Editors PickNational News

Cashgate delays fisheries students graduation

President Joyce Banda
President Joyce Banda

The future of 20 students from College of Fisheries in Mangochi is in limbo as they are yet to graduate.

The Department of Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is also failing to give them jobs.

Director of Fisheries Alexander Bulirani said this in response to threats to seek political intervention if the department fails to hold the graduation and give them jobs by the end of March.

The students were trained in fisheries management from September 2011 to July 2013 but since the release of examination results on August 25 2013, there has been no communication from the Department of Fisheries concerning the date of graduation and posting. The students only filled forms for the impending jobs.

But Bulirani said: “It’s true the graduation and posting have delayed. This is so because cashgate [looting of public funds] has greatly affected our department. there is no funding for the graduation and jobs of these former students.

“When we are recruiting the students for the training, we already have jobs for them; hence by now they were supposed to be given jobs but we have no funding.”

He said the minister already signed the certificates, but the problem is lack of funding following cashgate.

The students described the two years they have been in class as wasted if they continue to stay at home without jobs.

“We have finished our two-year training, but both the college administration and the Department of Fisheries are not telling us the way forward. It is not wrong to conclude that the years we have been in class are useless.

“We have agreed to meet top authorities in government if the department of fisheries fails to hold graduation and give us jobs by end of March,” said the student.

Bulirani expressed hope that the graduation and posting will happen before June.

“My commitment is that anytime soon before June the graduation and posting should be done. We are just waiting for funding,” said Bulirani.

At least 28 students were shortlisted for the training but only 25 reported for classes and in the process five droppedout for their own reasons bringing the number to 20.

Related Articles

3 Comments

Back to top button