By Mohamed Jward Nyallay
The leader of the Coalition for Change party in Parliament, Saa Emerson Lamina, has told Politico that he is excited about the prospects of his home district of Kono having a university.
Lamina’s remarks came just a day after the Government of Sierra Leone announced that it had secured a US$32 million funding for the construction of the University of Science and Technology in the district.
Kono, which is located in the eastern region of the country, currently has no tertiary educational institution with a university status.
Students from the district have to travel to the South, North and mostly Western Area to get access to tertiary education after finishing secondary school.
“We are excited about having a university in Kono,” Lamina said, adding that for young the people of the district, this will be an inspiration.
“This will inspire them to aspire for the future, because when education comes to your doorstep it means you no longer have to go to other regions to seek tertiary education,” he said.
Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Professor Aiah Gbakima, was quoted in a statement from his ministry saying the project is a testament to President Julius Maada Bio’s commitment to developing the Human Capital of the country.
A pre-feasibility study on the proposed site for the university has already been done. The funding for the construction of the facility will come from the ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development.
A deal between the bank and the government is expected to be signed by Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, in the coming weeks.
Once the deal is signed, it will be discussed in cabinet and sent for ratification by the country’s parliament, where Lamina jokingly said his party will be dominating the debate.
Kono is the stronghold of C4C. Lamina is also a former Mayor of the Koidu Sembehun City Council, the largest town in the district, before his run for Parliament in 2018.
The construction project is not expected to start until January 2021.
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