KITWE District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu has appealed to the Ministry of Higher Education to summon a contractor who built hostels at Mukuba University for alleged poor workmanship. In 2007, Government had engaged China Jiangxi to build the hostels and additional classroom blocks at K74 million and they were recently commissioned by President Lungu.

Speaking at the fifth graduation ceremony for the institution on Friday, Mr Mpundu said there is need for the contractor to re-do the works because defects are still within the warranty period. “I am appealing to the Ministry of Higher Education to bring back the contractor that was working on student hostels due to poor workmanship,” he said.

Mr Mpundu said the poor workmanship is saddening and should not be tolerated. He said Government values access to quality education and that it will not allow anyone to frustrate its efforts to improve the delivery of education services to the people. Mr Mpundu also said President Lungu’s decision to extend the school land up to the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway will enable the institution to build more facilities.

He also challenged management at the university to be innovative so that it can financially sustain its operations. CBU chancellor Muyunda Mwanalushi said there is need for the education curriculum to be re-visited so that students can be trained in skills and entrepreneurship development. Professor Mwanalushi said this will enable graduating students to create employment through establishment of businesses other than waiting for Government to employ them.

CBU vice chancellor Naison Ngoma said it has been decided that the two-storey classroom blocks be turned into laboratories to help address the shortage of laboratory facilities’ at the institution. Professor Ngoma also said that the institution is planning to offer diploma, undergraduate, Masters and PHD programmes by 2020