By Nasratu Kargbo
After probing and heated discussions, the Chairman of the Tertiary Education Committee in Parliament Joseph William Lamin has given a one-week ultimatum to the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) and New Brookfields Hotel to amicably solve their land dispute or the committee will make a verdict on the matter.
The announcement was made on the 22nd of August 2024 following a five-minute deliberation between members of the Tertiary Education Committee and the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Committee in Parliament.
“In line with the documents you submitted to us, we have ruled that the Milton Margai Technical University, New Brookfields Hotel, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, and other stakeholders go and come back with an amicable resolution on Thursday. We want you to bring a position paper”, Lamin said.
He stated that from presentations by representatives of the university and the hotel, he observed that both parties want to live in harmony.
The chairman therefore called on the Students’ Union Executive to ensure that students are not engaged in any activities that will lead to chaos between their institution and the hotel, stressing that they should wait for the situation to be resolved.
On the 13th of August 2024, the joint committee held a meeting on the same issue, the Chief Whip of the Opposition Abdul Karim Kamara said the Ministry of Tourism should be a referee and not a player in the issue, and blamed the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education for the dispute.
He explained that the hotel was in talks with the university for an extension of their parking lot, adding that the arrangement was going on smoothly until the ministry interfered and caused a rift between the two parties.
The Vice Principal of the University, Dr. Mohamed A. Jalloh quoted Section 16 of the Polytechnic Act of 2001 which says that all property of the Hotel, Tourism and Training Institute has been transferred to the new institution created. ‘’That position is informative not only in the Milton Margai context but throughout this nation. ”. He sternly stated that if one claims the property that was legally given to them, then the same can be done in the future to the Eastern Polytechnic and other institutions.
He expressed appreciation to the committee, stressing that if it wasn’t for them, the matter which is already with the police would have left them behind bars.
The Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Nabeela F. Tunis said that education and tourism are both important to the development of the country, stating that expanding the hotel is important. She explained that they had reached an agreement in September and that the university had ceded the place to the hotel without contention. Tunis said all that was left was for the university to take the matter to their court.
She requested that they come at a later date to provide evidence (documentation) and respond to questions.
Amongst the evidence that was submitted to the committee by the university were a survey plan, video, and still photo evidence, from which stones were visible which according to representatives from the university were thrown at them by the staff of the hotel. There were also pictures of a scaffold erected by the hotel which blocked a classroom, and cement mortar from the hotel’s workers spilled along the campus’ walkway, which according to them has affected their newly rehabilitated building.
The Hotel Manager also submitted the lease agreement and plan as evidence.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (28/08/24)
