By Francis H. Murray
Ceremonies marking the 193rd anniversary of the foundation of Fourah Bay College on Monday were characterized by students protesting over the shortage of graduation regalia.
The protests started shortly after the arrival of the Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to attend an Open Day ceremony. A group of students started shouting out their concerns before the situation was quelled by the VP’s security forces.
However, towards the end of the program, the students at the Amphitheatre where the program was being held converged and held placards while shouting: “No gown, no graduation.”
The protests follow a notice released by the university in which they demanded that students pay Le 750,000 for “graduation package” for the forthcoming convocation ceremony.
At FBC there has been a serious scramble throughout the week to get the gowns. The supply has not been able to meet the high demand.
A student from the Faculty of Arts who prefers anonymity angrily told Politico that “the administration said the gowns were going to be distributed on the 12 [February]. We came here since last week Friday and were here from morning until night and did not get the gowns”.
He added: “Now we’re here again and they’re telling us that the hoods and the miters are not enough, and Saturday is the graduation.”
Another student said: “If they cannot give us our gowns, let them refund the Le 750,000 we gave them. This is lack of competence and it’s a continuous problem.”
Following the protests, Vice President Jalloh was seen talking to the college administration to negotiate a way forward. Dr Jalloh’s convoy was barricaded by students for a while by students to get him to act.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Brig. Professor Foday Sahr told students that the regalia were not enough, but more would be coming from the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM).
Students waited right through the day but were not able to receive the gowns.
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