Tuesday, March 19, 2024

UNZA Lecturers and Researchers Union happy with the removal of Nkandu Luo

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Prof Nkandu Luo
Prof Nkandu Luo

The University of Zambia Lecturers’ and Researchers’ Union (UNZALARU) welcomes President Edgar Lungu’s decision to remove Nkandu Luo from the position of Minister of Higher Education.

In a statement made available to the media, and signed by Kelvin Mambwe, the General Secretary, UNZALARU said that they wished that the President had taken this decision much earlier because the damage that the Former Higher Education Minister has inflicted on the Zambia’s higher education sector over the last two years will take a long time to repair.

“Luo was frighteningly arrogant, impervious to advice, incapable of humility, unaccepting of criticism, enthralled by vanity, and oblivious to all these shortcomings with little capacity to recognise or overcome them,” read the statement.

Below is the full statement

Press Statement: Welcoming the removal of Nkandu Luo from the Ministry of Higher Education and the appointment of Brian Mushimba as her successor

The University of Zambia Lecturers’ and Researchers’ Union (UNZALARU) welcomes President Edgar Lungu’s decision to remove Nkandu Luo from the position of Minister of Higher Education. We wish the President had taken this decision much earlier because the damage that Luo has inflicted on the country’s higher education sector over the last two years will take a long time to repair. Luo was frighteningly arrogant, impervious to advice, incapable of humility, unaccepting of criticism, enthralled by vanity, and oblivious to all these shortcomings with little capacity to recognise or overcome them. At almost every turn, the former Minister of Higher Education demonstrated an aversion to reason that was totally inconsistent with someone who nominated herself as the custodian of knowledge about universities. Although we ultimately hold President Lungu and his entire Cabinet responsible for the unresolved crisis of university education in Zambia, we believe that Luo outdid her colleagues in taking matters into her own hands to destroy higher education.

It is ironic that someone of her level of education is so hostile to knowledge and intellectualism. Luo was simply horrible at the Ministry of Higher Education. Her pedestrian educational reforms and ill-advised plans to amputate the University of Zambia into several small colleges, her proposed harmful amendments to the Higher Education Act, her decision to abolish meal allowances for students in public universities, and her silence in the face of renewed police brutality against students which resulted in the death of Vespers Shimunzhila, a female student at the University of Zambia, serve as haunting reminders of her unfortunate stint at the ministry. Her illegal indefinite closure of the Copperbelt University, her unlawful suspensions of student union activities at both UNZA and CBU, and her needless but repeated clashes with the very people she was employed to serve – lecturers and researchers, university administrators, students and other stakeholders – means that Luo’s removal can only be good for the future of Zambia’s higher education sector and calls for celebration. We wish Luo well in her future endeavours and will certainly not miss her at all.

UNZALARU would also like to extend a warm welcome to Hon. Brian Mushimba, the new Minister of Higher Education. We pledge to work with him to rid the higher education sector of the ghost of Luo’s destructive legacy and find a lasting solution to the numerous challenges that affect public institutions of higher learning in Zambia. These include the regrettable frequent closures of public universities, the inadequate financial support from the government to these institutions, the crumbling and insufficient infrastructure within them, the acute shortage of visionary, selfless and independent university administrators, the lack of government support for meaningful academic research and innovation, and the delayed payment of salaries, outstanding gratuities and terminal benefits to deserving recipients. We urge the new minister to embrace dialogue, develop the capacity to listen, and build constructive relationships with other key stakeholders involved in the running of higher education institutions, as he seeks to address these surmountable challenges. We are keen to meet Hon. Mushimba at his earliest convenience after he has settled in his new portfolio and share ideas on the way forward, including on how progress can be made in dismantling the debt that the government owes the university.

We in the UNZALARU have very high expectations of the new Minister of Higher Education. We would however like to warn Hon. Mushimba that should he choose to adopt the quarrelsome attitude, toxic tendencies and other self-perpetuating petulancies of his predecessor, UNZALARU retains sufficient ammunition within its ranks to defend the fundamental interests of its members to the hilt. We consider the Minister of Higher Education, the university administration, students, and ourselves (lecturers and researchers) as a community of people ultimately in pursuit of the same thing – the restoration of the provision of higher education in Zambia to its glorious past and even a better future. Let us work together to deliver that aspiration.

