Breaking the Silence:Hon. Ayah speaks out

Following his promotion last December as Advocate-General at the Supreme Court of Cameroon, which came shortly after his alleged election as the new National Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council(SCNC), Hon.Ayah, was  not immediately available  for inquisitive reporters  to get his reaction about his new status. Last Friday January 2, Recorder Editor Christopher Ambe  Christoper Ambe caught up with the Magistrate of Exceptional Class in Buea  for an exclusive interview. Hon. Ayah, who just returned from his native village of Akwaya, did not hesitate to speak out. Below are excerpts of our conversation:

RECORDER: Hon. Ayah, happy New Year.

Hon Ayah Paul: Thank you .Thank you for coming .Happy New Year to you in return.

Honorable, how would you as a politician describe the just-ended year 2014?

2014 was more of a fake year than otherwise in terms of politics. We have often said that there is no legality in what we call reunification in Cameroon. So the big event titled “The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Reunification of Cameroon” was really fake. As I have often said, our parliament has ceased to play the role of a parliament-because we don’t see a situation where Parliament is in session to enact the finance law and while they are still in session, the President of the Republic -after a cabinet meeting, comes out with they call Plan d’Urgence-that is, revenue outside the control of Parliament. The much I know is that the Cameroon Constitution provides that the President can, by ordinance, make use of revenue outside the budget; and subsequently, Parliament would meet and either endorse the ordinance or reject it. But I know no law anywhere where we can have two parallel budgets in a country: the one adopted by Parliament and the one adopted by the President of the country. This is violation of the Constitution. And when we put into practical terms, the investment budget of 2014 was executed at less than 35%, now if we have adopted a budget which is even higher in amount and the President has superimposed what they call Plan d’Urgence up to a thousand billion FCFA, I doubt where the President is going to get the people who will execute the budget and the Plan d’Urgence.The very people who could not execute the budget of 2014?  So to me, it is a paradox .In terms of political events, I would say nothing really happened in 2014.

What is your reaction to President Biya’s New Year Message?

I know the President has just made an end-of -year speech but everything in that speech is just routine. Countries around have gone to war over the years, yet they are developing. If Boko Haram-what they call a terrorist organization, is causing havoc, I don’t see how anyone can invoke it as a cause for our country not to develop. Indeed, 2014 was simply a year of contradictions.

A few days before the end of 2014, your name, I understand, was a subject of discussion in various newsrooms of the national media, because you were allegedly elected in absentia as National Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC); then shortly, in a answer to your cry, to be re-integrated into the Ministry of Justice after your 11 years in Parliament, President Paul Biya appointed or promoted you to the rank of Advocate-General at the Supreme Court. What is your reaction?

My reaction, first, is that I have decided not to say anything about SCNC in the time being. I may give you another opportunity to come for an interview on the SCNC on a subsequent date. So, I would not say anything in that regard now

As regards my going back to Ministry of Justice, I read a few write-ups which have no meaning. I think that, modesty demands that if somebody does not know, they should seek expert opinion. What I know is that the law of this country makes it possible to leave your department as a civil servant and work in another department; and the law provides for detachment. (I have heard the word secodment, but I have not seen it in an English dictionary. So I prefer detachment) When you are so detached,at the end of your period of detachment, the law provides that you come back to your former department as of right; the law on the election of Members of Parliament equally provides that for all the time you are in Parliament if you are a member of the judiciary, you are on detachment; which is  to say what? For my eleven years in Parliament I was on detachment and as a matter of law and at the end of my mandate, I had to go back to my ministry of origin as of right. This is a matter of law as I have said and I, as a man of law should not be the first man to go against that law.

I would have been re-absorbed in the Ministry of Justice as soon as my mandate came to an end in September 2013 in accordance with the law, but for one reason or the other that was not the case and I had to wait for fifteen months.

Probably as some people have indicated it was because the Judicial Council had to meet to re-absorb me. I entered Parliament as Vice-President of the Court of Appeal here in Buea and therefore a magistrate of the bench, and I could not be absorbed until the Judicial Council had to say something about it. So is the law and I have simply complied with it.

Honourable Justice Ayah, conscious of some landmark judgments that you have passed, many people would have preferred that you be appointed as a judge at the Supreme Court. Are you happy with your appointment as Advocate-General?

In the Cameroon judiciary things are not as they are in the Anglophone system. The position of Advocate-General may be translated simply as Deputy Attorney-General in the Anglo-Saxon system. With the English system-Common Law, everybody is a lawyer. They practice the law (and the judges sitting up there) and when you shine, you are now raised from down there to the bench, and once you are raised to the bench you remain there until retirement or death or whatever. In the Cameroonian system, you can be on the bench this year and next year you go to the Legal Department. Or, you are in the Legal Department and the next time you are on the bench. I don’t know what criteria they use but so it is!

The fact, however, remains that in my career I was essentially on the bench. For my twenty-four years before entering Parliament, I was on the bench for twenty years and in the Legal Department for just four years. So whatever they used to keep me on the bench I wouldn’t know and whatever they have used now to put me in the Legal Department I wouldn’t know either; but the point is that wherever you are you do justice!

I have done my best I think many people might have seen what I tried to do.So, wherever I am I would render justice to everybody without fear or favor. The public can count on me.

