Pay us or we won’t teach, Gulu lecturers warn govt

The opening of Gulu University for the second semester later this month is in doubt after lecturers have vowed not to enter lecture rooms unless they are paid their allowances amounting to Shs700 million.

In December, the lecturers under their umbrella body, Gulu University Academic Staff Association (GUASA), laid down tools, protesting non-payment of the extra load allowances.
The allowances, which are meant for lecturers who teach on weekends, date back to the Financial Year 2016/2017.
The strike led to the suspension of end of semester one examinations.
Prof David Lagoro Kitara, the chairperson GUASA, said the lecturers will not resume work if they are not paid.

The stand-off between the lecturers and university management has prompted government intervention.
The Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports made an impromptu visit to the university last Friday and held several meetings with students, staff and the management.
During one of the meetings, academic and non-academic staff accused the university top management of being corrupt.
The university staff lodged numerous complaints, including nepotism, non-payment of their gratuity, irregular remittances of NSSF, non-payment of extra load and honorary allowances for the last year.

Issues at hand
One of the lecturers, who requested not to be named for fear of reprisal, claimed that there has been a grand corruption scheme at the university where money meant for welfare of staff and students has been used by top managers for personal gains.
He noted that despite government releasing money for running the university activities in Financial Year 2016/2017, they have not been paid for weekend lectures and wondered where the money went.

Graft claims
He added that on top of government’s quarterly releases, the university collects tuition from some 3,000 students on the weekend programme, arguing that the money would be more than sufficient to clear their allowances.
Mr Amos Otto, a lecturer in the Faculty of Science, said the university management has failed to account for part of Shs6 million released for his gratuity payment in November 2016.

He noted that in April last year, he was called by the human resource officer to sign for Shs6 million yet only Shs2.7 million was deposited on his account.
Mr Otto is among the staff on contract who have since been recruited on permanent basis but have not been paid their gratuity.
He said when he questioned why less money has been deposited in his account, he was told some of it had been remitted to NSSF and PAYE.
“We demand that this committee helps us find out where our gratuity money has gone. Up to now I have not received any money,” he told the legislators at the meeting.
The legislators, including Ms Connie Nakayenze Galiwango (Mbale Woman) and Mr Joseph Ssewungu (Kalungu West) recommended that an audit be conducted to establish the source of the financial flaws.
Ms Nakayenze added that a commission of inquiry will also be instituted to investigate all the administrative departments.

MPs intervene
“We have heard the plight of the staff and students. As Parliament, we want an audit to be conducted, we need to find out who misappropriated finance at the university and hold him or her accountable,” she said.
Prof Kitara said the audit is the only way to help the new administration start on a fresh note.

The new vice chancellor, Prof George Ladaah Openjuru, who took over office early this month, acknowledged that the university has had some challenges and promised to address them.
Prof Openjuru, however, said delays in paying the academic staff was brought by the new financial management system introduced by government where all money collected at the university has to first be remitted to the national treasury before it is sent back.

Daily Monitor also understands that about Shs250 million has not been paid to honorary lecturers who have been training medical students at St Mary’s Hospital, Lacor in Gulu and Gulu Regional Referral Hospital for the last one year.
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