Students at Fourah Bay College Protest Governance Vacuum
By Aminata Kamara
Students of Fourah Bay College (FBC) have raised concerns over what they describe as a prolonged governance vacuum, citing the absence of a Students’ Union Government (SUG) for two academic years.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, a group calling itself Concerned Students said the failure to conduct SUG elections has left the student body without a recognized platform to engage the university administration on welfare and academic issues.
The protest follows a recent decision by the University of Sierra Leone to ban the appointment of Class Representatives across all campuses. The university, led by Vice Chancellor Aiah Lebbie, said the measure was intended to curb alleged “extortion, corruption, and exploitation” by some student leaders.
However, the students argue that the ban has effectively eliminated all formal channels for representation. “With no SUG and now no class representatives, students have no lawful means to raise concerns,” the statement said.
The governance impasse dates back to May 2024, when the administration suspended scheduled SUG elections at Fourah Bay College, citing escalating security concerns, including attempted arson. FBC, often referred to as the “Athens of West Africa,” has a history of active but sometimes volatile student politics, traditionally divided along “Black” and “White” campus factions.
The Concerned Students group maintains that while the university has the authority to regulate student activities, the continued absence of elections or an interim representative structure infringes on students’ rights to participation and due process.
University authorities had not issued a further response to the latest concerns at the time of publication.
