Plenary sessions of the thematic groups of the Interministerial Commission for the follow-up of the Bibwa agreements begin

Tasked with following up on the recommendations of the Joint Government-Union Commission for National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC) issued in August 2024, the Interministerial Commission held its first plenary session on Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the conference room of the Bokeleale Institute in the Gombe district. These efforts are part of the ongoing dialogue between the two parties to maintain social peace in the sub-sector.

The Chief of Staff to the Minister of State in charge of EDU-NC, Simon Zonon, in his capacity as Coordinator of the Interministerial Commission, presided over today’s plenary session. In his remarks, he emphasized that these discussions aim to examine issues primarily related to the teaching profession in order to propose appropriate solutions. "Teachers are a very important link in the education system. And when we address their problems and resolve them, it has a positive impact on learning. That is why I reiterate my thanks to Their Excellencies, because by signing the decree that established this Commission, the authorities have expressed the Government’s commitment to take action and work toward finding solutions to teachers’ problems,” Simon Zonon told the press.

For the Coordinator of the Interministerial Commission, today’s plenary session launched the work within the various thematic groups. He noted that the coordination team had worked in advance to pave the way and provide guidance to the subcommittees, with a view to delving deeper into specific issues related to their mandates, in order to propose appropriate solutions to the government so that the teaching profession is effectively valued. ‎ ‎Speaking to the press, Godefroid Matondo, Spokesperson for the EDU-NC Inter-Union Alliance of Teachers’ Unions, noted that the establishment of the Interministerial Commission is one of the recommendations from the last Joint Government-Union Commission, which met in Bibwa in August 2024. Given this momentum, he remains optimistic about the outcome of the work. “With this Commission, we are monitoring everything. Everything we have agreed upon with government officials will be implemented because we are working with them, and they will see how to proceed. "We held this plenary session today because we know that April is coming to an end, and we must address the demands. They know what we are expecting in the first instance. I believe that with this Commission, we will find a solution," he said.

For the record, this Commission, which was established in October 2024, brings together senior officials from the Ministries of Public Service, EDU-NC, Budget, and Finance, as well as union representatives. Christian BELLA