The Post Reporter Dies

By Olive Ejang Tebug Ngoh

Loveline Mbori Kikwi, a reporter of The Post Newspaper, who worked lately with the Kumba Bureau, is dead.

Late Loveline Mbori 

Mbori died in the early hours of September 1 in Ndu Sub Division after a protracted illness.According to Chris Mbunwe, Bamenda Bureau Chief of The Post, who had last contacts with her, Mbori's illness turned her anemic and infected her liver. He said Mbori recovered but her health deteriorated again.

When Chris Mbunwe broke the news of her death early Saturday morning by phone, the entire The Post and members of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ, were devastated.

The office of The Post received several phone calls to confirm the information. Since then, tributes have inundated The Post mailbox.In Buea, like in Kumba and Bamenda, CAMASEJ members are in gloom for the loss.

The shocking news came when "The Club", a local pragramme broadcast by the Kumba-based Lake Site Radio, was on air. This caused Meme journalists to pay tribute to their sister and fallen colleague.

The journalists dedicated the two-hour programme to their departed colleague.
Thereafter, the scene shifted to Mbori's Buea Road residence where hundreds of weeping people assembled.

The deceased's husband, Ebenezer Ntembo, told The Post that he had discharged his wife from Shisong Hospital after her condition had improved.The grief-stricken Ntembo said he was planning to visit her in the village the same day she was reported dead.

Mbori used to tell her colleagues about her dreams; "I will bear four children, transform Kumba with my pen, become the best female reporter world-wide, make my family comfortable and spend my retirement abroad." Death has put an end to those dreams.

Mbori will be remembered for injecting CAMASEJ Meme with innovative ideas from the Bamenda Chapter. She encouraged every journalist to join the Association.Thanks to Mbori, female CAMASEJ members participated in the march past on Women's Day.Mbori will be remembered for her high sense of humour, friendliness and business skills.

Comments

[Ambu Bag]

That is sad news. My condolences to the family
Oliver

[Ndi O]

Kikwi, i remember an interview you once granted me in a bus on our way to Bamenda on HIV. It was wonderful. That was the first and last time meeting you. News of your death is disturbing. We do plan but God objects. Such is life. May you part in peace while hoping to meet you someday. My condolences to the family in Ndu Sub Div and to the entire Post Family. Our days are all numbered.Watch and pray always.
To God be the Glory.

[s.akamembulle]

It is very painful to loose a great reporter of your magnitude. May your soul rest in perfect peace.
We immensely appreciate a formadable job done by Cameroon post by giving us first class information back home every blessed day.Our sincere gratitude goes to all the staff of Cameroon post.
akamembulle (Cape Town)

[Lilian]

One look at the front page and I could not believe I was starring at Loveline's picture accompanying that heart-wrenching headline. Loveline is dead? Oh my Lord! Shocking. Disheartening. The news is just so hard to take.

Even as I type this, I can recall our first meeting in January 2006. I was conducting research on aspects of Cameroonian journalism and was looking for journalists to participate in the research. Loveline not only accepted to take part, but she and Chris Mbunwe went the extra distance to put me in touch with their colleagues especially through CAMASEJ. Over the course of my research, I came to spend a lot of time around City Chemist Round About and the Post's regional bureau became a great resource. Loveline and Chris trusted me enough to let me stay in their office whilst they were out covering a story or running an errand or two. Loveline was studying at National Polytechnic in Bambui at the time and looking forward to completing her diploma. I admired her ability to juggle studies and her work at the Post.

Talking to her, one could not fail to observe her passion for journalism and her drive to be the best journalist she could be. In conversations with her, she struck me as a gentle, fun loving and hardworking woman who had big dreams.

I lost touch with Loveline soon after I left Cameroon (mainly out of my own carelessness in losing her email address). When I started reading her reports from Kumba, I figured she had moved there. I wrote to Olive Ejang Tebug (the author of this obituary) requesting that she send me Loveline's email. Regretabbly, I did not hear from Olive. And now, I read that Loveline has passed on. Just like that. A life cut so short. A young woman. A gentle soul. A passionate journalist. So much to live for. But gone too soon. My heart goes out to the loving husband and family she leaves to mourn her. My deepest sympathies her colleagues, Olive, Chris, Nana, Charly and the entire family of the Post and CAMASEJ respectively. I know she was an active member of CAMASEJ.

I have just revisited the transcripts of the interview I conducted with her and as a tribute to her, I thought I should include excerpts here so readers can get a sense of who she was.

Interview conducted January 23 2006

IN HER OWN WORDS
On how she started at The Post:

"I have been working with the Post for 8 years. I started carrying out vox pops in 1999. Then I got inspired because from time to time, I will pick up a human interest story. That is what finally motivated me to go into the profession. Now I write stories very well".

On her typical work day:
"As journalist, my day is interesting. Getting into the field, I want to discover many things. Now that I go to school. I come to work as early as 6.30. By 7.30am I go to school. When I leave school, I come back here and finish work. Sometimes when I have a lot of work, I leave here at 8pm. Especially tomorrow which is our deadline, it is a hectic day for me. Sometimes I get assigned to write stories. Other times, I work in the office typing stories written by our stringers in different parts of the province so I can send them to the head office in time for print. "

On being a journalist:
"I like the profession. I really really like it. Having worked for some time, I feel that I have something in me that I can also give to the public. I grew up in a kind of environment where you live with people and see how they are. So I like writing human interest stories, about our own communities to make people see how things are. That is why my stories are mostly human interest. I think communities have stories that need to be told. Most often the writings of most journalists are political writings. They want to get some kind of controversy. Me, I want to put out what people really like to read."

Rest in Peace, Loveline.

[7512wilson]

Sad news indeed. It is a shame how dead can be so cruel. May her soul rest in perfect peace.

[Berri]

I felt horrible when I learned about loveline's death.I did'nt know her personaly, but was always carried away with the great stories she covered and her objective nature in presenting them to the readers. She was a great reporter and my heart goes out to her husband and the entire family. Loveline may your soul rest in perfect piece.

[Enow Maggie Egbe]

Accept my condolence the Family and CAMESEJ. That was a great lose.I am just from school and feel so tired,decided to browse on the internet, hardly do i go to the post,but something keep on telling me to just see what is happening back home, then i got bitter after seeing a properous lady like Loveline and all the good things friends and relatives wrote about her. I done know her, but i know she was a dynamic and hardworking lady.Dying is one of two things. Either it is like having no awareness at all, or, as people say, it’s some kind of transfer of address for the soul from where we are into some other place. And if it is no awareness at all, if it is like a sleep slept out without any dreams, then death is wonderful..
Families and friends of Loveline don,t give up, keep the ball rolling add to what she left behind.That will surely keep her happy.
Maggie Enow nee Egbe Canada

[Fon]

Only God alone has an answer for all the whys we may ask at this doleful, dolorous, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, rueful, sad, woebegone and woeful moment.

May the very lord who accepted this to happen find other ways to comfort the minds the are plagued by the passing away of Loveline.

[J Tambe]

Another loss of a valuable soldier of freedom of expression. May she rest in the Lord and peace to her family. Adieu