PARLIAMENT TAMES HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTRY
…Calls for reinstatement of Professor Philip Kanu
The Parliamentary Committee on Technical and Higher Education headed by Hon. Joseph Williams Lamin on Friday 19th June 2026 recommended that the suspension of the Vice Chancellor and Principal (VC&P) of the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU), Professor Philip John Kanu, was illegal and therefore must resume duty as soon as possible.
The letter of invitation for the Committee’s Emergency Summon reads, “I refer to the above and to acknowledge receipt of requested minutes of the University Court’s Sittings and other documents related to the operations of the Milton Margai Technical University for which the above Parliamentary Committee now wishes to meet with the University Court Members to discuss critical matters related to the administration of the MMTU.”
Among others, the Parliamentary Committee revealed that as the Chairman of the University Court and Chancellor of MMTU, Engineer Mohamed Alie Jalloh does not have the unilateral decision to suspend the VC&P according to the University Act and MMTU laws and that the Chancellor must not use personal conflict to revenge against Professor Philip John Kanu as it was also reiterated that the University Court and the MTHE are at variance over the issue, the reason the Committee will now be robust and engage the Minister of MTHE regularly.
The recommendations were made at the Committee Meeting in Parliament Building, Tower Hill in Freetown.
It was unanimously resolved that the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) and the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) amicably resolve their impasse through dialogue in a meeting to be held on 6th July 2026.
“Borrowed anger is killing MMTU,” Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, a member of the Committee asserted.
Furthermore, it was unanimously resolved that the suspension of Professor Philip John Kanu, who was not found wanting by the Committee setup to investigate him, must be lifted with immediate effect and the freezing of the institution’s bank accounts as the Committee deviated from its Terms of Reference.
The Parliamentary Committee enlightened that only the President has the supreme executive authority to act unilaterally in certain cases but with limitations.
The Parliamentary Committee also ruled that the University Court supersedes the Committee setup by the MTHE to investigate the matter, that the Minister herself should be invited to Parliament for questioning underlining that with the current stalemate between MTHE and the MMTU, nobody will win that it is not good for the country for which all parties must bury their egos that is killing the country reiterating the need for reconciliation for prosperity not to judge them harshly.
Furthermore, the Parliamentary Committee condemned dictatorship in any administration, called on all parties to work as partners, humbled, go back to the drawing board and reflect on the current awful situation of the institution underscoring that when one undermines a situation, it will destroy the country and therefore all should work as a team.
They asked the rhetoric question: “what value have the various parties added to MMTU?”
Members of the Parliamentary Committee also observed the numerous problems between the MTHE and tertiary institutions in the country citing the University of Sierra Leone and the Tertiary Education Commission.
Among others, the Parliamentary Committee looked into the long-awaited report of the committee setup by the MTHE since March this year to look into the termination of some members of staff of the MMTU, the University Act 2021 and other developments that have taken place since then, that Professor Philip John Kanu was not only asked to step aside but resign all of which have attracted intense public interest.
It was recalled that the aggrieved protesters who demonstrated in the Ministry were non-violent, that the Minister requested from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) data and information on the re-categorization of staff for the new MMTU university status that were not forthcoming and that the Minister identified some irregularities in the report submitted to her by the Committee setup by the Ministry between March and April this year.
It was observed that the Committee formed to look into the matter for one week only focused on Professor Philip John Kanu and that the report was not holistically accepted while the recommendations were not fully implemented.
Representatives of the MTHE included the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Sheke Kargbo and the Chief Technical Education Officer, Dr. Josephus Brima.
Observers interviewed welcomed the development disclosing that over 10,000 students are anxiously waiting to give Professor Philip John Kanu a hero’s welcome back home.