The Citizens Advocacy Network have written a letter to the Inspector General of Police craving the latter to allowed affected students of Limkokwing University to have a peaceful protests on Thursday, 5th of March to the relevant authorities concern.
Citizens Advocacy Network was approached by the affected students and frantic moves made to appeal with the authorities involved in both written and one-on-one dialogue were monumentally ineffective. Below is the letter to the Inspector General of Police.
In respect of the afore-mentioned subject, I write to notify you of our peaceful procession scheduled for the 5th March, 2020 from Hill Station right through King Harman Road to Savage Street and the Cotton Tree in Freetown.
Pursuant to section 17(1) of the 1965 Public Order Act, it is imperative on us to write your good offices for notification and the assurance of our security in conducting such exercise.
The said peaceful procession is to call the attention of authorities and awaken the consciences of public officials over the denial of the right to quality education of over one thousand (1000 +) young Sierra Leonean students on government scholarship studying at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
These young students have missed six months of their academic calendar and it clearly appears that all steps to engage the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education have proven futile.
The Citizens Advocacy Network was approached by the affected students and frantic moves made to appeal with the authorities involved in both written and one-on-one dialogue were monumentally ineffective. A letter from our Network as a responsible civil society organisation to the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education to call for amicable resolution of the issue was treated with disdain. We are cautious of the recommendations captured by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and want to raise a constructive voice against breeding disgruntled youths and violating their right to education with a harsh breath of inconceivable indifference. They are equally wards of tax payers and tax payers themselves and it is no sin to develop their competencies or skills for national development.
In this regard, we notify you of a peaceful procession over this gross indifference displayed and to send a message to the powers that be and the international community of such human rights violation.
Our democracy fences our right to expression and procession. We believe it is the duty of your good offices to protect our right in the democratic space.
We thank you in anticipation of your favorable response.
Yours faithfully,
Thomas Moore Conteh
Executive Director
Citizens Advocacy Network
Cc:
Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps
The Speaker, Sierra Leone House of Parliament
The Chief Justice, Judiciary of Sierra Leone
The Minister, Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education
The Secretary to President, Republic of Sierra Leone
The Ombudsman, Republic of Sierra Leone
The National Security Coordinator, Office of National Security
All Civil Society Organisation Leaders
The Chair, Human Rights Commission
The Executive Director, Legal Aid Board
The Minister of Youth Affairs
The Chair, Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone
The Chair, National Commission for Democracy
The President, Sierra Leone Association of Journalists
The President, Sierra Leone Bar Association
All Political Parties
Media Houses
The General Public