The sky showed a twisted face as darkness
descended on everyone’s forehead. Not even a bird could be heard from a near-by
bush. Noise of despair took the centre stage as all were downheartedly
surrendered selves to tears with some rolling on the ground in agony when Tabah
Eric’s mortal remains entered the family compound. No one, perhaps God alone
would have attempted to comfort anyone including this reporter. Even though the sun was high up, it could not
reflect on any bitter face.
Grief and pains could be pictured on
every face as thousands gathered on July 24, 2015 at Kfunsaa-Wat village to pay
their last respected to Tabah Eric alias Titanic photo. Tabah Eric died last
week at the Banso Baptist Hospital after a pithy illness that has left many
including this reporter asking rhetoric’s as to whether Ndu itself was a safe asylum
for human existence.
Testimonies from the various
personalities send mourners in tears. From the Pastors to Eric family head, father,
his In-laws, Friends of the Media, Veteran Club Ndu, Photographers Association,
and each testimony was pinpointing the untimely departure of Eric as a great
lost to humanity. Men, women, children, the young and the old could be seen at
different angles and positions in tears for losing someone so dear, kind and
simple. In fact, Turpac said it all when he described “life as a baler alcohol “that
is too short. Yet memories of the past kept the eyes blurred even when the
Pastors stepped in with their preaching. Tabah Eric was one of the most popular
young men in Ndu and beyond.
Born in 1973 at Wat, Tabah Eric after
his Primary Education left for Ebolowa. After several years in Ebolowa, he
decided to come back home. He then settled in Ndu and set up a barbing shop. He
worked hard to the point that he was the centre of attraction in Ndu. As
testified by the photographers, Eric was the one who proposed to a businessman
to set up a photo lab in Ndu. He was then encouraged into photography and he
ended up as one of the best in the Region. He later established a provision
store alongside his photo studio.
Tabah Eric had a lot of passion for
journalism. With the emergence of citizen journalism, he became the first
animator of Morning Safari Fan Club in Ndu. Suddenly, he became a renounced
citizen journalist on several radio stations (Savannah Radio Ndu, Sky FM, and
Renaissance FM) and providing footage to TV Channels like Equinox and LTM as
well as supplying pictures to several print media. When Savannah Radio was
installed and launched in Ndu, his obsession for journalism became a perfect
reality. To be up to date, Eric also set up a newspaper kiosk (the one and only
in Donga Mantung Division) which was another attraction.
It should be recalled that last year,
Eric was voted by readers of The Eye newspaper as the “Best Photographer”. As
thousands mourn the departure of Tabah Eric, we of The Eye Newspaper are
particular touched and depressed to the point that words cannot explain.
(Eric,
a million times we miss you and a million times we cry you. In fact, in our
heart you hold a place that no one else can ever fill. For part of us when with
you the day God decided to take you Home. We know and aware that you are with
Him yet in Tears we are. That you left so soon. Farewell brother until we shall
meet again to part no more). When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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