The news has been going around on social networks since 17 November: Raphael Nkoa, Cameroonian journalist at CRTV, the public TV channel, was poached by the French channel I-télé.

It was even possible to read on social networks that “the CRTV journalist was in France last week [from 14 to 20 November 2016]. He will go back there on Monday [21 November 2016] to finalise the discussions with the bosses of the Vivendi group which owns Canal+ and I-télé”.

Even better, the same social networks have explained that this recruitment was a logical continuation as the journalist was a correspondent for the sports program “Talents d’Afrique” for some time on Canal+ and commented the 2016 Brazil Olympic Games for another French channel, Tv5 monde.

Five days later, Mr Nkoa posted a disclaimer on his Facebook account. “Following continuous reports on social networks regarding my alleged departure from Crtv for another sports journalist job with a major television channel based in Europe, I would like to formally indicate, through this note, that even contacts to this end can be denied; nothing has been signed to date and no contract will be signed in this regard for various reasons”, wrote the journalist.

And adding: « And if I was not able to react earlier to these hear-says, it was logically because I was tied up managing some health issues. The truth is that I am currently going through a rather strong bout of depression. And wise men were not crazy to put health at the forefront of everything. Thank you for this interest in my humblet person and your kind understanding”.  

Sylvain Andzongo