The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has suspended its Executive Secretary and several staff members over alleged acts of insubordination and misconduct, following directives from the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE).
The suspension, which takes immediate effect, was announced in a circular dated December 12, 2025, signed by the Chairman of the Tertiary Education Commission and addressed to all affected staff.
According to the letter, the action stems from reports of insubordinate, insolent, and unprofessional conduct allegedly exhibited by TEC staff towards the Minister of Technical and Higher Education and other senior ministry officials during an official engagement held at the MTHE main conference hall in New England.
The Chairman stated that the suspensions followed a query issued to the staff in line with a directive from the Ministry, conveyed in a letter dated November 12, 2025, from the Permanent Secretary. The queried staff were required to submit written explanations within two days, addressing the allegations and explaining why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.
However, the letter noted that none of the staff members, including the Executive Secretary, responded within the stipulated deadline of November 27, 2025.
“In view of this collective failure to comply with official directives, and given the seriousness of the allegations, administrative action has been taken,” the Chairman said, announcing that the affected staff have been suspended on half salary pending the conclusion of further investigations and disciplinary processes.
The Accountant General at the Ministry of Finance has been formally notified to take the necessary administrative steps regarding the suspension.
The development follows parliamentary intervention in the ongoing dispute between the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and the Tertiary Education Commission. In a letter dated December 11, 2025, the Parliamentary Committee on Technical and Higher Education informed the Ministry and TEC that it had lifted an earlier moratorium placed on all actions related to the impasse, thereby allowing investigations to proceed.
The parliamentary directive, issued by the Clerk of Parliament, was addressed to senior officials of the Ministry, the leadership of TEC, and members of the Commission’s General Board, signalling legislative oversight into the matter.
The suspension marks a significant escalation in the standoff between the Ministry and the regulatory body responsible for overseeing tertiary education in Sierra Leone, as investigations continue into the allegations of misconduct and institutional insubordination.
