The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Professor Aiah Gbakima, on Wednesday 19th August 2020 informed members of the Parliamentary Education Committee that lack of funding is affecting the upgrading of Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCET) to university status. According to the professor, Cabinet on 29th May approved the proposal he submitted for the amendment of the University Act 2005 for establishment of certain universities, including the University of Science and Technology in Kono and the Technical University of Sierra Leone in Kenema, and any other universities to be established. “As far as Kenema is concerned that has been approved. We are looking for funding for it to start operating its university status,” he assured, explaining that the University of Science and Technology in Kono has secured a $32 million funding from ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development.
On Milton Margai, the Minister informed the Parliamentary Committee on Education that it is still with the Minister of Finance, as they held preliminary discussions on how to secure funding for the establishment, explaining that considering the current situation they cannot just go to the Finance Ministry saying they want to go ahead with the upgrade as “the money is just not there”. He said they had also informed the Technical Education Commission (TEC) on the current status, and are still engaging the Finance Ministry on the Milton Margai issues, adding that the TEC is aware of the fact that there are many illegal institutions operating that needs to be addressed instead of asking the government for new ones.
“We cannot be sentimental about institutions moving from polytechnic to university. We want quality education,” he said. In response to the Minister’s statement, Honourable Dickson Rogers said the Minister of Higher Education, “without looking at the consequences, the lens used to look at MMCET it is not possible to become a university without using that same lens to look at polytechnic in Kenema not to become a university, you took a Cabinet paper to Cabinet for approval”.
He informed the Minister that there is no way the ECOWAS Bank that is funding the establishment of the University of Science and Technology will bring in foreign lecturers to teach mathematics or any other subject that can be handled by Sierra Leoneans, as Parliament has enacted the Local Content Act. Hon Rogers maintained that there is already funding for MMCET, which should be used for the payment of lecturers for the institution to be upgraded to university status, as they intend doing for the Eastern Polytechnic, asking how can the country get quality education if the polytechnic institutions are not upgraded to university status to produce lecturers for the other polytechnics.
“It is political suicide for us to have university status in Kenema and Kono leaving out those in Western Area. I think this committee will recommend that this Parliament will not approve any additional university until MMCET is included,” he assured, adding that it will be very unfair for those in the Western Area who are also from the provinces to go without university degrees. He said it is political suicide for them to approve a university that is not even in existence, while leaving out a college that was established since 1963 with structures to operate as a university, and called on the Minister to inform Parliament on whatever they can do to upgrade MMCET, as they are ready to support the process.
According to Hon Saa Emerson Lamina on investing in human resource that will lead to a reservoir of knowledge in the market, he will be hit below the belt if Eastern Polytechnic of yesterday is transformed into a university leaving out MMCET, adding wherever the bottle neck might be, Parliament should be informed, as they can help solve them to ensure MMCET is transformed into a university.
Hon James Ozan Tholley said, to the best of his knowledge no government will approve any institution that is not in existence, adding that establishing a school for government approval and financial support requires strong foundation including permanent structures, trained and qualified teachers among others, and must have been in existence for a certain period of time. He assured that they will not allow the government to make mistakes against their children, assuring that MMCET has produced many brains that have held very important positions in the country.
The Minister informed the committee that he will go and engage with his Permanent Secretary to see how best they can draft another Cabinet Paper to be discussed and approved by Cabinet that will include MMCET, while the committee on the other hand assured they will engage the Ministry of Finance.
By Alhaji Manika Kamara