Silencing teachers from lecturing on the political history of Cameroon is bad faith against the English Speaking Regions
2 min read
There is no need for preventing lecturers from discussing the burning issues of our present-day society. If the students are not taught in classes about their history, different people will teach them elsewhere and for the purpose of achieving their goals. We live in the modern ages where digital development has eased any form of communications be it education, politics, economic or sociocultural. It will make no sense in trying to silence the moderate thinkers in this generation, Cameroon specific, and in this era of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon.
The recent move by the minister of Higher education is very unknowing and depicts bad faith and injustice against the Northwest and Southwest Regions. A request to Suspend and silence Barrister Agbor Nkongho popularly known as Barrister Balla from the University of Buea-Cameroon for discussing the history of Cameroon and the Anglophone problem depicts injustice and bad faith. This move will psychologically threaten the security of moderate activists, population, and human rights defenders. Should we not discuss the Anglophone problem in the law class, where then should we?
The Law course itself is christened “Political and Constitutional History of Cameroon” and the exam questions which lead to the request from the minister of Higher Education to suspend the lecturer was in relation to his course.
Following the request by the Minister of Higher Education, Jean Femme Ndongo to suspend Barrister Bala from the University, the Faculty Dean had on May 5, 2020, served the barrister with a letter requesting him to appear before the University Disciplinary Council on May 6, 2020. In response, the Barrister in the document he titled “MEMORANDUM OF APPEARANCE UNDER PROTEST” challenges the university authorities to follow the right procedures before he can attend the hearings. According to the Barrister, following the right procedure will serve the credibility of the university and other teachers who will face the same issue in the future.
Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) is regrettably wondering why discussing the history of Cameroon should be a taboo in a Cameroonian university. The Human Rights Watch had earlier raised an alarm on the rise of suppression of teachers voicing the current issue of the Anglophone crisis in schools (https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/01/no-room-debate-cameroon-classrooms)
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
It is a petty to see that some few individuals have highjacked the whole economy of Cameroon. They have enshrined poverty to the economy and made themselves the highest employer in Cameroon so that they can always see things done the way the want and not the way the mob feel or base on the general interest of the society. I wep for this region and I, in my own part must contribute in one way or the to see change in this imaginary island Cameroon.