Njala University is the second largest university in Sierra Leone. The university is comprised of three campuses: Njala Campus (which is the main campus) in Moyamba, Bo Campus, and Freetown Campus. The university, which claims to be the best university in Sierra Leone and the Mano River Region (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) is known as the center for research in Sierra Leone with arguably the best research professors in Sierra Leone notably Professor Monty Jones. The University became paralyzed during the Sierra Leone civil war, which left the university on its knees to date.
Lately, there have been a lot of complaints from students at the main campus in Moyamba district. These disturbing complaints such as rough-hewn and deleterious hostels and lecture rooms, dwindling water supply to over 4,000 students, the struggle for accommodation, etc… Last year, Salone Messenger published four articles of how these students are being deprived from their rights. This year, when we thought things would improve and the university administration would fix the wrongs, students are still living in a state of dismay and a derailed situation. They recently complain of not having mattress in their rooms, no proper electricity connection and water facility is extremely poor.
Our reports, which are credible and factual, reaching us is that scores of students are yet to have sleeping mattress in their rooms. Despite having paid the full hostel fees (LE 750,000), many students don’t have mattress to sleep on, which has resulted to them sleeping on the floor of the bed, some are squeezing in to their close friends and colleague students. This is not the first time we have been receiving such reports from Njala Campus. According to one of the students we spoke to, he told us he has been on campus since the reopening of the 2020/2021 academic year and he is yet to receive a mattress to sleep on. Another student, Nathan (which is not his real name name) told us: “I have been here for the past three weeks, and I have been sleeping on the floor of my bed. This has given me back and side cramps. I paid my full hostel and tuition fees, which made me eligible to have a room – a comfortable room; not this one. All I am asking for is that the university gives me a mattress to sleep on. My room is not up to any basic dorm standard.”
Just like Nathan, many students are going through this appalling, horrendous, horrible, and nauseating situation. It has been happening, it is happening, but we want it to stop happening. These students deserve better. Education should be made comfortable, not the other way round. To the administration at Njala, provide your students the service they are paying for.
