Makerere bosses fight over sh30b
Mar 15, 2009
A row has erupted between Makerere University vice-chancellor, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi and his deputyProf. David Bakibinga over the management of a sh39b project.
By Francis Kagolo
A row has erupted between Makerere University vice-chancellor, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi and his deputyProf. David Bakibinga over the management of a sh39b project.
The dispute started after Luboobi disbanded a committee headed by Bakibinga that was working on the reform of the university under a project sponsored by the Swedish International Development Agency.
Bakibinga is the second deputy vice-chancellor in charge of finance and administration. He has been heading a team of nine other university officials to document the necessary reforms in all academic and administrative units.
In his letter dated February 10, 2009, Luboobi also noted that the exercise had “unnecessarily delayed.â€
He argued that his move to suspend the committee was due to need to “expand the scope of the exercise to take into consideration other key critical and strategic issues.â€
“I have therefore suspended the activities of the current working group. A new and expanded working group will be announced as soon as possible to pursue the exercise further,†said Luboobi in his letter copied to top management, deans, directors and all staff.
The project, which is aimed at spearheading administrative and academic reforms at the institution, was commissioned in November last year. The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) is funding it to the tune of US$20 (about sh39b).
On March 6, 2009, Bakibinga wrote a strongly worded letter to the chairperson of the University Council protesting against the way Luboobi suspended the committee’s work.
Bakibinga refuted Luboobi’s claim that the exercise had delayed, saying it was supposed to take two years. He attacked Luboobi, saying he had caused him and the university embarrassment before the external donors.
“The day after the Vice Chancellor had suspended the working group, I received a letter from KPMG to the effect that they wanted to meet us on February 17, 2009. With embarrassment I had to advise Mr. Larry Ribbeklint of KPMG that the working group had been suspended and advised him to consult the VC directly,†Bakibinga complained.
He said Luboobi suspended the committee without consulting him. “I find the approach arbitrary and uncoordinated and injurious to our relationship with development partners, in this case, Sida,†Bakibinga added.
Bakibinga demanded that the matter be discussed during the next meeting of the University Council.
In the same letter, Bakibinga also protested against a decision taken by Luboobi to appoint Prof. Michel Lejeune, to chair a newly constituted committee to undertake the university’s reforms.
He said that Lejeune, the deputy director of the National Council for Higher Education, cannot legally chair an internal committee of the university. He further argued that Luboobi again made the appointment “without consultation with the relevant members of the university management.â€
Bakibinga argued that Lejeune would suffer conflict of interest if he were to serve on the committee. He described Lejeuine’s appointment as “misconceived, inequitable and illegal.â€
Makerere University has over the past few years experienced management crises that have cause staff and student unrest.
The country’s oldest university is currently experiencing financial crisis and is seeking to raise fees for the privately sponsored students. The reforms are expected to streamline the university’s administration.
A row has erupted between Makerere University vice-chancellor, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi and his deputyProf. David Bakibinga over the management of a sh39b project.
The dispute started after Luboobi disbanded a committee headed by Bakibinga that was working on the reform of the university under a project sponsored by the Swedish International Development Agency.
Bakibinga is the second deputy vice-chancellor in charge of finance and administration. He has been heading a team of nine other university officials to document the necessary reforms in all academic and administrative units.
In his letter dated February 10, 2009, Luboobi also noted that the exercise had “unnecessarily delayed.â€
He argued that his move to suspend the committee was due to need to “expand the scope of the exercise to take into consideration other key critical and strategic issues.â€
“I have therefore suspended the activities of the current working group. A new and expanded working group will be announced as soon as possible to pursue the exercise further,†said Luboobi in his letter copied to top management, deans, directors and all staff.
The project, which is aimed at spearheading administrative and academic reforms at the institution, was commissioned in November last year. The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) is funding it to the tune of US$20 (about sh39b).
On March 6, 2009, Bakibinga wrote a strongly worded letter to the chairperson of the University Council protesting against the way Luboobi suspended the committee’s work.
Bakibinga refuted Luboobi’s claim that the exercise had delayed, saying it was supposed to take two years. He attacked Luboobi, saying he had caused him and the university embarrassment before the external donors.
“The day after the Vice Chancellor had suspended the working group, I received a letter from KPMG to the effect that they wanted to meet us on February 17, 2009. With embarrassment I had to advise Mr. Larry Ribbeklint of KPMG that the working group had been suspended and advised him to consult the VC directly,†Bakibinga complained.
He said Luboobi suspended the committee without consulting him. “I find the approach arbitrary and uncoordinated and injurious to our relationship with development partners, in this case, Sida,†Bakibinga added.
Bakibinga demanded that the matter be discussed during the next meeting of the University Council.
In the same letter, Bakibinga also protested against a decision taken by Luboobi to appoint Prof. Michel Lejeune, to chair a newly constituted committee to undertake the university’s reforms.
He said that Lejeune, the deputy director of the National Council for Higher Education, cannot legally chair an internal committee of the university. He further argued that Luboobi again made the appointment “without consultation with the relevant members of the university management.â€
Bakibinga argued that Lejeune would suffer conflict of interest if he were to serve on the committee. He described Lejeuine’s appointment as “misconceived, inequitable and illegal.â€
Makerere University has over the past few years experienced management crises that have cause staff and student unrest.
The country’s oldest university is currently experiencing financial crisis and is seeking to raise fees for the privately sponsored students. The reforms are expected to streamline the university’s administration.