By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Parliament will tomorrow Tuesday 6th July debate on the proposed establishing of two universities in the Eastern region of Sierra Leone. The Eastern Polytechnic is on the verge of being transformed into a university, whilst a new University of Science and Technology is to be built in Kono district. The government had secured a 32$ million loan from the regional bloc ECOWAS for construction of the university in Kono. Earlier, Coalition for Change leader in Parliament, Saa Emerson Lamina, reacting to parliamentary debate on the Science and Technology University said it was “correcting a historical injustice”. Kono had long faced neglect in providing the diamond mining district with a university.
Eastern Polytechnic becoming a university was also discussed at the launching of the Skills Development Fund training programme at the institution’s campus in Kenema. The Registrar of the Polytechnic, John Juana called on the public to urge their parliamentarians to support the process when it is being discussed in the house.
Speaking about the project for which they were gathered, Juana commended the World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone for extending the project to the people of the eastern province.
He said the skills training programme is another opportunity presented to the over five thousand students of the college. He said all offer letters would be signed and distributed soonest to the appropriate department for their training.
Giving an overview of the skills development fund training, the Planning, Research and Development Officer, Sumaila Bannie Ellah Sesay disclosed that over two hundred institutions applied for the skills development fund project to the World Bank but that only few institutions were selected including the Eastern Polytechnic. Sesay said Eastern polytechnic was the only institution that was given a huge quota to develop the middle man level manpower of Sierra Leone.
He added that the project was to initially cater for 390 trainees but that they have over 1500 applicants out of which only 443 were shortlisted and interviewed.
The Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sualima Greatman Mansaray used the opportunity to inform the audience that the skills development fund training will be in three folds,1. – skill, 2. re-skilled and 3. up –skilled. He said the trainees are those who lack the required skills that they are seeking for, the re-skilled are those who have had other skill trainings but want to have training in another discipline whiles the up –skilled are those who want to upgrade the skills they have acquired before in a similar trade.
In his keynote address, the Principal of Eastern Polytechnic, Professor Engineer Mohamed Kanneh expressed delight over the gesture and used the opportunity to explain the essence of skills training and how it will help transform the nation. He stated that skills training has been one of the pillars that contributed greatly to the transformation of countries such as China, Malaysia, and South Africa among others.
Professor Konneh reiterated that technical training aids trainees to enhance their potential and ensure they become self-reliant in their living, saying that, upon completion of their courses, every participant will be issued a certificate.
Copyright © 05/07/21 Politico Online
