UB academics want to appoint VC
Baboki Kayawe | Wednesday February 22, 2017 17:31
This is in the wake of Professor Thabo Fako resigning his vice-chancellorship seat last Sunday.
The union expressed in a communiqué circulated to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Theophilus Mooko, as well as the UB deputy VCs strong reservations with the process on Monday saying the candidate is rather imposed upon them.
Union secretary general, Aobakwe Banamile told Mmegi yesterday that appointing authorities enforce the VC “where other key stakeholders are excluded”.
“We find this anomalous and not in line with the best common practice elsewhere in other universities where prospective candidates sell their visions to stakeholders before the final appointment is made,” Banamile said.
The union further said the university needs to sell its vision to stakeholders before the final appointment is made. Therefore, UBASSSU is calling for the UB to incorporate a consultative practice and process where key stakeholders, including the UB play “a part in the recruitment process”.
Though acknowledging Fako’s stepping down, the union queries that many other issues remain unresolved.
“As UBASSSU we are happy with the development since it formed part of the demands that we tabled before you when we presented a petition to you at the close of 2016,” the union said in a statement.
However, there were many other issues that the same petition raised, in particular the need for an independent commission of inquiry, continued Banamile.
“The commission must thoroughly investigate a broad range of alleged acts of maladministration during Fako’s tenure as VC thereby rectifies those with a view to pave way for the incoming VC to ease his or her operations in bringing normalcy to the university.
“It is important to proceed with the commission of inquiry so that the alleged acts of maladministration and related issues should not be repeated in the future,” Banamile said.
In December 2016, the union delivered a 36-point petition to the UB Council chairperson, Parks Tafa, listing grievances and complaints against the local institution’s principal head.
UBASSSU demanded that Tafa setup a Committee of Inquiry to investigate a broad range of acts allegedly committed during Fako’s tenure.