Students of the University of The Gambia have been advised to stay away from their sit-in strike as lecturers warned that their interference will backfire.
Lectures and other staff of the university will today (Thursday) begin a sit-in strike over the D150 million arrears they are demanding for from the Ministry of higher education research science and technology. The Ministry is yet to respond to the claims of the university staff.
Speaking at a news conference held at the university, the president of UTG Faculty and Staff Association, Dr Alieu Gibba said: “we are appealing to the students to stay away completely not to be used by the management. The moment we discovered that is going to backfire. We are their lecturers they need us for their recommendation letters, they need us in the future to guide them, they need us every time. Let the student council don’t allow to be used by the management or the governing council of the UTG to counter the decision of the staff. Industrial action is (our) their rights according to the Constitution. So, the moment students are used to counter our decision (it) is going to backfire on (them) students.
“We are mentioning all these so that the public can know what is going on in the UTG. Normally they can use the students to counter our decision and [it] is going to add salt to the problem. Students have their student welfare. The staff, we have our staff welfare. the staff association, more than 160 staff have attended our extraordinary Congress only four out of more than 160 staff voted against the industrial action we are about to make. That means 96% of the staff have agreed because they have seen the problem. We cannot have an interim governing council for four years; it is not helping the University,” he added.
“Students let them stay away from this matter; we are working for the students. All these demands are for the benefit of students, not for us [staff]. So, students should not be used as tools and they should advise their union not to be used as tools by the University management or the governing council to counter our decision [planned staff strike]. We are warning them to stay away from this matter,” he continued.