University Council to blame
Mar 25, 2005
SIR — According to the Auditor General’s report,<br>Makerere University spent sh4b illegally in the last financial year! In an attempt to defend the spending, the University Secretary, Sam Akorimo, is reported to have said in your spotlight article on Monday that the illegal expenditure follo
SIR — According to the Auditor General’s report,
Makerere University spent sh4b illegally in the last financial year! In an attempt to defend the spending, the University Secretary, Sam Akorimo, is reported to have said in your spotlight article on Monday that the illegal expenditure followed a directive by president Yoweri Museveni to increase staff salaries to avert the then looming strike.
This is false. The truth is that the offer to increase salaries was made by the University
Council.
In fact when at first the offer was refused by makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) the president met the members at the Kampala International Conference centre, and offered and promised MUASA his own salary increment in the next national budget.
The promise has since then partly been fulfiled. I remember the president telling MUASA members that they could choose to take the university offer or not while waiting for his package. Related to this, more than a year ago, the University council put up a committee chaired by Mr Ssemivule to look into the matter of “top-up allowances†but
todate no report has been presented and the
administrators continue getting their fat top-up.
The allowances should have been put on hold immediately after the formation of the committee. I think this is one of the ways contributing to the illegal expenditures in Makarere. The powers that be should make certain that those responsible should not get away with it.
John Kale
Kampala
Makerere University spent sh4b illegally in the last financial year! In an attempt to defend the spending, the University Secretary, Sam Akorimo, is reported to have said in your spotlight article on Monday that the illegal expenditure followed a directive by president Yoweri Museveni to increase staff salaries to avert the then looming strike.
This is false. The truth is that the offer to increase salaries was made by the University
Council.
In fact when at first the offer was refused by makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) the president met the members at the Kampala International Conference centre, and offered and promised MUASA his own salary increment in the next national budget.
The promise has since then partly been fulfiled. I remember the president telling MUASA members that they could choose to take the university offer or not while waiting for his package. Related to this, more than a year ago, the University council put up a committee chaired by Mr Ssemivule to look into the matter of “top-up allowances†but
todate no report has been presented and the
administrators continue getting their fat top-up.
The allowances should have been put on hold immediately after the formation of the committee. I think this is one of the ways contributing to the illegal expenditures in Makarere. The powers that be should make certain that those responsible should not get away with it.
John Kale
Kampala