Members of the Public Accounts Committee last week advised a change in the board of directors at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre.The advice came as parliamentarians quizzed officials at the centre over management flaws revealed by the Auditor-General’s report for the Financial Year 2013/14.

These failures led to mistakes such as overstocking of medicines, poor reporting in financial statements of medicines in the RBC’s medical stores, purchase of substandard drugs, expiry of quality drugs, and the purchase of substandard mosquito nets. The mistakes allegedly happened because there was a lack of an effective Board of Directors.

Dr Usta Kayitesi, the vice chairperson of the RBC Board of Directors, said that two more members are needed to make the board serve to its capacity.

Away from that, Kigali police confirmed the death of five miners after suffocating in a mining cave in Burera District. Dismas Rutaganira, the Northern Province regional Police chief, said the incident occurred last Tuesday at the new Bugarama Mining Company. He said initially two miners went missing and their colleagues went searching only to suffocate from there.

The deceased were identified as Emmanuel Semirombero, 41, Jean Claude Munyembaraga, 30, JMV Nshimiyimana, 23, Peter Ryabonyende, 29, and Niyonsaba Ethiene, 20.

Their bodies were taken to Ruhengeri Hospital for autopsy before they were laid to rest.

The miners suffocated as they went working in the night and as police continues to carry out investigations, the mine has been closed temporarily.

Meanwhile students in Kirehe District have been urged to desist from abuse and sale of narcotic drugs and instead concentrate on their education and development activities that propel their communities.

The message was delivered by the District Community Liaison Officer of Kirehe, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Gahigi Harelimana, during an ongoing sensitisation campaign for students in the region, held at Nasho Parents School.

The awareness campaign was also attended by local leaders and residents of Kirehe.

AIP Gahigi challenged students to be exemplary and be agents of change both in their schools and communities by denouncing the use of narcotics and working with authorities to report drug dealers who especially target the youth and students in particular.

In other news, public was challenged to keep supporting vulnerable people in emergencies especially adolescent girls and women. This call was made at a function to mark the World Population Day in Kigali.

Lamin Manneh, Rwanda’s UN resident coordinator said that since the end of world war women get displaced but particularly the vulnerable adolescent girls hence a lot of effort is needed to support them.