The University of Sierra Leone (USL) has issued a formal statement refuting allegations made in the August 2024 edition of Africa Confidential, which claimed that the institution lost $4.5 million of public funds in a deal with a Nigerian company, FEMAB Properties, and subsequently kept it secret.

The article, titled “Freetown Business School Buys $4.5M Hole in the Bush,” suggested that the funds were mishandled during the development of a residential campus for the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) at Bureh Town.

USL’s management, led by the Acting Registrar Munda Lebbie, clarified that the institution had been transparent about its dealings and that there was no concealment regarding the project. The university emphasized that it has continuously updated stakeholders, including the public, through press briefings, the most recent of which took place on February 5, 2022. The statement also noted that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated an investigation into the matter and urged the public to await the outcome.

The partnership with FEMAB Properties was first initiated in January 2016 under the leadership of former IPAM Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Allyson Sesay and former USL Vice Chancellor Professor Ekundayo Thompson. Following a proposal, the university’s Finance and General-Purpose Committee (F&GPC) approved the acquisition of land in the Western Rural District for the construction of a new IPAM campus. This approval led to the allocation of 70 acres of state land in Bureh Town.

The university management took significant steps to ensure due diligence, including visits to FEMAB’s facilities in Lagos. The public-private partnership (PPP) model was lauded by government officials, including then-President Ernest Bai Koroma and Financial Secretary Edmund Koroma, as a progressive solution for education infrastructure development.

The project faced several delays after the change of government in 2018, with new university and government officials assuming leadership roles. Despite challenges, the project received a letter of assurance from the Ministry of Finance in 2018, guaranteeing $37.5 million for the construction of the campus. FEMAB began mobilization and site preparations, but progress was hampered by delays in the issuance of financial guarantees, the COVID-19 pandemic, and further government inquiries.

USL has acknowledged that FEMAB Properties was indeed on-site and that some initial construction, including foundation work and water systems, had commenced. However, the project has been stalled since 2020 due to continued issues with project financing and contractual disagreements.

In response to the allegations in Africa Confidential, USL has provided a detailed timeline of events surrounding the project, highlighting that payments made to FEMAB were in line with the university’s 25% contribution to the project cost, as per the terms agreed upon with the contractor. The $4.5 million payment, which is under scrutiny, was part of a revolving credit facility secured from the United Bank of Africa.

The university’s statement also mentioned that on August 24, 2024, USL management visited the project site at Bureh Town and discovered it had been abandoned by FEMAB, with much of the equipment removed. The university has expressed its intention to engage with FEMAB regarding the security of the site and the remaining assets.

The university urged the public to be patient while the Anti-Corruption Commision conducts its investigation. “We encourage the public to await the findings of the ACC and assure them that any further developments will be communicated,” the statement concluded.