The search for a substantive Vice Chancellor for Sierra Leone’s premier science university – Njala – ended this week with the announcement of a renowned environmental scientist, Professor Bashiru Mohamed Koroma to the position.
The decision was made public on Tuesday, June 28, in a press release shared with ManoReporters.
It says that the university’s Chancellor, Professor Sahr Moses Gevao, named Prof. Koroma as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Njala, ending a two-year search for a substantive holder of the position.
ManoReporters learnt that Koroma was selected from a shortlist of two candidates who had been vetted by the committee comprising representatives of the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, the Tertiary Education Commission and the university itself.
Njala University, one of about half a dozen public universities in Sierra Leone, is an authority in science and research in the country.
The search for a Vice Chancellor for the university began with the sacking of Professor Abdulla Mansaray in April 2020. Since then the university has had two VCs in acting capacity.
Professor Koroma is currently the Deputy-Vice Chancellor of the university, heading its Njala Campus in Mokonde.
He is expected to assume his new role on 1st September.
The newly appointed VC has served in various capacities in the institution, including as Chairman of the University Internal Scoring Committee and staff member of the School of Environmental Sciences. He was also the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university prior to the amendment of the Universities, when the head of state served as Vice Chancellor of all public universities.
Prof. Koroma is credited with the establishment of various schools, programmes and courses in the course of his scholarship at Njala. He currently represents the institution in the Statistics Sierra Leone Council and provides consultancies and expert knowledge to various Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
As an accomplished researcher, Koroma has several publications to his credit in renowned and credible international journals, according to his biography published by Njala.
The tenue of the Vice Chancellor, according to the new Universities Act, is four yeas per term. But Prof. Koroma is expected to serve for three years, the end of which coincides with his retirement.
