Maravi

Donations for gifts to Dora annoy Nchelenge teachers

Donations for gifts to Dora annoy Nchelenge teachers
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday, August 16, 2009 3:59:51 PM

TEACHERS in Nchelenge district have expressed displeasure over their District Education Board Secretary’s (DEBS) decision to demand financial contributions from schools to buy gifts for education minister Dora Siliya who is expected to tour government projects in the district.

But Nchelenge DEBS John Kalifungwa could neither deny nor confirm the matter. Teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Kalifungwa went round the schools collecting K100, 000 from each of them for the purpose of buying gifts for Siliya.

“The money was being collected last week on Tuesday without the money being receipted for. The minister was expected on Thursday but the programme has changed, she is coming on Sunday [today]. The figure that is being targeted to be raised is K5 million as a gift to the minister of education,” said a teacher working in Nchelenge.

Another teacher said instructions came from Luapula Province education officer Florence Kanchebele for the DEBS to collect funds that would be given to Siliya as a gift or used to buy a gift that would be presented to her.

“Ms Dora Siliya… will be in Nchelenge on Sunday but the issue is that the DEBS office is going round schools collecting K100, 000 per school in order to raise K5 million to come and give it to Ms Siliya as a gift for her touring of Nchelenge to inspect government projects,” said a Ministry of Education official in Nchelenge.

“Nchelenge has more than 36 basic schools and over 20 community schools. Instructions are coming from Mrs Kanchebele, the PEO in Mansa [the provincial headquarters] for what the DEBS is doing for Ms Siliya.”

Another source complained that this was abuse of public funds in rural schools that are financially handicapped.

“This is plundering of public resources. You can imagine, for rural schools a K100, 000 is substantial,” a civil society official said.

When contacted for comment, Kalifungwa declined to comment on the matter referring the queries to Kanchebele.

“I have no idea. Only the PEO can comment,” said Kalifungwa before cutting the phone line. “Get the information from the people who told you that.”

And Kanchebele confirmed that Siliya was supposed to visit Nchelenge but her programme had been postponed.

“She would have come but that one has been postponed to some other time,” said Kanchebele and immediately cut the phone line.

Labels: CORRUPTION, DEBS, DORA SILIYA, JOHN KALIFUNGWA, TEACHERS

posted by MrK @ 3:01 PM