In previously announced strike action by the teaching staffs of the Universities in Cameroon, for the 2008/2009 academic year, the said strike action went into effect Monday, November 10 2008.

In a letter captioned “a call for strike” signed by the Secretary General of the National Executive Bureau (NEB), Professor Innocent Futcha, of the University of Yaoundé I, dated 3 November 2008, out lined in full, the grievances of the lecturers who toil for the University system in the country, to be a force to reckon with. The strike action is an expression of disgust in what they term government’s inability to honour its own side of its engagements with them and not a deliberate action to run down the University system.

In Buea and precisely in the University of Buea campus, students were found stranded with no lecturers in the amphi and or classroom blocks to lecture or give notes. Our sources said some lecturers who wanted to violate the strike action were found in class teaching but immediately they received a phone call from an anonymous person they asked the students to move out that there are no lectures. In that very letter calling for a strike action, the National Executive Bureau of the Union of Teachers in Higher Education (STNES) meeting in an ordinary session on 9 October 2008 evaluated all the steps taken by them so far to secure improved working and living conditions from the government.

It was only when the government gave deaf ears to their problems that resulted to this strike action which is said to last for six (6) days. The lecturers of the Universities of Douala, in a confirmed source were said to be around the campus but delivered no lectures to the students present there by joining their colleagues in the University of Buea. In the University of Yaoundé I, it was the same story as the lecturers delivered no lectures and not all the faculties in the said University were very effective unlike the case in the University of Yaoundé II, Dchang and Ngaoundere, were classes are said to be going on successfully, it is wondered why they should be having classes while their colleagues in other state owned Universities are on strike. Is it that they are well treated, they have better working conditions, or are not concern with what is going on at all?

A copy of the letter containing all the complains and worries of the lecturers has been forwarded to the Minister of Higher Education.
However, what is surprising is the fact that the letter, which is said to have been forwarded to the Minister of Higher Education was done and signed in Yaoundé on 3 November 2008 when we were still in the month of October. If it is a typing error, then it would have read October 3rd, 2008 provided the computer was used.

In a chat with one of the lecturers involved in the strike action, he told us that they are afraid of some black legs who will be bribed to go to the classes and commence teaching without putting forth the interest of the others. As to why it is not a nation wide strike action, he said some lecturers in other state universities are still to join them. Wondering weather their problems will be given any solution, he said they are going to wait and see what the authorities concern will do before taking the next action. When asked what if those promulgating the strike action are issued with sack letters as may be the case he said that is still to happen lets wait..

Commenting on the content of the letter, they expressed support for the move, affirming that they were in support of improved working conditions such as housing and car loans, a good salary, the provision of offices for lecturers and not the current situation of many of them in one office, amongst other things. But the case with the University of Buea is different as it may seemed that the lecturers only want an increase in salary and better working conditions because there is a newly constructed building to accommodate the lecturers in the University of Buea. Though the building is yet to be officially opened there office space is said to be in tact.

We hope that the big wigs or authorities concern take proper actions to see into the most pressing of the problems raised by the lecturers so that classes can commenced.

Usman Mbella F.