• Ngoma

By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

COPPERBELT University (CBU) Vice-Chancellor Naison Ngoma has remained defiant over calls for him to resign amid a week-long strike by lecturers demanding he leaves the institution.
Professor Ngoma said his fate could only be determined by the appointing authorities.
He said in an interview that the structures of the university had no right to demand his resignation unless the appointing authorities deemed it fit.
Students at the institution have not attended lessons since the start of the strike by the lecturers who have also been pushing for the dissolution of the entire management.
The students’ efforts through a strike action on Monday last week to try and force order at the institution ended fruitless as more than 140 of them ended up in police custody for the illegal action.
“I am not under any obligation to resign based on mere allegations. These allegations must be tested and the institution has got structures that include the University Council and Senate that makes decisions over governance of the institution,” Prof Ngoma said.
“Where is law and order where one makes allegations and insists on what type of punishment to give?”
He said the continued strike by the lecturers was a breakdown of law and order.
CBU Academic Union (CBUAU) general secretary Kawunga Nyirenda yesterday said that lecturers were sticking to their strike, which entered day-nine, until Prof Ngoma resigned.
“We don’t think he can change things or the direction of the university. So for us, we will only get back to lecturing the moment he leaves,” Dr Nyirenda said.
CBU Workers Union (CBUWU), another labour movement at the institution, has joined in mounting pressure on Prof Ngoma by asking him to immediately take leave to allow academic activities to resume.
CBUWU president Humphrey Lungu said in a statement that Prof Ngoma was not helping the situation by clinging on to the position when the lecturers had put it clearly that they would not resume until he resigned.