Kumba: Thousands bid farewell to CDC Board Chair, Hope Sona Ebai.

Among the mourners were friends and relatives from across the country and abroad. He was laid to rest after a church service at the Presbyterian Church Kumba Town.

The Paramount ruler of the Bafaw and King of Kumba, Senator Nfon Mukete IV led a delegation of CPDM Central Committee to the funeral.

The Senior Divisional Officer of Meme, Chamberlain Ntou'ou Ndong, and the General Manager of the CDC, Franklin Ngoni Njie, among others attended the event.

Ministering from John 16:33, Rev Njasomo Dikoke Albert, comforted the family of the deceased and mourners.  He told them that death marks another chapter in the life.

He described the late Sona Ebai as one of the pillars of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC. 

Rev. Dikoke said the deceased was a product of PCC institutions and was once a member of the board of trustees of Pressprints.

Meanwhile, speakers at the funeral recounted unforgettable moments they had with the Sona Ebai. 

Nfon Mukete IV described said he was a dedicated servant of the CPDM party. The CPDM Central Committee envoy also extended the heartfelt condolences of the Secretary General of the CPDM, Jean Nkuete, and its National President, Paul Biya, to the family of Sona Ebai and the CDC.

Speaking on behalf of friends, and classmates, the global president of Presbyterian High school, PHS Kumba Ex-students Association Kupexsans, Nyake Napoleon, said thanked all those who labored to make the funeral befitting of who Sona Ebai was.

The GM of the CDC, the wife of the deceased and colleagues of from different international organizations where he served diligently, also recounted the unique qualities of the deceased.

Kumba Jacob Waah, brother-in-law of the deceased said Sona Ebai will be greatly missed given that they shared a lot in common. Waah described the loss as irreplaceable. 

He said Sona Ebai, was very instrumental “in my traveling to the United States and he taught me how to build a family and he taught me to have hope just like his name”.

About Sona Ebai 

He was born in Kumba in 1954. After his primary education in Kumba and Bamenda due to his father's job transfer, he attended Presbyterian Secondary School, PSS now PHS Kumba and later moved to St Patrick's College in Calabar Nigeria.

 Sona Ebai moved to the USA to further his studies, earning a BSc in Agricultural Economics and Biological Sciences from Wilmington College, Ohio and an Msc in Agricultural Economics from Ohio State University.

He returned to Cameroon in 1983 and he began his professional journey with FONADER. He subsequently became an analyst at the then National Produce Marketing Board where he advanced to the position of Director of Stabilisation Operations.

Following the Board's dissolution in 1991, he transitioned to become the Marketing Director for the pioneer Seeds. Sona Ebai later became the Director General, DG, of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, NCCB. He represented Cameroon on an international scale within cocoa and coffee organizations. 

Sona Ebai ultimately attained the position of Secretary General of the Alliance of Cocoa Producing Countries COPAL. He later worked with the World Cocoa Foundation, spearheading initiatives aimed at enhancing food security in West and Central Africa. 

The Head of State, Paul Biya, appointed him CDC Board Chairperson in May 2021. He was married with three children.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3773 of Monday April 27, 2026