Windhoek
With the 2016 academic year having just kicked off the Namibian Institute of Bankers (IOB) students with the support of the Namibia National Students’ Organisation (Nanso) have threatened to remove the institution’s acting CEO from office.
IOB students said they would remove the CEO “if he stays on until the end of this month”.
Last year irate IOB students accompanied by Nanso members that included its president Wilhlem Wilhelm and in the presence of the police expressed their dissatisfaction with the management style of the acting CEO John-Day Mande.
IOB students this week expressed their disappointment that the council failed in its promises to find a new CEO by the end of December or latest beginning of January.
According to the angry students they were shocked to find that Mande was still in office when they resumed classes this month.
Speaking on behalf of fellow students who were all in agreement, IOB student representative council president Simpson Nangolo said: “We are going to pack his belongings to have him leave IOB very soon. We don’t know what the council is doing. We were promised that the new CEO will come in December, but come January Mande is still there. He must go because he is not needed either by fellow staff or students. He has caused havoc in IOB.”
He added that they won’t push out Mande through violence, but would just remove his belongings from office, adding that they gave council and the IOB executive enough time to resolve the issue.
“One fails to understand why the council wants to keep Mande despite his advanced age of 70. He must go and rest and wait for his death, not because I am wishing someone’s death, but that is a stage of life all of us have to go through, we cannot escape it. He should give a chance to the young blood.”
Last year mid-October the council succumbed to student pressure and placed an advert in the local media for a new CEO after the incumbent fell out with both staff and students who were dissatisfied with his alleged draconian style of management.
When contacted for comment Bank of Namibia spokesperson Ndangi Katoma who is also an IOB Exco member defended the council, saying they are busy putting the final touches to appointing a new CEO.
“I have been on leave. I would have to acquaint myself with the process but what is clear is that there have been interviews following the advertisement of the position late last year. I am sure it is just a matter of processing the possible candidate and finalising the whole recruitment process, which is on course,” Katoma said on Monday.