September 19, 2016 By Ibrahim Tarawallie
Authorities at the Freetown Teachers College (FTC) have frowned at rampant illegal land grabbing of lands belonging to the college by people allegedly leaving around the vicinity of the campus at Jui, in the Western Area Rural District.
Students Union President, Ibrahim I. Kamara, raised the concern while speaking last Thursday at the official commissioning of a new canteen at the Jui campus and a conducted tour of construction of a building which would house nine lecture rooms and a research centre, among others.
“Land grabbers are encroaching into our land persistently. We will have to fight in order to retain the portion of our land that has been encroached,” he said.
He stated that despite several appeals and dialogue meetings between the college administration and the alleged land grabbers, the latter continue to grab their land illegally, thus appealing to the government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, to help them halt the act.
Mr Kamara’s concern was re-echoed by College Registrar M.I. Sesay, who revealed that the college initially had 100 acres of land when it was established in 1964 to train teachers but that encroachers have laid claim to a large swathe of acres.
While commending the college administration, especially Principal Dr. Sahr Fillie, for constructing the canteen, which would be useful to students and lecturers, coupled with other ongoing infrastructural projects, Mr. Kamara said students were still faced with too many challenges hampering their academic pursuit.
He cited the lack of a photocopier, which according to him, sometimes cause students to miss classes as they leave campus in search of a photocopier.
He added that the bus which used to transport students who stay far away from the college had broken down, thus students now use public buses which ply the route.