Conscious of the courage and dynamism in your leadership  some people feel that you should have turned down your appointment as Advocate-General, and continue as a politician and Secretary-General of Peoples Action Party(PAP).As Advocate-General ,could you still practice politics?

Let me say something. We do a lot of talking in the country with little action and people draw conclusions with very little knowledge of the real situation on the field. I was member of the judiciary; my people cried out and I got into politics. Now I have gone  back to the judiciary-because I have a choice either not to go or to go.I applied to go on early retirement and my application was turned down .But just sitting down and saying I will continue in politics does not make sense. 

These are the first people to cry that you cannot do politics without money. And If I have stayed for 15 months without a franc I don’t know what politics I would have done without a source of income. So, the choice is entirely mine and I think that it is better for me to build my career. Those who heard the appointment and those who are reading me would understand that, I was raised to the highest point in the Judiciary; I was raised to Index 1300, backdated to July 1, 2012, which means that by now in accordance with the law-the statute on the Judiciary I have clocked Index 1400.I don’t see how I opted for a career and all of a sudden I would turn away in favor of politics and lose what may help me in the end. What may help me in the end in the sense that, my pension would be calculated on my index level. So, I have to prepare my future. You cannot work for the society without being alive, without having the means to work.

So working for the society is one thing, but you have to work for yourself as another thing. And, without working for yourself, you cannot work for society. My Priest recently told me that the only useful person is the person who is alive.

I don’t see how I can do politics without a means of livelihood.

For all the time I have been in politics I have received very little support from Cameroonians in terms of material support. For the whole presidential election, all the money anybody gave me here in Cameroon amounted to almost one hundred thousand Francs-as presidential candidate. So when people say you have the dynamics to lead in politics, they are paying lip-service; If they give you the means to do that ,of course you would do it but they do all the talking, but very little ,practically.

Now, Can I do politics as an advocate –general of the Supreme Court?

I am well aware that I have two impediments: One is the issue of neutrality. In fact, I prefer impartiality. And then, you must be reserved. Reserved in the sense that if a matter crops up and you have expressed an opinion about the matter and if it eventually comes before you, you must decline jurisdiction. So there you have those two impediments. But as much as I have read in the law in this country, only people in uniform and who carry guns, and administrators are barred from practicing politics while they are civil servants. I have not seen anything that precludes a magistrate from doing politics.

Again, as a member of the Legal Department, as a legal officer, you don’t take final decisions. You submit, the person who takes the final decision is the person presiding. Again, you have the possibility of self-recusal (a legal jargon), that is you say that ‘I have an interest and so I cannot hear it, I cannot prosecute it or I cannot represent the state with regards of the matter’. So, those possibilities are there.Everyhting put together as I have explained, there is nothing that bars a magistrate of the Legal Department from practicing politics.

Would you not consider giving up the position of Secretary-General of People’s Action Party (PAP) so that you concentrate better on your career for now?

I will think about that. But for the time being I cannot give an outright answer .People at times look at political parties in Cameroon in terms of individuals. A political party is a group of people; so one person, perhaps, not leading does not mean that it is the end of the party. I agree entirely that in respect of PAP a good many people came forward and joined because they knew me and bought my ideas. But now that I have reduced the ideas into writing, they are there to guide the rest of the people just in case I decide to step aside

I was forced to step into politics and perhaps I have some satisfaction that, I answered my people’s call. I have just come back form Akwaya.Today I can drive to Akwaya, without passing through Nigeria; today,Akwaya is connected to the rest of the world by telephone network; they are working on the water supply which we built ourselves between 1969 and 1971.I think what Akwaya town lacks at the moment is just electricity. So I left Akwaya high up there from the ground. At that time I was alone, but today Akwaya has a senator and an MP.Together, they should be able to carry on from where I left.

Let me take you back to your salary situation. For some 15 months ago you went without your monthly salary and the people who want you to lead in the political domain, I mean your supporters (apart from your family) did not come to your assistance. What is your salary situation now?

In fact, this is the sixteenth month without a salary; It is true that I received nothing from anybody except from my family relations. The situation now may change because as I said my promotion was backdated to 2012, which is to say that I should be expecting some arrears. So we are looking forward to a better tomorrow. At the moment, the situation has not changed where I was in the last 15 months.

( First Published in The RECORDER Newspaper, Cameroon, of January 8, 2015 )

THE AGONY OF 11th FEBRUARY

          

  NB: This article was first published on 25th February 2009.

  The Oxford Advanced Learner's dictionary defines agony as great pain or suffering (of mind or body). Thus, whenever 11^th February approaches, the supposed plebiscite day turned Youth day with her real meaning, facts and manner of celebration distorted, I always have this great pain and suffering in mind and the case is true for all those who are true Southern Cameroonians. From the word go, the agony touches the very foundation of British Southern Cameroonians and Cameroon Republic at large. But history teaches us that 11^th February 1961 was that fateful day British Southern Cameroons voted voluntarily to join East Cameroon without the third option of self-independence. This action culminated in the independence of Southern Cameroons on 1^st October 1961 thus by this very act la Republique and British Southern Cameroons became one to be governed in a Federal System. That is history and history can never be change even the devil has no power to change history, therefore no government, no oppressor, no colonizer will change that. Lies can only be told, but the truth shall always save mankind. Bishop Rodrigo Borgia, in the book the family says what is written on paper affects history, not life. life is a different history.

