Minister of Higher Education Professor Nkandu Luo has directed all public universities and colleges in the country to open up separate bank accounts to be specifically used for maintenance as a way of enhancing accountability.
Due to the numerous complaints reaching the Professor Nkandu Luo’s office, regarding maintenance of institutions, lack of sporting activities learning institutions it has become critical that money collected for maintenance, sports and union activities are banked separately so that in the absence of these activities, the Institution can explain what they have done with a particular budget line.
Professor Nkandu Luo said, from now onwards, there is no need for institutions to have one bank account where all the fees will be paid into.She made the directive when she made an impromptu visit at Kitwe Trades Training Institute (KTTI) in Kitwe on Thursday. She found the hostels and workshops still in a dilapidated state.
Students in higher learning institutions apart from tuition fees also pay for; maintenance, recreation and union fees.Maintenance feesis supposed to go towards the maintenance of the school but that has not been the case and as a result students are subjected to learning in classrooms with broken doors and window panes, cracked floors and broken chairs among other things.
“It is extremely unfair and irresponsible to subject students to such a learning environment when each year students pay something towards maintenance fees to their respective institutions” Professor Nkandu Luo said.
She said it was high time management in the institutions started accounting for the resources and this was one of the ways to do so.
Then what? We have very beautiful rules and baselines in Zed but asymptotic levels of implementation or execution. Maintenance accounts will not be used for maintenance but for the benefit of the looters and inflated invoices for services NOT rendered… just work on governance please, not more rules!
Ba Luo,
A bank account does not control how the funds that go into are used. The budget that it supports does.
Madam you have always demonstrated misunderstanding of management issues. Hire staffers to help you think since law enforcement has failed kick you out of a a position you hold through fraudulent means.
But Kitwe Trades Training Institute belongs to KCM Plc. So, what happened? KCM has stopped funding this institution?
This is progressive. Not easy, but we have to start from somewhere. Maintenace fees must be put in separate account, and used for strictly the physical maintenance of college infrastructure. This fund must also be audited.
Its not Kitwe Trades but Kitwe Vocational Training Centre in Kawama area in Kitwe. The Institution trains students in Metal Fabrications but there is a critical shortage of chairs and tables. Students stand as they learn. Have niece learning there its pathetic. The solution to this problem is not what the minister has said but overhaul the management. Most of these guys have overstayed in these position without adding value to the schools.
Avoid picking people who are either retired to head such institutions they have proved to be lazy chaps. Besides the lectures are not well paid. Sometimes none!
But the principal is Mr. Jolly Chembe a mechanical engineer by qualification.
I agree with you Minister, these institutions are abusing students in some ways! how do chase a student from writing end of term exam just because they never paid maintenance fee which does not work at this school. Students are forced to carry chairs on their heads to shift from one class to another.
Please make another visit when schools open, you will see how these students suffer when learning. Lecturers maybe doing their duties but just the basic infrastructure is lucking this institution. More visits are encouraged Minister.
Nkandu Loo, why are you taking taxpayers money when you were disqualified by High Court?
Same goes for illegal minister in charge of treasury.
When will ministers that stole from treasury when parliament was dissolved pay back illegally acquired money?
This is just plain daft…so if the money is placed in one account it is misused, this sounds like PF as the misuse everything money meant for roads goes to MOH….the open another account and start incurring bank fees on top of that they are not adequately funded by her ministry.
Please when is this educated foool Prof. Luo going to leave her position??
Yes The Principal is Mr. Jolly Chembe an engineer u may be right but its like these people in these instittutions overstays. Most of these TEVETA institutions have principals who have overstayed and know how to get the money even if it was put in separate accounts.
What is required is just an overhaul of the whole system. Let them rest to do their own things unlike misusing government funds day light robery. Prof Luo may also have overstayed in her position but on this one she is right. The country cannot develop with such types of managements in these institutions. She needs to find out how much these lecturers get and how often they get their dues.
This is great…! I always wondered why such thoughts never clicked institutions’ managements… Mulebatontokanishishako ama profs and Docs banenu! Good work prof
As a former student representative for one of the colleges in Zambia, I strongly support this pronouncement by the minister. The maintenance fund and entertainment fund are misapplied by these institutions. I hope general education minister can also direct secondary and basic schools to do the same because the situation is even worse in basic schools particularly those in rural areas where the auditors do not even visit them. This makes headteachers and some selected few to siphons public funds.
UPND negative comments. You have to start somewhere and that’s what the Professor has done. You need to have the money first.
Ba UPND whatever your name nothing to be political here! The fact is the Minister has also overstayed in government she was Minister from 1991 wen I was in grade 10. you think she is the only one who knows how to work or what? we need to give room to others. Same goes with these Institutions u are talking about most of the pipo running them are either retired people fired from other institutions. We need pipo who fresh in mind not same pipo who cannot survive on their own.
Visit these institutions and see for your self then you will agree that we are miles away from getting developed. The only thing they know is allowances. where a mare lecturer can attend a workshop or whatever as long as there is an allowance they need to travel themselves living the institutions vulnerable…