Chakwera defends decision to accept Luanar chancellorship: Urges graduating students to be innovative.
President Lazarus Chakwera has defended his decision to accept the position of chancellorship at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) after he earlier criticised presidents becoming chancellor’s of public universities.
Speaking in Lilongwe during the graduation of students from Luanar, Chakwera said his acceptance to be chancellor of public universities may seem in contradiction with his sentiments against the tradition.
He said:”To some, my acceptance of this Chancellorship may seem a contradiction, in view of my past remarks against the anachronistic notion of having the Head of State serve as Chancellor for all the public Universities. However, my remarks calling for a review of this practice were a statement of intent.”
Chakwera said he has to accept it now until the law is changed.
“I have told the Ministry of Education to work on the Act that bound Heads of State to be chancellor of universities, repeal and replace it the current act as a way of rectifying the anomaly,” he said.
The President said it is his expectation that the Minister of Education, is developing a harmonized Universities Act.
He said until that time, he will continue to comply with the law.
Historically, Presidents have been ceremonial heads of public universities.
The Unima Act of 1998 in Section 13(23) states that the Chancellor of the university will be the Head of State while Section 13 (3) also gives powers to the President to appoint another person as Chancellor in consultation with the University Council.
Chakwera said is not stranger in academic circles since he passed up through to professorship.
“I am sure you are aware that I am no stranger to academia, having once passed through its hallowed halls as both a student and a professor. What I am a stranger to is the age of pandemic we live in and its creation of such novelties as this commencement,” he said.
Chakwera said in view of Covid-19 pandemic, the time has come to make sure that the education system produces a new kind, capable of anticipating tomorrow’s struggles.
He said as a nation, without the skill of solving tomorrow problems, the country will never be able to address such challenges.
The Chancellor challenged the graduating students to do what they learnt.
” As experts in various aspects of managing our agriculture and natural resources, we are right to have high expectations of you to make your contribution to ending the cycle of hunger that has ravaged this country for decades. Not only can you do this, but you must. It is of no value to earn a distinction or doctorate in food production if it does not result in food production,” he said.
Professor Zachary Kasomekera, Chairperson of Luanar council, said the council will work with the government towards the mission to make Luanar a world class university.
Kasomekera said the council will strive to produce innovative and mindset changed students that will help in development of the country.
Inadequate funding to loans board to assist students to complete their studies and the dire need for construction and maintenance of infrastructure are some of the challenges the university is facing.
He said maintenance and construction projects are very critical to Luanar as the campuses are in remote areas and there is need to provide accommodation to students.
Luanar, which is one of the country’s four functional public universities, conferring the honour on the President at its graduation ceremony at Bingu International Convention Centre (Bicc) in Lilongwe, where Chakwera presented certificates, diplomas and degrees at Luanar’s Fourth Congregation.
Besides Luanar, other public universities are Mzuzu University, Malawi University of Science and Technology and the University of Malawi (Unima), the oldest with four constituent colleges—Chancellor College, The Polytechnic, College of Medicine (CoM) and Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN).
The Polytechnic is set to be delinked to be a standalone university as are CoM and KCN which will also merge into one university.
Inkosi M’mbelwa University in Mzimba, formerly Mombera University, is another upcoming tertiary education institution initiated during the administration of Democratic Progressive Party.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Now we have the most corrupt and the most inconsistent reverend. Chakwera is inconsistent in both words and deeds. He promises one thing, he does the very opposite. But we are watching you abusa.
when he was making those stupid statements he knew the chancellorship was guided by law and now he wants to hide and bring such useless excuses.
Abwanawotu amuyang’ana mwana mkwazi, moti nayenso mkwaziyo wazindikira kuti a dad akundiyang’ana mpaka timanyazi ee. Onnai chithunzicho ngati ndikunama.
You lose nothing from being Chancellor of the Public Universities. The new Chancellor would demand a hefty salary and a Toyota Land Cruiser V8. You know how greedy we are. Our MPs are greedy. Civil Servants are greedy. Prophets and Pastors are greedy. Look carefully into this.
Shortly in the country we shall have universities like those that are in Nigeria. At times one would think its a guerrilla make-shift camp. No wonder in developed countries most of the qualifications from third world countries are not recognised due to the standards, whereby the whole uni depends on a few text books from a tiny, unkempt library; talk of computers – that is a luxury. A student graduates without knowing how to use a mere computer. Instead leaders are happy and proud only to be christened as Vice Chancellors. With the poverty we are experiencing, Malawi could do… Read more »
Chakwera has proven to be unprincipled and a shameful lier. He actually is taking Malawi as personal estate whereby he chooses what to do regardless of who is watching. But the beauty with democracy is that you normally reap whatever you’re sowing after a certain period. Signs are that the pastor just came in to enrich himself and his relatives. He tried as much as possible to create an unnecessary trips in order to get allowances. Unfortunately, from the same trips he came back with a backlog of unprecedented ‘Foreign Affairs’ garbage, all in the name of Bushiri’s finances. Usiwa… Read more »
Chakwera is stinking backtracks without shame my foot!
Mr Talk Talk, mwayamba kusintha?
The biggest crook. Indeed this man fell from the hand of God and he is of this world..he does not live his words. It all started with appointments. Party cronies, relatives and friends. Then foreign trip where he took with him chartered planes full of gulewankulu dancers, relatives, handclappers. He said he will reduce powers yet none has been reduced instead he has added more and now he is chancellor and without shame says he will wait until the law is changed. This man called Chakwera is a complete misfit. I suppose chilima was suppose to have been president not… Read more »
Is he related to Bushiri
This guy is a hypocrite. Mr Talk, Talk, Talk. I was happy when you promised to end this stupid practice. Your so called statement of intent should have preceded your action. It’s only in Malawi where you see a head of state being a chancellor of public universities. This obviously affects the university’s autonomy and management.
this one loves to speak with a forked tongue. I for one can never take him seriously.Power corrupts even the reverends