By Staff Writer, Lusaka
The Green Party is extremely worried with the
stand-off between Government and Copperbelt University
(CBU) lecturers over the continued deployment of Professor
Nason Ngoma as Vice Chancellor at CBU.
Green party president, Peter Sinkamba says it is not proper for Government to be
adamant on a straight-forward issue.
“If the lecturers have
come to a resolution that Professor Ngoma is no longer
compatible with their expectations, it is wrong for
Government to force matters.
We believe that though Professor Ngoma's term of office has
not yet expired, he has nonetheless run his race. We
therefore appeal to Government, especially Higher
Education Minister Professor Nkandu Luo, to sober up on
this issue, and for once act reasonably in public interest,” he says.
He says President Edgar
Lungu must move in and trigger Article 92 of the Constitution of
Zambia so as to re-deploy Professor Ngoma in public or
national interest, to any other function of executive office in
the Republic or elsewhere, so that he may complete the
remaining three years of his service to Government.
Mr Sinkamba points that closures that have rocked the universities are a serious
waste of public resources.
“It is unjustified that lecturers and
university support staff continue receiving salaries, and
other hefty remunerations, whilst the universities are
closed. It is unjustified that the universities continue
draining public resources on other non-staff auxiliary
expenses of running the university while closed. The loss
arising from such reckless conduct runs in billions of
Kwacha. It is therefore unreasonable and irresponsibility to
turn a blind eye towards such waste of meager public
resources,” he explains.
The opposition leader further says since CBU lecturers have warned in advance,
and vowed they will go on class boycott should Prof Ngoma
remain the Vice Chancellor at the institution.
“We believe that
it is better that Government re-deploys him elsewhere in
government, including at State House, to save public
resources, and ensure smooth running of the university
when it re-opens next week,” Mr Sinkamba says.
Mr Sinkamba suggests that if government has no funds to employ another Vice
Chancellor at the moment, there are so many other members of the academic and
management staff who can run the university smoothly, even if it means for no extra charge to the public, until such
a time that a suitable replacement if found.
He further reminded Government that it is a serious dis-service to the nation, and
an insult to posterity, to keep students loafing at home instead of letting them in class.
“It is no brainier that students are our potential workforce,
and our most cherished social capital. Therefore, as a
Nation, we are duty bound to ensure we pay extra attention
to their plight during their university days. If need be, it is
incumbent upon those in leadership to bend backwards to
ensure we do not inhibit maximum exploitation this social
capital,” he said.
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