Dr
Sidat Yaffa, associate professor of agronomy, has said that the Ministry of
Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MOHERST) has no right to
micromanage the University of The Gambia (UTG).
During
a press conference yesterday, Dr Yaffa, who is also the acting director of
UTG/WASCAL MAP on climate change and education at the UTG Farafenni campus,
said the major objective of the ministry is to regulate the policies that are
related to the university, “but not to micromanage the affairs of the
university”.
“MOHERST
is just a representative on the governing council [of the university] Before the ministry called for the
dissolution of the senior management team (SMT), a negotiation should have been
made between the staff association and the SMT.”
Dr
Yaffa outlined three “best solutions” that MOHERST should have done instead of
the dissolution of the SMT: they (the ministry) should have suspended the use
of the purchased vehicles; the SMT should allocate half a million to each
school within the university to take care of their immediate needs, and to
reconstitute the SMT.
“But
dissolving SMT was unfair and unjust; it is not acceptable in international
negotiation. The action was unprofessional.
There are conditions and regulations governing the university. It is the responsibility of the governing
council and the acting vice chancellor to take such action, not the ministry.”
As
a bona fide member of the UTGFSA, he continued, the sit-down strike was
uncalled for and wrong because it has delayed the progress of the students; it
was an old mentality of strike.
According
to Dr Yaffa, Ministry of Higher Education currently owed the UTG more than D8
million in terms of scholarships.
“Let
them settle that first, and that would take care of so many challenges the UTG
is facing right now,” he said.
Attention
needed
As
the acting director of UTG/WASCAL MAP on climate change and education at the
UTG Farafenni campus, Dr Yaffa said the Farafenni campus needs much attention.
The
Farafenni campus offers master’s degree in climate change and related fields.
