CATTU: Gov’t using bribery to get striking teachers back to schools

Yaoundé—In a desperate attempt to forcefully get striking teachers go back to school on Monday January 9, the Cameroon government is now using money to bribe administrative and traditional authorities, Mr Tassang Wilfred, National Executive Secretary of Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, CATTU has revealed.

Tassang Wilfred (middle) and colleagues walking out of dialogue in B'da

 “Huge sums of money were dulled out to traditional rulers this Christmas through Governors, Senior Divisional Officers (SDOs), Divisional Officers (DOs), to 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd class rulers”, he said in a statement early Wednesday.

This reporter could not independently verify the veracity of his claim, but we learned high profile Yaounde regime barons including the Prime Minister and head of government, Philemon Yang had multiplied ‘underground visits’ to Bamenda since Monday.

The CATTU executive secretary cautioned traditional rulers to shun the money which he said is intended to cause them take the wrong side in what has now been termed the ‘Cameroon Anglophones struggle.’

“We appeal to all stakeholders not to give up at this point in time, when victory is so close. Those who are for us are more than those who are against us," Mr Tassang said.

He urged that the government move should be foiled so that “after failing to force-start schools on the January 9, Yaoundé will also be forced to face reality.”

Thousands of teachers and lawyers in the two English-speaking regions of the Northwest and Southwest of Cameroon have resorted to work boycott, accusing the government among others of imposing the French language on their schools and courts.

Anglophone lawyers started a work boycott in October 2016 while teachers joined the protests forcing schools in the two regions to remain closed since November 21 of same year.

Recent moves by the government to dialogue with the striking professionals have ended in a stalemate with both teachers and lawyers walking out of the talks and maintaining they will continue their work boycott.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi