Higher Education Permanent Secretary Mabvuto Sakala says government will not going to be dismissing people simply because others have said so.

On Tuesday, hundreds of CBU workers and lecturers locked up Prof Ngoma in his office as they sung songs of disapproval of his leadership.

But in an interview with News Diggers, Friday, Sakala said government had no issues with Prof Ngoma.

“For us as a ministry we have no problem with the vice chancellor and we have not had any representation from the union. We are not going to be dismissing people just because people have said ‘this one should step down’. There are procedures that are followed and we have not had any representation on why they want the vice chancellor to resign and they have not followed the right channels, if anything. So we don’t know what the issue is all about. For us we don’t have any issue with the vice chancellor and his performance,” Sakala said.

He said President Edgar Lungu would have resigned a long time ago if calls to step down were followed.

“That vice chancellor is appointed following certain procedures, even his removal from office is following certain procedures, not because people are dancing and chanting and whatever no, otherwise even the President of the Republic would resign. How many people say no Lungu must go? But its the electorates which voted him into power. So its only the people through the relevant institutions maybe parliament can recall the President. So it is the same with all these institutions, people are appointed following certain procedures and they can only be removed following certain procedures,” he said.

He emphasised that the ministry had not received any submission from the union or the academic staff requesting for Prof Ngoma to be fired.

“Basically, what we are saying is we have not had any submissions from the union or academic staff on the removal of the vice chancellor but you must understand that, that conduct is unacceptable to government because there are channels in which grievances are suppose to be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities. So you cant go and start locking someone in office, that action according to government is unacceptable. And that is why you have unions in every institution of higher learning so that they can liase with management to address their challenges. For now the relevant disciplinary procedures will be undertaken to address that issue,” said Sakala.

During their protest, CBU workers said they had suffered enough under Prof Ngoma’s leadership.

They also accused Prof Ngoma of dictatorial tendencies in his style of leadership which they said had affected operations of the institution.

But Prof Ngoma, who had to be whisked away by police, complained that the workers had not given dialogue a chance.