Elvis Tah
10 April 2008
Buea — The National Union of Teachers of Higher Education, SYNES, have resolved to petition the Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, to upgrade their status without which they would engage in an indefinite strike.
The lecturers of all the six state universities met on the campus of the University of Buea, UB, during their 5th Ordinary Convention, presided at by Prof. Maurice Sosso, the Minister's special representative.
At the end of the three-day meeting, the dons resolved, inter alia; that the text governing the University of Buea should be strictly applied and extended to other universities, especially the aspect concerning the procedure for choosing the principal officers of the institution.
It should be clearly stated that the Senate chooses the Vice-Chancellor or Rector through voting. They held that academic freedom and autonomy be guaranteed to allow academicians express themselves based on the foundation of truth.
SYNES calls for the allocation of adequate research resources (human, material and financial) that could be harnessed, among other means, by the establishment of a special Higher Education innovation fund, akin to the CRTV tax, to be used judiciously.
The dons also requested the government to reduce the taxes of companies that sponsor research and offer internship to students, and that the government should rehabilitate the Institute of Human Sciences and ensure the integration of national research bodies (Universities and Ministry of Research).
Lecturers Storm Out
The SYNES convention that was recording a massive success was thwarted by a disagreement at the tail end of the session, when a motion was put forward for a date to go on strike if the government doesn't heed to the lecturer's plight.
When Prof. Temgoua from the University of Yaounde I, who was chairing the session, attempted to veto the motion, the house broke into pandemonium with most UB lecturers storming out in anger.
They claimed that the actions of some national executive members have political undertones. Some of them suggested that the SYNES Buea branch be dissolved or made autonomous. It was thanks to the timely intervention of Dr. Mike Yanou, SYNES Buea Branch President, who pleaded with his colleagues to be calm. A few of the lecturers, though disappointed, came back into the hall to continue with the deliberations.
At the end of the session, a new national executive was voted, with Dr. Innocent Futcha, of the University of Yaounde I, re-elected by acclamation as Secretary General. Dr. Jonie Fonyam of the University of Buea was elected Vice Secretary General.
Talking to The Post on the present status of university lecturers in Cameroon, Dr. Futcha said their salaries are very low compared to other African countries that do not even have the economic potentials inherent in Cameroon.
"In a country like Senegal that has only groundnuts and sand, an assistant lecturer's take-home is about FCFA 800,000. The salary of a simple lecturer is double that of a professor in Cameroon. I think something must be done about it," said Dr. Futcha.
Futcha also pointed out that SYNES has been complaining since 1999, and in 2000, a three-year programme agreement was reached with the then Prime Minister, Peter Mafany.
"According to this gentleman's agreement, we agreed that salary increment was going be done between 2001 and 2004. Unfortunately, the problem that could have been solved by the year 2004 was not," said Futcha.
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