A note from the Forum e-mailed to Nyasa Times said the group which
comprises some university teaching staff opposed to the idea of
conferring the degree to a chancellor of the university.
Due to money exchanging hands amongst lectures and promise for
political positions including ruling party parliamentary candidature,
the honorary degree was conferred on President Mutharika, reads the
note.
It claimed over K5 million was released by President Mutharika as a sweetener to the University staff to influence events.
The honorary degree is a recognition for nothing. It was a pure work
of gratification in exchange for recognition and the President was
trying to validate his dubious PhD, Forum for New Direction said
accusing Mutharika of not making any meaningful development in the
north.
Forum claims add weight to accusations made recently by Alliance for
Democracy (Aford)that Mzuni should not have conferred the degree of law
on Mutharika because the President has been a habitual violator of the
Constitution.
An honorary law degree is given to someone who respects the rule of
law. But the President has been violating it since he took office.
The main responsibility of the President is to protect and safeguard
the Constitution which he vowed to uphold when he took office in 2004.
Does it mean that Mzuzu University has honored him with a doctorate
degree of law for raping the Constitution? Aford national chairman
Enock Chihana told The Nation.
Political analyst Pofela Nyekanyeka said Mzuni has awarded honorary
degrees before during the tenure of Dr Bakili Muluzi and felt the
awards as political patronage.
But UDF, the party which Muluzi heads denied that the former president
received a honouray degree from any of the local university.Dr Muluzi
was approached by Professor David Rubadiri and Professor Mwanza to
confer him an honorary degree but he refused saying he cannot receive
an honourary degree as a chancellor, said UDF secretary general
Kennedy Makwangwala.
So get it right, Dr Muluzi did not receive an honorary degree from a
local university. He received six degrees from Britain, US and China.
Late Chakufwa Chihana and former first lady Dr Shanil Muluzi received
honorary degrees from local university, said Makwangwala.
The former first lady received the honorary degree for her social work
for contributing in the alleviation of suffering and promoting noble
role of girl child through her Freedom Foundation Trust outside
government framework, he said.
Makwangwala said it is not the same to compare with Mutharika.Forum for
New Direction said:The northern region has been greatly neglected in
the past four years. There is no infrastructural development worth
noting. Virtually there is no project initiated by Mutharika
government.
Nyekanyeka nonetheless said there is smoke in allegations of bribery
by President Mutharika.President Mutharika seems to be permanently
wedded to bribery as a way of winning support. He did it in giving
money to William Chizaso Chinula to withdraw primary elections against
Professor Peter Mwanza in Mzuzu City. Mind that Prof Mwanza is former
vice chancellor of Mzuni, he noted.
Mutharika seems to be a habitual briber who did not deserve such a highest honour by the univeristy, said Nyekanyeka.
State House Press Officer Chikumbutso Mtumodzi accused all questioning
the decision by Mzuzu University to be guilty of malice and personal
vendetta.
Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Landson Mhango said the
award was conferred on Mutharika in recognition of his achievement in
social and economic development of the nation.
But Citizens Committee on Democracy (CCD) described the honorary degree
as politically-motivated action and said it should be cause for concern
to Malawians and the international community because Mzuzu University
has ignored the serious constitutional violations committed by the
President and other forms of misrule.
The democracy advocates said the main victims of President Mutharika's
misrule will nevertheless be northerners just like they were the main
victims under Kamuzu Banda.
The north cannot afford to be at odds with the others, particularly on
the question of the multiparty system of government which is under
threat from President Mutharika.
Indeed, Mzuzu University was expected to encourage the President to
allow for the Parliament to settle section 65 and other matters so that
the next government should not adopt a flawed system under the law of
common practice, said the statement from CCD.
President Mutharika has proven that he will not tolerate dissent. He
condones human rights abuses. The President has the blood of retired
Livingstonia Synod Rev. Chande Mhone on his hands, said the
statement.
Josh Ashaz
Post published in: Uncategorized