Arusha: Ilboru headmaster suspended

BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER

The government has suspended Ilboru Secondary School headmaster Jovinus Mutabuzi for alleged harassment, embezzlement of funds and abuse of office that led to student demonstrations to the Arusha Regional Commissioner’s office to push for his removal.Regional Administration and Local Government Deputy Minister (Education) Kassim Majaliwa announced the decision after listening to student complaints during a rally which was held at the school grounds yesterday.

Loma Nteles, who was the Assistant Headmaster, was named the Acting Headmaster of the school.

He directed the Arusha District Executive Director Halfa Hida to assign an auditor to investigate the claims of fund embezzlement against Mutabuzi, saying: “The auditor should among things investigate whether students were provided with fake receipts for some of the payments.”

During his meeting with the students, Majaliwa disclosed that Mutabuzi is accused of disbursing a total of 800m/- which was injected into a Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS) from which teachers and other employees borrowed at an agreed interest rate.

Before addressing the students, Majaliwa toured some of the school premises which were said to be in a bad condition such as the kitchen, dormitories and a toilet which is said to have been built at a cost of 25m/-.

The Deputy Minister who was accompanied by armed police, spent five hours responding to various issues raised by the students.

He also announced a ban to arbitrary contributions, the use of mobile phones by students. He also warned teachers to stop requesting students to send them money through M-Pesa as a punishment.

On Monday this week, angry students from Ilboru Secondary School, carrying banners and chanting slogans marched to the Arusha RC’s office accusing their headmaster of harassing them and denying them freedom of worship.

Ally Simalenga the student government general secretary said that they were demanding immediate removal of their headmaster because when he took over leadership in 2010, he shut down all the places which were used for worship.

Students also complained that they were required to pay 190,000/- in penalty for reporting late after school holidays, but were not given receipts as payments were done through M-PESA.

In this year’s Form Six national examinations, Ilboru secondary school which is for students with special talents, came second out of 212 schools in the region and fifth among 326 national schools, with 64 of its 183 candidates obtaining division one, 75 second division, while 41 obtained third division and three of them fourth division. Nobody failed. The school’s examination centre GPA was 2.7251 according to the data obtained from the national examination council of Tanzania.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (27/09/2012): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=46271