Fourah Bay College marks 186 years

Fourah Bay College on Monday marked its 186^th Anniversary at a ceremony with a flag-raising ceremony held in the foreground of the Davidson Nicol Building formerly the Administrative Building. It is the first western-style university in sub-Saharan Africa. In his opening remarks, chairman of the occasion Prof. Lawrence Kamara said the ceremony should provide an opportunity for honest introspection and to ask questions relating to staff condition of service, working environment for both staff and students among other challenges. Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Fourah Bay College, Prof. Sahr Gbamanja in his statement said Fourah Bay College had gone through trying times over the past years but added that those challenges should not dampen their resolve to pursue excellence and place the college back to its “rightful” pedestal. He noted that the proposed FBC rehabilitation project by the Arab Bank for African Development (BADEA) was on course and that paper work for the disbursement of funds and appropriate procurement process was ongoing. Vice Cancellor and Principal of the University of Sierra Leone, Prof. Jonas Redwood-Sawyerr said the legacy of scholarship and attraction of academics to Fourah Bay College from faraway places characterized the operations of the college thereby attracting the accolade of Athens of West Africa. He however pointed out that “the contrasting recent history of FBC is sobering and provides an opportunity for serious and deliberate interventions to reverse to its past glory”. He said the “university’s aim of increasing access while maintaining quality education was posing great difficulties and requires innovative strategies to maintain an acceptable balance that will not compromise standards”. He said funding of university education had taken centre stage in their operations “especially with the mismatch between facilities, infrastructure and student population” in the various campus, adding that they were constantly brainstorming on alternative means of funding the university “to complement government’s subvention which is from a shared quota for tertiary education in general as captured in the government’s budget and which is never fully adequate”. Earlier in her welcome address, the Acting Deputy Registrar, Isabella Emerson-Thomas acknowledged that Fourah Bay College was grappled with some challenges ranging from inadequate funding and rising student numbers to inadequate classrooms. She however expressed optimism that FBC would rise again and become second to none. The raising of the Fourah Bay College flag by the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, Dr. Modupe Taylor-Pearce climaxed the ceremony.