By Buba Gagigo
Students at the University of The Gambia (UTG) staged a protest on Monday at the university’s Kanifing campus, opposing the dismissal of two senior lecturers, Dr. Alieu Gibba and Professor Matarr Njie.
The two were reportedly removed after accusing the university management of “nepotism, favoritism, and lack of motivation.”
Vice-Chancellor Herbert Robinson dismissed these claims as baseless, while university officials argued that the allegations tarnished the institution’s reputation and breached its service rules. Dr. Gibba and Professor Njie denied wrongdoing, asserting that their actions were taken in “good faith” and in the exercise of their constitutional rights. They refused to participate in a disciplinary hearing, citing a conflict of interest. In response, a group of students calling themselves the Concerned Students of the University of The Gambia organized a protest.
Ahead of the demonstration, the Gambia Police Force issued a stern warning, declaring unauthorized protests illegal. Regional Police Commissioner Samba Jawo reiterated this message on-site during the protest. However, the students argued it was their right to peacefully protest, sparking a tense exchange with the police. A student leader responded to the police commissioner during the protest saying they have the right to protest on the university campus.
Following a disagreement with the police commissioner, the students continued their demonstration. “The president is the Vice Chancellor of the University of the Gambia. There have been multiple meetings concerning this issue, and still, now nothing has been concluded concerning this. We are having our exams on Monday. Lecturers have forged a strike. We are students. We are in dilemma and We don’t know the fate of our exams. Nothing has been done. Our student leaders have been engaged and they did nothing. This is why as concerned students of the University of the Gambia, we came here to protest,” a concerned student said.
“The injustice that was meted out to our lecturers and our fellow students at the BPA should not continue. I am a student from SAS, but I’m a student at the University of the Gambia, and for that matter, a senior student, somebody who served as a counselor for five years, somebody who is over 40 years old. Today I am not afraid of anything,” another student said.
Concerned students of the University of The Gambia, particularly those from the School of Business and Public Administration, are calling for the reinstatement of their “most active’ and dedicated lecturers who were ‘unfairly’ dismissed following a disagreement with university officials. Continuing their protest, the students later gathered outside the Vice Chancellor’s office, demanding his presence to address their grievances, but no response was provided. The Vice-Chancellor, who was escorted off the premises by the police, declined to meet with them.
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