By Anye Valentine, In Bamenda
Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya has yielded to the demands of disgruntled teachers in Francophone regions of the country barely 3 weeks after they embarked on a sit-in.
After using taxi drivers and forces of law and order to quell down protesters in vain, the government has finally yielded to demands of the disgruntled teachers.
TWIF NEWS had earlier reported about protesters in different French-speaking regions of the country who were clamouring for some reforms in their profession.
The President of the Republic via his Secretary-General, disbursed 2.7 billion Francs CFA to the Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education.
TWIF NEWS sources say the funds are for the payment of arrears of Baccalaureate for 2020 and 2021 sessions.
The communique was made public on March 07, hours before the celebration of the International Women’s Day this March 8.
Some Anglophones have taken to the social media to express their view about government’s timely solution to the problem.
According to some critics, “it’s just 3 weeks of protest by our Francophone counterparts, and measures have started being taken.”
Another added, “no death recorded yet, but if it was the case with Anglophones teachers, they would be beaten to death and considered terrorists.”
Many Anglophones believe that, had similar worries raised by teachers in the North West and South West regions been addressed, the worsening separatist conflict would not have escalated in 2017.
Meantime, the protesting teachers in the Francophone dominated regions have maintained that till the decision leaves from paper work to reality, they won’t step their legs into the classroom.
Another underscored that the arrears amounts upto 3 billion Francs CFA but the state has disbursed only 2.7 billion Francs CFA.
It is hoped that the decision of the President of the Republic instills calm and serenity in the educational sector, as teachers are considered as nation builders.
The protesting teachers however equally raise concerns on salary increase, a demand which the government is yet to grant.
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