House Speaker Clashes With Hon. Ayah

By Kini Nsom

Last 11 December's plenary sitting at the National Assembly took a dramatic twist when House Speaker, Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, openly clashed with Hon. Paul Ayah who resigned as the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House, recently.

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The incident took place when the House Speaker refused to give Hon. Ayah (the MP from Akwaya), the floor to talk. It soon degenerated to both men trading provocative jibes and insults at each other as other MPs booed and jeered.

After the report on a bill on temporary workers had been read, the Speaker asked those who wanted to take part in the debate to indicate. Hon. Ayah raised his hand like many other MPs. The Speaker then began calling names aloud.

When he reached Hon. Ayah's side which was the third row, he first called the name of one other MP. When he called Hon. Ayah's name, he asked mockingly whether the plenary was the Foreign Affairs Committee (where Hon. Ayah resigned as chairman). Laughter from other MPs roared across the hall. Hon. Ayah rose and left the hall.

He returned after a while as MPs were being called one after the other in the order in which their names had been recorded to participate in the debates. When the Speaker came to Hon. Ayah's side, he called a number of MPs without calling him. Ayah raised an objection, insisting that the President of the National Assembly had no legal backing for seeking to stifle the right of an MP to take part in parliamentary debates.

As Hon. Ayah was still making his point, the Speaker simply ignored him and called the sixth person to take the floor. While Hon. Ayah left the rostrum to his seat, Hon. Cavaye told him that he was the person presiding and enquired whether Hon. Ayah wanted to overthrow him.

Ayah retorted that Hon. Cavaye should know that there had been other Presidents before him, and there would be many more after him. He cautioned that the Speaker should not imagine that he is president as a matter of merit so that he can look down on other MPs.
Hon. Cavaye responded by hurling discourteous words at Hon. Ayah.

The latter told Hon. Cavaye that he was a career judge of eminence and would not want to descend to his level to grab the sole opening available to persons of that level who have nowhere else to outside.

Even after these exchanges, the Speaker still called one other MP before giving Hon Ayah the floor. Hon. Cavaye still ridiculed Hon. Ayah and adding pejoratively with laughter from the hall that if he (Hon. Ayah) cared, he was at liberty not to take the floor.

It is alleged that ever since Hon. Ayah stood against the recent constitutional amendments and later resigned from his post of the Foreign Affairs Committee he has been tacitly declared persona non grata in the ruling CPDM party. Officials at the presidency recently queried Hon. Ayah for declaring that the Cameroonian parliament is too weak to effect any meaningful change because it remains a pliant tool in the hands of the executive.

Comments

[rexon]

The unfortunate thing is that Ayah is still with the ruling CPDM criminal gang. He should resign to save his image and gain more followers.

[Mesh]

Fire on Hon. Paul Ayah. The truth always prevail. If the other CPDM Anglophone MPs were as bold as you are, l am convinced something meaningful would have come good for southern Cameroons.

Paul DON'T RESIGN stay in the parliament and continue to represent your constituents in your uaual objectivity, frankness and openness. Those of us in the diaspora are in touch. One day God will hear the prayers of the anglophones. Is a matter of time.

God Bless Southern Cameroons.

[Watesih]

Mr Ayah Paul,please soldier on.Let nothing like resignation cross your mind.You are a good stone in their shoes being with them.If you resign they would claim high ground to have precipitated it.In a dark cloud there`s always a silver lining.Last year he barked on Hon.Modi,but this time around he met his Waterloo.He will never forget the day he was reminded of who he really is.You are a hero. I like the way you left the hall for some minutes and got yourself together before banging his thieving brains.

[BAZORE SHENGEN]

Appointed Hon cavaye,you should have respect to an elected MP of the p'ple.You should tell the p'ple what you have done good to this nation since being appointed.Like Hon Ayah said,there had been speakers before you and the will be more after you.So dont act like Mao.

[Set]

It is a big disgrace to a speaker who is supposed to manage the house, appease situations than to get up and exchange words with MPs. The rest of the MPs should follow Hon. Ayah who is Cameroon Oliver Cromwell if they know why they are at the Glass House.

[Tekum Mbeng]

Every legislative deserves a Maverick. Ayah is Maverick and no Cromwell.

[Jojo]

HON PAUL AYAH YOU ARE EVEN WORTHY ENOUGH THAN THE SO CALLED SDF MPS IN THA PALIAMENT PLEASE HELP SALVAGE AND OPEN THE EYES OF THOES BUNCH OF HAND CLAPPERS AT THE GLASS PALACE

[rexon]

By hailing Ayah as our hero, we are technically exposing him to the enemy and putting his life at risk.

[Ndi. O]

Rexon,
Hon Ayah's life had always been at risk. If you can remember, there was some time last year when even the La Republique Governor of south west and some cpdm big personalities hunted him but to no avail. True Heroes risk dying for the people. Ayah please pinch the more just like Watesih said. Fear not. Die for the truth for it is only the truth that can set us free. How i hope all our bro sis unite and put an end to this torment. Victory is coming and will be there some day.

[kenedy Epie]

I have always admired Hon Ayah for his open mindedness and fair politics. I prefer him being an in-house peg-in-the-eye of CPDM. I am afraid as soon we might hear.....sad news about him. May God protect him from evil intentions of the regime.
Uncle K

[Don Duke]

Kudos to Hon. Ayah.

I see him as an opposition to the current regime. He is guided by some strong internal principles and his cry for the down-trodden is genuine. The only difference is his approach and tactics.

While the SDF and other parties have decided to stand outside the fence and be throwing stones to the corrugated iron roof of the CPDM house, he has decided to disguise as a CPDM member, thus, granting him access to the house. He is right inside the house fighting while others are outside still throwing stones. May be more should adopt his tactics to neutralize the internal powers that be in the CPDM.

The SDF and others cannot fight the enemy from outside because all the stones thrown will get back to them. Parley with the CPDM, get into the house and oppose them, neutralize them and weaken them. Imagine the commotion caused by AYAH alone.

I see this as a stronger approach. what will the scenario be if there are 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 and more, the likes of Hon. AYAH in the CPDM!!! The story will be different and the CPDM will crumble in no time. The following will emanate -
- Corruption scandals, internal bribery offers to seal their lips will be exposed.
- Disorganized annual conventions
- Information leakage and exposure of all criminal antics
- and more.

Just a hasty contribution.

[Radicalbrother]

Infact,Ayah is not a patriotic citizen. Examine critically the reasons why he resigned and you will realize how frustrated he is.He is quoated as saying that where as the others are making trips to Europe he is loitering here among African Countries; This means if he were ever given the option to travel like others, he would not have resigned: To me he not a hero and what he is doing now is an epression of a margilised disappointed MP who is not having the people at heart
HE IS YET TO SEE THE WORST FROM THIS CPDM REGIME. LET US WAIT AND SEE