University Strike… Sierra Leone Students Devastated
Students of Fourah Bay College (FBC) are getting frustrated over the prolonged strike action by the Academic Staff Association (ASA).
Talking to a cross section of students they expressed that the stand-off is costing their academic pursuit dearly owing to the fact that the strike action is entering the third week.
Some students expressed to this medium that long before the ASA strike action for better conditions of service, the university had slated March 15th as the deadline for the registration of all students. According to the aggrieved students, while they were trying to meet this burdensome obligation, this unwarranted onslaught that cannot be measured with the skyrocketing college charges sets in.
Haja Bangura, a student of the Economics Department said the government seems not to care about them. “Imagine the academic calendar is already in disarray and the government is yet to pay heed to the lecturers’ demands, thereby allowing the strike to tarry for as long as two weeks and more, it’s a shame”, Haja fumed.
Abdul Kallon of the Social Science and Law Faculty said students have been abandoned like a scapegoat in the rift between the government and the lecturers.
Up to press time ASA demands are yet to be addressed and staff has refused to return to the classroom.
Meanwhile reports state that in a meeting with staff of Njala University (who are also in a similar strike action) HE President Ernest Bai Koroma is said to have allocated an undisclosed sum of money in the budgeted subvention to get the lecturers back to work.
By Zuzel Davies
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