The Academic Staff Association (ASA) of the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU), in collaboration with the Union of Academic Staff Association (UASA) on Tuesday 29th April 2025 held a meeting at the Great Hall of the Goderich campus in Freetown among others to respond to concerns raised by some lecturers over their conditions of service, especially the transition of the institution from a polytechnic to university status.
The Principal and Vice Chancellor of MMTU, Professor Philip John Kanu enlightened that majority of the staff in the institution are qualified to meet the new university status and that all the issues raised by the concerned lecturers are out of place adding that out of 28 staff in the three campuses of the university only three are qualified adding that the Tertiary Education Commission report states that 90% of the staff are not suitable which is a very serious concern.
Professor Kanu clarified that some of the allegations against him had been investigate by the Anti-Corruption Commission and other institutions and not found wanting
He also informed that the previous contracts with the staff and the institution has ended last year for which their positions have been advertised and interviews conducted to meet the new university status clarifying that the new recruitment process started in 2023.
Some of the topical issues that were highlighted during the meeting include: that ASA will appeal to the MMTU administration to bring onboard all staff that are not qualified and give them time to upgrade themselves, some staff do not meet the threshold of the University status, access to bank loans, computer training, severance benefits, that some members are still aggrieved after the ASA elections with one threatening to slap the President adding that they failed to use the Grievance Redress Mechanism in the institution.
Dr. Brima Gegbe, President of ……………… of Njala University College encouraged the concerns lecturers who had earlier on 29th April 2025 protested at the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), New England Ville in Freetown to be brave enough to talk about their concerns instead of taking to social media that would enable the Association to engage the MMTU administration intimating that a committee would be setup with the MMTU administration and subsequently the MTHE highlighting that constructive engagement is the hallmark of the Association.
Mr. Ishmael Kebbay, President of the ASA, MMTU, asserted that leadership comes with huge responsibilities and that a leader must bring hope to his members assuring that he would seek the best interest of his members and commended for its intervention as he believes in strong decision.
He continued that the concerns raised in the letter are very serious although some of them had been addressed in the past but that they continue coming up which he attributed to their dissatisfaction, assured them that the meeting is a conflict resolution session, urged all to focus on strategic partnership and not confrontation guaranteeing that the Association would seek their best interest without compromising lamenting that MMTU is always in the media for the wrong reasons.
Mr. Kebbay further admonished members to be tolerant and respectful to all, that he had resolved similar disputes for other institutions, that they would not be disadvantaged and called on them to read the University Act and Conditions of Service as well as other statutes governing them and disclosed that MMTU is now re-categorizing to meet the new university status.
Some of the concerns raised by lecturers are that some of their colleagues have received Le50 thousand new Leones as severance benefits but are not appreciative, that are always suspicion where is a change, especially for those without the required qualifications and appealed to them to upgrade themselves to meeting the new university status adding that all would be brought onboard to improve on their careers.
It was underscored that for lecturers to maintain their positions they must have MPhil, Masters or PhDs, that the University Court would soon be constituted to give appointment letters to newly appointed staff and that now that they have worked hard to be transformed to a Technical Univefrsity, some staff are engaging in infighting and undermining the administration.
Other UASA executive members who made statements included Mr. Desmond Songo-Davies, ASA President, University of Sierra Leone, Mr. Robin Solomon Morovia, Vice President, ASA MMTU, Mr. Moseray Banya, ASA President, Freetown Polytechnic and Mr. Abdulai Sesay, Secretary General, ASA, MMTU.