The Sierra Leone Police say it has arrested two people accused of operating a learning institution without authorization.
News about the detention of officials of the so-called Dominion University broke after a video footage surfaced on social media on Saturday, showing what appears like a graduation ceremony taking place under trees.
In the footage shared on both facebook and whatsapp, men dressed in academic gowns are being addressed by the supposed owners of the institution, including a Professor Ezekiel Bangura.
Police spokesman Brima Kamara didn’t disclose the names of those detained, only noting that they were the Principal and Registrar of the institution.
Kamara told ManoReporters via Whatsapp communication that those detained were being investigated on suspicion of “operating a university in Sierra Leone without accreditation from the TEC [Tertiary Education Commission].”
The TEC early last month issued a statement warning that Dominion wasn’t accredited to operate in Sierra Leone and ordered the institution not to go ahead with a planned convocation ceremony slated for 26th March.
It is not clear on the video when the ceremony took place, and the police spokesman didn’t say the exact date the two suspects were detained.
A google search revealed that the full name of the institution is Dominion Christian University, operating from its campus in Kissy Town, Waterloo.
Information on a website matching details of the institution suggest that Dominion was first established in 2016 as a Bible College called Dominion Christin Bible Institute. The website listed Apostle Ezekiel Hassan Samson Bangura as the founder and Vice Chancellor of the institution.
It describes itself as a Christian institution with the goal of propagating the teachings of the faith.
Apparently, this isn’t the first time Dominion has been in the news over the legality of its operation. In October 2020, it was ordered by the TEC, ahead of another planned convocation ceremony, not to go ahead with it, over its lack of accreditation status, according to media reports.
The reports indicate that Dominion has been engaged in this argument with the regulatory agency for a long time.
In statements attributed to it, Dominion has said that it has been in the process of finalizing its registration for accreditation. But it also claims that it is legally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the Western Area Rural District Council, in addition to its international affiliations.
The institution has also been accused of collecting money from individuals in exchange for award of Honorary Degrees.
A popular scandalous incident involving the current Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police, Ambrose Michael Sovula, happened in September 2020, when the police Chief was awarded an honorary doctorate degree, which was the subject of days of public discussion around a deep-seated desire for titles in the Sierra Leonean society.
An image of that award ceremony is still on the website of Dominion. And a news report on the event by the Sierra Leone Police is still on its website as at the time of publication of this article.
