Rampant Corruption Besieges Njala

Njala University, one of the two universities in the country has been marred by unchecked corruption, a strange occurrence that is being condoned by the university administration; leaving no one to account for the burst of thievery in the university that has contributed in the loss of millions of Leones each time such incidences occur.

Early this year, the university received brand new computers from a group of Sierra Leoneans living in the Diaspora. In just three months after the supply of the computers and other equipment; about forty-two of the sixty computers mysteriously went missing with no one to account for them; and no case of burglary reported.

Security personnel and Head of Estate Department, who are the primary custodians of the items, deny knowledge of the theft begging this press not to take issue with the university.  According to the university authorities, an internal investigation was launched on the matter, for over four months but that the report has not come out since.

The public relations officer of the university intimated this press during the investigation about the matter of the missing computers.

For three years now, monies have been collected from students (Le20, 000 for each student) for identity cards that do not reach them throughout the academic year. Earlier this year the Student Union Government at the Njala University battled with the administration as to who should take custody of the issuing of the identity cards running into over forty million Leones each academic year. When contacted, the Finance Office of the university shifted the blame to a department referred to as CEC, who according to the Finance Officer was contracted to produced and supply the IDs. The strange thing though is that the Finance Officer, Mr. Sabole, in an earlier investigation admitted to the paying of the money into the account of the CEC but failed to follow up as to whether the contract was executed or not. Quizzed as to whether such behavior is in line with the best financial practice standards, the Finance Office replied no, but could not explain the reason for the apparent clandestine activity that has been going on in the University.

Sources within the ranks of the administration have revealed to Sierra Express that the top hierarchy of the university is made up of a cabal that connives to misappropriate the monies that are not accounted for; conniving to shade the truth from the public and auditors.

Other petty theft incidents have also seemed to have taken over affairs at the university. In one of the finance offices, a top finance officer’s personal laptop, containing very important information relating to the university’s finance was stolen with no one to account for it and the security at the SLBS campus reported that the thief passed through the ceiling to cause the said havoc. The appalling truth though is that there is only one entrance to the entire building and it is manned by security personnel day and night.

Strangely, the Finance Department has reported that the laptop contained vital financial information that is not replicated elsewhere, forming a mist over many financial records that cannot be accounted for anymore. The lone item stolen in the office that night when the thief entered there through the ceiling also contained information about students grant-in-aid which was about to come under investigation. 

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