Approximately 60 students from Limkokwing University walked from their Hill Station campus in Freetown, on Tuesday 7th January 2020, in a peaceful protest to the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education to express their dissatisfaction over governments delay in scholarship payments.
Government scholarship students have not been attending classes for over five months.
In a widely circulated memo from the university on 3rd January 2020, addressed to all government sponsored students, the university informed students that registration, originally scheduled for 7-10 January 2020, would be rescheduled to another date. New dates for registration will be announced at a later date.
“The delay is caused by unforeseen circumstance and any inconvenience is much regretted, the memo highlighted.
The students who are not receiving government sponsorships were instructed to attend the University and register for classes.
Robert Charles Davies, a final year broadcasting and Journalism student said they decided to peacefully walk through the streets to the Ministry offices to plead with the Minister to arrange for payment of their fees. Police personnel interrupted the crowd and fired tear gas to disperse the small procession.
Davies said the police arrested 17 students and detained them at the Lumley Police Station. The students were released after providing statements.
Sandy Samuel Kpaka Registrar of the University, said they received instructions from the Universitys head office in Malaysia. The instructions are to discontinue services until fees were paid. Kpaka added that the Government of Sierra Leone only paid their outstanding debts from the inception of the university to 2017. He said the University did not receive any Government scholarship money in 2018 and 2019.
The minister of Technical and Higher Education, Aiah Gbakima, was contacted. He directed enquiries to the Deputy Minister and the Permanent Secretary. The Deputy Minister, Turad Senesie, was contacted and he directed questions to the Permanent Secretary. The Permanent Secretary, Gilbert Cooper had turned his phone off and was not available for comment.
Limkokwing is a private university headquartered in Malaysia. Featured programs include media, graphics, arts, tourism and architecture.
