Cameroon: Union Remnants Refuse 100 Million Bribe To Call Off Strike Action

On Friday 20th January 2016, the interim leaders of the consortium warned any groupings having meeting with the government to call off the strike. As announced over CRTV, some remnants of the teachers union leaders had a meeting in Bamenda.

However, senior journalist Franklin Sone Bayen said the Union leaders who attended the meeting said they cannot resume school while their colleagues are arrested.

They also supposedly refused 100 million bribed to call off the strike and some reportedly offered themselves to be arrested.

“WE CAN’T CALL OFF STRIKE WHILE GOV’T IS HUNTING DOWN OUR COLLEAGUES “, TEACHER UNIONISTS TELL GOV’T IN BAMENDA TODAY

Apparently taking advantage of the absence of hardline teachers’ union leaders (CATTU’s Wilfred Tassang and SYNES-UB’s Dr James Abangma both in hiding) and Barrister Agbor Balla Nkongho and Dr Neba Fontem both in detention, the government tried to persuade and armtwist remnants of the resistant block to sign a statement calling for schools resumption next Monday, thinking they were dealing with a diminished group.

Word had circulated in Bamenda that the remaining leaders had received a total sum of 100 million francs as bribe to append their signatures. True or false, the leaders refused to sign. they said a school boycott decision signed by six union leaders cannot be called off by four of them still walking free.

The teachers’ union leaders who thus defied the government today are those of TAC, Catholic, Baptist and Presbyterian teachers.
By Frankline Sone Bayern