The theme for the protest was: ‘Enough is Enough’.
The protest, staged by the Students’ Union of the UTG and all sub-associations came amidst the ongoing controversy between The Gambia government, the Governing Council and the Staff Association of the University.
The students during the protest expressed their dissatisfaction with the developments currently unfolding at the university.
The peaceful protest by the students came following an emergency meeting that took place between the UTG Students’ Union and the sub-associations within the university schools and faculties.
Before the protest on Friday, the students outlined several demands which they claimed are directly affecting their academic lives, including a demand for the reduction of tuition fees, the provision of school buses and expulsion of underperforming lecturers.
The students’ association on Friday laid these demands before the government and other stakeholders; government should reduce tuition fees and also that government should provide buses for students;
The students added that the university management should effectively resolve all missing grades and to immediately address late submission of grades and immediate expulsion of all underperforming lecturers in the university, because they need “quality, receptive and relevant education.”
They continued that the university management should renovate all poor facilities in UTG before lectures begin this semester and also that the government and management should provide laboratory for the Medical School and Arts and Sciences.
In addition, the demands continued that the UTG should provide studios for the Journalism Students and the cost attached to paying for transcript should be reduced for both national and international purposes.
They added that standard libraries should be established in all campuses, especially Brikama campus; that UTG should increase the number of lecturers to schools lacking enough lecturers, and bringing back adjunct lecturers whose performances have satisfied students.
Moreover, the students said the management should resume onsite lectures effective this semester (no compromise) and also that UTG should install strong WiFi / internet connectivity across all campuses before lectures begin.
The students amongst other demands said the government should intervene to end semesterly strikes in UTG because students are tired of strike after strike. “We further call on the government to constitute a task force committee which must include the students that would spearhead the implementation of each of our demands,” they continued.
“With these demands, we remain very firm and solid on their immediate implementation without any further negotiation. And unless and until these demands are met, we reiterate that we would boycott all lectures and that no student should pay his or her tuition fee until further notice,” they stressed.
“We have endured so much and in conditions that are even more deplorable and debilitating than what both the staff and management are facing. We have been patient for too long. We cannot take it anymore. “Enough is Enough,” they concluded.
