By Mathias Haufiku
WINDHOEK– The University of Namibia should be placed under care and management until a thorough probe into its affairs is done, the Namibia National Labour Organisation (Nanlo) said.
The organisation’s president, Evilastus Kaaronda, made the call on Friday during a press briefing, urging President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is the Unam chancellor, to institute an independent inquiry into the university’s affairs.
“Unam must be, as a matter of urgency, placed under care and maintenance until a thorough probe is completed. This in our view will bring closure to the unabated wastage of public resources and what appears to be witch-hunts,” Kaaronda said.
Unam recently made headlines after suspending two senior officials in less than five days.
Unam pro-vice chancellor for administration and finance, Dr Boniface Mutumba, and Centre for Consultancy Bureau (CCB) director, Akiser Pomuti, have both been suspended. Preliminary speculation is that their suspensions are connected and have to do with the awarding of tenders at the university.
Kaaronda said corruption and maladministration at Unam are “at the highest levels and must be investigated”.
“I was sued for having complained about corruption and maladministration at Unam and after having produced evidence that there was indeed mismanagement of finances at Unam, the chancellor of Unam, both present and past, elected to do nothing about the sickness there,” said the outspoken Kaaronda.
He claimed the awarding of lucrative tenders to friends and family and politically well-connected council members, their companies and other related persons is not news at Unam.
“We strongly call on the president as the chancellor of the University of Namibia to put an end to the madness at Unam and institute an independent inquiry,” he said.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) last week confirmed to New Era that it was probing a case at Unam related to the awarding of tenders.
“I know it has something to do with finances and it involves huge amounts of money, therefore it has national implications. It cannot be a coincidence that two people have been suspended in less than five days,” a senior source from Unam who requested anonymity had said.
In the past some academics at Unam were implicated in a scandal dubbed the “sex for marks” in which they reportedly awarded marks to students in return for sexual favours and last week Unam nullified certain exams over a suspected examination leak.