The Forum for Democracy and Development FDD has called on government to give in to the 45 percent meal allowance increment demands by Copperbelt University students.
Speaking in an interview FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza says the demand by the students is justifiable as the cost of living has significantly increased due to the poor economic management of the current government.
He says the K750 accommodation allowance and K22 per day for meals given to the students is too meager for some one to survive on for the whole year hence the need for government to consider increasing the allowance for students to have a decent life during their time in school.
“The call for increments by the Copperbelt University students is justified looking at the high cost of living obtaining in the country. We all know that a student can not live on a K22 per day and there is no accommodation that any student can rent for k750 per year hence we are pleading with the government to release the funds and increase the allowances for students,” Mr. Mwanza said.
Mr. Mwanza further called on government not to let the situation at the institution deteriorate into anarchy by ensuring that the situation is resolved immediately.
And Mr. Mwanza has urged government to increase its budgetary allocation to the ministry of Education in the next budget.
He noted that education is the foundation for development in any country world over hence the need for the government to ensure that the sector is well founded.
Students at the second highest learning institution in the country has gone on class boycott demanding a 45 percent increment in meal, project and accommodation allowances.
Mr. Mwanza! Stop politicking for cheap political name! Cirvil servants are getting less than k700 per month as housing allowance with a big family. Mind u, this the same poor Cirvil Servant is the one payimg tax! It’s really sad to see Students behaving this way. What they need to know is that, they are not the only ones other students have no bursarys in Colleges but they strugle and finish. CBU students are not the only one who come from poor families
WHAT STUDENTS AND SOME POLITICIANS ARE FORGETTING IS THAT ALL THOSE WHO GET GOVERNMENT BURSARY ARE VERY LUCKY INDEED BECAUSE HOW MANY ARE SO LUCK TO GET THAT BURSARY? BURSARY IS NOT A RIGHT NOT EVEN A PRIVILEGE TO ME BECAUSE IT CAN BE WITHDRAWN EVEN WITHOUT GIVING REASONS. IF THERE IS NEED FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE THAT TOPPED UP, THEN THEY SHOULD JUST WRITE TO THE GOVERNMENT JUSTIFYING THEIR REQUEST AND ASKING IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN CONSIDER THEIR PROPOSAL AND NOT RESORTING TO RIOTS AND CLASS BOYCOTTS WHICH ARE JUST UNPRODUCTIVE. IN FACT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO IS TO ESTABLISH A “MARCHING GRANT” SYSTEM. WHATEVER YOU NEED, YOU MEET 25% OF THAT AND GOVERNMENT MEETS THE 75% AND THEN IT WOULD BE UP TO EACH STUDENT TO DECIDE AMOUNT TO ACCESS AT A PARTICULAR TIME . PRIMARY SCHOOLS NEED MONEY.
CBU STUDENTS SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT HOME AND GOING TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS NEED A LOT OF MONEY TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THEY LEARN AS WELL AS THOSE OF TEACHERS ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. CONSIDER YOURSELVES TO BE VERY LUCK INDEED THAT YOU EVEN ARE ABLE TO GET WHAT YOU GET. SCHOOL IS NOT A PLACE OF WORK WHERE YOU CAN FIGHT FOR HIGHER WAGES. MOST OF YOU FIGHT FOR INCREASED ALLOWANCES NOT NECESSARILY TO MEET COST OF LIVING (MEALS) BUT TO BE DOING BUSINESS AT SCHOOL – WE KNOW THIS.
VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT OUR RESPECTED WOMAN PRESIDENT FOR FDD WHO ONCE WAS EVEN A FINANCE MINISTER AND WANTS TO BE A PRESIDENT OF THIS COUNTRY CAN TALK LIKE THAT. MADAM LET US BE REALISTIC ON SOME OF THESE THINGS. POLITIC ON SOMETHING ELSE AND NOT ON THINGS LIKE…
A BIT OF CLARIFICATION HERE. THE FDD PRESIDENT MAY NOT HAVE SAID THIS HERSELF BUT FOR MR. MWANZA TO ISSUE SUCH A STATEMENT HE MUST HAVE GOTTEN CLEARANCE FROM HIS PRESIDENT THE FDD LEADER AND IF NOT THEN THESE ARE SOME OF THE INDISCIPLINE THAT ARE HAPPENING IN POLITICAL PARTIES WHERE YOU GET SOMEONE NOT A SPOKESPERSON UTTERING CERTAIN POLICY ISSUES OR STATEMENTS WITHOUT CONSULTING THE TOP LEADERSHIP – THINGS THAT HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE VERY EMBARRASSING IN MOST OF THE TIMES. HERE WE ARE ASSUMING THAT MR. MWANZA WAS SPEAKING FOR AND ONBEHALF OF HIS FDD PRESIDENT. NASALIFYA
mr mwanza be careful cbu has a lot of students who are sponsored 100 percent by their parents those who who are even sponsored by government are even those who can afford to pay for themselves the poor student can’t even get grz sponsorship the same is the case for students studying on grz abroad if out most are well to do with better connections when will Africans love and accept the poor and help them