By Nasratu Kargbo
The Parliament of Sierra Leone has on Thursday 8 July 2021 approved three new universities after the House completed debates on the establishing of the higher learning institutions.
The three universities that were approved constitute the Milton Margai Technical University, which was known as the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology, the Eastern Technical University which was then the Eastern Polytechnic, and the newly established Kono University of Science and Technology.
The universities were endorsed after several days of thorough debates by members of Parliament and the repeal and replacement of the 2005 Universities Act with the new Universities Act of 2021. Several clauses were removed while others were improved on by the parliamentarians with the guidance of the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Professor Alpha Wurie.
MPs had arguments on a student’s certificate which majority agreed should not just be withdrawn on the basis of committing a crime, stating that crime is generic and therefore agreed that a certificate can only be withdrawn if the student is found guilty of academic dishonesty and fraud, meaning it should be within the academic circle.
The Leader of government business, Mathew Nyuma thanked all concerned for their efforts toward making sure the bill was passed. He said it is Sierra Leone that comes first and expressed delight that all MPs set aside politics to make the bill a reality. The Leader of the main opposition APC party, Chernor Maju Bah also thanked all and said they as opposition will continue to support when necessary, and criticize when they think it demands such.
Prof. Wurie thanked the MPs for responding to a national call and said the educational sector is responsible for all other sectors stating that it produces doctors, lawyers, engineers etc.
In an unrelated matter, the leader of the main opposition brought up the issue of a colleague APC parliamentarian, Emmanuel Saidu Conteh who is in Police custody after seven pistols were allegedly found in his vehicle shipped to the country from the United States.
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