Bavicha’s 7-day ultimatum to govt over loans to students

Dar es Salaam. Chadema youth wing (Bavicha) has “issued a seven-day ultimatum” to the ministry of Education, Science and Technology to clear the controversy surrounding the fate 58000 students who are in dilemma of pursuing their higher education after missing loans.

This was said by Bavicha national chairman Patrobas Katambi yesterday.

Mr Katambi warned that they would partner with parents and leaders of universities’ students organisations to find a solution should the ministry fails to comply with their “directive.”

“This shows that the government is not keen on addressing various facing the education sector, which is the core sector for development all over the world”, he said.

Mr Katambi claimed that the government has paid only Sh4 billion of the Sh60.7 billion it owes the higher learning institutions, something that has left the institutions grappling with various challenges.

The Bavicha leader said several universities and colleges in the country were at risk of shutting down due to financial constraints.

He said some of the learning institutions can not even pay stuff members or clear electricity and water bills.

“President Magufuli should remember his pledge during his presidential campaign last year that education sector would be a priority,” he said.

“Dr Magufuli said he would the funds saved from cost-cutting exercise to give loans to students and support higher education”, Mr Katambi added.

According to him, their research shows that the government spent Sh1.2 billion on internal expenditures in September. He said it could be better for this money to be given to students as loans. He also referred to what the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) governor Benno Ndulu said recently that the country gets about Sh1.4 trillion monthly from revenues.