Unima bemoans political influence

The University of Malawi (Unima) has bemoaned government’s political influence in its operations. Unima’s Vice-Chancellor Emmanuel Fabiano said this yesterday when he presided over the second part of 61st graduation ceremony at the Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe.

Fabiano complained that government usually wants to give instructions to the university directly without passing through the University Council as it is supposed to be.

Fabiano said: “Some government departments give directives to public universities instead of giving advice and guidance through the council.”

But Minister of Education, Science and Technology Luscious Kanyumba, who attended the graduation, told The Nation that it is difficult for government not to interfere with the operations of Unima because the varsity gets funding from government.

“Unima gets funds from government hence it is supposed to get involved in the operations of the university. However, it is indeed important for Unima to be independent. But first of all we should make it financially independent,” said Kanyumba.

At the ceremony, 537 students got bachelor’s degrees while 52 received master’s degrees. Two hundred and eighty-eight graduated from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar), 233 from the Polytechnic, Chancellor College (Chanco) graduated 55 while 13 graduates were from College of Medicine (CoM).

For the first time in the history of law studies at Chanco, one student, 36-year-old Mwabi Mphombo Kaluba, has graduated with a distinction.