Lungu Commissions UNZA’s Newly Completed Teaching And Learning Complex
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has commissioned UNZA’s newly completed teaching and learning complex housing two lecture theatres with a cumulative sitting capacity of 700 students.
“I am delighted to officiate at the Commissioning of the University of Zambia Teaching and Learning Complex. I am delighted because a project of this magnitude has been funded through internally generated resources,” he said.
President Lungu says the Complex has been built from revenue realized through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the University of Zambia and Graduare Properties Limited.
“I have been following very closely the execution of this project. My Government is encouraged by the effort that the University of Zambia has been making to improve its internal revenue generation capacity through this PPP,” President Lungu said.
The Head of State says Government is in a hurry to deliver development to the people and the education of citizens, in particular, is key in transforming the lives and livelihoods of our people.
He has since urged all who are in service in Government and those who want to do business with Government, to do so in public interest as this is the only way this nation will develop for the good of everyone.
“It is the desire of the Patriotic Front Government to ensure that all public universities continue to operate in a financially sustainable manner. To this effect, my Government will continue supporting all efforts by public universities to ensure that they achieve financial sustainability,” President Lungu said.
And the Head of State says he is aware that the University of Zambia, just like the other public universities, has been facing serious challenges in providing adequate accommodation for its students.
He says Government has not slackened in its effort to complete construction of student’s accommodation at all the public universities.
“But while government is making this effort, I direct the University of Zambia administration to do an inventory on people residing in university accommodation and whether all of them are students. Further, the university administration must investigate whether all the monies paid by students for accommodation reach the university accounts,” President Lungu said.
He says pure students should not be disadvantaged by non learners.
“I have been made to make this call because I have received disturbing reports that while genuine students, especially first years, are grappling with accommodation, many of them living in private homes, there are some former students still occupying university accommodation. I, also, have received reports that some students and even former students are renting out accommodation to students who have nowhere to stay. This cannot be allowed to continue. It must be stopped because it borders on criminality. Students are here to learn and not to become landlords. Accommodation belongs to the university and the administration should be the ones to allocate accommodation to students and receive accommodation fees,” President Lungu said.
The higher education sector must respond to the changing dynamics in education. I challenge the University of Zambia and other public universities to provide leadership in the transformation of the higher education sector within the focus areas of quality, relevance, access, participation, equity and inclusiveness,” He said.
The Republican President says he is desirous to see safe and secure tertiary education institutions.
“To this end, I am delighted to announce that through the road de-congestion project, government has provided Eleven Million Kwacha to fence off and secure the University of Zambia.
He has praised cooperating partners for the contributions they are making towards the advancement of education in Zambia.
“Please continue providing all the support and working with government because this is the only sure way we shall address the needs of our learners,” the President said.
This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times