Open Letter to His Excellency the President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Honourable Minister of Education Michael Kaingu MP and Hon Minister of Information Chishimba Kambwili MP
We and many other students at The Copperbelt University are feeling disconcerted with the happenings that have plagued our university and your government’s handling of these matters. It has been 13 weeks since the original stipulated date of opening and we as students are yet to learn anything worth being examined over. The lecturers through their union have decided to down tools until the Vice Chancellor Prof Naison Ngoma resigns or is fired. I feel the manner in which your Cabinet has decided to solve this industrial matter is substandard and an indicator of poor leadership by your Government, in particular the recent utterances by the Chief Government Spokesperson. Hon Kambwili in his capacity as the conveyor of government decisions threatened to fire the entirety of the academic union should they continue their industrial action.
To begin with Mr President, a trade union comprising of university lecturers, individuals with high academic and intellectual standing have collectively reached a resolve and tabled it to your government, we believe any responsible entity would feel such a matter is worth looking into rather than treating these intellectuals like six year olds and threatening to fire them. Should it come to it and we sure hope it doesn’t, your executive fires all the lecturers, an arduous recruitment phase would be inevitable hence rendering the university inoperable for a much longer period of time, exacerbating an already critical situation. Granted there is a ponderable amount of individuals with postgraduate qualifications in our country but the experience and reputation gained by these particular individuals over the past years is irreplaceable and invaluable. They are the defining element of the university and firing them would essentially render The Copperbelt University as disreputable as a new one. We believe in a democratized society that your administration are evidently a beneficiary of, power to choose who should lead who lies with those being led, a fundamental principle of democracy that your government has choose to ignore in the handling of this matter. The interests of 230+ lecturers who have sacrificed more for that university and 10000+ students should not be outweighed by that of a few individuals. Firing these lecturers will set a bad precedent to the voice of labour unions in our country where key public sector workers disillusioned by an ineffective management risk losing their jobs should they make their frustrations known. We hold the Cabinet of this country in high esteem and we fail to fathom how such an institution would resolve to force an unwanted leader on an entire academic community, such an act in our opinion Mr President amounts to despotism. Considering the severity and nature of this matter, it is our layman’s opinion that the suspension of management and setting up an interim management team within the Minister of Education reporting directly to His Excellency be instituted to facilitate the opening and running of the university while government arbitrates and ultimately makes a decision would have been a better alternative, if the Ministry of Defence, RDA or ZAWA can be run from state house or a Ministry, why not a university? A hasty decision in such a grave matter needs to be avoided. Do let six people derail the academic future of this country; a delay in education is a delay in development.
Secondly Mr President, your government’s insensitivity to the plight of the students in this matter was equally disheartening, we were under the impression that a graduate and beneficiary of the public university system like yourself Sir would have such a matter close to their heart and would be working tirelessly as a father to make sure their children’s’ education goes on uninterrupted. The major stakeholders
POLITICIANS & CBU DONS HAVE NO IDEA ON CONCEPT OF UNIVERSITIES
Many Zambian politicians and some CBU dons, particularly those who were graciously allowed to continue to serve as lecturers at CBU when ZIT was transformed into Ndola-Campus of the then federal system of University of Zambia, have no idea on the concept a university education. A good university is one that has better qualified academics able to conduct research, teach/lecture backed up by to date knowledge-base, and also be willing teach and nurture postgraduate students as future academics to take over from the retired academics.
The problem as CBU is that many lecturers only hold Master degrees and thus incapable of conducting credible research and teach at postgraduate levels. They are scared to go for further training at PhD, but wish to earn a living with lower qualifications.
At some stage these Lecturers with Masters degree were actually appointed as Deans of the Schools. Even as late as 2006 the late Mr. Chunda (MHSRIP) who had a Masters degree in English Literature, was Dean of the School of Natural Resources – a faculty of Applied Sciences. What kind of academic and research leadership was he offering in scientific disciplines of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife Management. Many of striking lecturers are in this category.
