Government has now appointed new members of the board of the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) public trust, two months after it was dissolved.

The board was dissolved by the new regime of president Joyce Banda following disagreements between the European Union and the government of late President Bingu wa Mutharika on the manner it was appointed.

The EU, major donors of the body instituted to conduct public awareness campaigns on behalf government, had raised eyebrows on the way the board was appointed amid public concerns that most of the appointments were political.

The previous NICE board of trustees was appointed to reward Mutharika’s supporters who had no interest to advance NICE missions.

The previous board appointed in 2011 by president Mutharika, was headed by Mavuto Bamusi, formerly a prominent civil rights campaigner, who had just fallen out with the rank and file of the civil society to side with a regime that was increasingly autocratic.

Just days after being ushered into office, President Banda’s administration dissolved the board in a bid to restore public trust and donor confidence.

At that time minister of information and civic education, Moses Kunkuyu, told the nation ‘government had made a bold decision after noting that the appointment process of the previous board of trustees was irregular’.

Members of the new board of trustees are Mrs. Martha Kwataine, Mrs. Susan Kaunda, Mrs. Bertha Sefu, Rev. Francis Kaulanda, Sheikh Idrissa Muhamad, Traditional Authority Kwataine, Mr. Kizito Tenthani and Mr. Justin Dzonzi.