United party for national Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has urged the Patriotic Front administration to with immediate effect reopen the Copperbelt University (CBU).
Mr. Hichilema argues that the unjustifiable and perpetual closure of the high institution of learning has led to untold suffering not only of the students, but the lecturers as well.
He says it is uncalled for the PF leadership to continue destructing the progress of education in the country adding that education is an investment whose results lead to economic growth.
He was speaking in Lusaka on Sunday morning.
Mr. Hichilema observes that, being the social equalizer, there was need for frantic strides to be put in place in order for the dream of an educated populace to be actualized.
He states that, being the epitome and centre of civility, it was imperative that education was prioritized.
Mr. Hichilema, who accused the PF regime of neglecting the education sector, demanded for the immediate reopening of the institution.
“The continued closure of Copperbelt University is causing a lot of damage to society. Lecturers are suffering, general workers are suffering; students are suffering; parents are suffering; everybody is suffering because of the inept leadership of the PF”.
“Number one, we demand that the Copper Belt University be reopened, now; it must be reopened immediately. Secondly, we demand that all the student union leaders who have been expelled or suspended must be reinstated without further delay. Thirdly, we confirm that: ‘when our time in office comes, when we take over the country, we will work with the students’ unions and their leaders not the way you work with students’ leaders. Staffs unions, general workers and all the other universities and colleges, we will work with them because only when you work and recognize them will you be able to manage the intellectual environment in a university or in a college,” Mr. Hichilema said.
Mr. Hichilema, who continually talked of education of being a powerful tool to foster creativity and innovation in order to create a prosperous society, said the PF’s poor leadership was costing the country a lot.
“The failure of leadership of PF is costing us a lot. We (when in Government), will also be able to pay students descent meal allowances to help them buy books and be able to have enough food in order for them to be in a learning mode. We will pay lecturers descent allowances including all the non paid retirement benefits or terminal benefits of university or colleges staff,” said Mr. Hichilema.
PF and luo are lying when they say they are waiting for security up be enhanced at CBU before it opens……they are just broke.
UNZA was opened after riots with no cctv installed, why can’t they do the same to CBU ???
And some corrupt PF rats are supporting the k10 million price tag for cctv at CBU saying
“Cctv is not as simple as plugging in a tv hence the price tag …… ”
The corrupt PF rats should know that these days there is wireless cctv , you don’t need expensive labour running of cables……a more realistic price for that cctv is in the k5,000000 to k7,00000 price max….
Not the k10 million that has 2 or 3 PF middle men chewing….
K5 million to k7 million….
Ras Michael Zulu advised Ba Edgar to dissolve cabinet, and that he has NOTHING to lose since he has lost it all.
I have been advising Ba Edgar in last 6 months to go out in wildness in Mfuwe, and come back with complete new list of friends. That Luo and others being beaten up by poor marketeers are not worth being among to work with.
Look Ba Lungu you fired Amos Chanda, and no one complained but gave you a centimeter of respect.
Few days you messed up by giving civil servant a top “dirty” Simon Miti, a man wanted by courts… Anyway lets not go back to discuss Lusaka Courts and its battered minister.
Sorry HH, but according to someone who stole money from a widow, Edgar Lungu, the less educated the country is , the better. PF needs more cadres shouting pamaka and pabwato!
It’s tough being opposition.
It’s tough being double h.
No one told him it was gonna be like a lonely laissez-faire walk in a park.
Right now he does not know whether he is going or coming.
Used to misfiring anyway. Most CBU lecturers are his cadres and are in the thick of the happenings. He is pretending to be caring for them, while they are busy enjoying the status quo at the campus; taking care of their businesses while unsuspecting students suffer. How selfish!
Privatize CBU and the rest will be history. When people pay for things out of pocket they take more responsibility.
Ati Ba president really? I even feel lazy to say anything.
HH shut up. Wishing thinking. Who are you to demand opening of CBU. Let the chaps learn it the hard way. PF don’t open until the chaps suffer no more.
Henry you got brains of a chicken
Luchembe you are right. Alteratively, withdraw the burssary of any guilty rioting students and let them meet their own expenses.
The unfortunate thing is that no one is listening to your barking
Trib.al Hacks: “..We (when in Government), will also be able to pay students descent meal allowances to help them buy books and be able to have enough food in order for them to be in a learning mode”.
Learning mode? That is where Trib.al Hacks fails to connect with people, who told him that the CBU students want to read those books? If they wanted to read they would have been reading instead of rioting!! Atase trib.al uyu!!
Iwe Trib.al Hacks, why can’t you listen kanshi? Or even read the newspapers? Hon Prof Nkandu Luo has told you in very clear terms that she will only open CBU when security is improved. Who are you to argue useless.ly? You are just a trib.al as compared to the Professor, so I say shut up please, you sound like a broken record!
And I am there is some latest news on the Zambian political scene, that you can comment on, including explaining what has happened to the opposition alliance. Why, are you trying to make us forget your shameless embarrassment?
In Zambia we politicize education ,economy ,healthcare (cholera and medical evacuation of prominent persons) ,transportation systems and everything in between.That’s very sad.
Just open the university you so called government. Even if you don’t value education, just do it for the sake of many poor students wishing to make it like you did. Lungu and Luo wouldn’t be where there are if it wasn’t for these state-owned universities now they want to destroy them maybe a little clobbering might do the trick. That’s the problem with these presidents we pick up from nowhere like Chiluba, they became pompous and want to rule forever which destroying a beautiful country like ours.
Fire Big-headed Luo and the spell she has cast on CBU and ECL will be gone! Luo is a very mean person! She denied her subordinates UK scholarships when she was heading the Microbiology Department at UTH and this is the chap who wants our children to be graduating with Nkongole. Poor thinking! Zambia has a lot of money which gets looted every now and then. Once you channel resources into Education, you get a well-informed healthy nation! Your MOH budget would be much smaller if we invested in education! In Economics, you need to understand how these sectors interrelate money wise or you will be doing chipantepante all the time! Open CBU now and fire that Monster!
UPND’s illegal activities at UNZA and CBU will soon come to an end. Tonga zealots have heavily politicized these institutions. We are not going to allow Tonga hegemony. It’s laughable for a heartless person like Hichilema to make such calls when he knows that he’s part of the cause of confusion. God didn’t bless you with stolen wealth to sponsor violence. Next time Edgar locks you up I won’t say anything because you deserve to be in prison. The other foool is Nkandu Luo, her greed for money also adds to the problem. As long as Nkandu and Naison Ngoma continue to undermine lecturers there will always be trouble at these schools. Take back the authority to the Deans as has always been the case. You can’t be clever all the time.
Did Ecl ever educate one of his children to high education level before he became a president!
Kayaaaa, which one could it be?
Open CBU instead of looting the CCTV project. That 10million should have gone to lecturers salaries instead which now they want to share amongst themselves. What a shameless government.