By Umaru Fofana
Students of Njala University have been running amok with police in the capital Freetown and in the south-eastern cities of Bo and Kenema as they protest against the continued closure of their college.
Police in Kenema forcefully dispersed dozens of the students who were processing on the streets carrying placards calling for the resumption of classes. At least three have reportedly been arrested.
In Freetown police fired teargas to disperse the students and arrested an unspecified number of them as they converged in front of the residence of the President chanting for the reopening of college.
In Bo the students have been burning tyres around Kebbie Town, Total and Peace Junction but there have so far been no reports of police intervening. Shops have reportedly closed.
The students are protesting against the long-running lecturers' strike which has left their college closed since October, with the risk of forfeiting the whole academic year if it continues to the end of March.
They accuse government of "not showing interest" and being “insensitive” in resolving the matter which is over years of unpaid allowances, end-of-service benefits and non-payment of inheritance to families of lecturers who died in service.
The head of the striking lecturers says this has forced their retired colleagues and the bereaved families to live under considerably reduced circumstances. Dr Moriba Samba told Politico that all they wanted now was a commitment by Government that they would pay them – not necessarily paying them now – something he said hadn't been done. Government is yet to make a public statement on the matter.
Copyright © Politico 2017
