The Vice Chancellor and Principal of Milton Margai Technical University Dr.Philip John Kanu has told parliament that the college will not be opened on October 7th 2023 as previously planned. He said the delay in the opening of the university was due to the fact that the contractors who are supposed to renovate the three campuses; Congo cross, Goderich and Brookfield’s are yet to commence work. He said the opening date will be communicated to the students once the campuses were ready.
Dr.Kanu made this statement on Wednesday October 4th 2023 when the Committee on Technical and higher Education visited the University to know what activities the college has taken up and how the university has been operating since the upgraded mandate from vocational to University. While highlighting the challenges which they have been faced with, he said the Egyptian consultant of the project is one of the major problems. The Vice Chancellor and Principal stated the University closed early for the rehabilitation yet work on the students and lecturers quarters has not started and that the only thing the contractors are seen to be is doing measuring from one point to the other.
He pointed out that when they start seeing drawings and variations then they would know that work is ready. He told committee members that two hundred thousand students were awaiting admission at the college most of whom are backlog students from the previous year. The Chairman of oversight Committee on Technical and Higher Tertiary Education Hon Joseph William Lamin of Bo district asked the Vice Chancellor and Principal to submit the name of the contractors to the committee so they can summon them to parliament and explain the delay for the renovation since government has spent lot of money on education which is the flagship programme of the government also for depriving students from accessing university education.
