomba Gustave, First Deputy Mayor of the council chaired a special council session, Tuesday March 11, with its 58 councilors. They were said to be in agreement that the council was going to fund the construction of the ceremonial ground and chart the way forward.

They observed that the CPDM and Cameroonians as a whole would want to pay tribute to the late Foning.

The Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, also a member of the Organization Committee visited the area where construction work is on-going for the ceremonial ground of the funeral in her native Banfou village, West region. Djoumessi frowned at the slow pace of work and urged contractors to ensure that all work is completed before March 15.

The CPDM is putting in such a colossal sum for a funeral at a time when residents of the West region where she will be buried, are protesting the inflated expenditure on funerals – something very common in the region.

The party has however, snubbed complains from the youths of the region and set up commissions in the organizing committee; each with a specific responsibility towards the funeral.

It is not certain at the moment who will chair the funeral celebration.