Teachers at the University of Yaoundé I demand unpaid allowances

Teachers at the University of Yaoundé I are still agitated about the delay of their allowances despite the notice by the President to resolve payments on Monday.

Their internal allowances in addition to the allowances for the first half of corrections have not been paid for the past five months. Teachers from all faculties of the University of Yaounde I are concerned.

“We are almost in the second half of the year and we have still not received our allowances. We need answers from the Rector of the University of Yaoundé I, Professor Maurice Aurélien Sosso and we need our money”, the university teachers demanded.

On Wednesday, Professor Sosso chaired a meeting with an agenda focused on the evaluation of the University Games 2015. During the meeting, he told the teachers to visit the accounting office on Monday.

The above statement by the rector seemed not to have convinced the teachers. “If he pays the allowances for the first half we demanded, then that is good news”, said one teacher.

But the fear "is that the president will just pay the allowances for the first half and will not pay for the second when it gradually comes to an end. The first flat-rate allowance for all is 100,000 CFA francs and the second is dependent on the rank (assistant lecturer, senior lecturer, professors).

"The official reason given to us is that the file is being worked on," said a teacher at the university.

Officials close to the rector explained that late payment was due to the lack of money as more has gone into the University Games which is yet to come to an end”, he continued.

“Students are starting their exams from June 15. Teachers are also going on annual leave in July because that is when the university academic year ends. We need to have our money when going on leave,” exclaimed another teacher.