Non-Teaching Staff strike to affect students' academic progress

Davidson Ndyabahika is the Guild Information Minister at Makerere university

Davidson Ndyabahika is the Guild Information Minister at Makerere university

It is with humbleness, that i communicate to you passionately about the current status quo on the hill of intellectuals;Makerere university. I hope we are in good health and for those who are not okay, we ask God to touch your souls.

We continue to thank the members of staff at the College of Education & External Studies, Makerere university who have enabled B.Com External students to resume their lectures amidst the prevailing strike. We wish other staff members can follow suit.

As you are aware of the current strike by non-teaching staff, the University’s top governing body (Makerere University Council) on Tuesday 18th August 2015 had directed all non-teaching staff to report for duty without fail today the 19th of August. This followed the government’s directive to the university in a letter which partly read as follows;

“This is therefore, to advise that pursuant to the authority provided in section 40 of universities and other tertiary institutions Act, 2003 (as amended), the university council is required to ensure that all staff resume to work immediately.

Teaching and learning processes are to be undertaken in the university unconditionally, as earlier scheduled,” read a letter by state minister for higher education also former DVC Finance & Administration Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri Togboa.

Makerere university set 22nd and 24th August opening for freshers and continuing students respectively and no changes have so far been made.

However the non teaching staff are still on strike, it was only a few buildings that could be accessible today.

We regret that the strike has since paralyzed much of the activities at the country’s oldest & best public university.

As the students’ guild, whereas we are in support of the salary enhancements to non teaching staff, we wouldn’t wish this to interfere with our academic program.

Already the strike has affected the lecturers’ activities where they can’t access offices and yet they are supposed to handle students’ marks as well as prepare for this coming semester.

Considering the fact that in case the university doesn’t open as communicated earlier, the semester is likely to be pushed to January & sitting examinations during the festive season which as students we detest.

Aware of the fact that other public institutions such as Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Busitema university have resumed on their work and students are reporting, we therefore ask all of you, come Saturday 22nd and 24th students in halls and hostels, we are resuming studies.

Thank you very much.

The writer is the Guild Information Minister, Makerere university 2015/2016