          The Mystery in all these years of the Ahidjo – Biya rule has been to distort the very foundation of the people of British Southern Cameroons . Their identity has been hidden and worst of all curricula in schools right from basic to university levels are very shallow concerning the history and real facts of Southern Cameroons , such books have been tailored and sponsored by the regimes to ensure the effective misrepresentation of our history. I have always been a bigot on the real facts of West Cameroon because it is only on this platform that the so much cherished unity of Cameroon reigns and is guaranteed and any government that shy away from the Anglophone cause will hardly succeed. I advise any leader who wishes to run for the 2011 presidential election to include the Anglophone cause in his manifesto proposing possible solutions that still guarantees the unity of Cameroon.

          What most Cameroonians lack  is the basic knowledge of their history, you must not study history in class before knowing those very fundamental issues that touches your very foundation and existence. What has triggered my write-up has been the fact that most Cameroonians (85%) especially the youth do not even know the significance why they celebrate 11^th February. All they know is an avenue to meet new friends, dance, drink, match past and go home. The government also uses this opportunity for reckless spending and embezzlement of tax payers’ money. Even the Youth day message from the head of state is nothing to write home about.

          President Richard Nixon, the former US President once said “let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth, to see it as it is and tell it like it is, to find the truth, speak the truth and live the truth”. Why has the truth been manipulated about 11th February from the youth? Why change of name from Plebiscite to Youth day? Does it not suffice that even if the names are changed, the real meaning of the day could still be celebrated? Where are the Youths matching to? It is really sad to realize that all these have been the handiwork of the government.

          It is shocking to realize that even the message from the head of state has never carried anything about the real meaning of 11^th February. This is suppose to be a day of remembrance, a day when government can sit and analyze how far the unity and marriage between Francophones and Anglophones has gone, a day to look at the achievement done so far, what are the challenges ahead? what are the drawbacks that threatens Cameroon’s Unity and development and how to remedy such instead the government dodges from the real facts thinking it undermines and threatens the unity of Cameroon. I think it does not for what it is, it is and what is not, is not .The Anglophone people would belong more if the truth is celebrated. Even those top Anglophone officials, including the Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni are aware that the feeling of about 90% of Anglophones in Cameroon is one of “How man go do, make man just take”. A frustrating spirit. This is not suppose to be the case, if we are Cameroonians, we should feel belong.

          Reading through Eden Wednesday 18^th February 2009 N° 348 edition, page 10  of the question, “What do you know about 11^th February?” I realized shockingly, that out of the few youth questioned, 98.99% of them do not even understand the importance and significance of 11^th February. Most of them look at the day as a merry making event where new friends are made. Hear one of them “on 11^th February, Youth get to meet new friends and is a day filled with joy and happiness and the field is crowded by many people waiting to watch the match past …… by Rosaline Bassah Street Care Bilingual foundation”. Another a UB graduate, hear him”. This day should instead be turned into a day when youth are trained. I don’t even know yet any significance…….. by John Etta Egbe, UB graduate”. The rest is the same with no real answers even University students are brain empty on the significance of this day. This is terrible and a big shame. The above question and answers given is just a reflection of the ignorance of most Cameroonians. It is really a pity.

          Southern Cameroonians should get up from slumber and let 11^th February be celebrated by all and sundry as a Plebiscite day where both Francophones and Anglophones can come out in their numbers and celebrate the real meaning of their history, the foundation of their unity and existence. This is the only truth and the only way 11^th February could be celebrated if not history shall judge us all.

THE BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION OF 1 ST OCTOBER

 NB: This article was first published on 24th September 2008 at Eden Newspaper and other local newspapers in Cameroon.I was still naive maybe but the fundamentals remain the same.For the records I now hold the opinion that Re-unification and/or secession does not exist. I have decided to re-publish it unedited as it was first written...Read on

All men were born equal with equal inalienable rights; the human rights declaration makes us to understand that and even the holy bible preaches this to us. Each and every nation in this universe cerebrates their independence day with all plumb and pageantry . The Holy Bible in Genesis chapter twenty three to twenty four reads “Then the Man said, at last, here is one of my own kind-bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh, woman is her name because she was taken out of man, that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one”. 

    Implicitly looking from  the Biblical point of view, the Holy Marriage between la Republique du Cameroun  and British southern Cameroons can be related to the marriage between a man and a woman in the sense that southern Cameroons with all her economic and natural resources was the “man”  who left his home town , voted massively during the 11th 1961 February plebiscite to joint la Republique du Cameroun  in a marriage with equal status and therefore by this very act Francophones and Anglophones became one blood, one bone and one flesh. But it is important for us to note here that even before a man and a woman get married, they come from different background and cultures with equal rights before coming as one and there are certain rights that neither party can breached.

    But again what does 1 st October teaches or reminds us? 1st October reminds us as the day both Cameroons; the British Southern Cameroons and la Republique du Cameroun became one following the 11 February  plebiscite even though the marriage was not consummated because there is no document at the UN which seals such a marriage but Historians tells us that Cameroon was one before being partitioned between Britain and France and so this is the basis  of the so- called Cameroon being one and indivisible as propagated by our Francophone brothers and even some of our Anglophone Francophonised brothers. It is also true that a man and a woman getting married might come from the same village but again they might still have some cultural differences and ideologies (for example Bali nyongas and Bali kumbat, both having one origin with some different cultures ) thus Southern Cameroons even though were one with la Republique du Cameroun  before being partitioned, we now have different status, cultures, language, education, ideologies and difference ways of doing things for it has been destined to be so through the scramble for Africa and this makes us two different people if not we would have also claimed that Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Equatorial Guinea etc is Cameroon because Africa was one and indivisible before being partitioned among Europeans who scramble for Africa.

