Man of timbre and calibre: Ayah defies Biya, boycotts constitutional revision bill

The Akwaya CPDM MP tells Biya and Inoni that he won’t be part of the farce

By Roland Akong Wuwih in Yaounde

Much of a democrat, much too independent minded, Paul Ayah Abime, MP for Akwaya sub-division boycotted last Thursday’s plenary session that gave overwhelming endorsement to the constitutional amendment bill.

To eliminate all pressure on him, the deputy, a former senior Appeal Court judge, left Yaounde earlier that day to return to his residence in Buea.

He turned down all telephone calls urging him to change his mind. Ayah did not take his decision in a cowardly manner. He took time to inform his party overlords, notably René Sadi, CPDM secretary-general, and Ephraim Inoni, prime minister, and South West CPDM elite.

He pointed out to them that he was completely unable to bring his conscience round the joining in the adoption of the bill, and took no objections from them. It turned out to Ayah’s surprise that he had, in fact, voted by proxy when the bill was adopted.

Who was the CPDM deputy who faked the proxy? It was none other than Emilia Lifaka Monjowa who played the nasty trick.

She claimed that before leaving Buea, Ayah had asked her to vote for him. Ayah disavowed the manoeuvre, stating that he had not left either verbal or written authority to Lifaka Monjowa.

The Herald has since learned that Lifaka Monjowa who is deputy CPDM group leader had conspired with her chief, Ndongo Essomba, to turn in a hundred per cent vote by the CPDM.

The matter since generated a row among the CPDM South West group some of whom have qualified Lifaka Monjowa as a liar and traitor.