Windhoek
Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), chief executive officer (CEO) Hilya Nghiwete said yesterday she would not comment on the call by the union representing workers in the financial sector demanding her sacking and that of the entire executive of NSFAF.
“I can’t comment. We were not invited to the media conference. After all, I was at the village,” Nghiwete said when contacted for comment yesterday.
Namibia Financial Institutions Union (Nafinu) general secretary Asnath Zamuee last week called for the ouster of the entire top executive at NSFAF, including the CEO. She accused the top management at the parastatal of, among others, mismanagement and not having students’ best interests at heart.
Addressing the media, Zamuee said bad management has been the order of the day at the NSFAF under Nghiwete. She, therefore, called upon Minister of Public Enterprises Leon Jooste to dismantle the entire board of directors and to remove the CEO of NSFAF.
“We demand that serious action be taken against management and the board at NSFAF, including the repayment of missing millions,” she insisted, adding that the mismanagement of public funds should be made a criminal office.
“The poverty level in the country calls for prudent management of our resources,” she added.
Zamuee said it is unacceptable for the board to pocket sitting fees in excess of N$2 million in one financial year. She said such spending is unacceptable, given that many learners are still unable to access tertiary education due to the unavailability of funds. Yet money that should assist students in attaining their goals is ending up in the pocket of the board of directors.
“We were totally astounded when we learned that the board chairperson received an allowance of N$ 120 000 for an eight-day visit to Cuba,” she said. “This money should be paid back! Such wastage of public resources should not be tolerated,” she stressed.
Zamuee is questioning how the board chairperson could travel to Cuba just to hear students’ problems, as this could have been done by a manager. “Are there no structures in place for students to channel their problems through to NSFAF?” she asked. “Does she also meet students locally to hear their problems,” she further asked and said the trip was not justifiable. “Without shame, the board chairperson informed the nation that a follow-up trip was also undertaken by the NSFAF secretariat for the same purpose. This is a totally unacceptable and wastage of public resources,” she complained.