The protest was held at the UTG’s Kanifing campus.
The angry protesters held placards with different inscriptions ranging from:
“We are missing lectures,” they waved their placards. “We need our buses!” “No more beautiful articles.”
The students have vowed to continue their protest if the UTG management fails to react to their demands on ultimatum – Monday 17 March 2024.
The protesters claimed that the lack of school buses is affecting their education as most of the students miss lectures due to transportation.
“With serious concern, we converged here today to manifest how frustrated we are with the transportation crisis. We demand more buses to transport us to and from Faraba for lectures.”
“Failure to address this pressing issue will lead to boycotting lectures and a series of protests to attain our right to quality education in this country,” students warned.
Meanwhile, on the issue of clean running water, the protesting students, stated: “This is an essential component of our lives and we cannot co-exist with an environment that lacks clean running water. This issue has negatively impacted students because they cannot access restrooms and clean themselves and that says a lot about the inhumane situation we are confronted with since our relocation.”
Reading a press statement on behalf of the students, Lamin Manneh, said: “Since our relocation to the Faraba Banta Campus, we have endured the hardships of inadequate transportation and scarcity of clean water just to mention a few. We have watched as our education is hindered by these obstacles while promises of solutions remain unfulfilled.”
“We have been scapegoated, bullied and harassed by the publications of the media platforms, and all that they said about us is truly what we are facing in the University. Today, we say enough is enough. We refuse to accept the status quo any longer. Our voices will no longer be silenced; our demands will no longer be ignored. Each day, we rise with the hope of reaching our classrooms, eager to engage in the pursuit of knowledge. Yet, time and time again, we are met with the harsh reality of buses filled beyond capacity, leaving us stranded at the mercy of circumstances beyond our control,” he stated.
“We refuse to let anything stand in the way of our education and our dreams. So hear us now, University Management, and hear us loud and clear. We will not rest until our voices are heard, our demands are met, and our rights as students are respected.”
Abdoulie Jarju, a first year student of the UTG, said: “The UTG students are packed inside the few buses we have like sardines. In fact, even those going to Libya are more comfortable than us going to the Faraba,” he stated.
“We have been missing lectures since the semester started. In fact, other students have been missing lectures since the previous semester. Water shortage is also another issue we are encountering at Faraba. Sometimes even to perform ablution is a problem for the students,” he disclosed.
