THE NEED FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF THE GAMBIA ACT CONFUSION ON WHO SHOULD BECOME VICE CHANCELLOR AND HOW

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Soon after the announcement rumours began to spread that the appointment had been reversed. Foroyaa tried to no avail to get to the truth of the matter. Recently, Mr Jenung Manneh is being referred as the Acting Vice Chancellor. However, no official pronouncement has been made to that effect. What then is the official position? The way the country is governed has made it very difficult to know what is or is not an official appointment. Appointments are supposed to be subsidiary legislations which become official when published in the Gazette. Section11 of the University of the Gambia Act states that “the Vice Chancellor shall be appointed by the Council in the prescribed manner.” What is the prescribed manner? What qualification and experience is necessary to be appointed Vice Chancellor? The University of the Gambia is 16 years old. It should now prescribe universally recognised standards for appointing Vice Chancellors, Deputy Vice Chancellors, Deans of Faculties and so on and so forth. Foroyaa will revisit the Act to expose its weaknesses and the need for amendments. University teaching law students should not have instruments which does not prescribe the standard qualification and manner of appointment of its key administrators.  ]]>