    British Southern Cameroons being the “husband” because of her economic and natural resource got married to la Republique du Cameroun the “wife” and they became one, therefore a husband or wife in a marriage will never stop his/her partner from celebrating his/her birthdays instead both partners can contribute and make such a day a success without the other getting afraid that celebrating a birthday might make you think of your family ties and return to them.

    La Republique du Cameroun has been behaving like a nagging wife, one who wants to take control of the house and over throw her husband for it is the same with the Francophones the “wife” who has assimilates and annexed Anglophones the “husband” while using her population and military power to take over all the husband resources and even deprived the husband God given right to celebrate his birthday and in a better sense depriving Anglophones from celebrating their independence. 

    We are all aware that 1 st January 1960, La Republique du Cameroun got her independence and fortunately for them year in year out, on this day the president of the Republic addresses the nation and awards/ medals given to deserved military officials implicitly La Republique du Cameroun  is celebrating her independence day. It should be recalled that the whole idea of Anglophone secession only came up as a result of Government neglect of Anglophone cause, changing of names from Federal Republic to United Republic to Republic of Cameroon; a name originally acquired by Francophones during their independence, Marginilisation  etc. Where is the place of Anglophones? The mistake the government and francophones most especially have been doing is to consider Anglophone as a tribe/province, I want to refute this, history does not teach us that, we are a state that voluntarily voted to joint East Cameroon and so had it been the above would have been avoided then I think there wouldn’t have been any need for some Anglophones clamouring for secession.

    What the government should realize is that, there is nothing bad allowing Anglophones to celebrate their independence day on 1 st October for the President Mr Paul Biya could also address the nation on this day most especially in English. This will make Anglophones proud and inclusive for I am sure the tendency of secession preached by some Anglophones will be dying out. The whole issue lies on the political will to make things work. I want to believe allowing the celebration of 1 st October in good faith will not breed secession. A husband ‘Southern Cameroon’ will only sue for divorce with his wife ’La Republique du Cameroun’ if the wife is a cheat, does not keep to the ethics and terms of marriage, does not use her political background, population and military might to make the husband feel marginalized and so if  Southern Cameroonians are provided with what their forefathers originally wanted, trying as much as possible to avoid policies that makes Anglophones feel marginalize, keep to the term of re-unification, making Anglophones feel inclusive; and above all return to a federal system where the  presidency rotates between Anglophones and Francophones then I think all will be good and no body will preach secession for want to believe British Northern Cameroon that joint Nigeria had not been complaining of secession because they feel inclusive, they get to manage their resources in a Federal system and administration  is closest to the people. Cameroon could also emulates from other federal systems .Believe me it will work. It just demand the political will and good faith of our leaders.

    Martin Luther King Jr. once said “ our lives begin to end the day we keep quiet about things that matter”and so the issue of celebrating the independence day of Southern Cameroons matters to me a lot and there are so many ways celebrating days like this, therefore my conscience will not let me be if this day passes by without me celebrating it in my own way. I believe historically and naturally it is my birth given right for it is high time Anglophones start doing what historically and naturally belongs to them.
    I advocate for federalism and not secession. Let the government allow Anglophones start celebrating our independence day.

The Feeble End Of Year Address From the SCNC Chairman: Establishing a critical diagnosis-A Must Read

H.E Dr NFOR NGALA NFOR, resident Chairman of SCNC has called on all Southern Cameroonians to show a rare breed of love come 2015, hear him " I call on you to love one another. Let the fraternal bonds of unity, of being your brother's keeper be renewed and strengthened. I call on you to reconcile and love each other for in love and confidence we can do great things". He went further requesting us to bury the evil spirit of individualism, self-seeking, greed and treachery.He warned those who would betray the course by stating traitors never win against their people

He challenged us to asked ourselves the following questions in 2015: who am I? Am I an agent of change for my family? Am I an agent of change for my society and my people? He requested all and sundry to get on board the plane of freedom by stating that " the more we delay, the more the annexationist regime will sink its fangs and claws into our flesh and life blood and reducing us to carcasses empty our land of its natural wealth"..... He concluded by encouraging us to unite and forge ahead a better country for our people.

As an Anglophone political analyst by my own right, while I appreciate the message from the office of the Chairman SCNC to Southern Cameroonians, I must confess the message is very weak in substance. The message was delivered in the normal rhetoric of freedom literature.The message failed to address the following which are supposed to be the boiling points:

1. The message did not at any point in time reveals the achievement of the SCNC and her struggles within the year 2014.Such end of year message is suppose to tell the people how far the movement has gone to rekindle hope in the minds of Southern Cameroonians.One could conclude that, the movement was stagnant within the year 2014.

2. The message failed woefully to honour the late Chairman Chief Ayamba.The message did not at any point in time asked Southern Cameroonians to pray for the soul of this great man who fought for the movement.The message didn't ask for a moment of silent for Southern Cameroonians to pause and reflect on the life of Pa Ayamba.This was a sad and great event which occurred in 2014.Liberation movements are suppose to hold high the virtues of their gone leaders so as to inspire those left behind.This only goes to indicate the feud and hatred that occurred between the late and current chairman which saw a tussle of leadership before Chief Ayamba's dead.

