The University of Sierra Leone has announced the immediate suspension of class representative system in all its subsequent colleges with immediate effect. The decision was reached due to a number of allegations made against some students in these roles, including alleged extortion, corruption, intimidation, and exploitation by some student leaders across its campuses.
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Aiah Lebbie, delivered the directive on Thursday, October 24th, during an Executive Senate Meeting, calling a full stop to a practice that has become riddled with “extortion, corruption, and intimidation.”
“For years, the class rep was just how things were done, they collected money for handouts, organized group contributions, and were our link to the lecturers,” shared one final-year student, who asked to remain anonymous.
“But it became a position of power that some abused. You’d have reps demanding more money than needed and threatening those who couldn’t pay. It created a really toxic environment.”
The policy, announced officially on Friday, leaves no room for interpretation. Lecturers are now expressly forbidden from appointing class representatives or delegating any formal tasks to them. To ensure the rule sticks, the university’s Deans have been tasked with policing their respective faculties and ensuring total compliance.
