Recruitment of lecturers: Mfoundi SDO prohibits planned street protest of disgruntled PhD holders.

The group in the letter had announced a planned peaceful march to be held in Yaounde on February 20, 2025. The disgruntled PhD holders are requesting to be included in an additional list of lecturers recruited by the state.

Their planned protest follows the recent publication of recruitment results for university lecturers in three newly created public universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa and Garoua, which they said did not meet their aspiration.

The SDO in a reply on February 14, noted that the request from the group has been rejected for failing to present the note of creation of the association thus failing to respect law No 90/053 of 19 December 1990 on the freedom of association.

The SDO, in his note, regretted that signatories failed to attach a photocopy of their National Identity Cards.

Association’s request

The group, in the letter addressed to the SDO, had expressed dissatisfaction with the recruitment process, citing what they termed “inconsistencies” and “injustices”.

They are demanding an additional recruitment phase to accommodate qualified PhD holders who were allegedly sidelined in the selection process.

The group claims that some of the selected candidates’ academic profiles do not match the advertised positions, fuelling suspicions of favouritism.

The unemployed PhD holders also argued that the recruitment process failed to prioritise those who have been waiting for years for academic employment. 

Instead, they alleged that some new PhD holders who defended their theses just days before the results were announced, were given positions over more experienced candidates.

The group also alleged that the recruitment of already-employed civil servants was a wrong thing to do. 

The protesting group in the note insisted that the initiative, as originally envisioned by President Paul Biya, was meant to address unemployment among PhD holders.

Protests in other regions

The wave of discontent is not only in Yaounde. Another group known as Collectif des titulaires du doctorat/PhD du Grand-Nord, has announced a peaceful demonstration in Ngaoundere, in the Adamawa Region. The planned protest will be held on February 21.

According to the group, the recruitment process failed to implement a fair regional balance, disadvantaging candidates from the country’s northern regions.

They argue that the principle of affirmative action, which was supposed to ensure better representation of candidates from underprivileged areas, was ignored in the final selection.

“We are not just protesting for ourselves but for a fairer and more transparent system that gives equal opportunities to all Cameroonians, regardless of their region of origin,” a representative of the Northern PhD holders said.

Minister says process was rigorous

Despite the backlash, the government through the Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, has maintained that the recruitment process was conducted fairly and in strict adherence to established guidelines.

Speaking on state broadcaster, CRTV, Prof Fame Ndongo emphasised that the selection process was competitive, not automatic. 

He explained that while over 30 applications might be received for a single post, final selections were made based on rigorous academic and professional criteria.

“This is a special recruitment initiative ordered by the Head of State, following another that began in 2019. We must understand that this is not just a job distribution but a competition based on merit,” the minister stated

He further clarified that applications were reviewed at the university department level, with candidates undergoing interviews either in person or via videoconference for those based abroad.

Regarding the grievances raised by the protesting PhD holders, the minister urged them to engage in dialogue with university department heads rather than resorting to protests. 

“I understand their frustration, but they should get in touch with their professors in the universities for better guidance,” he said.

Special recruitment programme

The controversial recruitment is part of a government initiative launched in 2023 to address faculty shortages in the country’s public universities. 

The programme, set to run until 2025, aims to recruit 150 lecturers for newly created universities in Bertoua, Ebolowa, and Garoua.

Eligible applicants had to meet the following criteria: Hold a doctorate or PhD; be under the age of 45 as of October 1, 2024; be either residing in Cameroon or abroad.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3368 of Monday February 17, 2025