M7 put on notice over Makerere Chancellor search irregularities

A Makerere University alumnus has asked President Museveni not to assent to the University Council’s recommendation to appoint Professor William Bazeyo Chancellor.

The Chancellor is the titular head of the University. He presides at all ceremonial assemblies of the University and in this name, confers degrees and other academic titles and distinctions. The Chancellor is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the University Council.

In December, Makerere University initiated the search for a new Chancellor to replace Professor Ezra Suruma after his eight years at the helm of Uganda’s oldest Academic institution.

The University planned to finish the process on time so that the new Chancellor could preside over the 74th graduation, but this did not happen, and Vice-Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe presided instead.

Since then, the University has never pronounced itself on any development regarding the process.

However, the University Council has since nominated Professor William Bazeyo, a former Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration, and Engineer Charles Wana Etyem, former University Council Chairperson.

Their names were sent to the President.

Former Agriculture minister Victoria Ssekitoleko and former vice chancellor of Gulu University Prof Jack Pen-Mogi Nyeko were dropped by the Search Committee.

PROTESTS

A former student has now come out to protest Bazeyo’s nomination on grounds that he holds a questionable PhD and hence his appointment will be a mockery to the 100-year-old institution that should be instead setting academic standards.

In a letter to the President written by Sam Ninsiima, which this publication has seen, the President has been told to reject the University Council’s recommendation to appoint Bazeyo.

Ninsiima accuses the University council of prioritizing their interests by proposing Bazeyo to the detriment of the broader University community.

“Your Excellence, kindly allow me to inform you of the undeserved selection of Mr. William Bazeyo for Chancellorship and the syndicate associated with the appointment of leaders at Makerere University. What used to be a merit-based system has been replaced with manipulation and interests of individuals in the Council motivated by power and money. The key question to ponder is what is the future of Education under the National Resistance Movement?” he asked.

Ninsiima alleges that Professor Bazeyo has already been implicated in holding a questionable Ph.D. and questioned how such a person would issue legitimate degrees to students.

“How can someone with questionable/fake academic documents be shortlisted while two candidates with credible academic records and who have served the nation with distinction are dropped?” Ninsiima asked.

Ninsiima asked the President to reflect on the context he submitted the letter and protect the image of the University.

“The lack of merit in appointments of university leaders has not spared other key administrative positions such as Principals of Colleges and Directors of Institutes. It is now a common practice for individuals that have never headed Departments or even being course co-coordinators to be appointed College Principals or Deputy Principals because they have ‘god fathers’ in the university management. These so-called ‘god fathers’ quite often invoke the name of government officials and the Presidency in particular, claiming that their regrettable actions and impunity have support from the government. Indeed this has led some members of Makerere University community (students and staff) to look at the NRM government (which I cherish and support) in a bad light.”

The petitioner is now proposing that an inquiry into the academic qualifications of Professors and Associate Professors and the general Management at Makerere University be conducted based on the National Council for High Education Statutory Instrument 2010 No.50.

He believes this will save a lot of taxpayers’ money the government is spending on those holding questionable/fake professorship academic positions.

KEY QUESTIONS BY THE PETITIONER

How can someone with questionable academic documents be shortlisted while two candidates with credible academic records and have served the nation with distinction be dropped?
How can a former Minister, and person that has served in high profile international positions, and person that has served as a Vice Chancellor of a Public University be dropped but one that has served as an Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor with a lot of irregularities be shortlisted?
If a person with a Questionable PhD is appointed to be Chancellor, while the current Vice Chancellor’s Professorship is also under question, who will then trust Makerere University’s degrees anymore?
In light of 3 above, will the two appointees have the moral authority to question the appointment of other Professors in the University?
Why has Makerere University degenerated to this level to even allow a person with a counterfeit degree to be a Chancellor and to be the one to award all of Makerere University degrees?
Lastly, having recommended a candidate with questionable academic credentials (Mr. William Bazeyo), can the Makerere University Council still claim to promote, protect and uphold the academic integrity of the University?

“Your Excellence, Makerere University is not only a public University but also the oldest University and hence a national heritage and an umbilical code linking Uganda to the international community that should be setting the standards. For instance H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an International Statesman and President of Turkey was very pleased to be awarded an honorary doctorate of Makerere University in 2016,” concludes the petitioner.

In 2020 Professor Bazeyo, who was the acting Makerere University Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Charge of Finance and Administration, resigned amidst questions about his academic credentials and withdrew his candidature from the ongoing search for the substantive Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Administration).

The professor of occupational medicine and former Dean of the School of Public Health had long been embroiled in a conflict with alumni who questioned the integrity of his qualifications for the position, which he had held as acting for the previous four years.

The petitioners then who included Ninsiima accused Bazeyo of obtaining his Ph.D. from the Hawaii-based Atlantic International University, which isn’t recognized by the United States Department of Education which the National Council for Higher Education (NHCE) concurred with, saying Atlantic International University wasn’t recognized by the council.

A lecturer who preferred anonymity accused the University Council of not protecting the academic integrity of Makerere University.

“It is unfortunate that the University Council is now overshadowed by dealers and can no longer protect the academic integrity of Makerere University anymore. Bazeyo should not have been shortlisted in the first place. How can someone with a fake PhD award genuine Ph.D.s? Where will the learners derive inspiration?” the source asked.

He added ” As soon as recently, he has been running two Makerere University Centers i.e. the Tobacco Centre and Resilient African Network (RAN). This is a glaring conflict of interest. When he applied for the chancellorship, the websites of these centers were edited to remove his name, but we know he is clearly in the background. What happened to academic morality?” alleged the source.

The search committee had set the minimum age of 55 and the maximum age of 75 at the time of nomination, must not be a serving chancellor, vice chancellor, or staff of any academic institution, and must not be a registered student of Uganda.

The job also required someone to be a citizen of Uganda, have at least a bachelor’s degree from a recognized higher institution of learning, and be an eminent person of high integrity and with good public relations.

The Chancellor is the titular head of the University. He presides at all ceremonial assemblies of the University and in this name, confers degrees and other academic titles and distinctions.

WIDER PICTURE

Prof. Bazeyo reportedly obtained his PhD from Hawaii based Atlantic International University which is not accredited by agencies recognized by the United State Department of Education.

And if the institution is not recognized then all degrees and other awards by the same university are regarded as ‘fake’, according to some academicians.

When the matter first arose in 2020, it was forwarded to the National Council for Higher Education for determination which they subsequently did.

On July 29, 2020, Dr. Puis Achanga, the acting director of quality assurance and accreditation at NCHE noted that the University in question was not recognized by the council.

“The purpose of this letter is to inform you that Atlantic International University is not accredited by the US department of education. Awards of Atlantic International University are therefore not recognized by the National Council for Higher Education,” a letter to Makerere University reads in part.

On its official website, AIU admits that it is not accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education. The institution, however, notes that it is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges, and Universities which is an independent UK quality assurance body specializing in the institutional accreditation of education providers worldwide.

AUI goes on to explain how the accreditation factor may affect its potential students advising them to consider how it may affect their interests.

“In some cases, accredited colleges may not accept for transfer courses and degrees completed at unaccredited colleges and some employers may require an accredited degree as a basis for eligibility for employment. Potential students should consider how the above may affect their interests,” the university disclaimer reads in part.

The full petition can be accessed here: Open letter