Paul Abine Ayah

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Paul Abine Ayah is a member of the National Assembly of Cameroon and a member of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement. In August 2007 he was elected Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assemby of Cameroon[1].

He is member for Manyu in the Southwest Province. He is based in Akwaya, which is accessible by a poorly maintained road and foot track from Mamfe in Cameroon, however it is easier to access from [Nigeria]. The area has been subject to unrest due to land and tribal conflict.[2]

He graduated from the Cameroon National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) in Yaounde in 1976 and went on to become the vice-president of the Court of Appeal in Buea, Southwest Province, until becoming member of the National Assembly of Cameroon in 2002.

In [June 2006] along with other MPs he called on government to investigate allegations of high level corruption invovling one of its ministers, former Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Augustin Frédéric Kodock.[3]

In November 2007 he indicated his support for a law banning female genital mutilation, which is still practiced by members of the Ejagham tribe in the area he represents as MP. He also indicated his support for a law that would ban marriage for children.[4] For women and girls marriage without parental consent is not permited until 21 in Cameroon, and marriages of girls under 15 years old are not permitted by law.[5] except with presidental permission. However marriages as young as 8 or 9 years old occur in the north of Cameroon.[6]

In 2008 Ayah was an outspoken critic of the 2008 changes to the Constitution of Cameroon saying the changes were "not democratic" and that if adopted the bill "will take us back some 200 years."[7] and despite not being present at the vote in parliament and declaring that he had not made a procuration for his vote, a vote was reportedly made in his name.[8]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Eighth legislature kicks off with Prime Minister taking part
  2. ^ [http://www.postnewsline.com/2008/01/hon-ayah-aske-1.html "Hon. Ayah Asked To Stop Tribal War": The Right of Reply'
  3. ^ MPs Demand Probe Into Kodock's Tenure As Agric Minister
  4. ^ http://allafrica.com/stories/200711200867.html
  5. ^ Cameroon: Information on Forced or Arranged Marriage
  6. ^ Cameroon: Information on Forced or Arranged Marriage
  7. ^ Cameroon opposition slams constitutional reform
  8. ^ Désaccord : Un député Rdpc dit non à la modification

[edit] References

Paul Abine Ayah's page at the official National Assembly of Cameroon website [1]