Copperbelt University Academic Union (CBUAU) Executive Committee president Dr Derrick Ntalasha says if government insists on keeping Vice-chancellor Prof Naison Ngoma at the institution, it should offer voluntary separation packages and pay off all workers who don’t want him.

Reacting to Higher Education Minister Prof Nkandu Luo who accused the workers of undermining the structure she created at the institution, Dr Ntalasha said no employee would resume work for as long as government did not listen to their demands.

He said the issues raised in the dossier against Prof Ngoma were real.

“Our position still stands, it wont change because we have published that dossier and anyone who wants to verify what we have put across is free to read the dossier. And the content of that dossier is what is happening on the ground. As a union, we still say as long as no action is done according to what we have given, the workers will not work. So that position remains. I don’t know why she (higher education minister Nkandu Luo) qualifies that [dossier against Prof Ngoma] as maligning when the facts are there to be seen. Unless it was a malicious issue, someone would have reacted that way. But there is no malice in our issues. The whole dossier was factual and that dossier is there to speak for itself,” Dr Ntalasha said.

He said the government should place them all on voluntary separation and pay them off should it decide to keep Prof Ngoma.

“So the workers will still continue and will remain on their stance that as long as Professor Ngoma remains at CBU, they will not stop calling for his resignation. And that position won’t change. If they want to keep Professor Ngoma, let them declare a voluntary separation, pay off everybody then they can remain with their Ngoma,” said Dr Ntalasha.