Kelvin Mambwe (PhD)
General Secretary, UNZALARU

27 COMMENTS

  1. She was the worst ever minister of education, followed closely by General Godfoolish Meanderous “Coup Plotting” Fimifimi. You recall after he was fired as VEEP, he stayed as minister of education as opposed to resigning still dreaming that the FTJ oil of annointment will land on his afro “Gurumutu” but alas it landed on a slambering Levy Mwanawasa in Jesmondine! Both Luo and Miyanda are a menace to society, especially Luo because sometimes looking at her you wonder whether she has completed her evolution from Zinjanthopus. And being from kwanaBwalya where they still eat baboons and monkeys, I doubt she will pass for full homosapien because her aesthetic looks are more akeen to “bakolwe”.

    • Everyone is happy that this evil ugly thing is no more at higher education. I just fear that this witch may impose a fishing ban indefinitely until CCTV cameras are installed in all our rivers. Ugly with a bad heart! A rare combination this thing has1

    • But knowing this corrupt govt that overpriced CCTV contract will still go on its like there is no cabinet oversight in this reckless regime…look at the communication tower project at MTC where the dull Brian Mushimba is coming from its one of the most expensive in Africa…its the same myopia of corrupt dull ministers.

    • DOUBTLESS LUO HAD HER FAILINGS BUT UNZALARU SHOULD LOOK ITSELF IN THE MIRROR STARTING WITH THE UNSIGHTLY NAME OF UNZALARU: SOUNDS LIKE A JERABO ORGANISATION.
      WHY DO THE LECTURERS etc GO ON STRIKE AND MAKE STUDENTS SUFFER AND CONTINUE TO ISSUE PIOUS-SOUNDING STATEMENTS ABOUT THEIR PLIGHT AND FORGET ABOUT THE VERY STUDENTS WHOM THEY CLAIM TO CARE FOR.
      WHEN THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH GOVERNMENT THEY SHOULD DIALOGUE WITH GOVERNMENT AND TAKE OFF THE GARB OF OVERWEENING ARROGANCE AND PRIDE WHICH THEY ALSO ACCUSE LUO OF.
      THEY ENGAGE IN GUERILLA TACTICS WITH GOVERNMENR JUST AS THE STUDENTS DO AND FORGET BOMA NI BOMA ! !

    • Malenga, Its okay to dislike a person, party or any organisation but passing such degrading and palatable comments is unnecessary. She didn’t do well and has probably cost PF an election on top of all faults but lets condemn not insult.

      Thanks

      Didn’t like her at all too. Wont invest in farming back home until she retires.

    • Such a dull woman, how is she even called professor? She has relied on taxpayers for livelihood throughout her life.

  2. Only Lungu likes to dance and celebrate with outright witches like this sh.itwhore, Nkandu Luo. Luo is a frustrated woman throughout her personal and political life.
    At the personal level, the woman was so arrogant and pompous that even her popular down to earth ex husband, the late Dr Manda, could not simply cope living with thing called Luo. Nkandu Luo even went to the extent of advising her children to start claiming property left by their uncle (Dr Manda’s brother) against their cousin – shame on this evil thing!
    You can now understand how she could not work with anyone in Govt except Lungu – a very evil and centred woman. Go well Luo but your ending even in your life will never be well! Your lack of and craving for conjugal rights has left your life in tatters.

    • High court should have got rid of this wicked nasty witch Nkando but the crucial CCTV evidence disappeared from evidence room.

    • It is no good issuing threats to Brian Mushimba before meeting, knowing and getting to interact with him. UNZALARU should also be mindful of its own failings! It should learn to engage government and avoid personalized attacks of individual government ministers. The idea of running to private radio and TV stations just to single out and attack individuals in government is not how you go about building a good relationship with government. Earlier UNZALARU executives knew better on how to engage government. The current crop of UNZALARU executive members is one of self-conceited know-it-all individuals not very different from Nkandu Luo herself. No wonder they could not get along.

