My priestly ambition was cut short after I impregnated my girlfriend – Dominic Ayine

Every child while growing up at least has one kind of profession he or she yearns to venture into. These childhood dreams are largely influenced by the environment in which one grows. Young people believe that they could be anything and do anything. Very often, the jobs children mention offer excitement, action, fame, or a helping hand to the vulnerable in society. 

For Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, his association with a catholic priest influenced his career path at a very young age. He decided to enter the priesthood vocation while at Notre Dame Minor Secondary School in the Upper East Region. Nothing could sway him from altering his ambition of becoming a Reverend Father.

But one unintended act changed his destiny from operating in the church to practicing in the courtroom.

Few months before he could enter the seminary at age 20, he impregnated his girlfriend and thwarted the childhood dream of leading eucharist in the catholic church.

“I actually wanted to become a catholic priest and that was the only thing I wanted but before I could complete Lower Six, my girlfriend gave birth to my first son. I experimented and the whole experiment went wrong and he was born. I told myself that if being a priest is actually a calling, then this is a sign from God that I should not become one. So that was how my priestly ambitions ended…I was left with no option but to become a lawyer,” the Bolgatanga East MP revealed.

Dr Ayine made these revelations in a yet-to-be aired PM Express Personality Profile with JoyNews’ Ayisha Ibrahim.

The Former Deputy Attorney General said after the result of his love affairs denied him priesthood, he then considered a piece of advice from his friend’s brother, Ambrose Dery to pursue law after secondary school.

He recounted his humble beginning of shepherding cattle at a tender age in his hometown of Zuarungu.

Dr Ayine also recounted how he had to start schooling very late in his childhood due to financial constraints. He said he was 10-years-old when first stepped foot in Class 2 and was ridicule by the mates who called him ‘Father of Class Two’.

According to the Bolgatanga East MP, being mocked in school rather spurred him on to achieve greatness in life.

After completing his Form 6, he studied at the University of Ghana Law School where he earned his bachelor’s degree and LLM in (International Economic Law) at the University of Michigan Law School in 1998. He then went to Stanford University Law School, in California, US for a JSD (Trade and Democracy) in 2006.

Dr Ayine once lectured in his alma mater, UG Law School and later entered politics; was elected Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East and subsequently appointed Deputy Attorney General under former President John Mahama.