Student-Admin war over: Rusticated Students Allowed to Take Exams!

By: Desmond Jones

The Public Relations Officer of the University of Sierra Leone, Lola Aforo, has told AYV that the University of Sierra Leone has resolved to reverse its decision regarding 31 students of Fourah Bay College (FBC) who were recently rusticated for illegally occupying the college hostels.

She said the students will be allowed to take their exams, as the college announces a new time table for the resumption of the suspended second semester examinations.

Aforo said the decision was reached in the interest of peace, particularly as the country is heading for elections.  She added that any discrepancy will create a negative impact on the forthcoming elections and further send a negative picture of Sierra Leone to the international world. Furthermore, she announced that all students will be allowed to take the examinations, including those that have not paid their fees.

She said that all issues the college has with students will be looked into after the exams.

Responding to this latest development, Deputy Minister of Education of FBC Students’ Union government, Sidi Mamadu Bah, described the news as exciting and humanitarian.

He said the University administration is a body of humanitarian patriots that are known to have been working diligently to ensure the future of Sierra Leone is safe in the hands of well trained leaders. He said the union is grateful that the administration listened to their pleas and finally tempered justice with mercy.

He thanked the college authorities for what he calls their humanitarian decision, and singled out the President of the National Union of Sierra Leone Students, Ibrahim Idriss Mansaray, for the responsible leadership he exhibited in resolving the situation.

Meanwhile, the University of Sierra Leone has in a special announcement stated that the suspended second semester examinations of Fourah Bay College will resume on Wednesday 15th August, 2012 at 9am.

The release further stated that the sequence of exams would continue with the original time table, except that the exams scheduled for Friday 2nd August, 2012 will now take place on Wednesday 15th August, 2012 and the rest of the exams rescheduled accordingly, while terminating the last exams of 31st August, 2012.

The release went on to inform the general public, particularly students and their sponsors, that the decision of the University Court of the University of Sierra Leone to resume the examination is predicated on the assurance that the examination would be taken in a safe environment, and appealed to all concerned to help the examination process get through smoothly.

Similarly, the National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUSS) has also in a press release entreated students of FBC to avoid and desist from all forms of violence.

The release further urged students to be calm and have respect for the rule of law.

The statement also assured all students that NUSS remains as a union committed to working in the interest of all students.