Prof Luo politically obsessed over plight of public universities – CBUA
By staff reporter
Copper belt University Academics Union (CBUA) vice president Elaston Njovu has accused Higher Education Minister Prof. Nkandu Luo of being politically obsessed and neglecting the welfare of lecturers and students at the two highest learning institutions in the country to deplorable levels.
Njovu also warned that his union should not be blamed for what will happen at CBU next week when the March salaries are due, stating that they were ready to fight the minister until they were paid
Speaking during Thursday’s edition of “Let the people talk” on radio phoenix , Njovu said “it is an opportunity to remind the Minister that she’s not doing her job. Why is she quiet right now? And I know she’s been paid. If she says she hasn’t been paid she’s got allowances that she draws every time she goes to parliament. It’s pretty annoying. The Ministry of Education is not doing her job. She is the first Education Minister to bring public Universities to this level of poverty”.
He said the government was put into power to make things right but that there is so much pain now in the history of this country than ever before because the appointed leaders in power are not listening to the people.
“We will appeal to the head of state to reinstate meal allowances because people are starving ‘Boma Iyanganepo’ (government should intervene),” he stressed. “Nkadu Luo is just busy politicking and very insensitive to the problems at UNZA and CBU”.
He said it was unfortunate that university staff, lecturers were facing delayed salaries because this does not only affect them but their families as well.
“Most of us are in rented accommodation and have children, we need to take them to school and the list is endless. Talk about food, we can’t even discuss it because everyone has to eat. How do you expect a lecturer to get into class and lecture? or a member of staff to start cleaning, technical staff in the labs to operate on an empty stomach?” he asked.
Njovu condemned over-zealous Human Resource Officers who are in the habit of charging employees who stay away from work because there is always a reason why this labour is withdrawn.
“I have a right to say, ‘I am not going to work because I’ve not been paid. Then you have these Human resources officers with their dirty forms charging people for staying away from work,” he said.
He said the two institutions should be paid double salaries this month in order to bridge the anomalies of February and March.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that The University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) received their February salaries on Monday March 18, 2019 whilst CBU salaries were paid yesterday.
