Makerere University diverts Internet money
Oct 23, 2007
MAKERERE University has directed the sh600m meant to pay for Internet services to fixing its roads. The university secretary, Sam Akorimo, attributed the shift to the Government’s failure to include the university in its budget for road repairs ahead of the Commonwealth meeting (CHOGM) next month.
By Francis Kagolo
MAKERERE University has directed the sh600m meant to pay for Internet services to fixing its roads. The university secretary, Sam Akorimo, attributed the shift to the Government’s failure to include the university in its budget for road repairs ahead of the Commonwealth meeting (CHOGM) next month.
“We called upon eligible construction companies to apply for resurfacing of the roads hoping that the university would benefit from the CHOGM road repair programme,†Akorimo’s statement read.
He said after they had awarded the contract Eastern Builders and Engineers to repair over nine roads to at a cost of sh1.4b, the university learnt that it was not a beneficiary.
Since the university Internet was disconnected earlier this month due to debts owed to utl and MTN, students and staff have not been able to access their e-mails as well as other websites.
Akorimo said the university owed the service providers sh619m.
“From the time the donors stopped paying for the university Internet, the internet has been on and off.
“Ever since it was disconnected, the university website has been off. We cannot do research. This gives a negative impression about the university,†said an official yesterday on condition of anonymity.
Police in Kampala yesterday met some university administrators to discuss the issue after students had threatened to strike.
Akorimo, however, said the university was waiting for the monthly release from the Treasury to pay the backlog and reinstate the internet.
MAKERERE University has directed the sh600m meant to pay for Internet services to fixing its roads. The university secretary, Sam Akorimo, attributed the shift to the Government’s failure to include the university in its budget for road repairs ahead of the Commonwealth meeting (CHOGM) next month.
“We called upon eligible construction companies to apply for resurfacing of the roads hoping that the university would benefit from the CHOGM road repair programme,†Akorimo’s statement read.
He said after they had awarded the contract Eastern Builders and Engineers to repair over nine roads to at a cost of sh1.4b, the university learnt that it was not a beneficiary.
Since the university Internet was disconnected earlier this month due to debts owed to utl and MTN, students and staff have not been able to access their e-mails as well as other websites.
Akorimo said the university owed the service providers sh619m.
“From the time the donors stopped paying for the university Internet, the internet has been on and off.
“Ever since it was disconnected, the university website has been off. We cannot do research. This gives a negative impression about the university,†said an official yesterday on condition of anonymity.
Police in Kampala yesterday met some university administrators to discuss the issue after students had threatened to strike.
Akorimo, however, said the university was waiting for the monthly release from the Treasury to pay the backlog and reinstate the internet.