3. Mindful of the fact that, there was media frenzy of the purported election of Justice Ayah Paul Abine as Chairman SCNC and subsequently promotion as Advocate General in the Cameroun supreme court.Considering the fact that most media reported this so called election and many Southern Cameroonians felt betrayed and confuse, I think it would have been the best opportunity for the Chairman Nfor Ngala Nfor to officially address this issue and laid to rest the illegality or sham that was about rocking the SCNC movement.The silence from top official of the SCNC speaks volume by it self.

4. Finally the Chairman SCNC did not give a clear road map where he intends taking the movement to in 2015.Well written words a lone do not mean a thing in the 21st century, we expected to get a clear road map on what and what should be done....Actions we need, Actions we should do.....

These are some of thoughts which ran through my mind while reading through the traditional end of year speech from the office of the Chairman SCNC. I will end with these words from the former SCNC Chairman Belgium Mr Rene who said " the struggle has been taken hostage. We must FIRST liberate the struggle , then we shall liberate the Southern Cameroons".....It is a food for thought for all members and sympathizers of the movement.

It is my fervent wish for the movement to see a turn-around in 2015 in all spheres of their activities. The SCNC, SCYL, SCAPO and all movements engage in the liberation movement must do a total reassessment of strategy 

NB: For the entire speech from the SCNC Chairman, send me an email to mbarakanamozo@gmail.com

Aluta Continua....God bless the Southern Cameroons.

Bara Mark

Cameroon Anglophone Political Analyst

Ghent, Belgium

31/12/2014

BIYA IS A CONTRADICTION : THE AUDACITY TO SPEAK OUT

BIYA IS CONTRADICTION 1-11: A PUBLICATION BY AYAH PAUL  ABINE,

CAMEROUN ADVOCATE GENERAL AT THE SUPREME COURT, OCTOBER 16th-December 17th 2014

Compiled by Mark  Bara, Cameroon Anglophone Youth Activist, Belgium

Preamble: Chief Justice Ayah Paul Abine, Secretary General of People's Action Party, PAP was promoted on December 18th by 5pm. Below are some of his statements against Paul Biya uptill December 17th at 1:18 pm. Recalling that on May 13th 2013, Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU) partisan, Youmou Koupit Adamou -who mustered courage to humiliate President Biya by rejecting his appointment as alternate senator. He turned down Biya’s appointment on grounds that he was not consulted. Was Ayah consulted before his appointment even one day to the publication of his last statement on facebook? Be the judge......We only hope his tongue does not change soon. We hold this truth as evidence..........

Episodes 11: December 17th, 1 18pm

Some may have doubted Ayah Paul's assertions in the past that Camerounese parliament was a formality institution. Mr. President has now shown beyond reasonable doubt that Camerounese parliament is irrelevant. How else can be understood? Parliament is in session, voting the nation's annual budget. At the same time, Mr. President comes up with a parralel budget (hors budget) christened "plan d'urgence", in flagrant violation of Section 26 of the constitution! Na contradiction dis or NA inertia?

If Mr. President's ministers have executed under 40% of the current (2014) budget, who are Mr. President's men that will efficiently execute the public investment budget of 2015 simultaneously with the "plan d'urgence"? The true southern Cameroonians of yesterday-years?

I no de find me palava! Na ma mop talk; no be me self!

Episodes 10: December 12th, 8:25am

Mr. President has told us time without number that ours is a free economy. In a free economy, prices are fixed by market forces on the basis of offer and demand. Oil prices are five-year-low for months now worldwide. If truly we are a free economy, how does Mr. President explain that fuel prices have remained constant in Cameroun, and even in Southern Cameroons where the oil is produced in superabundance?

Only a small contradiction? Ok oh, God no de sleep! No be do me a do you!

Episodes 09: December 7th 3:09 pm

In an enlightened community, no-one does not know that the best army in the world still needs the people for a better prosecution of a conventional war. The simple turning of a signpost, for instance, can misdirect an enemy army unit fatally.

The role of the people becomes indispensable when it comes to fighting terrorism. So it is because a terrorist has no belligerent face; nor any known battlefields. Soldiers alone can never solve the equation! And in any case, is the fight against terrorism not in defence of the people generally? … That of course is a rhetorical question.

It goes without saying then that Mr. President’s anti-terrorism law is wholly contradictory. You do not fight the people in the name of fighting terrorists. If in fighting terrorists you fight the people, then of course the people are terrorists. And a terrorist too you are because you are the leader of terrorists.

And terrorist Mr. President truly is in that, by imposing the death sentence against his people-terrorists, Mr. President does terrorize the people and thereby becomes a terrorist himself. Mr. President therefore ought to hang a rope before himself, or tie himself to the stake for the firing squad.

Mr. President becomes a wanton contradiction when he terrorizes the very people that, by his oath of office, he has sworn to protect and serve. An enlightened leader should know that his main service to the people he leads is ensuring the protection of those people.

