“Channels of Dialogue Have Opened”

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Barrister Harmony Bobga, Common Law Lawyers leader.

“The channels for dialogue have opened after we met the Prime Minister, Head of Government in Bamenda. Nothing concrete emerged from the consultations beyond the opening of a window of opportunities for dialogue to prevail.  It is on this  account that the Common Law Lawyers strike action continues while we have been directed to open up to an enlarged meeting with the Minister of State, Minister of Justice. We will be signing a Memo with the Prime Minister to include a request for the meeting with the Minister of Justice. We hope that the government will have the same open mindedness as we have. One thing which stands out is that the word federalism which we analyze as a means of having a sustainable solution to the problems we have raised is taboo to the government and we have been invited to be tolerant and we also insist that it should be a two-way traffic. Evidently, the meeting with the Prime Minister is a good beginning. He was frank and the discussions were open”.

 

“Issues Raised Will be Handled Progressively”

Afuh Stephen, PEATTU Teachers Trade Union leader.

“Teacher Trade Union leaders in Bamenda used the opportunity offered by the Prime Minister to articulate reasons why we did not honour the invitation by the Minister of Higher Education in Yaounde. We respect him as the Prime Minister, Head of Government and took his word for serious given that he personally came to dialogue with teachers. The issues we raised were not easy to reach a consensus on day one and it was only after stalemates and suspensions of talks to re-strategize that we finally reached an agreement with the P.M, to the effect that issues raised will be handled progressively within a time frame to be decided by a new institutional framework to be created by the government. So the strike will only be suspended when at least one of the resolutions adopted is implemented on or before 30th November 2016”

 

“Give a Listening Ear to Problems”

-Ni john Fru Ndi, SDF National Chairman.

 

“Meeting with the Prime Minister, I took up the cry of the people, especially the children who took upon themselves to erect barricades in Bamenda because they felt that their town was dirty and roads were bad. I also spoke about the problems of striking teachers and lawyers but I could not speak with authority because I am a mere leader and they were available to talk for themselves about the technicalities of their professions. That is why I asked the Prime Minister to give a listening ear to issues that are dangerous to our society. I feel sorry for those who claim that Anglophones have no problem in Cameroon”.

 

“Consultations Inspire Lots of Hope”

HRH Fon Abumbi of Bafut

 

“I insisted on the importance of dialogue when I met the Prime Minister and I left him more comfortable than before. The Prime Minister appeared very serious and committed to solve the problems of teachers and lawyers. He invited us, traditional rulers to collaborate with the government for dialogue to bear fruits”.

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