3 Students Expelled From The University
By Joseph S. Margai in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Special Assistant to the Registrar of the University of Sierra Leone (USL) or Fourah Bay College, Brima Bah, has disclosed to Groove 106FM in his Tower Hill office Wednesday, July 26th that his institution has dismissed Alimamy Monrovia, a lecturer of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM). Three students were found guilty of examinations malpractice recently and were expelled from the college.
The lecturer, including three others, was caught cheating in an examinations hall during this year’s second semester examinations in the Department of Law at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
Brima Bah said following an allegation of malpractice during the conduct of examinations in the Department of Law at Fourah Bay College (FBC), there was public outcry. He added that they internally received report which urged the Vice Chancellor and Principal to set up a special disciplinary investigation committee.
“The seven-man committee includes students’ representative, President of Law Society at Fourah Bay College, among others. They worked assiduously for two weeks and they were able to complete their investigation. We now have a report that has come up with findings indicating that accused, Alimamy Monrovia, Margret Ngegba, Isha During and Mohamed Morlai Kanu who the committee investigated as students, were guilty of the offense,” he explained.
Asked what action has USL taken against the accused, Brima Bah said in line with the policy of the conduct of examinations and malpractice, the committee recommended that the lecturer be dismissed and the students expelled from the University.
“One of the students, Alimamy Monrovia, was a lecturer of the Institute of Public Management and Administration (IPAM). Normally if a student, who also works as a staff of the university, is involved in examinations malpractice, he will be firstly treated as a student. After which, he will be brought to a staff meeting and if he is found guilty, he/she will be dismissed,” he said. He added that action has already been taken against Mr. Monrovia.
Quizzed if he will attract any benefits after his dismissal, Brima Bah disclosed that Mr. Monrovia has not been with USL for over two years, noting that for a staff to get benefits after he/she leaves the university, he/she must have served for three years.
However, Bah continued, in this case, even if he would have been with us for the stipulated three years, he would not have attracted benefits because of the nature of the offense he committed.
“This is not the first time that USL has been receiving reports of examinations malpractices. In 2016, a national forum against examinations malpractice was organized by USL, and concerns were raised about the growing rate of this menace. We have been setting up committees to look into such malpractices and appropriate actions have been always taken,” he said.
He recalled that a lecturer at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) was involved in an examinations malpractice recently and he was also dismissed without benefits.
He said USL cannot take action for the behavior of individuals, adding that USL has its policies which when flouted, will attract penalties.
“For the fact that we are bringing out these things, it shows that we are sincere about eliminating malpractices in the university,” he said.
