{UAH} Makerere expels PhD student over irregular admission
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10:27 AM |
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Makerere University Institute of Social Research (MISR) has thrown out social media critic Vincent Nuwagaba, saying he was irregularly admitted for a PhD programme.
Nuwagaba is one of the seven students who enrolled for the 2016/2017 academic year Interdisciplinary Masters of Philosophy/PhD programme.
However, in an April 03 letter authored by Dr Okello Ogwang, the Makerere University deputy vice chancellor in-charge of Academic Affairs, the institute says that while reviewing PhD admissions, the board of research and graduate training found that Nuwagaba didn't apply for the programme.
"The board agreed that; you were not a university student since you never registered with the university. The university therefore had no obligation towards your demands," reads the letter addressed to Nuwagaba.
At least 69 candidates applied for admission at MISR for studies under the thematic areas of Cultural Studies, Political Studies, Political Economy and Historical Studies.
After a rigorous process, seven students were recommended for admission including Nuwagaba. MISR has been running a multidisciplinary PhD programme in Social Studies specializing in areas of Political Studies, Political Economy, Historical studies and Cultural Studies since 2011. The programme is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) based in Canada.
It is aimed at creating a pool of scholars in the third world countries to provide solutions to problems within their societies. Trouble for Nuwagaba started when he appeared among the shortlisted candidates for admission without reportedly applying for the programmme.
On September 16, the acting MISR director, Dr Florence Ebila, wrote to Prof Edward Kirumira, the principal College of Humanities and Social Science (CHUSS) forwarding the list of candidates for the 2017 scholarship offer.
Also attached were the detailed minutes showing how MISR arrived at the list of the candidates at its sixth Higher Degrees Committee meeting held on August 12, 2016. In the CHUSS academic board meeting held on October 20, Dr Ebila presented the list of applicants who had been admitted and asked the College board to approve them.
The board declined to endorse the admissions after members raised queries on Nuwagaba's admission. They explained that Nuwagaba, who was number three on the list and was highly recommended for the intake, had lost his fellowship at MISR due to mental health related issues he developed in November 2014.
In September 2014, Nuwagaba posted an open lengthy letter to Professor Mahmood Mamdani, the MISR director on his facebook page, accusing the MISR leadership and Prof Mamdani in particular of running down MISR and targeting critical voices at the institute.
"The PhD administrator together with the librarian who occupies offices they are abusing body and soul I knew that I was too truthful to be subservient and started harassing me and ultimately subjected me to the most shameless, egregious, unforgivable torture and de-humanization. He used (read misused and abused) the powers he had to tie me with ropes and dumped me in Butabika mental hospital where he connived with the staff of the hospital to subject me to injections, which I am sure would kill me had I not survived by the grace of God," Nuwagaba wrote.
It is this fight pitting Nuwagaba on one side and MISR and Prof Mamdani on the other, which alerted the College Board to halt his admission. The board had insisted that there was need for MISR to address the issue of Nuwagaba's health before awarding him a fellowship to undertake doctoral studies.
Nuwagaba was tasked to avail MISR with medical clearance letters from Butabika and Makerere University Hospital as well. Nuwagaba declined to present the medical clearance from Butabika national referral mental hospital insisting he was a registered student at MISR. Nuwagaba claims on April 15, 2008 he was forcefully taken to Butabika mental hospital, by people he called state agents.
He 'escaped' from the hospital on April 24, 2008. He says he is being witch-hunted for his sharp criticism against the government on the provision of social services.
On Tuesday this week, Nuwagaba appeared before Juliet Hatanga, the Law Development Centre (LDC) Grade One Magistrate on charges of malicious damage and grievous harm for allegedly assaulting a staff at the institute. He was remanded to Luzira prison until May 11.
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