By Ngala Hans, Dec. 27, 2016
Cameroon Journal, Bamenda – An inter-ministerial ad-hoc committee meeting between striking Southern Cameroons teachers and top government officials has ended in Bamenda in a stalemate after leadership of the Cameroon Teacher’s Trade Union (CATTU) and other teachers’ trade unions staged a walk-out on the meeting.
The meeting had brought together Jacques Fame Ndongo, Higher Education Minister, Youssouffa Adija Alim, Basic Education Minister, Massena Ngalle Bibehe, Secondary Education Minister and Paul Ghoghomo, who chaired the meeting.
The meeting had restricted press access. It began with the singing of the national anthem and a word of prayer. After the prayers, Ghoghomo officially declared the meeting opened in opening remarks in which he stated he was
optimistic that meaningful dialogue was going to hold so that teachers and students of the Anglophone sub-system of education would then return to classrooms, which have been shut down since November 21.
During the deliberations, Basic Education Minister, Youssoufa Alim could be seen constantly in headsets to get the French interpretation of what was being discussed. The Cameroon Journal learned that she’s one of those ministers who have very little or no knowledge of the English language.
The meeting which apparently started in a serene atmosphere soon turned contentious when the teachers insisted that their colleagues from the South West Region ought to have been invited to the meeting too. They were also
unambiguous restating their demand for the release from detention of all those arrested by gov’t in the past one
month of the protest action. They affirmed vehemently that unless all those arrested were properly accounted for, that the gov’t cannot in any way be taken seriously for its drive towards dialogue.
“The committee is not properly constituted. It is biased. Our brothers and sisters in the South West are not part of the ad-hoc committee, giving the impression that it is a NW issue. The second objection is that the public wants the
release of every child arrested before discussions can hold. Even those who died in prison must be accounted for.” Wilfred Tassang, CATTU Secretary General said. After they finished stating their points, they then began to stage a walk-out on the meeting and they were briefly held against their will.
Ever before the meeting began, there were visible signs it wasn’t going to end well. There was a heavy military
presence in Bamenda, the city became ‘military locked’ from all the major entrances into it by heavily armed troops brandishing firearms, helping to make an already bad situation tense – many residents were still recovering from the excesses of Christmas celebrations. The towns of Kumbo, Nkambe and Ndu were equally heavily militarized.
One of the teacher’s trade union leaders speaking to the press after the botched meeting told the Cameroon Journal, ”Government claims that the students are missing a lot, but this is ridiculous because the students’ parents are not in
any haste to send their children back to school. We all want concrete, lasting solutions to the problems raised by Anglophone teachers…” Speaking in turn, they each expressed their wish to see the arrested children released.
Despite the walk-out staged by the teachers, and the inability of the committee to carry out effective business,
Ghoghomo, the chair of the meeting still came up with an eleven point resolution, the first point being a reaction to the walk-out. “The ad-hoc committee wished to work with all members, however, based on claims which have nothing to do with education, trade unions and other associations left the hall…” He read from the resolution.
However, the Anglophone community has said Ghoghomo’s resolutions is a piece of provocation. They argue that government is giving them the impression that the lives of their children who are languishing in detention are far less important and resumption of schools more paramount.
At press time, Anglophone lawyers who are also on strike and calling on gov’t to restore common law practice in the country were also meeting in another committee in Yaoundé. We have also gathered that after presenting their grievances especially per the composition of the committee, they like the teachers in Bamenda, staged a walkout from the talks. We will bring you latest developments.