Legendary TV presenter, Consty Eka, drops dead.

According to information obtained from sources in Côte d’Ivoire and reported by several credible media platforms, Consty Eka, whose real name was Constan Eka, suffered a malaise while in the office on Monday, February 16. 

Witnesses said he began vomiting blood and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Despite medical efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, the same accounts hold.

While no official medical communique has yet been released, close associates are said to have confirmed that the broadcaster succumbed to a sudden illness, leaving family, colleagues, and admirers in deep shock. 

His corpse is said to have been ferried to a mortuary, pending burial arrangements. Consty Eka was the initiator of Voltage 2, an urban radio station broadcasting from Douala, and the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the media group CEN TV. 

Born in Cameroon, Consty Eka began his media journey in Douala and Yaounde before settling in Côte d’Ivoire in 1978, a country he would later call his second home. 

There, he rose to continental fame as a charismatic host and producer of major television programmes. 

Among his best-known productions was the weekly show, All Week News, which focused on African political, economic, cultural, and tourism issues.

His unique style, blending professionalism with warmth and showmanship, is said to have attracted millions of viewers and made him one of the most recognisable faces on African television.

On February 20, 2019, Consty Eka was appointed to the prestigious position of Special Advisor with the rank of diplomat to His Excellence Sidiki Sangare Boubakar, Resident Representative of the Network of Chambers of European Experts Africa/America Department, RCEEDA, whose West African branch is the RCEEDAO.

It should be recalled that the Headquarters of the RCEEDA/RCEEDAO is based in Brussels, Belgium. 

In April 2025, he was guest of honour at the Laura Dave Media stand during the third edition of SINAC, International Audiovisual Salon of Cameroon in Douala, where he publicly appealed for greater institutional support for the Cameroonian audiovisual sector. 

During the event, he warned that without sustained investment and recognition, Africa risked losing many of its creative talents to foreign markets, an outing said to have been saluted by media owners.

Eulogies pouring in

 Following news of his passing, tributes have pouring in from journalists, artists, and academics across the continent.

Veteran journalist, André Bofia wrote on his Facebook page: “Consty Eka has passed away. The famous Cameroonian host, nicknamed the ‘King of TV,’ died in Abidjan, following a malaise. An immense loss for the media landscape of Cameroon”.

CRTV journalist, Télesphore Mba Bizo, recalled how Consty Eka helped reveal early Cameroonian pop culture to the public in the 1980s. 

He noted that Consty showcased the first Cameroonian boy band, Star System, during the programme Music Video Show in 1986, at a time when international hits like MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” dominated the airwaves. 

According to him, Consty Eka’s programmes gave local artists a continental platform and helped bridge African and global entertainment cultures.

Another tribute came from journalist and writer, Martin Camus Mimb, who described the late broadcaster, not merely as the “King of TV”, but as television itself. 

He wrote that Consty Eka “arrived too early in a world that was behind”, calling him a man who could “turn a simple event into a global attraction”. 

He recalled how Consty Eka interviewed African Heads of State and gained access to international stars such as Michael Jackson and Naomi Campbell, achievements few African presenters could claim at the time.

Beyond his professional brilliance, colleagues emphasised his humanity. Martin Camus Mimb recounted how Consty Eka personally assisted him upon his arrival in Abidjan, arranging press credentials and consular documents with a single phone call.

For philosopher and academic, Prof Vincent Sosthène Fouda, Consty Eka was more than a media personality. “He is a way of being in the world,” he wrote. “A way of loving Africa without noise but with constancy. A way of being family, even far from the village.” 

Prof Fouda added that remembering Consty Eka also meant preserving the values he embodied: dedication, generosity, and quiet excellence.

Legendary singer, Koffi Olomide noted that: “My friend, my brother, Consty Eka…you were not only a great man of the media, you were a generous soul, a true heart. Behind the microphone, there was a faithful, attentive friend, always ready to lend a hand. Your voice guided us; your smile comforted us. You leave too soon, leaving within us an immense pain, but also the richness of everything you gave us. Rest in peace, Consty”.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3707 of Wednesday February 18, 2026