By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
An organisation of alumni of Fourah Bay College based in the United States of America (Alumni USA) has donated one bus to the college as a way to ease the problem of transport on campus.
Speaking on behalf of staff of the college, Vice Chancellor and Principal of Fourah College, Professor Sahr Gbamanja, said the 30-seater bus would ease the transport situation.
He said that although the college was not operating at the moment, the donation would be timely when the academic session resumed.
“Fourah Bay College can now boast of four buses as a result of this donation from USA Alumni headed by Ibrahim Bah and our students can no longer face transportation problem when they come back,” he added.
A one-page message read by Professor Gbamanja during the occasion indicated that “the Alumni USA is determined to alleviate the problem of transportation by making more donations.”
In her contribution, Lecturer of Mass Communication and head of the Alumni Directorate at FBC, Bernadette Cole, said the gesture was a demonstration that there were men and women outside there who were dedicated to the cause of improving FBC.
“The bus is unique in that it caters not only for able-bodied people but it is also good for the disabled”, she said.
She urged all students living in other parts of the world to form alumni association and support Fourah Bay College because the institution needed more support.
“This is a strong manifestation of interest to one’s alma mater,” she added.
Pro-Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, Professor Modupeh Taylor-Pearce congratulated the USA alumni group, describing the donation as “a laudable venture.” He said “the needs’ assessment conducted by some members of the alumni meant that “they came, they identified the needs and they conquered.”
He described Fourah Bay College as the oldest in West Africa and “therefore the most excellent” assuring it “will always live up to its reputation“.
© Politico 11/12/14
