By NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
The three Copperbelt University (CBU) unions have accused the Minister of Higher Education Nkandu Luo of deliberately delaying to implement the recommendations of the adhoc committee.
The report of the adhoc commitee requested to investigate the allegations of incompetency and mal administration leveled against CBU vice Chancellor Naison Ngoma.
Speaking during the press briefing held at the union offices in Kitwe yesterday, stakeholder’s union chairperson Derrick Ntalasha said the Minister has taken an easier option of condemning the unions for allegedly agitating confusion at the university.
Mr Ntalasha said the minister has chosen to take a biased route of accusing the lectures and other staff members of hating the vice chancellor.
“Objectivity has but this kind of politicking will not help the university to grow. The unions demanded that the minister of higher education respects the recommendations of the Copperbelt University Care Taker Committee and make a pronouncement regarding the Prof Ngoma’s case as provided for in the higher education Act No 4 of 2013.
“The matter is of public interest and should not be trivialized by the minister. The closure of some programmes at CBU School of medicine clearly proves the concerns raised by some stakeholders at the second biggest university in Zambia for some time now,” he said.
He said the closure of some programmes is a clear vindication of the unions that have suffered condemnation from management at the university and the minister of Higher Education Prof Luo.
Mr Ntalasha said Prof Luo was quick to condemn the unions for bringing out the many issues and for demanding that Prof Ngoma step down for failure to run the university.
“The closure of school of medicine by the Health Professionals Council of Zambia (HPCZ) cited a lot of irregularities which included gross over enrolment of students, an inadequate number of lectures, engaging unregistered and unlicensed lectures among others.
“The recommendations by the HPCZ and the Higher Education Authority clearly shows that a problem exist at the university and must be resolved as a matter of urgency.
“The three unions are CBU Senior Administrative, Professional and Technical Staff Union (CUSATSU), CBU Academics Union (CBUAU) and CBU and Allied Workers Union (CBUAWA),” he said.
