By Mourice Muhoozi
A ray of confidence in Makerere University was ushered in yesterday when the University committee officially inaugurated the students’ disciplinary committee, charged with the responsibility of handling students’ indiscipline related cases.
The committee was inaugurated by Eng.Dr Charles Wana Etyem in the senior common room, main building. It is a team of eight members, headed by Mr. Precious Ngabirano.
It has original jurisdiction, with the power to recommend the dismissal of a student, remove a students’ leader from office and even order a student to pay for the university damaged property.
While talking to the attendees, Dr. Etyem said that the University has been facing several challenges, including strikes, irresponsible students’ behaviour, students’ harassment by their indisciplined fellows, and so the committee will address such issues.
“Students, you are going to deal with the consequences of misbehaviour if you do not behave well” said Dr.Etyem as he sent a strong message to irresponsible students.
Through his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the university Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe asserted that the committee will deal with the great question of hooliganism among students, who had tarnished the name of the University.
He said that the initiative is a mechanism to extinguish bad elements from the university, so as to protect its image as one of the top universities in the world.
“Students behaviours had become rotten, they had started putting up road blocks, charging money from people, looting other people’s property, and so the committee has been established to curb this lawlessness” remarked prof. Nawangwe while talking to the attendees in the senior common room.
He also added that most people who engage in lawlessness, under the cover of students are not actually those from Makerere, but other town vagabonds, who hide with in students so as to tarnish the name of the University.
Students who were actively engaged in the Busitema scandal were urged to surrender themselves to the committee, or else face serious reprisals. He told the attendees that the hunt for those ill mannered students whose improper conduct led to the expulsion of Makerere from the inter university football league is on, such that they are brought to book and face justice.
The decision to establish a disciplinary committee was hatched by the university council as a result of the deteriorating name of the University, due to persistent strikes and questionable manners of students.
It should of course be noted that Makerere University has been embroiled in a series of strikes, which have affected students’ learning and damaged the reputation of the university its self.
For example, there was a violent strike at the University by the lecturers and students, leading to its closure on November 1st, 2016 by President Yoweri Museveni.
More hurting, student football fans invaded the lecture rooms of Busitema University and ate all the food, before the football match between the two universities commenced.
As a result, Makerere University was expelled from the Inter University football league for a period of two years. Due to this students’ lawlessness, the council hatched a plan to establish a students’ disciplinary committee, which was effected yesterday.
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