NUR lecturers suspended over negligence of duty

HUYE - Two lecturers and one member of the administrative staff at the National University of Rwanda have been suspended due to what authorities describe as ‘negligence of duty’ and ‘gross mismanagement.’ The final decision rests with the University Board.One of the lecturers is also accused of calling students to seat their exams from Kigali, against the normal university procedures. Confirming the move, Dr Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Varsity vice Rector in charge of Finance and Administration, said that the university reached the decision to suspend the trio after several warnings had been ignored. The officials have been identified as; Jean Pierre Ndayisenga, an assistant lecturer in theFaculty of Applied Sciences, Dr Alex Nzahabwanimana, a lecturer in the same faculty and Odille Gakire Katese, the deputy director of the University Centre for Arts and Drama (UCAD). “The two members of the academic staff failed to follow their teaching timetable despite being employed on fulltime basis. They failed to participate in faculty activities like attending meetings despite constant reminders from the Dean,” said Ndagijimana. “They even failed to turn up for the swearing-in as required by the Ministry of Labour on the three separate occasions the exercise was held at the university. It was a case of insubordination,” he added. Odille Gakire Katese is accused of mismanagement, ignoring advice from the University top administration and travelling abroad without permission from the university authorities. “After the realisation that the UCAD was being mismanaged, we assigned an administrative assistant to the centre, but she refused to hand over to him 15 months after he was appointed,” the vice Rector said. It is also alleged that Katese, without the knowledge of the University administration invited artistes from several countries for Arts festivals organised by the centre which made the University lose money through hotel and sometimes travel expenses for the guests. “She was putting the university in an embarrassing situation, she refused to change from her ways despite constant counsel,” Ndagijimana added. Meanwhile, Ndagijimana disclosed the trio owe money to the university which they will have to pay back in case they were to be dismissed. The money was spent on their further studies abroad. They will also pay back the salaries they earned while on study leave, Ndagijimana said. Apparently academic staff members who are sponsored to pursue PhD programmes are expected to serve the institution for at least five years upon completion of their studies while those on Masters Degree programmes sign a contract to serve for two years. Ndagijimana said that the university is working hard to improve staff welfare but was quick to add that they are also expected to deliver quality education. “We cannot achieve our target of delivering quality education when the lecturers are nit in class, the message we are sending out is that the university will not tolerate indiscipline of any form,” he said. In 2008, the university increased salaries by up to 30 percent and by a further 20 percent this year from internally generated revenues. University staff who wish to pursue courses at any level at the university pay 20 percent of the total cost for the programmes while their children pay 50 percent of the total tuition to study at the university This is in addition the university health insurance scheme that caters for treatment in the country and abroad. The dismissed officials could not be reached for comment by press time. Ends