Samuel Kallon 
The Parliamentary oversight Committee on Technical and Higher Education chaired by the dynamic Hon. Joseph Williams-Lamin has on Wednesday 26/6/2024 engaged officials of the Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone in Kenema District.
The engagement was to ascertain progress made so far since the campus was upgraded from a polytechnic to a university.
In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone, Prof. Mohamed Taillu Lahai, on behalf of the University thanked and commended Members of Parliament (MPs) for their visit and anticipate a fruitful discussion for the university’s development.
Briefing the Committee after the inspection process,
the Vice Chancellor and Principle Professor Mohamed Taillu Lahai explained to the Committee some of the challenges faced and successes being made by the university.
He commended the president of the Republic of Sierra Leone for helping the polytechnic to have attained a university status.
The VC&P also explained the massive infrastructural developments being undertaken by the university and some of the many things the institution wishes to undertake.
In his briefed statement the Committee’s Chairperson Hon .Joseph Williams-Lamin outlined the mandate of the work of the Parliamentary oversight Committee, and probed into the University activities and the strides they have made so far.
Hon. Williams -Lamin underscored President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s commitment in promoting quality education in the country is second to none.
He emphasized the need for authorities in the education sector to be respected and further talked of the need for promoting quality education in the country especially in the tertiary education sector.
As part of its mandate, the Committee visited various facilities of the 47.5 acres of land campus in Kenema.
The Committee also commended the management of the University for a job-well- done in keeping up to the required standards of a technical university.
Mr John Juana, the Registrar of the University also briefed the Committee through a PowerPoint presentation on the current status of the University and on the successes and challenges.
The Registrar explained the University’s mandate which is to foster quality education, embark on research and innovation for all sectors; educating the middle level man power. He went on to state the various faculties and departments the University is offering.
He mentioned that there are currently 8517 and that 52% represents men whilst 48% represents females and a staff population of 415.
On the successes, the Registrar informed the committee that the University has embarked on several construction projects; and has completed the roofing of the amphitheater, and the maintenance and talked of the over 2,500 student armed chairs they are having and maintenance of offices for senior administrative staff and Heads of Departments.
In outlining some of the challenges, the Registrar said staff are still on polytechnic payroll, something which he said is seen as a demotivating factor to the workers.
He mentioned the non-replacement of deceased staff members and those who’ve retired and the untimely payment of government subventions to the university, the bad road leading to Bunumbu and Kono campuses, the inadequate workshop and laboratory equipment and host of other issues they are faced with.
He pleaded with the Committee on behalf of the University for a concerted effort to support the institution in order to actualized the desired goals of quality and responsive education in Sierra Leone where graduates won’t depend on jobs provided by government but to create jobs for themselves.
The Registrar informed the committee on the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of former Bunumbu Teachers College, now ETU-SL, Bunumbu Campus.
He also informed the Committee that the statutory organs of the University including the University Court and its committees are fully functional.
The Registrar also applauded government for the prompt payment of the monthly salaries to staff through the Accountant General’s payroll, though on a Polytechnic scale. He also appreciate the regulatory and supervisory roles of both TEC and MTHE respectively.
He concluded by informing the Committee that “since 2017-2024 no grant-in-aid fees have been paid by government to the University students and he said “we are pleading with the committee to fast-track this as it deters the infrastructural growth of the institution.”
During the quest to know and understand the operations of the institution, questions and answers by MPs were asked.
The MPs applauded the administration on work done so far by the University.
The MPs went on to underscore the importance of quality education for the development of the nation.
They promised that what had been highlighted would be looked into and would bring in relevant authorities who are involved.
The engagement ended with a call on the Student Union government to see themselves as additional administrative officers of the institution and encouraged them all to maintain peace and tranquility on the campus.
The students vouched to maintain peace and work in earnest with the central administration of ETUSL.
