Professor Confidence Chia Ngam has stepped down as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Union of Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES), days after his participation in a meeting convened by the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo, triggered accusations of betrayal within the lecturers’ union.
In a declaration issued on September 13, Prof Confidence Ngam said he was clarifying his position after days of criticism and threats following his attendance at the September 10 meeting, which focused on the social climate in Cameroon’s state universities.
“I attended that meeting to honour the summons to me to represent SYNES,” Prof Confidence Ngam said.
“I attended that meeting because dialogue, even at midnight, is the magic wand that has kept the University of Bamenda surviving for 9 years and counting,” he added.
He said he also attended because “the Chapter that made me SGA ordered me to do so.”
Prof Ngam’s declaration came a day after the SYNES National Executive Bureau met by videoconference and suspended him with immediate effect from his position as Deputy Secretary-General.
The union said it had “constate[d] the dissidence” of Prof Confidence Ngam and decided to suspend him from the position of SGA, while an exclusion procedure remained pending before an ad hoc disciplinary commission.
The dispute centres on the September 10 meeting convened by Prof Fame Ndongo to discuss the social climate in state universities amid an indefinite strike declared by SYNES on September 3.
In his official account of the meeting, Prof Fame Ndongo said the consultation was devoted to “the examination of the social climate in State Universities”.
He said the meeting brought together representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Labour and Social Security, the President of the Conference of Heads of University Institutions, Vice-Chancellors and Rectors of state universities, representatives of teachers’ unions and other stakeholders, including the SYNES Deputy Secretary-General.
Prof Fame Ndongo said three major issues were examined: “the payment of the academic debt, the special allowance for the modernisation of university research and academic services within State Universities.”
On academic debt accumulated between 2000 and 2021, Prof Fame Ndongo said 41 per cent of 15.498 billion CFA francs owed to teachers in eight state universities had been paid.
He said payments had prioritised the Universities of Bamenda, Buea and Maroua.
“The payments continue, at the diligence of the Minister of Finance and according to the availability of treasury funds,” Prof Fame Ndongo said.
He added that the Minister of Finance had ordered a new census of the State’s floating debt for 2020–2025, including academic debt for all 11 state universities.
On the special allocation for the modernisation of university research, Prof Fame Ndongo said the 16 billion CFA francs corresponding to the four quarters of 2025 had been fully paid.
For the first quarter of 2026, he said payments had reached 82 per cent, representing 4.888 billion CFA francs, with the remaining 1.073 billion CFA francs “in the process of being paid”.
He said payments for the second quarter of 2026 were underway, while allocations for the third and fourth quarters had been fully taken into account following a joint mission by the Ministries of Finance and Higher Education to the country’s 11 state universities.
Regarding payment for academic services, Prof Fame Ndongo said it had been proposed that the payments be made within the framework of the new census of the State’s floating debt.
The minister also said the university community that took part in the consultation expressed appreciation to President Paul Biya for his “Very High and constant solicitude” towards higher education.
He said the community had committed itself to working towards “a serene academic year 2026-2027, in accordance with universal university standards”.
Prof Ngam said his decision to attend the meeting was based on his understanding of the role of trade unionism and his obligation to represent lecturers when an opportunity for dialogue arose.
“To me, Trade Unionism is not a boxing ring,” he said.
“It is not us against them or them against us,” he added, arguing that trade unionism should avoid absolute positions and extremism and instead help build unity and influence public policy.
Prof Ngam said he had discussed the ministerial invitation with the SYNES Secretary-General on September 9 and proposed an emergency meeting of the union’s Bureau Exécutif National to determine a position.
He said no such meeting was held before the Secretary-General issued a communication on the invitation.
According to Prof Confidence Ngam, the University of Bamenda chapter was subsequently consulted and approved his participation.
He said he attended after the Ministry of Higher Education personally summoned him, adding that he used the opportunity to present not only the grievances contained in the strike notice but also additional concerns submitted to the Prime Minister.
Prof Ngam rejected claims that his attendance was motivated by a desire for a government appointment.
He said he had already risen through the academic and administrative ranks before becoming Deputy Secretary-General, having been appointed head of service in 2015 and Vice-Dean in 2020 before becoming a full professor in 2023.
“I was already Vice Dean for three years when the Congress found me worthy of stepping in as Deputy Secretary General,” he said.
“If attending a SYNES meeting of dialogue alone is the qualification for appointment, then the SG should have been made Minister,” he said.
He also rejected allegations that participants in the ministerial meeting received between eight and ten million CFA francs.
“The Minister of Higher Education was not in a desperate situation, as there were already arrangements for some payments to be made,” Prof Ngam said.
He said the allegations had damaged his reputation and created security concerns for him in the crisis-affected North West Region.
Prof Confidence Ngam also criticised what he described as the exclusive administration of SYNES by its leadership.
“As Deputy Secretary General, I know nothing about the income and expenditure of SYNES; I know nothing about the SYNES budget for three years and counting,” he said.
“I know nothing about how delegations are formed to represent SYNES,” he added.
He further alleged that the Secretary-General had repeatedly failed to consult him on important union matters, despite his position as Deputy Secretary-General.
SYNES has maintained that Prof Ngam’s participation amounted to dissidence.
In its September 13 communiqué, the National Executive Bureau reaffirmed that the strike launched on September 3 “remains in force”.
The union also “reaffirm[ed] its availability to a sincere and constructive social dialogue” and its commitment to defending the rights, dignity and material and moral interests of higher education teachers.
The Bureau also announced the removal of Professor Abangma James Arrey as SYNES coordinator at the University of Buea for what it described as “serious” breaches of union discipline and ethics. Professor Dikande Alain Moïse was designated acting coordinator.
Professor Lang Michael, SYNES coordinator at the University of Bamenda, retained his position after appearing before the National Executive Bureau. The union said discussions with him allowed the Bureau to unanimously show tolerance towards his conduct.
For Prof Ngam, however, the internal dispute has exhausted his confidence in continuing in the union leadership.
“As it stands, confidence and trust in ever belonging to the Union at this level have been exhausted,” he said.
He nevertheless expressed respect for the SYNES Secretary-General and called for the union to move away from personal attacks and extreme positions.
“I pray that, with me out of the way, all matters can be settled amicably and lovingly,” he said.
Prof Ngam concluded his declaration by formally announcing his departure.
“Thank you as I step out as deputy SG,” he said.
His departure comes as SYNES maintains its indefinite strike and the government reports continuing payments towards lecturers’ outstanding financial claims, setting the stage for further negotiations over the grievances that have brought the country’s higher education sector into another period of tension.
By Hilltopvoices Team
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