THE Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone has concluded that Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LKWU) had set up its campus in the country without following due process.
This follows the completion of an investigation into the university and Sierra Leone’s former education, science and technology minister Minkailu Bah.
Bah had been charged with misappropriation of public property and revenue, abuse of office, and abuse of position.
“The investigations confirmed that Dr Minkailu Bah single-handedly entered into an agreement with Limkokwing University for its establishment as a private university in Sierra Leone in 2013, without following the due process as provided in the laws that govern tertiary public education in Sierra Leone.
“(This) resulted in committing the government of Sierra Leone to serious financial obligations,” said Sierra Leone’s Public Education and Outreach Department deputy director Alhassan Kargbo in a statement.
The investigations found Bah had invited the management of LKWU to Sierra Leone where, after discussions and negotiations, he signed a memorandum of agreement with LKWU president Lim Kok Wing.
The terms of the agreement required Sierra Leone to provide campus space for the university, and scholarships for 1,200 students every year, but did not specify the fees for each student.
This was later agreed to be US$3,000 per student in bachelor’s degree programmes, and US$2,500 per diploma student for one academic year.
“According to Bah, the fees structure was negotiated in the office of the former financial secretary Edmund Koroma, with other staff members present.
“The Ministry of Finance refuted this claim indicating that they were never part of any team that negotiated fees structures for any university, including LKWU,” said Kargbo.
Kargbo also said the Sierra Leone finance ministry further claimed that Bah had already committed his government by signing the memorandum before providing scholarship estimates to the ministry for inclusion in the national budget for parliamentary approval.
“Our investigations established that the idea of LKWU having a campus in Sierra Leone was initiated by a Sierra Leonean, Fyeston Bockary, but mid-way in its establishment and operations, Bah succeeded in removing him from the process, based on what Bockary alleges to be unfair means,” said Kargbo.
According to the Tertiary Education Commission of Sierra Leone, LKWU was fully registered on March 20, 2017.
The current Sierra Leonean financial secretary Sahr Jusu said upon assumption of office in late 2018, he instituted a financial audit to ascertain the true financial obligations of the government to LKWU, and to also map out the road forward, according to Kargbo.
“Following that audit, a financial obligation of about Le 25 bil (RM10.7 mil) was discovered, which led to a request for an executive clearance to pay off the above sum in phases with a request signed by the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, and the Minister of Finance.
“Upon the granting of the executive clearance, over Le 22 bil had been paid by the Ministry of Finance to LKWU to settle financial obligations covering the period 2016/2017, and 2017/2018 academic years.
“However, the government has a current outstanding financial obligation of over Le 33 bil for the 2018/2019 period. According to the Financial Secretary, this amount has not been paid due to fiscal challenges and the unfairness of incurring such liability for few students when compared to other students on government grants-in-aid in various universities,” said Kargbo.
He added that fees paid by other university students in Sierra Leone are between Le 10 mil and Le 15 mil, while the current exchange rate is of one US dollar to Le 10,000.
“Therefore, the fees/scholarship at LKWU for bachelor’s and diploma students stands at Le 30 mil and Le 25 mil respectively per student, and per academic year. This is a huge variance, and is the case because LKWU is a private university,” said Kargbo.
Over the course of the investigation, Bah had died, leading to the investigation being summarily concluded.
Still, Kargbo said his department is recommending that the government of Sierra Leone engage LKWU for a thorough review of the agreement in place, especially on the fee structure, and seek ratification. – Aug 7, 2020
