New Njala University Principal presented to President Koroma
The Minister of Education, Youths and Sports, Dr Minkailu Bah, accompanied by the Executive Committee of the Njala University Court, today presented the newly appointed Vice Chancellor and Principal of Njala University, Prof. Abu Sesay, to President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House.
Prof. Abu Sesay was introduced by University Vice Chancellor Prof. Sandy as a former student and former Vice Principal of the institution and holds a PHD in Plant Physiology. Prof. Sandy described the new Principal as a man of great integrity and personality, a good team player and leader, who is capable of providing both academic and administrative leadership. He said the Court made a thorough search for the right candidate through a rigorous interviewing process before settling for Prof. Abu and “ we are happy that one of our own has become our head.” Prof. Abu, according to Prof. Sandy, is not new to Njala because he had been a senior lecturer, member of the University Court, the Senate, Head of Biological Sciences and Vice Principal before he had to relocate to Botswana during the war. Between 1982 and 1984, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Agricultural Society: “he has all the credentials required to hold the position of Principal of Njala University. He is a likeable figure, a good team player and a leader whose temperament makes him a friend to many.”
In his remarks, Prof Abu Sesay thanked the President and Court “for the extraordinary privilege and trust, and I’ll do all I can to justify that trust,” and for being the first alumnus of Njala university to become its Principal. He added that the challenges are daunting but he has accepted them with humility, and that he is encouraged and inspired by the President’s vivid interest in the welfare the University.
He maintained that his vision for the university is that, “consistent with its mission as a land-grant institution, Njala University will be defined by the high quality and strategic focus of our teaching and research, by a commitment to serving our nation and by the way we put into action a clear set of values. Njala University must be an institution that cares about the relevance and quality of its academic programmes, and must be engaged with society. A University in the 21st century cannot be an ivory tower. Creating knowledge for society and educating our future generations are two key aspects of our mission. I believe that the quality of education that we provide today is a key determinant of the type of future we can expect for this nation. Without minimizing any of our challenges and problems, I commit all my energies, physical and intellectual, to carrying out my duties and responsibilities towards the realization of that vision… I am deeply grateful for your government’s efforts in trying to rebuild the Njala campus…I am also deeply grateful for your personal intervention to return Njala to its rightful location. That is why we will be very proud to host you for our next Congregation at the Njala campus on the 27th February.”
He noted that there are still complicated matters with regards the relocation process, as it is only 85% complete: “the Njala campus that is to return to Njala is about four times the size of the Njala campus that came to Freetown, both in terms of academic programmes, student enrollment and staff numbers.”
On a positive note, he mentioned efforts being made to revive the University’s historic relationship with the University of Illinois, the donation of a 500KVA generator by the Ministry of Defense through the Deputy Minister of Finance Richard Konteh and UNIPSIL, and the various scholarships and computers received from the Ministry of Health, while expressing gratitude to the Minister of Education for the support.
Replying, President Koroma congratulated the new Principal for his appointment, commending the Court for the great effort in searching and finding “a choice that could not have been better” according to the presentations made on behalf the new Principal. He said Government puts top priority on education and will continue to give its total support to the University: “We must enhance education and make it more accessible. By relocating to Njala we are making education more accessible to a good number of students.” He said he was slightly disappointed that the 100% target relocation has not yet been achieved, but that it would soon be realized.
The President, who is also Chancellor of the University, noted that Prof. Abu is coming in at a critical time when expectations are high and that quality education is needed to help increase the agricultural sector, especially with regards the improvement of methods of farming: “As a government, we are not only concerned about the provision of education that’s of high quality but how it is related to our development aspirations,” noting that Njala University was renowned for its support in the agricultural sector which would not be more appropriate now at a time when government has made agriculture its number one priority.
The President looked forward to partnering with the University to help address the whole educational system, which is currently being reviewed to reflect current realities: “Until we get our educational system right, all our efforts at development will not be sustained.”
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