Mr. President had scores upon scores of youths killed extra-judicially in 2008 when they rose against constitutional amendment lifting term-limit to the benefit of an individual. This time around, Mr. President has secured the connivance of parliament in order to veil with perforated legal garment the killing of Camerounese/Southern Cameroonians with a view to perpetuating his reign: killing just again to the benefit of an individual!

Mr. President may wish to learn that Mr. Ian Smith could not bear for long the pangs of his “anti-terrorism” law when he fell from power. Though the law in consideration seems to render the Ian Smith realm irrelevant, Mr. President may still wish to contemplate the fate of his children, family relations and blind collaborators when temporal decrees and lethal orders will be wholly intangible in his new kingdom!

I de give my own advice on gratis at all tam!

 Episodes 8: December 2nd, 12:05pm

The rumours that Mr. President was prosecuting for absolute powers from parliament have come to pass. We now know that the robot-parliamentarians will in the days ahead, without proper debate as usual, enact a law, reviving the 1960 laws on subversion. The very Biya who told the world from mountain tops that, during his “reign”, no Camerounese needed to be a “maquisard” to express his thought is going to take refuge behind the façade of legality to execute Camerounese and, perhaps, Southern Cameroonians, who dare to dissent.

Only Mr. President’s dull advisers and fake legal minds would fail to discern the contradiction. Only they would be incapable of understanding hat, having rashly declared war against Boko Haram, those captured in the prosecution of the war must be treated as prisoners of war, subject to the special treatment reserved for such prisoners under the relevant Geneva Convention.

It all boils down to the one truth that the “terrorists” in the contemplation of Mr. Legislator” are outside the war zone. Who then are they? Your guess is as good as mine! Even more so it is as the Bill is not within reach yet.

One thing though is clear. And it is that those targeted would go underground and operate with better effect. It also means more violence – more killing – as they would understand that “you kill or be killed”!

God alone knows who fooled anyone that they are everlasting, or that the earth belongs to them. They are not even aware that the Bible says it all: God punishes to the 4th generation. Their children, dependents, family relations! There is time for everything!

No hambog me, massa! I no know Bible plenty!

Episodes 07: November 18th, 13pm

For over half a century, Mr. President’s ministers, other high-ranking appointees, and tribes-people have told Southern Cameroonians that they are Biafrans; they should go back home; they are like the occupants of the Trojan Horse - (ennemis dans la maison) – etc. All this has consistently been endorsed, if only tacitly, by Mr. President.

Mr President knows or he is presumed to know that non-nationals of a country do not fight for that country except as mercenaries. Curiously, Southern Cameroonians are fighting in the east sector and in the northern sector for Mr. President – (Cameroun). Are they fighting as mercenaries? As naturalized Camerounese? For God/allah?

No be palava. Na daso question! … All for God!

Episodes 06: November 7th, 14:00pm

Mr. President snatches the remains of his other-in-law, someone else’s deceased wife, and gives her an undeclared state burial in the yard of his personal property. All offices are closed in an undeclared and therefore an illegal public holiday to enable his ministers and their subordinates to display their ostentatious loyalty to the royalty. “C”est l’état qui paie!”

Mr. President turns round and teaches the world that the remains of the first president of Cameroun – that very person who sat Mr. President on an elective “throne” without an election as dictated by legality, legitimacy and even common sense – that such remains are the exclusive business of the family of Mr. President’s illustrious deceased predecessor!

Could someone tell us what name to give to such zigzag/disrupted logicality!

No be bad talk dis, a beg you, sir!

Episodes 05: November 4th, 16:05pm

Mr. Biya once told the world that Cameroun is a “démocratie avancée”. Someone may wish to tell Mr. President that, even in rudimentary democracies, the people choose their leaders, including the head of state. The elected depend on the people and not the other way round. Which is most logical: the people are permanent; the elected come and go.

In Mr. Biya’s “démocratie avancée”, the people elect their local councilors headed by mayors. But Mr. Biya appoints government delegates who lord it over the elected councilors/mayors. To put it otherwise, the people tell Mr. Biya: “These are our elected leaders”. Mr. Biya tells the people: “These are the leaders I have appointed for you. Taisez-vous! Votre Président parle! I have decided that…” Dead silence!

A truly “advanced democracy”! Véritablement!

Episodes 04: October 31st, 10:13am

Mr. Biya has ignored with contempt the international community and even international justice in their calls and injunctions to dialogue with Southern Cameroonian leaders. Some of Mr. Biya’s lieutenants have purported to justify their leader’s disdain for the peaceful option on the ground that the leader Southern Cameroonian caucus – SCNC – is an illegal body.

SCNC is almost obsessed with the pursuit of the peaceful and legal option. Pirates and Boko Haram by contrast are ruthless in pursuing their goal, practising scorched earth plundering and murdering. Now that Mr. President negotiates with them and pays handsome ransoms, can Mr. President’s lieutenants tell the world if these groups are legal bodies?

Na daso contradiction or na proper lesson for Southern Cameroonians?

Episodes 03: October 30th, 12:00pm

Most Camerounese tenaciously hold the pernicious tenet that a federation works against national unity. Even as palpable examples in the world should exorcise them, they still do persist in their misconception, taking refuge in decentralization as the panacea.

Unfortunately, decentralization in Cameroun did fail ever before the experiment had begun. Cameroun has never been as acutely centralized as it is today due to the creation of the Ministry of Public Contracts. Aside from conspicuous inertia in that department, (most workers of the ministry can be tagged as gorgeous mediocrities), councils are today virtually irrelevant as they cannot award contracts for the minutest projects. Clearly, councils were far more autonomous and performed better when there was no formal decentralization than they do nowadays.

