May 11, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara (Bo)
The Public Relations Officer of Njala University, Ralf Sesay has categorically stated that it is not to the knowledge of the administration that the Academic Staff Association of Njala University is strongly demanding for the replacement of acting vice Chancellor and Principal of Njala University, according to them he is giving 20% of his time to the University.
According to the PRO, there was a university court setting on last week and nothing like such was mentioned by members of the Academic staff Association (ASA) of the university, adding that “in fact ASA commended the University administration for their good work and even requested from the administration assistance, such as; promotion of their colleagues to various administrative positions but making request of replacing the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Osman Sankoh was far from we discussed”.
“I want the public to know that the Academic Staff Association is fine with the Njala University administration and are looking into some of the issues the demanded,” said Mr. Sesay.
However, it could be recalled that a cross section of the Academic Staff of Njala University have alarmed the deep seated leadership crisis at the University since March 2020,claiming that no full time Vice Chancellor and Principal at the University ,which they considered a disservice to the state of the Earth University ,because the current acting vice chancellor and principal is not up to the task since he concentrate on giving 80% of his service to Statistics Sierra Leone and 20% to a big university like Njala.
A senior Lecturer Professor Alieu Bah is quoted to have said that he will personally blame Prof Sankoh for accepting to reduce the prestigious office of his alma meter to just one day (maximum 6 hours) work for just signing document as the function of the Vice Chancellor and Principal goes just beyond mere signature and therefore called on other state actors to come to aid the University by realizing the inevitable need that Njala University is currently facing in order to fix its leadership crisis immediately.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education has fulfilled its commitment under the agreement sign with academic staff Associations of tertiary educational institutions to increase the salaries of their staff by 50% which has increase the wage bill by an additional payroll cost of 4.5 billion Leones monthly, resulting in a projected annual cost of 55.0 billion Leones. According to the press release, the ministry of finance has also paid an amount of 25.0 billion Leones as government subvention to support tertiary education for quarter 1 in 2021 to meet their day to day operational costs.
However, some students of Tertiary institutions across the country have called on the anti-corruption Commission to thoroughly monitor the utilization of the just release funds for the day to day running of institutions to ensure prudent management of utilization of the funds given to the educational institution by the government.
However, this is an excerpt of the Vice Chancellor and Principal of Njala University, Professor Osman Sankoh statement about payment to Educational institutions: “Your leadership’s proactiveness and strategic engagement with Administration, MTHE and the Presidency that calmed your associations’ membership and injected a positive disposition towards my administration has been matched with a response that can be termed the 100% rule.” On behalf of my Administration, especially my Pro-VC Prof Bashiru Koroma who successfully defended our proposals to the F&GPC, I am pleased to report that I have signed the 100% rule in which we have paid: 100% of backlog of salary increments of all promoted staff; 100% of backlog of all professorial and other allowances; and 100% of backlog of all salaries of newly recruited staff.
We intend to work closely with TEC, MTHE and MOF to ensure that the situation of backlogs will not recur. We wish to assure you of our preparedness to ensure a continued amicable relationship between your Associations and mine. We are also pleased to be able to confirm to you the availability of funds to ‘bongolise’ all our teaching laboratories and the classrooms on our campuses.
Starting immediately, we are refurbishing the laboratories and classrooms and will procure equipment for all. We will work closely with the Schools to ensure that we set high standards.
We will not leave out the ESC Unit which Pro-VC and I visited today. We will refurbish, rebrand and fully capacitate this unit to be able do all our printing and design jobs and even sells some of the services. We found staff with huge motivation to serve this university.
With the Government of Sierra Leone delivering on its promises, we have no choice but to ensure that staff and students are able to have the expected peace of mind”.
On the Retirees and families of deceased colleagues — NU Admin appreciates ASA and NURA and commits to a lasting solution he said: “behalf of the entire NU Administration, I write to thank you profusely for your continued support to NU, your university.
You have been able to sustain the patience of a suffering group of people who served the great institution to an extent that there has been no agitation on their part. We are grateful. In reciprocation, my Administration continues to work feverishly towards a sustainable solution of the problem. We are working with a bank to be able to pay ALL outstanding benefits from 2015 to 2020 and to even plan for the future.
However since the above solution with the bank has to be thoroughly scrutinized by the Court so that the University doesn’t spend too much in paying interests, I am pleased to let you know that we have been able to secure approval from NU Court to pay 25% of the benefits of each and every individual from 2015 to 2020 inclusive. We are spending Le5bn on this item alone. It covers all retirees and all families of our deceased colleagues. I am in the Secretariat today to implement the decision of Court”.