Salaries of over 1,400 teachers serving in Ngokentunjia to be suspended

Timfuchi Aaron

The Secretary General of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, CATTU, Semma Valentine has disclosed that the salaries of over 1.400 teachers serving in Ngoketunjia division, North West region of Cameroon have been identified by local authorities for suspension.

Some trade union leaders in the North West region held a recent meeting with North West Governor Adolphe Lele L’Afrique during which they asked for the decision to be reversed.

The action they said, is needed to de-escalate the challenging security situation in the region that has put teachers in a difficult situation owing to attacks on schools.

North West Governor Adolphe Lele Afrique used the meeting with the trade union leaders to call on the teachers to follow the various administrative procedures for their salaries to be reinstated.

“I am advising all those concerned to table their application for the reinstatement of their salaries to the various authorities concerned with all the elements”, the governor said.

Governor Adolphe Lele Afrique also noted that the salaries will only be reinstated if the said teachers can show proof that they have been working in their respective schools.

It should be noted that, Secondary Education Minister, Nalova Lyonga had earlier played pontius pilate on the suspension of the salaries.

In a press release issued Wednesday January 26, 2022, the Secondary Education Minister had said the suspension of salaries was done by the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Ngokentunjia, Quetong Anderson.

Minister Nalova cited prefectoral orders No.001/PO/E.31/2001 of 24 February 2021 and No.100/PO/E.31/2021 of July 7, 2021. In these orders, the SDO had warned teachers in the Ngoketunjia division to return to the classrooms. The orders later resulted in the suspension of the salaries of some teachers serving in the restive division.