The Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Njala University has said on Saturday 27th February 2021 at Towama Campus Bo that his administration will leverage private sector intervention to solve the perennial problems of Njala University.
The Vice-Chancellor made these remarks while responding to a donation of a 500 KVA generator by the National Social Security and Insurance Trust to Njala University.
He told the Director-General of NASSIT, Mr. Fuad Dabor, Ministers of Labor and Technical and Higher Education, traditional authorities that his institution since established in 1964 has not benefitted from the national grid and hence his institution is spending a whopping sum of two hundred million Leones to generate electricity and water.
He thanked NASSIT for the gesture and called on Government and other private sector players to intervene and rescue Njala University.
Mallam O. recounted that he had initiated discussions with the banks and other private sector players about to need to support the University in Hostels and Staff Accommodation, Vehicle purchase, and retiree and suppliers liabilities and noted that he had received positive feedback from the banks.
The proposal had already received the approval of the University Court and the senior management team of the University.
Njala University suffers from acute water and electricity situations, deplorable teaching and learning facilities, a huge retiree and supplier’s liability to the tune of billions of Leones, and an aging vehicle fleet.
Government subvention to the public Universities is inadequate and delayed and hence not able to meet the immediate demands of the Universities.
The Vice-President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Honourable Dr.Juldeh Jalloh during a tour of the facilities of the University was frank to note that Government is considering the setting up of an Educational Basket fund to urgently meet the infrastructural needs of Higher Educational Institutions against the backdrop that the traditional budget has not been able to meet the infrastructural needs of public Universities.
The Administration of Mallam O. has been very clear that public institutions should not rely on funding from Government since it has competing development priorities and the focus for him should be on the development of grants through research projects and also a marriage with the Private sector.
Mallam O. was appointed caretaker Vice-Chancellor and Principal in April 2020 and he has made a number of reforms to his credit including maintaining a sound and credible financial discipline supported by a pre-audit mechanism system.
He has recruited a Director of Research and Development, Academic Planning, and Quality Director to help source the relevant funding and also streamline quality assurance issues across the University.