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An Association of PhD and Doctorate Degree Holders Serving as Civil Servants in Cameroon’s Ministries of Basic Education and Secondary Education have petitioned the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bamenda over claims that they were discriminated against in the ongoing recruitment of 2,000 teachers into state universities.
The petition drafted in Yaoundé on June 29, 2019 has as subject; “a petition for the unjustified discrimination of civil servants (PhD/Doctorate Degree holders) in the special recruitment of 2,000 assistant lecturers into state universities.”
At a time when many PhD holders are without jobs, these civil servants feeding fat on government’s back pocket want to seize a rare opportunity that should go to reduce the level of unemployment in the country.
The Petition!
Below is the entity of the petition published unedited:
“Following the strict instructions of the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya, authorising a special recruitment of 2000 assistant lecturers into the State Universities of Cameroon, the Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s services, through a press release dated February 14th 2019, launched the process of this recruitment while at the same time, specifying the recruitment procedure.
“According to the calendar established for the recruitment procedure, after the oral interviews at the different state universities, it is now time for the holding of Consultative Commissions for the Recruitment of Assistant Lecturers (CCRAL) in the different State Universities.
“We have been informed by different concordant sources that “very strict instructions” have been given to you to give priority to PhD and Doctorate Holders who are not civil servants and to candidates from the Diaspora. This information is further corroborated by the memorandum of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea signed on June 25th 2019 in which point 5 states clearly that “Preference should be made for unemployed applicants”.
“Dear Madam, for some years now, we have been addressing mails to the services of Secretary General of the Presidency, the Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s office and those of the Ministry of Higher Education. We have always respected the republican way of doing things, behaving as responsible and patriotic citizens, listening to their suggestions instead of going astray and running about the streets media. In the Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s services address to our association, he asked us to wait patiently for future recruitments where all Cameroonians will be permitted to apply.
The Minister of State, the Minister of Higher Education did nothing else than comforting us in his different communications prior to the launching of this special recruitment when he insisted that it shall be based on merit. If such instructions prove to be well-founded, we hereby come respectfully to express our astonishment and disappointment because serving the State cannot be considered a criterion for which we should be discriminated against in this recruitment. On the contrary, our status as civil servants should instead be, in our humble opinion, a proof of our commitment to serve our Nation, the refore an added advantage to be used in our favour.
It should be noted that, discriminating civil servants is nothing else than the replication of the injustice we suffered in the 2011 recruitment of 25.000 youths. Civil Servants were banned from the procedure and exposed to judicial proceedings at the time. Unfortunately, some of us, who had defended their PhD/Doctorate at a young age, have now been disqualified by the age limit of 45 years.
As actors in the educational sector, we also believe that discriminating Civil Servants is neither fair nor productive for our Nation. Such a practice could sound as an alarming message to the Youths. Our best children are usually encouraged to write competitive examinations which they often pass brilliantly.
The Project for the betterment of the Public Administration’s Performance, in the perspective of the Results-based Management policy going on in the Public Service, reinforces our belief in the promotion of merit in our country. From the above, while being aware of the need to implement other equilibrium policies that contribute in maintaining our country in harmony and togetherness, namely, regional balance and the improvement of the ratio of women and disabled people in Higher Education, we plea for a HEALTHY AND MERIT-BASED COMPETITION.
In effect, only an objective and fair evaluation of different applications will enable the different commissions to retain only meritorious candidates as it was emphasised by the Minister of State, the Minister of Higher Education during the press conference of February 26th 2019.
While relying on your kindness accompanying the launching of this recruitment, we hope that you will remain firm in the respect of merit at all the stages of the process so much so that the strict instructions of the Head of State be realised without trouble. Kindly accept the expression of our attachment to the ideals of our dear and beautiful country for the success of this recruitment.
Mimi Mefo Info
+237679135573