  3. “In a statement made available to the media, and signed by Kelvin Mambwe, the General Secretary, UNZALARU said that they wished that the President had taken this decision much earlier because the damage that the Former Higher Education Minister has inflicted on the Zambia’s higher education sector over the last two years will take a long time to repair.

    “Luo was frighteningly arrogant, impervious to advice, incapable of humility, unaccepting of criticism, enthralled by vanity, and oblivious to all these shortcomings with little capacity to recognise or overcome them,” read the statement.

    I can safely and confidently say the same about these lecturers. Thank you for describing yourselves so accurately UNZALARU and CBULARU, you good for nothing trib.als.

  4. Personalizing issues is tempting, especially in politics. It is shocking to pick on petty issues bordering of character assassination. Professor Luo did not create the salary arrears by her own making. The salaries for public service workers are processed at Ministry of Finance. The same data input she found at MOHE is still valid. Same employees, same salaries, same pay date, same bank, same accountants, same auditors, same paymasters. The perfect scapegoat has been created. Professor Luo did not create the strike at CBU that blew up into a wildfire. The problem with academia is claiming to know everything. If the criticism being leveled at Prof. Luo are well founded, then she is not fit to continue to sit in the cabinet. Take time to build universities in the country. Take time to…

  5. The problem with academia is claiming to know everything. If the criticism being leveled at Prof. Luo are well founded, then she is not fit to continue to sit in the cabinet. Take time to build universities in the country. Take time to solve problems. In the real world, problems are normal and responsible people must oslve problems.

  6. #1 Malenga Ngalande and #2 Chilyata, both are renowned trib.als to the core, fellow citizens just continue ignoring them as usual.

  7. Nkandu Luo is just an educated foooooool she is so arrogant that some of these issues at CBU are not her own doing but the president’s I mean she can not close the uni without higher powers approval…the problem with her is she lacks communicative skills this was evident when she was advising UNZA and CBU to be self reliant when her govt is failing to release the full grant and salaries to them. Even when she went to Chongwe to convince the locals for that pointless Nuclear Russian Project she messed up and clashed with cadres and locals who rejected the project but she forced it through. This woman doesn’t deserve any ministry she is an old horse who can not learn new tricks…the same thing will happen at Fisheries who are we going to blame? Nkando Luo again or Lazy Lungu the…

    • WHEN I HEAR THE NAME UNZALARU THE FOLLOWING EMOTIONS ARE EVOKED:
      cocky, smug, haughty, supercilious, patronizing, arrogant, proud, vain, egotistical, cavalier, imperious, domineering, dictatorial, overbearing, presumptuous, lordly, peremptory, pompous, officious, blustering, boastful, insolent.

      AND NOT IMPARTING KNOWLEDGE

  8. It seems the whole country is happy that Nkandu Luo has been removed from education. Feel sorry for the people at livestock and fisheries though!

  9. Good riddance but way too late. She has done too much damage just like her other misfit Margareta

  10. The best would be to relieve her of her Ministerial position so that she concentrates on going to Seychelles

  11. This ugly cow is such a pompous fool. She has absolutely zero management and leadership skills and one wonders what else could she ever be good at? God is truly sometimes so unfair, how coukld he endower one person with such a wealth of facial aesthetic repulsiveness compounded by an ugly and vile character? Maybe the good old God was in a hurry rushing for lunch when he left her on the table of creation only to come back and find her semi rotten.

  12. I hear the fishes of the lakes and Hippos and crocodiles of the rivers are in moaning these days following the appoinmtnet of a Neanderthal from Muchinga Jungle to start bossing them around!

  13. It’s sad, moving failed leaders from one ministry to the other.. are there no capable or educated Zambains who can do as proud? we don’t have to celebrate over her transfer because Evil is within the system.. the Bible say “Let the king remove Evil surrounding his Chambers and his throne will prosper” fire her.

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