JB, University of Malawi silence on graduation worrisome
Allow me to add voice to calls from my fellow Chancellor College Education Class of 2011/2012, whose UNIMA’s contemporaries graduated last year, calling on UNIMA’s Chancellor President Joyce Banda and UNIMA’s Council to come to our rescue over the continued delay of the release of our results, graduation ceremony and postings to secondary schools respectively.
As you may be aware, our class [together with that from Bunda College of Agriculture] were unjustly exempted from last year’s UNIMA graduation ceremony despite our diplomatic efforts to reason with the authorities on the possibility of shifting the ceremony to a later date which would be convenient to all of us as it is under normal circumstances.
Our fears then, as ably reflected in the statement we released on 10th October 2012 titled “Our Stance on the Forth Coming UNIMA Graduation: The Omission of Chanco Education Students on TP [2011/2012]” to various media houses including Nyasa Times, were grounded on the instability of UNIMA calendar which would eventually lead to delays of having our separate graduation ceremony.
However, when all this was brought to the attention of the authorities, UNIMA turned a deaf ear to our concerns and went flat out to publicly declare that we were just wasting our time as our efforts wouldn’t change anything. UNIMA was determined to tramp on our rights under the guise of championing the interests of the majority.
No statement explaining what would happen to the “omitted” groups, that is, when they would hold their separate graduation in view of the sudden change, was released. The graduation went ahead as planned.
Interestingly, in her inaugural speech as UNIMA’s Chancellor President Banda made indirect references to our case by insinuating that we would graduate “soon”.
The Chancellor’s statement rekindled some hope in us on the possibility of having our separate graduation before end- December 2012. With almost 4 months down the line, it appears “the soon” is not coming soon as expected.
Both the Chancellor and UNIMA Council have put a tight lid on their lips, in the process rendering us vulnerable. It is this silence which is gradually vindicating our earlier fears that our graduation may delay and eventually held jointly with the current crop of 2012/2013 towards the end of this year or even after the general elections in 2014.
It is in this regard that we humbly request our esteemed Chancellor Her Excellency President Joyce Banda and UNIMA Council to urgently intervene on the above raised grievances so that we our results and postings are released and effected very soon” and that we hold our graduation before end March 2013.
*On behalf of concerned Chancellor College Education Class of 2011/2012; Makhumbo R. Munthali: Outgoing Administrative Secretary of Chancellor College Education Class of 2011/2012
