Freetown, December 16, 2025 — Staff of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) have protested the deployment of more than 20 armed police officers at the Commission’s headquarters in Freetown, describing the action as excessive and a violation of their rights following the issuance of a suspension letter by the Commission’s Chairman, Professor A.M. Alghali.
The police presence, which reportedly led to the barricading of the TEC premises early Tuesday, came after the Chairman announced administrative sanctions against staff accused of misconduct. Employees were subsequently asked to vacate the building.
Speaking to Truth Media, TEC Administrative Manager Josephus Sawyer condemned the action, saying it amounted to the shutdown of a government institution without any court order or presidential directive.
“This is a clear abuse of our fundamental human rights and our employment status,” Sawyer said. “However, we have complied and left the premises. The matter is now in the hands of the security personnel and the Ministry.”
Sawyer further claimed that the police team was led by Idrissa Sannoh, a director at the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, and that the operation was carried out in line with a suspension letter signed by Prof. Alghali.
The suspension letter, issued by the Chairman, cited a query from the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education accusing staff of insubordination, insolent behaviour, and unprofessional conduct towards the Minister and other senior officials during an official engagement at the Ministry’s conference hall in New England. It also stated that the staff failed to submit written explanations within the stipulated two-day period, which expired on November 27.
However, Sawyer disputed the basis of the action, arguing that the query letter was signed by an official who is not a staff member of the TEC.
He also referenced an existing moratorium imposed by a Parliamentary Committee, which he said instructed all parties to refrain from taking further action pending resolution of the matter.
“There was a clear directive from Parliament that no action should be taken. We see this as a violation of that mandate and an abuse of our rights,” Sawyer added.
Under the administrative measures announced by the Chairman, half of the affected staff members’ salaries are to be withheld with immediate effect, pending the outcome of further investigations and disciplinary proceedings.
As tensions between TEC management and staff continue, employees warn that the ongoing dispute could have broader implications for the country’s tertiary education sector and may undermine the government’s Human Capital Development and Radical Inclusion agenda championed by President Julius Maada Bio.
