Dr. Derick Sikua has put the blame on the former Allan Kemakeza government for the huge anomalies of tertiary scholarships highlighted in the auditor general's report.
The special audit report showed that the awarding of tertiary scholarships for the year 2002 to 2006 had some anomalies particularly with the Ministry of Educations Tertiary Scholarships.The Minister for Education, Dr Sikua, said that when he assumed the post of Permanent Secretary to Education in 2003, the national training committee was taken from the Ministry to the Office of Prime Minister.
Dr Sikua said that what transpired from such an arrangement is the fact that the awarding of scholarships was a one man decision. He said at that time, scholarships were given to anybody who turned up at the door.
Dr Sikua said that by having such an arrangement the independence of the National Training Unit (NTU) and the National Training Committee (NTC) would be compromised. Dr Sikua said that it would take time for the system to be cleaned up because those questionable students would have either graduated or fallen on the way side due to poor performance.
Dr Sikua said that when he took up the post of Permanent Secretary one of his condition was that the national training committee be returned to the auspices of the Education Ministry.
He said in the five years that followed, the Ministry experienced budget over-runs and poor performance from students. Dr Sikua said he had predicted that the situation would continue until last year.