The Minister of Tertiary and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulie Wurie has informed the press on Tuesday, 6th February, 2024. that the dissolved University Sierra Leone Court failed to appoint the Pro Vice Chancellor as provided in the Universities Act 2021.

Minister Wurie revealed that the appointment of the former VC &P, Professor Foday Sahr as Executive Director of the National Public Health Agency, and the appointment was ratified and approved in October 2023 by Parliament, the position of VC&P was vacant

“I have no business in appointing an acting Vice Chancellor and Principal if there was a Pro Vice Chancellor, ” she emphasized.

The Minister said after the appointment of the former VC &P, Professor Foday Sahr as Executive Director of the National Public Health Agency, and the appointment was ratified and approved in October 2023 by Parliament, the position of VC&P was vacant.

This vacancy lasted from October, 2023 to December 2023.According to the Minister, since there was no records on the appointment of a Pro Vice Chancellor to fill this vacancy as provided in the said Act, the Minister made several inquiries about the appointment of the Acting VC &P. She was told by the Deputy Chairman of Court that the Pro Vice Chancellor was yet to be appointed by Court. She engaged the former Chancellor on appointing the acting VC &P and thereafter putting together a search committee as provided in the Act. The former Chancellor consented for her to do so. All of these activities were done and documented in October, 2023.

Based on the implications of the vacum in the leadership of the University but Professor Foday Sahr was still performing the regular functions of the VC&P and receiving all benefits for it, she appointed Professor Lawrence Kamara to act as the VC&P to expedite the recruitment of the substantive VC&P.
This decision was rejected by the former USL Court. The Registrar USL, Mrs Olive Barrie said there was a Pro Vice Chancellor of USL whose office was a verbal understanding among the three DVCs but not appointed as required by law, or the provisions in the Act. After several deliberations, the MTHE minister reaffirmed the appointment of Professor Lawrence Kamara in December but it was rejected by the USL Court that they have ratified Professor Mohamed Samai as the Pro Vice Chancellor on 24th January, 2024.

The Parliamentary Oversight Committee of Higher education intervend by inviting all parties to Parliament to update them about the situation in order to foster mutual arrangements. After their presentations, Parliament noted that the USL Court did not appoint the Pro Vice Chancellor as required by law and therefore urged that the appointment of Professor Kamara be accepted for six months spanning from 11 th December, 2023 to 11th June 2024. During this time they would have recruited the substantive VC&P.

Unfortunately, the Court rejected the advice and decision of Parliament.

DRAs a result of the persistent negative portrayal of MTHE by mass media and misinformation and misrepresentation on social media, TEC decided to advice the government as part of their responsibilities provided in the objectives of the TEC Act.