Open maintenance accounts, varsities, colleges told

ALL public universities and colleges in Zambia have been directed to open separate bank accounts to be used specifically for maintenance to enhance accountability, Minister of Higher Education Nkandu Luo has said.

The minister gave the directive following complaints reaching her office regarding the lack of maintenance and sporting activities for students at learning institutions.

Prof Luo said it had therefore become critical that money collected for maintenance, sports and union activities be banked separately so that in the absence of these activities, institutions could explain what had they had done with a particular budget line.

She said from now onwards there was no need for institutions to have one bank account where all fees were deposited.

The minister made the directive when she visited Kitwe Trades Training Institute.

She said the situation in most learning institutions was bad, noting that hostels and workshops were still in a dilapidated state.

“Maintenance fees are supposed to go towards the maintenance of the institutions but that has not been the case and as a result students are subjected to learning in classrooms with broken doors and window panes, cracked floors, broken chairs.

“It is extremely unfair and irresponsible to subject students to such kind of learning environment when each year students pay something towards maintenance to their respective institutions,” she said.