The Chief Whip of the main opposition party in the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara in an interview has and said for the first time in Sierra Leone’s history a President appointed a Minister who is about to close the Milton Margai Technical University MMTU for Sixty Thousand United States Dollars (USD 60, 000) rent it owes.
He further advised and admonished President Bio to be careful in bestowing and conferring authority to certain people in the like of the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie.
Hon. Kamara made it clear that MMTU is an autonomous body that has its own court to regulate its activities. He said the university can own and discharged property, arguing that the Ministry of Higher and Technical Education doesn’t own the university, rather it supervises the university.
Hon. Kamara made these comments during an interview in his office in the House of Parliament on Tuesday, 22nd August, 2024, in respective of a land dispute between the New Brookfields Hotel and the MMTU.
He said the two entities were far gone with the agreement regarding the portion of land which the hotel wanted to lease from the university, until the Ministries of Higher and Technical Education and Tourism and Culture interrupted the peaceful negotiations and business relationship existing between the two entities. He noted that the hotel needs specialists and the university is training those specialists, describing the relationship as symbiotic.
However, he warmed President Bio to be very careful in bestowing power and authority to people like the Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Dr. Ramatulai Wurie.
Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara (AKK) expressed strong disapproval of the government’s decision to prioritize the interest of a private institution, the New Brookfields Hotel over the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) for USD 60, 000 yearly rent payments to the Government of Sierra Leone.
Hon. Kamara disclosed that the land dispute encompasses issues of litigation, law and the plight of the President Bio, stressing that there are individuals in the President’s administration who consistently make poor decisions, and deceive the President in implementing them.
He maintained that the decision by the President based on ill-advice, to favour the New Brookfields Hotel over the University is “unfortunate” and show of “bad leadership.”