Corruption at the University of Sierra Leone has been exposed and defeated, following a damning investigative report that revealed major procedural breaches and financial improprieties. The findings have sent shockwaves through the academic community, prompting a retaliatory smear campaign against the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Ramatulai Wurie.
Dr. Wurie, a distinguished academic and one of Sierra Leone’s best-performing cabinet ministers, has been lauded for her courage in uncovering corruption at the highest levels of the university. Despite facing brutal attacks on her reputation, her tenacity has earned widespread admiration.
An anonymous long-time university administrator stated, “Corruption has finally been defeated at the university, thanks to Minister Wurie. For a very long time, these individuals thought they had a free pass to do whatever they wanted. The scale of the corruption revelations is extremely shocking.”
The investigative report implicated several top officials of the university. The report detailed administrative breakdowns, financial mismanagement, and blatant procurement violations. One notable instance involved the purchase of a $126,000 vehicle for the VC&P, raising questions about whether such an expense was necessary or simply a misuse of university funds.
On the human resources front, the report revealed that retired and exited staff remained on payroll, with no consistent processes for staff induction, performance appraisal, or defined job descriptions. This lack of structure fostered inefficiency, bloated staffing, and unchecked authority.
Experts have expressed concerns about how these issues may have impacted the university’s global standing, given the absence of systems to measure performance effectively.
Minister Wurie’s decisive actions last year, including dissolving the university court and appointing an Acting VC&P after consulting with the Chancellor, have been vindicated by subsequent reports. While her intervention faced criticism at the time, the findings of internally established sub-committees have confirmed that her measures were both appropriate and necessary.
Insiders from the former administration claim that the implicated officials are angered by their exposure, leading to the smear campaign against Dr. Wurie. However, her supporters remain steadfast, praising her for breaking the stranglehold these individuals had on the university.