August 20, 2018
By Ibrahim Tarawallie
Members of the committee and senior management staff of IAMTECH
Members of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Technical and Higher Education last Friday (August 17) noted that they were impressed with the level of progress at the Institute of Advanced Management and Technology (IAMTECH), an affiliate of Njala University, in delivering quality education.
The committee paid a visit to the college’s main campus on Hospital Road, Kissy Dockyard in Freetown as part of their oversight functions to get firsthand information about their operation and assess the level of performance in the delivery of quality education.
“We are aware that you are a private institution which is why we are here to see your facilities. I must state that we are really impressed and satisfied with what we have seen here today as a committee,” says Chairman of the committee, Hon. Alimamy Osman Kamara.
He assured management of the institution of their readiness to help them realise their dream of becoming an autonomous private university.
He added that having read the report presented and submissions made by the management, they would consider proposals for the college to start receiving some form of support from government.
“Don’t be scared or give up. Just continue to do what you have been doing and we assure you of our support as a committee,” he added.
Members of the committee were taken on a conducted tour of the facilities, including a state of the art computer lab and live lectures with the use of the smartboard.
Proprietor and Chief Executive Officer of the institution, Professor Paul Kamara, registered his dissatisfaction for not being given the opportunity by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to operate as an autonomous university even though they have fulfilled all the criteria.
“We started-off as a centre and we have gone through the stages up to this level for the past 27 years. We want to grow as a tertiary institution. We will not relent on what we have been doing,” he assured.
Earlier, Principal of IAMTECH, Dr. Michael Wundah, informed the committee that they are operating without support from government, adding that they survive from students’ fees to pay lecturers and solve other issues.
“We are suitable to be recognised as an autonomous university. We are not complaining about our relationship with Njala because our pupilage has been well served but we crave for autonomy because it is sweet,” he said.
Established some 28 years ago, IAMTECH started-off as a computer school but has graduated to an institution of higher learning in Sierra Leone, offering courses in various disciplines.
Because of their level of performance, they gained affiliation status with Njala University with recognition by the TEC to offer Diploma, High Diploma and degree programmes in Accounting and Finance, Business Management, Human Resource Management, Development and Economics, Computer Science and Marketing, among others.
With a decentralised system of education, IAMTECH now has campuses in Kono, Lunsar, Kambia and Bo, among others.