Simon Achidi Achu

"Pa" Simon Achidi Achu (born 5 September 1932) is a Cameroonian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1992 to 1996.

Achu grew up in Santa in the Northwest Province of Cameroon. He completed primary education in Santa and then continued to Cameroon Protestant College, where he remained until completing high school. Pa Achu later continued to the University of Yaoundé, where he participated in the creation of the Student Association, which still exists. He also served as the association's first president. He continued his studies in Marseille, France.

On July 3 1972, he was appointed Minister of Justice [http://www.spm.gov.cm/showgouv.php?module=showindividu&lang=fr&pers=106 Cameroonian government page on Achu] fr icon.] by Cameroon's president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, and he continued in this position until 1975. Pa Simon then returned to Santa and started the Rock Farm Ranch as a farmer.

He stayed out of politics for several years, then he was elected as a member of the National Assembly. President Paul Biya later appointed him Prime Minister of Cameroon on 9 April 1992, following the March 1992 parliamentary election. He was the first Anglophone Prime Minister of Cameroon. [Piet Konings, "The Post-Colonial State and Economic and Political Reforms in Cameroon", "Liberalization in the Developing World" (1996), ed. Alex E. Fernández Jilberto and André Mommen, Routledge, page 260.] He remained in the position until 19 September 1996.

Achu is a member of the Central Committee of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). [ [http://www.rdpcpdm.cm/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=56 List of members of the RDPC Central Committee] , RDPC website fr icon.] He was also a member of the National Commission for the coordination of Biya's election campaign in the 2004 presidential election and was the president of the campaign's support and follow up committee in the Northwest Province. [ [http://www.presidentielle2004.gov.cm/detail_art.php?id_art=79&lang=en "President Paul Biya selects campaign team"] , 2004 presidential election website.] He has also headed the discipline commission of the CPDM. [Essama Essomba, [http://www.cameroon-info.net/cmi_show_news.php?id=21398 "Retrouvailles: Achidi Achu chez Paul Biya"] , "Cameroon Tribune" (Cameroon-info.net, December 26, 2007 fr icon.]

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