By: Hassan Osman Kargbo/Mohamed Dauda Kamara
Caption: NUSS-President, Rex Bhonapha.
The Nation Union of Sierra Leone Student (NUSS) organized the first students’ Conference at the Freetown City Auditorium on the 30 April, 2024, Tuesday – in an effort to discuss and address burning issues affecting students across the country.
The NUSS-President, Mohamed Rex Bhonapha, said that the essence of hosting the conference, was bring to together student-leaders from across the country, to discuss and find solutions to student-related problems, such as inadequate infrastructural facilities, missing grades, inadequate resources, sex for grade, etc.
“This is the first time students are coming together for a common good, and to proffer solutions,” he said.
Among many things that stood out in the conference, was Sex-for-Grade, which goes unnoticed yet making inroads among female university students.
A media practitioner and gender advocate, Asma James, alleged that most of the female students whose names were not published for the just-concluded graduation ceremonies for University of Sierra Leone, was due to Sex for grade.
She said that Sex for grade is an everyday thing, used by male lecturers to sexually exploit their female students, urging female students to break the silence on it.
While another guest speaker, Brima Sesay Esq, said that Sex for Grade is a two-way thing at universities, he also said that seduction is not a defense for male lecturers to perpetrate the crime. He asserted that most students seduce their male lecturers with sex for grades, while some lecturers sexually harass their female students for sex.
However, he went on to called on students to imbibe the culture of unionism, something he believed can help to hold the government accountable.
In his statement, he stressed the consequences the division among students, which has been precipitated by national politics and partisanship.
The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Sarjoh Aziz Kamara, who was also present during the Conference, emphasized the essence of nationalism and governance, urging students to take a step in nationalism.
“Many say that this country is resourced with diamonds, golds, bauxite and so on but have you harnessed our resources for our common good? Or for just the benefit for the selected few,” he said.
He underscored the essence of human capital development, saying that the number of university admission has increased over the last few years, and noting the advancement of gender parity in the country.
He, therefore, urged students to take an active part in the development of the country, asserting that education is a cornerstone to a country’s development, despite also saying that there is a growing need for more educational facilities.
“You’re the change-makers, you’re to stand up against corruption, nepotism and bad governance,” he urged.
Professor Miriam Conteh-Morgan, the first female Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Public Administration and Management, drew a red line on gender disparity, stating the essence of having women in decision-making process.
During the 2023-graduation ceremony, she said that there were about six PhD graduates from IPAM with no human among them. She relayed that this shows a gap in gender disparity, despite saying that the number of females in universities has increased over the few years.
