Verify varsity dons’ qualifications

Editor,I wish to express my deep concern over a story in yesterday’s issue of The New Times involving a Kenyan lecturer at Umutara Polytechnic University who was recently convicted for using academic transcripts.The department of civil litigation in Attorney General’s office now wants Peter Maweu refund Rwf25million. It is lamentable that some lecturers in our universities have been using forged academic papers to gain employment.Most of these lecturers come from neighbouring countries and some of the universities they purportedly attended do not exist. They come to Rwanda, masquerade as qualified people, yet in actual sense, they are not.It is therefore important for relevant authorities like the police, ministries of Labour or Education look into this matter. Norman ButeeraKayonzaEight months jail is not enough to a man who has ‘poisoned’ our children with fake academic materials. A tougher punishment should be meted out to deter others from committing the same crime in future. There were similar cases at UNILAK, KIE and now Umutara University joins the long list of ‘academic pirates.’ Prof. Geoffrey Rugege of Higher Education Council should get to the bottom of this to arrest the situation.Emma RubundaKigali.

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Verify varsity dons’ qualifications