SYNES-UB:

Why we snubbed Fame Ndongo’s invitation

SYNES-UB considered Fame Ndongo’s invitation as ‘fantasmagorique’

At a General Assembly held to discuss among other issues the impending strike action billed to start on Monday 21 November 2016, members of the general assembly of Synes-UB chapter noted that:

1. There was a deliberate misinformation in some quarters to make the demands of Anglophone teachers in Cameroon look like they were designed to expel their Francophone colleagues from the University of Buea. The GA dispelled this falsehood, pointing out that the goal of the strike was to draw government's attention to years of neglect and distortion of Anglophone cultural values and the grievous consequences Anglophones have suffered. Our colleagues are only passive subjects in the ongoing abuse of Anglophone educational values and can, therefore, not be held responsible for what is obviously a systemic problem. The GA held that it was time to set a transparent framework that will put an end to further abuses in the future and restore equity, fairness and respect for excellence.

2. The GA also noted that the Letter of Invitation was vaguely styled to mask the purpose of the problem being discussed. Firstly, it did not refer to Anglophone Teacher Unions which have been yearning to be heard in the last 10 months. Secondly, it mentions "All other Teachers' Syndicates of Cameroon", a familiar tactic calculated to drown the voice of the Anglophone Teachers if or when they attend the meeting. Thirdly, SYNES-UB Chapter is not specifically mentioned as an invitee to the talks. By this very design, the MINESUP hopes to exclude Anglophone University lecturers from any future discussion. Finally, the President of SYNES-UB was not mentioned on the list of invitees to the meeting read today afternoon over CRTV. On the strength of the foregoing observations, the GA declared SYNES-UB's unwillingness to impose itself on any meeting to which it has not been invited.

3. After reviewing the issues surrounding the strike and the bad faith evident in the preparation of the talks, the GA declared that the national strike called by teachers in the Anglophone subsystem of education in Cameroon will hold as planned until the burning issues raised are satisfactorily addressed by the powers that be. It called on ALL Anglophone lecturers and Francophone colleagues of good will to respect the strike call and save what is still left of Anglophone educational values.

Sango Martin, PhD

Vice President i/c Administration

National Union of Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES)

University of Buea Chapter