By Hajaratu Kalokoh
The College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) finally inaugurated its new Student Representative Council last month, nine months after its members were elected.
The Council which serves as intermediary between the students and the administration, comprises 40 members, headed by a president, and it is elected every year.
Although the election was conducted in March 2019, the inauguration ceremony took place on December 20, a delay officials blamed on recurrent student unrests across the University of Sierra Leone (USL).
COMAHS, Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) and Fourah Bay College (FBC) are the three constituent colleges of the USL.
In 2012, the Sierra Leone government slammed a ban on student union activities on all three constituent colleges, thanks to outbreak of violence in students elections at FBC.
But last year the ban was lifted.
Brima Bah, Deputy Register of COMAHS, said at the inauguration held at the college campus in Kosso Town, Jui, that Student Union Governments were meant to serve as platforms to nurture leadership in students.
"By re-introducing the student union government it comes with greater opportunity for students who are interested in practicing leadership; for them to learn and to serve. That is one of the key functions of a Student Union Government," he said.
"It enables administration to easily interface with students’ on activities other than their academic [work],” he added.
Mr used the occasion to explain a cause for conflict between the administration and the student council, noting that often the student leadership tend to go beyond their mandate in their pursuit to address students’ concern.
"We have structures in the college and every students is expected to be au fait with the way these structures work," he said.
"I have told your representatives that if a student comes to them with a problem that is purely academic, they should help the students through the processes. You are not going to take the case on behalf of the students. We have the lecturers, Heads of Department, Deen of Faculty, DVC, if it is academic matter, if it happens to have something to do with examination, that makes it even more remote from student union government,” he said.
Bah explained that sometimes when students in Pre Medical fail it’s “definitely” because they were not fit enough to be in the college.
“They came in with results that they did not quite obtain and you (students union) want to organise yourself as students leaders to say: can we give them concession? We begin to see you as unserious. Except you want to tell me that you suspect that the lecturers have reason for them to deliberately fail the students," he added.
Former FBC Student Union President, Umaru Fofana, was keynote speaker at the inauguration ceremony. He noted in his speech that political polarity, a global phenomenon, was a major hindrance to the smooth operation of student bodies and he urged the COMAHS SU to reject such tendencies.
“Political division is something which even at your level as students you have to expect. However, as students you must not allow national politics to determine your elections," he said.
According to Fofana, there are inter-tribal marriages among Sierra Leoneans therefore tribalism only existed during elections.
"Tribalism in Sierra Leone does not exist outside politics. Nepotism or regionalism does not exist in Sierra Leone outside politics. I know hundreds of Sierra Leoneans who are northerners and are married to Southerners. Vice versa. It is only when it comes to elections that they begin to fan the embers of tribalism”, he noted.
Dwight Nicole, the Student President, hailed colleagues in his team for their desire to serve the students body.
Nicole later outlined his plans ahead to Politico, noting that he intends to ensure the installation of a solar light system for students at the Kosso Town campus, reduce massive failures through tutorials and other educational engagements. He also promises to construct garden sitting areas for students to relax and to organize the first student health symposium.
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