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ACC interrogate former Sierra Leone education minister over Limkokwing agreement

  • Francis Ben Kaifala, anti-corruption chief

By Kemo Cham

Former Education Minister, Dr Minkailu Bah, was briefly interrogated on Friday by agents of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Politico learnt.

A source in the Commission said Dr Bah was questioned over his role in the agreement that led to the establishment of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, which is currently the subject of public debate.

The source said Dr Bah reported to the Commission by himself, after been invited, and that he was released after answering to a series of questions.

“It basically has to do with the agreement, how the ministry signed the agreement,” the source who didn’t want to be named because they were not authorized to speak, said.

Limkokwing is a privately managed university, part of the Malasia headquartered international university with campuses in several countries in Asia and Europe.

It officially opened its Sierra Leone campus in 2016, with mostly government sponsored students. Dr Bah, as Minister of education at the time, is said to have been at the center of the negotiations. 

The Bio Administration has since faulted the agreement and is reluctant to pay tuition for continuing students.

This has provoked recurrent protests by the affected students.

The latest protest happened about two weeks ago, leading to clashes between students and police. Several students were detained.

The University’s administration has refused to allow the government sponsored students to take lectures, nearly two months into the second semester, due to the failure of the government to pay outstanding debt it owed them.

The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education last month told Politico that it owed the university Le1billion in debt, after paying Le23billion outstanding payment accrued over the years.

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