Scores of students left in the cold as college fails to open

Scores of students selected to pursue various diploma and degree programmes at Nalikule College of Education in Lilongwe are stranded following government’s failure to open the institution due to water problem.

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) spokesperson Lindiwe Chide confirmed in an interview yesterday, saying Central Region Water Board (CRWB) was yet to connect the college.

She said: “The opening of the college was indeed delayed because there was no water facility. CRWB is currently working on installing water at the college; and, we expect that the institution should be opening this month [January].”

However, Chide could not disclose the number of students selected to the college, saying, “The one in custody of that information is not answering my calls so that I can give you that [information]”.

But CRWB spokesperson Zephelino Mitumba said he did not have much information regarding the project because “CRWB was just contracted to do the project”.

“Nalikule does not fall under our area of operation. We were simply contracted for this project. So, I don’t have much information regarding the progress we have made on it,” said Mitumba.

The Japanese government, through Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica), provided financial as well as technical support worth 1.3 billion Japanese yen (about K8.5 billion) towards construction of the modern college and Nalikule Community Day Demonstration Secondary School.

The institution is located at a site which was initially earmarked for Lilongwe University of Science and Technology (Lustech), now at Ndata Farm under the name Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must).

Jica Malawi programme officer Michael Malewezi told The Nation in an earlier interview that the college has a student capacity of 720. n