The
liberalization of the media sector by the Cameroon Government in 1990 gave many
who so desired the opportunity to create and own private media organs in
Cameroon. At this time Mr. Yong Francis was considering the success of a school
in his native home town Ayajua that is KCHS Ayajua which saw the light of day
in 1991. Ten years later in 2002 alongside the creation of National Polytechnic
Bamenda, Mr.
Yong Francis decided to join the few who had started private radio and
Television stations in Cameroon to create ABAKWA FM RADIO. To him the radio was
destined to serve as an accompanying tool for the professionalization of
journalism students from NPB. The coming to being of the radio was further
facilitated by his decision to collaborate with the Bambili Teachers Training
College (ENS) which had expressed the wish to use the radio for the building of
the communication skills of its students. Youth
and Education, one of the early programs to be on air gave the ENS students
this opportunity. The quick takeoff of the radio under the leadership of
Peterson Yuh a retired State radio journalist as Manager and another senior
journalist with the state newspaper Cameroon Tribune, Chovis Loh as member of
the board of directors demonstrated a high sense of professionalism causing the
then Minister of Communication Jacque FAME NDOGO to issue a broadcast permit
without any hesitation. Abakwa FM Radio then became the second Radio station to broadcast in the Northwest province at the time. The arrival of devoted and committed journalists, broadcasters and technicians as well as a people oriented radio programming quickly placed the radio on the lamb light. Timothy Frankline Kiven, Mbi Clemantine, Takang Federick, Che Jonathan Ambe, Asongwe Emmanuel, Godlove Berinyuy, Eric FM (Late), Nshom Eugene etc are some of the names that took Abakwa FM Radio to every ear in the Northwest. Aaron Kah, Emmanuel Bah Tokoh, Tabih Godlove Ashiyo Tina will later join the crew in steering Abakwa FM Radio to prominence. Before this moment only the state media provided employment to journalist reason why those who had the opportunity to work for Abakwa Fm Radio have maintained that Mr. Yong’s Decision to create the radio and to give them a chance will remain memorable.
In October 2004 Mr Yong Francis decided to march the sound from radio to pictures by opening CNTV (Cameroon National Television). National as the name goes was intended to go national.
As has always been his wish the radio/TV has been a nursing ground as many of these pioneer workers now find themselves in comfortable places across the country.
At the close of 2013 the dream of Mr. Yong Francis to see Abakwa FM Radio cover the entire Northwest is a reality thanks to newly upgraded equipment. Unfortunately he will not be able to hear and appreciate the latest quality of a project I dare to say was very close to his heart. Another retired Journalist still from the state owned media Ngyetiko Musi has been entrusted with the responsibility of managing the radio/Tv at the time radio is facing new challenges in the Northwest Region amongst them limited competent staff and lack of advertisers.
Investing in the media was surely no mistake to the educationist. The radio normally does informal education and maintaining this will only help Mr. Yong Francis rest in peace.