By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
Fourah Bay College, FBC, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in Africa, has commemorated its 189 anniversary amidst concerns about its dwindling influence.
Founded by the Church Missionary Society in 1827 and now one of three constituent colleges under the University of the Sierra Leone, FBC is still grappling with challenges ranging from insufficient infrastructure to accommodate students, to water shortage and unreliable power supply in the face of high demand for enrolment.
Dr Sylvanus Nicholas Spencer, Senior Lecturer in the Department ofHistory and chairman of the occasion, called on the college authorities “not to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that all is well.”
He praised contributions of university alumni to their alma maters and urged others to emulate the good example.
“The alumni of Fourah Bay College must work together and transform the college,” he appealed, adding that to enlist the contributions of FBC alumni, a register of past students dating from 1827 to 2012 had been compiled to trace each alumnus for the progress of the college.
Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sierra Leone, Professor Ekundayo Thompson, agreed that there were challenges. He pointed out land encroachment, among others, as one of the challenges that was badly affecting the college and called on the university authorities and the security agents to get rid of the encroachers, now erecting structures on the land.
“We must not allow land grabbers and encroachers to have a field day”,he warned.
He said the Arab Bank for Development and Agriculture (BADEA) project to renovate and expand on structures and facilities at FBC would soon kick off, noting that the project demanded sufficient land. He pointed at the Adjai Crowther Amphitheatre which was being expanded ahead of this year’s congregation.
Professor Thompson was particularly thankful to President Koroma whom he said had earlier mandated college authorities to demolish any structure erected on FBC land.
the country’s Vice President, Victor Bockarie Foh, himself an alumnus of FBC, assured the college authorities that the presence of the Chinese Ambassador Zao Yanbo meant that they would “start to move wonders at FBC campus by constructing loftier or bigger buildings than what the American people gave to FBC in the sixties”.
The tallest building on the campus, the Kennedy Building,was built by the US government which named it after former US President, John F. Kennedy.
Victor Foh described FBC as a great institution but noted that the college’s greatness could not be seen in its structures, road networks, among others. He endorsed and commended the effort of the university authorities, stating that in the midst of such huge challenges the college was forging ahead.
“With the cooperation of nations such as China and South Africa, the college will be transformed,” the Vice President said.
However, President of the Academic Staff Association of FBC, Dr. Charles Silver, seemed sceptical about the transformation of the college.
“The college has nothing to celebrate as it has achieved nothing,” he said during his speech at the ceremony.
He asked: “Who owns Fourah Bay College? He pointed out the issue of ownership as a crucial factor to the college’s transformation? Someone has to take responsibility of the college,” he said, adding that until the concept of ownership is conceived, accepted and defined, FBC would continue to fall from “grace to grass.”
(C) Politico 23/02/16
