Nelson Manneh
Scores of students from the University of The Gambia (UTG) gathered in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office in Kanifing on Wednesday morning, brandishing placards and chanting slogans demanding change and improved facilities on campus.
Among the protesters was Ousainou Colley, also known as Ousainou Gambia, who emphasized the need for the Vice Chancellor to directly address their concerns. Colley highlighted the insufficient transportation services and water supply issues at the Faraba Campus as key grievances.
“We are struggling to access water and transportation to our schools due to inadequate resources,” he lamented.
He said: “We want our demands to be met by the administration.”
Addressing the demonstrators, Professor Herbert Robinson, the Vice Chancellor, acknowledged the challenges faced by the university. He expressed the administration’s commitment to resolving the issues raised by the students.
He said they are aware of the issue of water, which he said would be addressed by providing boreholes.
“I want to tell you as students you have to be patient, development takes time and we cannot solve everything overnight,” The VC said.
He further said: “We appealed to you, and to your student leaders if you have grievances the right thing to do is to come and engage us as the university management and express those concerns and we deal with it”, adding this is not the best way of dealing with issues like this, we have an institution and we have to protect and safeguard the integrity of the institution”.
Robinson urged patience, emphasizing that addressing these concerns would take time. He appealed to the students and their leaders to engage with the university management to address grievances constructively, emphasizing the importance of upholding the institution’s integrity.
Following the Vice Chancellor’s address, students expressed their intention to monitor the situation closely over the coming days. They warned of a potential escalation if their demands were not adequately met.
The recent protests come in the wake of the relocation of lectures to the Faraba Campus last October, a move initially met with reluctance from students due to perceived deficiencies in campus amenities. However, reassurances from the Ministry of Higher Education eventually led to the relocation.
As tensions simmer, both students and administration remain engaged in dialogue, with hopes of finding lasting solutions to the challenges facing the university community.
