FBC Begins Evicting Students from Hostels Amid Management Dispute
The management of the Fourah Bay College (FBC) hostels has begun removing students from the premises, following an earlier directive requiring occupants to vacate their rooms and reapply for accommodation.
An affected student, who spoke to SKB on condition of anonymity, said the dispute centres on the university’s contractor, which was engaged to manage the hostel facilities but allegedly failed to maintain the standard of management expected, leading to concerns about the condition and administration of the establishment.
According to the student, occupants were subsequently instructed to vacate the hostels and submit fresh applications if they wished to secure accommodation again.
SKB gathered that the directive was first issued in September and affected different categories of occupants, including students who had completed their courses but continued living in the hostels, as well as those who had outstanding accommodation fees and refused to leave.
The affected students said several warnings had been issued before the university administration began enforcing the directive.
However, some students have described the move as unfair, particularly for those who had already secured rooms and continued to meet their accommodation payment obligations.
They also expressed concern that the exercise could disrupt academic activities for students currently attending classes, especially those from provincial districts who depend on the hostels for accommodation while studying in Freetown.
Some affected students questioned why the directive was not enforced before the commencement of the academic sessions, arguing that students had already made accommodation arrangements and paid hostel fees before being asked to leave.
They further raised concerns about being required to vacate their rooms without clear consideration for their financial commitments or alternative accommodation arrangements.
University authorities are yet to publicly comment on the concerns raised by the affected students, including questions surrounding the contractor’s management of the hostel facilities and the decision to require occupants to vacate and reapply for accommodation.
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