The politest way one can put it is that Mr. President has contradicted himself by preaching decentralization and accentuating centralization simultaneously. A very huge contradiction!

Episodes 02: October 27th, 09:53 am

Papers have reported today that SELEKA rebels of Central African Republic have abducted 9 Camerounese. They ended up taking away five as hostages. SELEKA have kidnapped Camerounese in the Grand Nord many times before. At that time, the hostages had been released against ransoms paid by the victims’ family relations.

SELEK have now become Mr. President’s devoted “meilleurs eleves”. Their president-teacher’s lessons have been faithfully imbibed: Mr. President pays higher ransoms. Needless treating with private persons for meager amounts that do not adequately sustain ravaging wars! And the more you kidnap, the more you are provided; and the better able you are to fight! Very uncomplicated! So attractive the bait! Lavishing the very enemy Mr. President vows to crush in tutored verbal dexterity!

That’s why we must praise Southern Cameroonians to the skies for their unblemished dedication to peace. They still hold firmly to “the force of argument and not the argument of force”. Even when Mr. President provokes them to the extreme: arrogantly refusing to dialogue with them while negotiating with ruthless murderers – tainted with crimes against humanity – and arming them to destroy his fatherland! All this in the face of the portion of deciderata that “…as much as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons;, and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant. They too have their story…”

This may not amount to contradiction in the eyes of the many labouring under cerebral numbness. And so many such patients there are in contemporary Cameroun. The truth though is that it is a palpable contradiction for the ordinary! Just one more! Out of several!

For those crusading for adulterated “Nobel Price Peace Prize” drenched in corruption for their leader, they may wish to admit that Southern Cameroonians are more meritorious. That’s it! No apology!

C u soon!

Episodes 01: October 16th, 8:00am

The national and international press as the internet is awash with publications that the Biya government paid a ransom and gave arms and ammunition to Boko Haram for the recent release of 27 hostages. It would be recalled that Boko Haram has wrecked havoc in Nigeria far much more and much longer in Nigeria than in Cameroun. Nigeria has neither declared war against them nor paid any ransom to the best of our knowledge, belief and information. Not even for the release of over 200 girls!
But Mr. Biya precipitously declared war against Boko Haram on foreign land from foreign land. To the best of our knowledge, information and/or belief, Mr. Biya has paid ransoms at least three times already; and is likely and liable to pay many more times. This time around he has allegedly additionally supplied arms and ammunition, and exchanged “prisoners”.
Mr. Biya must be a hopeless contradiction in his declaration that he will eradicate the very Boko Haram that he has been financing and arming; and will so be doing in his war against the group in the future.

 
Could some knowledgeable Camerounese christen such ambivalent conduct the politics of contradiction, please?

THE PROMOTION OF CHIEF JUSTICE AYAH PAUL ABINE - SYNOPSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS SO FAR (1) COMPILED BY MARK BARA, ANGLOPHONE YOUTH ACTIVIST

Preamble:

The body that handles the careers of magistrates and higher judicial officers met at Unity Palace on Thursday 18 December 2014 with President Paul BIYA presiding over the deliberations that lasted over five hours. The agenda of the sitting included an examination of disciplinary files, the promotion of magistrates, the transfer and posting of magistrates. And so Ayah Paul Abine amongst others Ngatcha Isaiah, Jacques Frederic Tchale II, Alfred Souffosi were appointed by Paul Biya.

:

Arguements Against :

1. Hon Ayah opposed constitutional modification. He preached the Anglophone course, declared his assets. Accepting an appointment from Mr Biya in my view does not make him strong. If he refuses he emerges stronger.He should ask for his pension which was suspended and not take the post. People are saying he want chop too for the very system.He should spit on it.Thats my view.

Solomon Amabo Amabo, South Africa

2. Possible scenarios: 1) after the defeat, in the election, he had the impression that there is nothing left for him as he will never be a parliamentarian anymore. Then he figured out that if he could used SCNC to either make a name, or gain an appointment.2) HE could be an argent of la republique. La republique is known for sending in people to destabilize SCNC. He is neither the first nor the last. SCNC has to be careful. I now agree with guys Tata Mbinglo that were totally against him..

Jude Dzevala, Canada

3. They say the best fights are fought from within and not from outside but this is not true when Cameroon in particular is concern. No one has ever fought that fight from within as they always claim. They only go to fight from inside with grabbing hands and deep pockets. When Fru Ndi says he's not going to lead any street protests again because he feels a lot of innocent blood has been spilled, people condemn and style him a traitor. When Ayah Paul is called back to service with promotion as a means to kill the spirit of opposition in him by a government he openly opposed, some people see nothing wrong in it. Which fight is he going to fight from inside? Is it the same fight, Issa Tchiroma and Bello Bouba fought?? History lives on and keeps repeating itself. Should Ayah accepts this offer, he will be signing his death warrant.

Joe McAfong, Belgium

4. Politics of the blind is played in public and gets illusive rewards.Politics of reality is played behind closed doors, and get noble rewards.Ayah Paul just played the both so well and hereby gets double rewards at crossed roads.

