DEFIANCE! Makerere students vow to forcefully open campus tomorrow

The Ivory Tower has yet raised its trunk to spray fire back at the University council for closing the institution. While meeting with different student delegates in the Main Hall, Jothan Burobuto, the head of the Care Taker government declared the University open starting tomorrow the 13th of August 2016.

With several GRC’S, College presidents, hall chairpersons, association presidents, school executives and the two embattled guild aspirants (Roy Semboga and Bazil Mwotta), they have today reached a consensus of re-opening the university tomorrow [Saturday] contradicting with the order that was lately issued to close it until further notice.

Most of these pissed-off delegates say they have given enough support to the non-teaching staff but are not ready to go on with the current closure. They have agreed to report back tomorrow especially at the halls of residence. Then on Monday, they will launch a fully fledged #RedMonday at Freedom square where they will storm their respective lecture rooms with the belief that the lecturers are ready to teach them.

Mr.Vicent Abigaba the General Secretary of the Senior Staff Association, represented the non-teaching staff and he had this to say;

“All we need is enhancement to the tone of our counterparts. We have received varying enhancements some 8%, others 10% or 17% and this was not part of the deal that the President stroke with us.”

It’s also alleged that as all other public universities are meant to be on strike, some are not, for example Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) where the staff was renumerated with the 100% enhancement as planned.

Most GRCs who include Silver Walugembe (CIT), Frank Ssentau (CEDAT) and many others have pledged their allegiance to making sure that academic business in their respective schools start on Monday.

For halls, the wardens were not present to have their say, however, the students said that they are reporting there tomorrow whether the wardens open or not. Obara, the strike manager at Lumumba Hall boldly told everyone of how they expect normal services tomorrow at the hall starting with breakfast as the residents are not ready to starve.

Samuel Mugisha aka Falcao was so out of place with the situation as he said if the government can bail out broke tycoons then why not facilitate its own staff.

With the support of the LC V Councilor Doreen Nyanjura, Jothan Burobuto concluded that campus is to be open tomorrow, and on #RedMonday if the non teaching staff doesn’t resume back to work, a demonstration will be staged against the Government’s lack of concern and priority in the education system.

The non-teaching staff has however been cautioned for not using the chance, time and support the students gave to them. They should not, the students warn, dare intervene when the students handle the matters themselves, they should also not dare call them for support once again or even lay down their tools again in October as planned for they won’t be ready to welcome the result of this “bad and failed relationship.”