By Foday Moriba Conteh
Citizens’ Advocacy Network (CAN) on Thursday 16th January, 2020, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Tertiary and Higher Education, New England Ville, Freetown raised concerns over the deadlock or seeming hampering of the educational future of young Sierra Leoneans at Limkokwing University.
In a Press Release the organization stated that their attention has been drawn to the seeming deadlock in negotiation between your Ministry and the LIMKOKWING UNIVERSITY of Creative Technology adding that a similar situation occurred last year, but said that the office of the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education did the most conscionable thing by looking at the future of their Sierra Leonean children above all else.
CAN maintained that their engagement was impressive and it rekindled hope and gave great reassurances to many Sierra Leonean students across the country who are benefitting from the quality, top-notch, contemporary and modern education suited for the 21st century delivered at this globalized University.
The organization said it appreciates the strides of the Government to upstage the value of relevant education in transforming the destiny of Sierra Leone, noting that they respect the decency with which agreements of the past government around the corridors of education are being managed and they fervently pray that good conscience prevails in dealing with the future of Sierra Leonean citizens.
“Granting scholarships to students to access the same quality education acquired by students in other European nations at their doorstep, lives true to improving the human resource for quality output, which is in line with President Bio’s vision in delivering transformative education”, CAN maintained.
It registered the belief that registration of students on scholarship has been stalled and it denies them their fundamental right to education enunciated by national, regional or international instruments, lamenting that a good number of Sierra Leonean students that gained scholarships are already on the verge of completion and that the seeming protracted or unending negotiations stand fatal to their employment opportunities and creates room for more disgruntlement and frustration, adding to the already precarious economic condition of the nation.
CAN underscored that they cannot afford to keep repeating the mistakes of the past, which stands inimical to our progress, and the students did not ask for such. It noted that this will generate bad blood and conscript more depressed or disgruntled youths who could be agents of unthinkable atrocities, which the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report spoke wisdom to such situations.
CAN called on the office of the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education and all parties involved to resolve this issue and give oxygen to the dreams of Sierra Leoneans who are being choked or suffocated by this deadlock in negotiations.
