Principals boo colleague over ‘motion of support’

Some Principals of Government Secondary Schools across Meme, Southwest Region, jeered at a colleague for suggesting in a motion of support to President Biya, that civil servants are comfortable with the recent five percent salary increase.

The incident occurred September 19, at the close of the first term sectoral conference for Principals of colleges in Meme, that held at the Government Technical High School, GTHS, Kumba.

Before the motion of support, other Principals mandated in the draft of the motion had mounted the rostrum and read two previous motions; one to the Minister of Secondary Education, Louis Bapes Bapes and another to the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang.

The reading of the previous motions of support had stirred individual anger and grumbling among the school administrators, but the moment mention was made of teachers being contended with the five percent salary increase, boos and jeers rented the air against their colleague who had mounted the rostrum on their behalf.

Some of the Principals described the motion of support as a ploy by some officials to seek favours and promotion from the powers-that-be in Yaounde.

Others remarked that the motion of support syndrome was a waste of time for tutors who had work waiting for them in their various schools.

Reacting to the incident, Acting Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Meme, Martin Bawak Nkeng, said it was not a political move but that it was incumbent on the tutors to appreciate the Head of State and his collaborators on a number of issues, including the five percent salary increase. To him, it is good to always appreciate what is available.

Bawak, who happens to be the only signatory of the motions of support on behalf of the Meme education family, said he was not using it as an opportunity to seek promotion.

According to him, even before the death of his former boss, Shadrach Epie Ekale, he was always recognised for his hard work and professional savvy. Asked if he was scheming to become the next Delegate for Secondary Education in Meme, the Chief of Service for School Counseling and Mapping said it sounded uncomfortable for him to step into the shoes of his former boss.

He described the duties there as very challenging, but indicated that he had put everything in place for continuity.

The Acting Delegate lamented to the administration that some Principals were managing Government establishments as though they were schools owned by private individuals.

Bawak drew the attention of the administration to the phenomenon of absenteeism by some tutors and urged his collaborators to desist from practices that compromise the tenets of the teaching profession.

Meme 1st Assistant SDO, Veckline Epoulewane, who sat through the meeting, assured the Principals of what he said was Governments’ resolve to handle the problem of teachers who abandon their work.

Epulewane advised the schools to copy the example of CCAS Kumba, which has stood the test of time in all official examinations with outstanding results that have given the Division a choice place in the education family in the Southwest Region.