Ashu HailShammy, Thailand

5. Ayah Paul Abine step down as a member of parliament for CPDM for Akwaya constituency bc of President Biya constitutional change if he has to accept this appointment by President Biya let him be ready for the worst bc President Biya has proven beyond imaginable doubt that he has no cameroonian to be trusted let think of the Marafa inoni Abah Abah just to name a few where are they now I rest my case. This the end time ememy will become friends.

Cyprain Ayuk, Douala

Arguements For:

1. If am the one appointed, I will also accept because change can't come from outside but from within. Did u know u can't really change what u don't know?? Being inside will expose him to the environment n also the chances to bring change. Moses in the Bible could not change the fate of the Israelites if he didn't grow up in the palace to see how his people were mistreated. We need an insider.... A don talk my own

Keng Tata Chick, Belgum

2. I think there is one issue to underscore here the fact that Ayah Paul accepts the appointment at the supreme court could be a stepping stone into an objective arbitration of the issues the two factions of our national territory. we could consider a whole lots. I think the full picture has not yet been fully painted. if there is a choice to make here it's not whether to accept chairmanship of SCNC or the office at supreme court, but it is the guarantee that the vision of a born again Cameroon will push through. vessels may change, but a vision remains. personally am ok with Ayah going for the supreme court job because his role will be indispensable in the arbitration ahead of us, we can't escape that phase.

Ako Allan, Douala

3.  I do agree with positions held by my very respected friends and brothers like Mr. Jude Dzevela (skeptical of Mr. AyahPaul's integrity) and Mr. Akoson A. Raymond ( advocate for Mr. Ayah). I wish I could easily pick a side to this ambiguous argument. It is true what Mrs. Keng Tata Chick said, in a way! Had Moses not grown up in Egyptian royalty, he might not have had the audacity to face and challenge the Pharaoh and his cohorts. We can argue his case was somewhat easy because he had the Almighty ' s blessings. My question here is; "where does Mr. Ayah ' s loyalty lie?" Does his heart beat for the Southern Cameroons plight, and if yes, how credible is that to the ordinary man? If there truly now exist an article 32 (2) in the Cameroonian constitution that guarantees the independence of the judiciary, then I concur with Akoson Raymond ' s contribution. If I had any reason to believe that Mr. AyahPaul's allegiance (if any) to the Southern Cameroons question was without question, I would say being the chief magistrate in Mr. Biya's Cameroon is worth accepting. We all know, you can't win a "war you don't even understand". Mr. Biya and his cohorts have called Southern Cameroonian leaders all sorts of names, ranging from terrorist to being a part of Boko Haram. It is high time we had one of ours at a high position in the judiciary, who can help set the records straight! Keep

Chesah Denis, USA

4. When one time MP for Akwaya, Manyu Division in the South West Region, Hon. Ayah Paul resigned from the CPDM, January 2011, “fearing for (his) life and the safety of (his) family,” his action was viewed with scorn by the Party’s diehards, yielding him dark results. The bone of contention was "unpopular" moves by his peers to vote the government-induced bill on the limitless term of office of the President of the Republic, which he strongly opposed as unconstitutional and undemocratic. His inflexibility on the matter resulted in fiendish stigma, plots and plans - especially from his Manyu kith-and-kin - to politically squeeze him to dust.

As a man of caliber, he endured and survived the ‘hurricane’, and gained conscription into (or did he create?) the People’s Action Party (PAP), preparatory to the 2011 presidential election. His sympathizers acknowledged this as a bright action, especially as his participation in the election yielded a bright result (5th in the general classification of the results, out of over 20 contestants). This performance exposed him as a political heavy-weight, which ended up charming the SCNC. 

After a while of political courtship, the SCNC members found merit in him and recently elected him as their Chairman (even though he is yet to make a public pronouncement on the issue). Public Opinion however appears divided on the sociopolitical status of the personality under review: while some people, especially the SCNC sympathizers, consider him as a square peg in a square hole, others see him as a political flirt considering his third hop onto the SCNC, after the CPDM and PAP.

Recently, the Hon. Lord Justice AYAH Paul ABINE was appointed (by presidential decree) as Advocate General at the Supreme Court of Cameroon, dragging him back into the foliage of the CPDM-controlled government with whom he has been trading barbs over the years. Besides dampening the 'comfort' of his new found SCNC abode, the appointment has come/gone to divide public opinion as to whether the appointee should, or should not, accept it and accordingly assume office. 

It must be noted that before being an admirable politician, the man, Ayah Paul Abine, is, first and foremost, a judge by career. Therefore, based on his longevity and professional know-how and output,he, like any conscientious civil servant, deserves promotion anywhere within his professional field. The only person to effect such appointment is the President of the Republic based, of course, on the recommendations of the Higher Council of Magistracy (not the CPDM) that handles the careers of magistrates and higher judicial officers. Since the appointment was/is not politically motivated His Lordship Justice Ayah Paul deserves, as of right, the promotion (however belated) and should be warmly congratulated and highly encouraged to (a) accordingly assume office without hind thoughts and (b) continue to be the upright and courageous person he has ever been. After all, success is not very much the position one had attained in life as by the obstacles one has overcome while struggling to succeed.

Therefore, to the Hon. Lord Justice Ayah Paul, Law first!

Courage Brother

Jesse Konang, Buea.

GOD IS STILL SAYING SOMETHING