By Terence Aluru
Gulu high court has ordered an interim injunction restraining Gulu University from conducting the guild elections after one of the aspirants, Otim Benson, dragged the institution to court after he was disallowed from nominating.
On Tuesday last week, a total of four students were nominated as candidates for the Gulu university guild presidency, rejecting Mr Otim, the would-be- fifth candidate.
The election was supposed to take place yesterday, Sunday.
However in a court order on Friday through the Gulu High Court Assistant Registrar, Henry Twinomugisha, court stopped the university from conducting the polls.
Mr Otim, a 3rd year law student accused the University of failing to mark his previous exam yet according to him he completed tuition fees.
“I went to pick my nomination fees I was told that I was on probation progress not normal progress because one of the exams (criminal liability) that I did in my first year (second semester) was under investigation. My lecturer told me that it had never been marked which according to me it is not my own making,” the 35 year old Otim said.
Gulu University Academic Registrar, Geoffrey Lamtoo said he had not received the court order.
“As AR(academic registrar) office we stand out ground, Mr Otim was not under normal progress according to the form that were presented to me, and because of that I had to sign that he was not legitimate to be nominated,” said Mr Lamtoo.
Article 19 clause (A) of the guild constitution states that for one to be nominated for the guild presidency, one must have had studied two consecutive semester on a normal progress without retakes.
In an interview at the weekend, Gulu university spokesperson, Mahmud Khalid confirmed receiving the letter from court adding that the institution has now suspended the elections until the matter is settled in court.
“It is true that there will not be any election until court decides on the 8th (this month). His (Mr Otim) version is that had been treated unfairly yet according to him he did all the exams but the faculty refuse to mark his exam”
The candidates that were nominated last week include Mr Alex Asimwe Byaruhanga (3rd year law student), Mr Robert Mukembo 2nd year medicine student), Simon Peter Ochan (2nd year Public Administration student) and Reagan Okumu (2nd year Education student).
