Mayor defends director over ethnic ideology

EASTERN PROVINCE NGOMA — The district mayor François Niyotwagira has dismissed reports by students of Kibungo Institute of Nursing and Midwifery alleging that their deputy director Assouman Kiiza, promotes ethnic and genocide ideology. He said that the students used the issue of Genocide and ethnic ideology to taint Kiiza with hatred. The students petitioned the Ministry of Education accusing Kiiza of ethnic and genocide ideology in a letter dated April 3 2008, The New Times May 11. In the letter, the students allege that Kiiza gave them questionnaires, which required them to ask residents their ethnic groups and political party inclination, during their industrial training. However, the Mayor said, “We have met these students several times but what they tell us is that they don’t want foreigners. This issue of Genocide ideology was raised because we could not change their deputy director who they don’t want,” he said. Kiiza is a Congolese national while the institute director Tang Amos, is a Nigerian. Niyotwagira also dismissed as false claims that Kiiza designed the vocational training questionnaires for students. He said, “These questionnaires came from the Nursing Task Force which operates under the Ministry of Health and the questionnaires were received by all Nursing institutions across the country.” Niyotwagira however, acknowledged the complaint the students raised about some lecturers without enough qualifications teaching at the institute. “Students are not the ones to assess their lecturers. How do they know that what is being taught to them is not true, when they are ignorant of it? The institute started a year ago and we expect such things to happen but with time students will get to know that their aim is to study but not to assess who teaches them.” Asked about Frw1000 charged to students monthly for health insurance, another issues raised by students, the mayor said that a commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the allegations. He explained that a commission from the Ministry of Health will visit the school today (Wednesday) to investigate the matter. The Director Tang said, “What was done was for the good of the students in their vocational training. “There was no any intention to spread this vice. We only thought that it was for their benefit but not as they perceived it.” Ends