Public university lecturers have vowed not to open for semester two next year in January unless the presidential directive to effect a salary enhancement for professors is implemented.
The decision was reached during a meeting of the Forum for Academic Staff of Public Universities in Uganda (FASPU) held at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Council Room on Wednesday.
The staff led by Rev Dr Grace Lubaale, the FASPU chairperson during the meeting hailed President Museveni for his commitment and directives in support of the enhancement of academic staff salary to a tune of Shs 15million for a professor.
“In our last meeting with the president at State House Entebbe on 13th August 2019, he affirmed to us that he will handle the matter expeditiously. This was followed by a directive in writing dated 30th September 2019 to the minister of Public Service to immediately effect payment as above,” says Rev Dr Lubaale.
The staff have also called on the concerned line ministries and Technocrats of the ministries of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and Public Service to implement the presidential directive.
A professor in a public university in Uganda currently earns between Shs 9.5 million and Shs 10 million. The staff say despite Museveni’s directive on September 30, the staff have not seen any increment to the effect on their accounts.
The staff leaders had also gathered to select the new leadership of the pressure group but they failed due to lack of quorum. This was after the expiry of the term of office of Dr Lubaale who had hoped to hand over office.
Dr Robert Ojambo, a senior lecturer at Kyambogo University and one of the members attending the meeting said they could not proceed with the elections of new leaders because majority chairpersons of academic staff associations in public universities had not turned up for the meeting.
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