The Chairman of the Committee Hon. Alimamy O. Kamara together with other Committee Members engaged a cross section of the University of Sierra Leone administration and the contractors of the BADEA project in an information sharing process on their activities and implementation and maintenance of the University. The Chairman said the hearing is in line as a result of a conducted tour they made to the Fourah Bay College campus and the concerns raised by students on the bad sate of the campus.
Hon. Kamara said that President Bio’s government has taken education as a flagship programme since quality education is important for a good future for Sierra Leoneans. He also mention that after he read the project he noticed that the rehabilitation of laboratories were not included in it and asked that they are included but in a minimal cost.
The vice chancellor Dr. Foday Sahr, in his statement said ‘the delay on the conclusion is in the hands of SOGETEL company and that they are only charged with the responsibilities of the administrative, payment of junior and supporting staffs’. He continued that the administration is using the 30% paid by students as fees in settling these expenses since government delays in paying the remaining 70% and that this has being the college challenge.
The project manager Mr. Sorie M.Kanu in his statement said the disbursement of funds by the Ministry of Finance is a challenge and it has led to the delay of work. He also list blocks A,G,H,M,C,J,E and also blocks 33,34,35 and that the female and male hostels are completed and that it is only the furniture that remains. He concluded that by mid next academic year the hostels would have been completed.
The project contractor Mr. Chaibou Aliou of SOGETEL said they are facing lot of financial problems ranging from the constant increment of fuel prices in 2016 to 2018, the introduction of the toll gates, high cost at the Water Quay, the conciliation by the new government on GST and duty wavers and lastly the company is facing a big problem from residents living close to the site as they are constantly stealing building materials from them. Mr Aliou pleaded with the committee to advocate with the government in cutting these extra expenses since they were not included during the bidding process.
Mr Tasima A. Jah Acting Director of Budget in the Ministry of Finance when responding to the Committee said since July 2018 till date the ministry has not received any monetary request from the construction company and urged that request be made in other to meet their mandate.
The committee pleaded with Finance Ministry to support the project and promised to do on the sport visit to project site to actualized work done.
