Ayahs Paul Abine, Cameroun Supreme Court advocate has again called for a ten state federation. Though he acknowledges that the Union between Southern Cameroons and La Republique Du Cameroun is illegal, he says both countries should go their separate ways should dialogue fails. He is then joining the Lawyers’ recent call for a constitutional conference that will set the pace. On his official Facebook account, he had this to say:

“…Those who went to good schools may wish to inform themselves that Southern Cameroons was divided into Bamenda Province and Cameroon Province. Those units corresponded to the present Northwest Region and Southwest Region. The sole difference is that to increase the surface area and augment the population so as to create the contemporary Momo Division, late Solomon Muna carved out of the then Mamfe Division Widikum, Menka and part of Bitieku and added to Mbengwi (Gwofon at the time, I think)

Ayah Paul Abine’s constant stance about Southern Cameroons federating with the Republic of Cameroun has been that the two territories in the eyes of the law are two distinct, contiguous countries as there is no unification treaty. There is, therefore, the imperative necessity, so argues Ayah, for the two territories to sit at a round table and set out in writing the terms of their federating. This position is laid down in Ayah’s “My Vision of a Born again Cameroon”; and reiterated in all relevant Ayah’s interviews and write-ups.

Some “intellectual” from Bamenda Province recently described those of us taking and holding on to this position as those who went to bad schools. That seems to be of little consequence to us because we hold that it is elementary law that a couple can cohabit for a century; but if the union is not consummated, the union is invalid. No amount of conduct; pragmatic or by omission; no estoppel can ever override the express provision of the written law.

Ayah’s consistent position is for a ten-state federation! Southern Cameroons and the Republic of Cameroun will part ways and go in opposite directions only where dialogue at the round table fails: and that is the plan B. A ten-state federation with elected governors is the best structure for the Cameroon of today and tomorrow. This is justified by the necessity to protect minorities, and is wholly consistent with Chief Inoni’s precautionary pronouncement that small fish do eat smaller fish!

We hope that, in the days ahead, the good Lord will grant us the energy and the time to elaborate on these introductory remarks….”

Do you agree with the Ayah’s declaration?

God is still saying something.