UDSM academic staff query arrears pay list

Dar es Salaam. After Tanzania President John Magufuli recently pledged to allocate at least Sh200 billion for clearing arrears owed by the government to public servants, a list of public servants who will be the first to be paid their dues has been released.

However, only 33 out of over 1,000 lecturers at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) appear on the list.

Speaking to The Citizen in the city yesterday, the chairman of the UDSM Academic Staff Assembly (Udasa), Mr George Kahango, revealed that he was leaving for the national capital Dodoma today where he plans to hold talks with public service officials. This is in efforts to resolve various outstanding matters relating to the welfare and other issues affecting public servants.

Mr Kahango said this shortly after he had addressed over 50 Udasa members – mainly lecturers – who had gathered outside the university’s Nkrumah Hall yesterday to share their views in seeking solutions to their problems, including especially the outstanding payment arrears.

“It is true that, for over two years now, the government has not cleared outstanding payments that include housing, supervision and internal allowances, as well as salary arrears – and also resolve other issues, including promotions, to mention only a few,” the Udasa chairman explained.

He added: “Therefore, tomorrow (today), I will travel to Dodoma to hold talks with the relevant authorities and discuss ways and means of resolving the matter. I will provide further details when I come back from Dodoma.”

Earlier during the meeting, one UDSM lecturer who spoke on condition of anonymity raised concerns regarding the Administration Office of the UDSM Deputy Vice-Chancellor, saying that “the Office was not conducting its responsibilities well, thus prompting a series of inconsistencies.

“All this is happening just because someone isn’t doing their duty diligently; this is unacceptable. I have not been paid my supervision allowance for over three years now. I need that money to pay school fees for my children,” he said – adding: “I don’t see the point in you guys travelling to Dodoma while the cause of the problem is here at the University.”

Another lecturer – who also pleaded for anonymity – called upon the UDSM administration to conduct thorough verification of the arrears data before submitting them to the relevant authorities in Dodoma.