By Hajaratu Kalokoh
Lecturers at Fourah Bay College (FBC) have demanded that the government of Sierra Leone withdraws from the responsibility of directly paying their salaries with immediate effect. The Academic Staff Association (ASA) took the position in a statement issued to the press last week.
The decision comes amidst growing discontent within the association over the delay in payment of salaries. According to the lecturers, they have not received pay for the last two months – July and August. They have also not received their annual end of year allowances.
“ASA-FBC demands that the government should withdraw from the direct payment of salaries and allowances,” the association said in a statement signed by its president, Williatte James.
FBC is one the three constituent colleges of the University of Sierra Leone (USL).
In the statement, the association said while its members will continuing grading students in the just concluded second semester exams, as well as for dissertations, long essays and research projects, its members will withhold the grades until its conditions are met.
The government has 21 days to settle all the demands or face a full blown strike action.
Before now lecturers were paid by the administration of the respective colleges, and in July the government announced that it would take the responsibility as part of an effort to integrate all payment of salaries for university lecturers. The move by the government was also meant to put an end to recurrent delay.
A press release by the Ministry of Finance last week stated that the salaries of university staff nationwide had been paid. But the same statement indicated the government had issues with verification of some people.
ASA’s 21 days ultimatum means by the 26th of September lecturers could stop all work if their salaries and leave situation is not resolved.
A possible strike action will alter the academic calendar of the college and grind operation of the college to a halt.
Currently the FBC administration is planning to interview prospective students who have applied for enrollment in the college for the new academic year. This must be done in time for the reopening of college in October.
Timely reopening of USL constituent colleges in October is something the administration has struggled to get right in recent years.
ASA is not the only body concerned about its welfare situation; another strike action is brewing among junior staffers of the college. Early last week a strike action on the campus by members of the Junior Staff Association, who are also unhappy over the delay in salary payment and leave allowances, was quelled by the college administration.
The Director of Media and International Relations at USL, Tonya Musa told Politico: “Their situation will be resolved in the shortest possible time.”
(c) 2019 Politico Online
