Skip to main content

EBK-University Makeni Students Strike: “13 hospitalized”

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson


Although calm is gradually returning to the Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology (EBKUST) Makeni Campus after hundreds of students went on the rampage on May 30, demanding that “no student must be barred from writing to their examination,” 13 students remain hospitalized.

The strike action was ignited by the university administration stands that students must pay  their complete tuition fees including other charges before writing to their final examination, a notion which the university’s Vice Chancellor and Principal Professor Edwin J.J Momoh say is a best practice and a general policy that cut across universities in Sierra Leone, but the students say most of them have paid at least 75% of their fees but they have not received their university attires while the those in the nursing department are  yet to receive their accreditations and uniforms likewise.

There was complete standoff on campus and some of the Lecturers had to run for safety and to halt the situation we invited the police and sadly I have learned some of the asymmetric students were intoxicated by the firing of tear gas to disperse the crowd, Professor Momoh told a local network.

Contrary to Professor Momoh’s response, there are allegations that the police had used live rounds to restore calm but the Police spokesman sergeant John Abass Kamara has denied the allegation saying, “we’re not aware that any of our personnel fired live rounds to quell the students strike at the EBK-University, what I can confirmed is that some students were hurt by the tear gas and other were injured by stones pelted by their colleagues but we’ve successfully engaged representatives of the university’s student governing body and some senior staff over the incident, and they’ve all committed to enhancing peace while investigations are ongoing.”

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Senegal, first African team to beat England, but not first to score three goals

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Claim: Soccer World HQ, in a Facebook post , claimed that Senegal is the first African team to beat England and the first to score three goals against them. Verdict: Partly True! Senegal is the first African team to beat England, but not the first to score three goals against them. Full Text The England senior men’s national football team, nicknamed the “Three Lions,” played their first match against Scotland in 1872. That match ended goalless but marked the beginning of an intense soccer rivalry between both nations, dubbed the “Auld Enemy.” Since 1872-2025, the England national team has achieved its 1000-game milestone in November 2019 when they played Montenegro at the Wembley Stadium. England's all-time head-to-head record shows that they’ve played a whopping 1072 matches against 100 countries, won 615 games, drew 255, and lost 200. Senegal, on the other hand, is one of Africa’s most famous football nations, nicknamed the “Lions of Teranga.” In 2002, ...

Sierra Leone, Two other Nations disqualified from AFCON 2024 U17 Qualifiers

By: Abdulrahman Barrie The U17 football teams from Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau have been disqualified from the 2024 U17 African Cup of Nations competition in Senegal after failing the mandatory MRI test scans. These scans, which determine the age of the players, revealed discrepancies that led to their removal from the tournament. The disqualification follows changes to Article 27.4 of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations regulations, which have tightened the criteria and enforcement of age verification measures. The updated rules stipulate that if a team has more than four players deemed ineligible after the MRI eligibility test, the entire team will be disqualified. The MRI tests, used to enforce age restrictions in youth competitions, are crucial for ensuring fairness. Unfortunately, the teams from these three nations did not meet the age criteria, resulting in their disqualification. This decision has come as a significant disappointment for the young players and their fans, w...

Makeni Medical Mission Brings Hope and Healing to Bombali District

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Residents of the Asker Amputee Camp in Makeni City, including various war victims, are rejoicing over the inauguration of the Makeni Medical Mission health facility, established by philanthropist, author, and pastor Mr. Bambay Sawaneh, alongside his partners in the United States. This newly launched medical facility, comprising 11 treatment rooms, was developed with the support of Southeastern Medical International (SMI) and the Concord Christian Church. Their mission is to deliver compassionate healthcare and a range of medical services to the people of Bombali District and surrounding areas, with a particular focus on war victims and vulnerable families living in the Asker Amputee Camp at Robureh. At the official opening ceremony in Makeni city, a team of 10 medical missionaries from Southeastern Medical International, including Sheila Yates, a seasoned medical missionary with two decades of experience in the US, provided free medical care to 100 individuals,...