Prof. Ngoma’s real crime, as far as some striking staff are concerned, is because of his policy (1) to raise academic standards by encouraging lecturers to pursue further studies at PhD levels; and (2) to embrace other tribes in taking up senior positions in the University. One only has to have worked at CBU up to 2007 to appreciate the true facts on the grounds. A dislike for Prof. Ngoma as VC, by a clique of lecturers’ is directly linked to a belief that academics from other parts of Zambia are not suitable to hold senior positions at CBU. Your guess is as good as mine.
The overstayed old dons DO NOT WANT TO TAKE UP PhD STUDIES so as to enhance research capabilities. Instead they are content sustain their current qualifications and build houses at the expense of raising university standards. They also hold great fears against the potential young academics who might take over their jobs.
Demands made by Unionised Lecturers do not carry any academic value, but are rather their demands which are outside the realms of labours agreements are laced by some political agendas. Apparently Mwiiya Songolo and Nyirenda are just halfwits (fools) being used in an old hidden game of regional supremacy. Zambians can ignore these facts to the detriment of upholding credible higher education in Zambia.
The Govt must seriously review the policy of establishing many universities taking into account that University dons must be qualified at PhD so as to be equipped to conduct research and adequately teach both undergraduates (Bachelors) and postgraduates (Masters & PhD) degrees. The idea of setting up more universities, in the absence of financial resources, is act of setting up a time-bomb. Let’s swallow our pride. Meanwhile there is need to utilise national and secure international scholarships to develop capacity building of our much needed human resources.
Whether this prophecy reported by Zibani on their facebook is from God and is in line with the bible is something that needs to be tested. The questions that should be answered by the giver of the prophecy is if it is related to UPND why doesn’t the giver of the prophecy give it to UPND and pray for them and against the works of the enemy , prophecy in the new covenant is for comfort, exhaltation and encouragement even if believers should be persecuted for Christ. If it is for another opposition party the same should be done . Opposition Leaders also need to stop eating food anyhow even if it is campaiging and showing that they are connecting with the grassroots they can ask their security detail people to receive it on their behalf. Let only their wives cook for them until after the elections, we do not want to start dealing with such issues as a nation. Politics should be issue based and not about such backwardness.Prophet Emmanuel Chika claims an opposition leader will be poisoned in 2016 elections.Flamboyant Zambian self proclaimed clergyman Prophet Emmanuel Chika has warned that a named politician from the opposition political party will be poisoned during the 2016 general elections.In a facebook posting seen by Zibani Zambia the self proclaimed clergyman whom many say impregnated over ten girls from his church claims God has shown him a vision that the named politician he didn’t mention will be hospitalised when elections will be underway.He says the opposition leader should be wary with the type of people he eats with if he is to participate and win the 2016 general elections.”i heard the spirit tell me that 2016 there will be very powerful hunger the poor will fail to eat and those that dont know the lord will join different accult groups” He’s post read.”i saw an opposition president coded there poisoned and elections were happening but this man was in hospital be careful who u eat with. This will happen but we need holy spirit because i saw red was put in a green bottle by force” He warned.
Chishimba kambwili does not think baba. Just look at Kaingu also honestly
can he run a ministry of education ? Ba PF awe mwe. muziba don’t rule zambia as if we dont think. Elo some of you who are complaing will still vote for PF
in 2016 and you continue suffering. PF give them hell. You should vote wisely. Elo Sata was a very good man not ba Lungu he is busy bringing recycled politicians like kaingu,Dora siketi and many more from Ruphia Banda’s dust bin.
Any one with interest of jungle animals will agree that there are animals that look humble and one can dareeven approach near but are so devastatingly cunning and can kill. You see lack of vision, clueless should not be mistaken for humbleness.
Edgar is not humble as many may think. The ‘nkumba bulili gesture’ which we used to see has since vanished. The man is stuck in the minds, he doesn’t know how to give guidance, believe me’oooo!
Does humbleness mean failure to make decisions? Who is in charge?