By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
An attempt to install an interim students’ union body at the Fourah Bay College, FBC, on Monday failed after the college administration made a U-Turn, prompting students to walk out in protest.
For about three years FBC has not had a student union, after the last one was annulled in 2012. The college, which is part of the University of Sierra Leone, had accused the students of causing trouble through their union activism.
But there have been unending cries for the institution of a student body which is required for proper coordination of students activities. This was a major issue during the last protests that rocked the college last month when students descended on the office of the President Ernest Bai Koroma.
According to sources, last week an agreement was reached between the students and the college administration to elect an interim body. Since election by universal suffrage had been banned by the college, the student heads of the various departments making up the college were asked to organize themselves and elect an interim body.
The body was what was set to be inaugurated on Monday. But after a long delay, hundreds of students walked out of the meeting when the college officials hinted of a U-Turn.
Professor Sahr Thomas Gbamanja said that the decision of the Vice Chancellor (VC) trumped every decision other administration members took. His statement was followed by the Registrar of the University of Sierra Leone, Sorie Dumbuya, who warned that students were not part of the university. “Even though you play a key role in the University but by law you are not members,” he said.
And then the VC, Professor Ekundayo Thompson, announced a new proposal to elect a new student government.
Instead of electing an interim student body from among department heads, he said, students will now have to elect faculty heads who will make up the executive and from among whom a chairman shall be elected.
“We have been asked by the government of Sierra Leone to manage the university,” Thompson said to students during the meeting.
It was at this point that the students started marching out, apparently displeased about the new arrangement.
Before that the student warden, Reverend Jenner Bock, had cast doubt on the whole idea.
“I am not aware. If I was not involved, it will not hold water,” he told students at the same venue before the official commencement of the meeting.
Some students believe that the National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUSS) is behind this sudden U-Turn. One of these students, Umaru Damon Samai, President of Mass Communication Students Association, was himself elected Vice President of the discarded interim body.
“The whole process was initiated by NUSS and after the results we had the endorsement of the administration,” Samai told Politico.
NUSS President, Mohamed Sheridan Kamara, could not be reached for comment. But he had earlier told Politico that bringing back the SU was their major concern because it would have prevented the situation of students protesting to State House.
“NUSS has always been engaging the administration on a number of issues, especially with regards to bringing back Student Union body on FBC campus,” he said back in March, after the student protest at state House.
One student, who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity, accused the College administration of double standard.
“When we protested to State House, the administration promised in a meeting that they will give us an SU body by April. They are clearly going back on their word,” they said.
Professor Thompson’s proposal will take at least four weeks to be realized, according to the VC himself. This means there will not be any student union executive until May.
FBC, one of three constituent colleges of the USL, is going through turbulent times. After the students protests, lecturers of the college went on strike which has delayed the commencement of classes after the Easter break.
(C) Politico 13/04/16
