-Hon Ayah
Paul
By Francis Ekongang Nzante
In the wake of recent drama characterized by complains
and demand for financial probing among other things by some Kumba based members
of the erstwhile People’s Action Party
now renamed Popular Action Party, the National President Hon. Ayah Paul has
referred to the complains from Kumba as noises from hungry boys seeking for
public compassion. Commenting on the issue at the weekend during a press
conference organised by the party in Buea, Ayah Paul quipped “seriously
speaking, does it not beat the imagination that the state gives money to a
candidate for campaign and some officious bystanders arrogate to themselves the
prerogative to demand to know how the money was spent? It is clear that they
are only hungry boys seeking to secure public compassion.”
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| A Cross Section of the Popular Action Party National Executive |
The Press Conference was equally used by the
Hon. Ayah Paul to declare that there was yet no legal document between Southern
Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun on reunification. What happened during the
plebiscite was simply a declaration of intent he explained adding that the
British Ambassador who exchanged notes with President Ahmadu Ahidjo had no
jurisdiction over Southern Cameroons. The document of reunification he said was
to be negotiated by the parties concerned. To do this, “we have to sit around a
table and agree on terms of living together."
The National President of PAP also used the
occasion to delve into the history of the party. “The People’s Action Party saw
the light of day by expediency” he explained stating that “the idea
materialized on the heels of the arrest and remand in prison custody of
Barrister Yondo Black and others for wanting to launch a political party in
defiance of the one party system President Ahidjo had imposed.”
He said the
international community cried foul at the double standards of the New Deal
regime for denying that Yondo Black and others were being held in prison
custody for wanting to create a political party. The New Deal regime he
explained “asserted that the Cameroonian Law allowed for a multi-party system.”
Against this backdrop, Ayah Paul Abine said
he immediately met with John Ndahne of Radio Buea and the duo reviewed the
prevailing national political situation and its repercussions on the Southwest
Province as it then was. “They agreed that the Southwest Province was most
vulnerable from its disunity and cosmopolitan composition, with the consequence
that it was going to be fertile ground for political hawks. Its protection
therefore lay in the province belonging to a political party that would speak
in the name of the province…” A few meetings later on lead to the creation of
PAP.
Considering their backgrounds as active civil
servants at the time in a hostile political atmosphere, they contacted
Professor Victor Mukwelle Ngoh to head the party. “He was overwhelmed by our “bestowing
confidence in (his) humble person” and expressed his gratitude
superabundantly.” The party however was only registered in April 1991. When
Ayah Paul resigned from the CPDM in 2010, he saw no better refuge than the
political umbrella that was his brain child.
Addressing the issue of the party being part
of the estate of the late Professor Ngoh, Ayah Paul said “ the family held the
registration certificate of the party close to their chest until he agreed in
writing to some dictates under the auspices of some national front bencher of the
party from Limbe. A few months later, however, PAP national officials annulled
the document in a resolution of May 14, 2011, that was signed inter alia by a
prominent member of the Ngoh’s family.” Ayah Paul Abine however explained that
such a document was bad at law and contrary to public policy as a political
party is defined by Cameroon Law as an association. “Any theory that PAP is the
property of late professor Ngoh’s estate
that can be hired; pledged and redeemed; or sold absolutely or on terms is
merely fantastic and based on misinformation or uninformed miscalculations…”
The legal luminary further explained that
with the upsurge of the party, at least 90% of the expenses of the party were
shouldered by him especially considering the fact that the bulk of the party
members were students, unemployed youths and rural peasant masses.
On how the party was run under these
circumstances Ayah Paul said it was very difficult to cover the national
territory during campaigns with just 15 million FCFA. By the time the money
came, he was in messy debts “having received less than 150.000 FCFA from
internal friends and supporters and under 500.000 FCFA from friends and
admirers abroad!”
In an intense question and answer session,
Hon. Ayah Paul Abine stated that he had no intention of remaining party
president for ever explaining that he talked to the National Executive Bureau
of the party on the difficulty for him to handle two offices and their stand
was that he should first of all put in place the necessary structures before
quitting the scene. He equally explained that the constitution of the party
does not prescribe that the party President is automatically a Presidential
candidate.
The hungry boys from Kumba he said have been
expelled from the party adding that they could be reconsidered as members if
they retracted from what they have been doing. The party constitution he said
had provisions on how such issues could be sorted out.
The party name was changed during the press
conference from People’s Action Party PAP to Popular Action Party. Quizzed on
the raison d’être, Ayah Paul said “parties changed names all the time. This is
not an issue; the CNU was renamed CPDM and it was not considered an issue. The
word popular is better than people.”
According to the National Vice President of
the party Ekabe Anita Besumbu, “Ayah Paul will stay in place and put party
structures in place before leaving.” Dr. Ernest Folefack, the First Legal Secretary
of the party on his part said things were being put in place to enhance
sustainability of the party. Meantime,
dissenting voices Ayah Paul said usually contribute to the growth of a party.
Ako Abunaw, the National Campaign Manager said “those in Kumba are totally
misinformed and are not aware of the personal sacrifices that were made. They
are not aware of the financial sacrifices that were made during the campaigns.”
Also present at the press conference were
Akoson Raymond the Secretary General of the part, Caspar Franklin the North West
Regional President, Elimpe Epie Emmanuel, First National Vice Secretary General
amongst many others.
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