Investigation Report Exposes Education Minister on Corruption
By Thaimu Thullah
Documentary evidence that this medium has been privy to, reveal that the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, who has been trying to target some top officials of the University of Sierra Leone, has opened a Pandora box, where alleged skeletons in her cupboard are being exposed.
According to some members of the Academic Staff Association of the University, Minister Wurie has been allegedly engaged in what they have described as personal vendetta against some top officials of the University administration, orchestrating the dissolution of the University Court, a power, they say, she does not possess. Among the allegations and documentary evidence seen by this medium, the Minister is accused of conflict of interest, abuse of power, corruption etc. The members of the Association went further to call the ACC to investigate their claims, providing compelling evidence that any sane Anti-Graft organization will grab with two hands.
The documents provide insight into the attempts by the Minister, prior to becoming Minister, to manipulate her way to a status that she lacked the requisite qualification for, and when her requests were turned down, she took it personal. Now as Minister, she felt that it was payback time. The revelations in the documents explained how the Minister carefully planned and executed her personal vendetta against those officials, including an appointee of His Excellency, a blatant challenge of the authority of the President, who has the prerogative to hire and to fire (his constitutional power).
Attempts At Hoodwinking University Administration
“At the end of the IJ-19 Youth Forward’ Project, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, together with a COMAHS Administrator, contacted the Vice Chancellor and Principal (VC&P), informing him that she had been granted a “No Cost Extension” for six months on the IJ-19 Youth Forward’ project.
“As is the usual information sharing practice, the VC&P contacted the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) COMAHS to enquire about the reason for the ‘No Cost Extension’. The DVC told him that the project had ended as scheduled and that there had been no need for a ‘No Cost Extension’,
The above information is a clear manifestation of manipulation and an attempt to mislead the administration.
Another attempt to siphon money from an already ended project, the Minister tried to get the administration to pay the said money to her, which was again, resisted, adding to her frustration and hatred of those in authority at the University for such.
“The accrued overhead over the life-span of the project was between 15,000 & 20,000 USD. This money was in the College’s Bank Account.” The Minister attempted to get the administration to pay her that amount for a non-existent work, and was resisted by the VC&P of the University, who requested for clarification on the matter, demanding that the Minister and her administrator see her to explain the issue. All these deceptive moves were done prior to her appointment as Minister.
“The DVC knowing that something was amiss as there had been no cost extension to the project, requested for them to see him to explain the situation,” the letter revealed.
“Dr. Ramatulai and the Administrator never showed up to see the DVC about the request and their request for payment was not granted,” the letter furthered. This and other issues fueled her hatred for the VC&P, as could be expected.
“Yet another unacceptable practice by Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie was seen during the implementation of the Build for Resilience Project.
In this project, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie was the PI and at the same time the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer. Thus, she was the technical lead and was also responsible for evaluating the project; therefore, she received two allowances monthly on this project.” This revelation speaks volumes of the Ministers integrity (double dipping).
However, having successfully gotten the former VC&P out of the way, it was time to realize her plans fleecing the University, thus, “Without going through due process, the current VC&P reinstated Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie as full-time staff, one year after she officially resigned. Upon the re-instatement, without her going to work at her assigned station as a member of staff, he immediately granted her Leave of Absence for two years including the year preceding his appointment as VC&P.”
MANIPULATION
As Minister, with the powers given to her, she was able to manipulate her chosen cabal to dissolve the University Court, an unthinkable feat for a minister in the history of education in the country.
“The Chairman of TEC in a letter dated 25th January 2024 advised the Minister to dissolve the USL- Court and replace it with a management team until a new Court was reconstituted. In addition, he advised the Minister to form an Investigation Committee to look into the administrative, financial, procurement and management irregularities within the USL. The title itself which is the title of the draft report is judgmental; meaning it was assumed that there were irregularities even before the committee was established.
More details to come in subsequent editions