By Mariama Marong
The University of The Gambia’s Faculty and Staff Association (UTGFSA) has threatened to embark on strike action in protest against a plan by the university’s management to purchase six new vehicles worth about GMD 25 million for senior administrators. The union described the procurement as “ill-timed and insensitive” amid mounting financial and operational struggles at the country’s only public university.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the chair and vice chair of the UTG Governing Council, the association warned that the proposed purchase would further deepen the institution’s financial woes. “The University continues to face difficulty in paying monthly salaries without overdraft from the bank. Yet, management is prioritising luxury vehicles,” the association noted.
Staff say the crisis has already reached breaking point. Many lecturers remain unpaid despite overloaded teaching schedules, leaving morale low and classrooms overstretched. Lecture halls remain overcrowded, with inadequate chairs, projectors, and teaching equipment. Laboratories are under-equipped, undermining the quality of teaching and research.
The association also highlighted the worsening transport crisis, pointing to a recent embarrassment during a Governing Council visit to Farafenni when UTG was forced to borrow a vehicle from the University of Science, Engineering and Technology (USET). “This was an embarrassing moment for an institution that serves as one of the country’s highest seat of learning since 1998,” the letter stated.
The staff body reminded the council of a similar controversy in 2017 when the purchase of vehicles in the middle of financial distress triggered an industrial strike. “History is repeating itself. In 2017, staff had no option but to strike when management ignored their plight in favour of administrative luxuries. UTG cannot afford to go down the same path again,” the association warned.
The letter also raised concerns over the university’s planned full relocation to its Faraba campus by December 2025. Staff argue that management has not put in place a clear transition plan, with critical infrastructural and logistical needs still unaddressed. “To be talking about multi-million dalasi vehicles at this juncture is a gross misplacement of priorities,” the association stressed.
The UTGFSA urged the Governing Council to halt any ongoing or planned procurement of the vehicles, convene an emergency meeting to deliberate on the matter, and re-channel resources toward pressing needs including salary arrears, classrooms, laboratories, teaching materials, and transport logistics.
Failure to act, the association cautioned, could lead to strike action that would disrupt the academic calendar and potentially paralyze the university’s operations.
The letter, signed by UTGFSA President Dr Ensa Touray, concluded with a stark warning: “At a time when staff and students are struggling with the daily realities of teaching and learning, investing millions of dalasis in luxury vehicles is unjustifiable.”
