The Students’ Union Government of the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) on Friday 15th December 2023, conducted their elections for Governors of the three campuses and the Federal Presidency for the 2023/24 Academic year.
Mr Abdul Malik Sawaneh emerged as the new Federal President, Sio Mohamed Sulaiman Kamara, Governor-Congo Cross campus, Arthur Dominic Margai, Governor-Goderich campus and Brima Maxwell Momoh-Governor Brookfields campus.
This year, three different elections were conducted Federal Presidency, Governors for the three campuses and the resuscitated Federal Students’ Representative Council (FSRC), the Parliamentary organ of the SU government that has been dormant over the years.
The outgoing SU President, John Batilo Gormoh, admonished his colleagues to be attentive to the manifestos of the various candidates, to hold them accountable at the end of their tenures, and also encouraged all students to come out in their numbers and vote for the candidates of their choice in a peaceful and orderly manner.
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the MMTU, Dr Philip John Kanu, expressed pride in seeing his students, who are excelling academically, appeal for tolerance, peace and non-violence, reiterating that although elections are always controversial the world over, they should be a brotherly contest and that the winner should not take all. He wished all the candidates well and donated Le2.5 million each to the two camps- Group Special and Group Peace.
He also commended the Electoral Commissioner for being neutral and that all other colleges postponed their elections.
Group Special registered four candidates for the positions of Federal Presidency and Governor for all three campuses, while Group Peace only registered two candidates for the Federal Presidency and a candidate for Governor for the Goderich campus.
Voting started from 9-3 on all three campuses, with each group having two agents as observers.
During the manifesto day, some of the students promised to help their colleagues excel academically by conducting special lessons, writing projects to donors to construct a canteen, SU office, and toilets, providing internet and photocopying services, erecting signposts on campus, and bridging the gap between the administration and students.
Others pledged to improve sanitation, provide bus services, scholarships, medical, and modern books for the libraries, advocate for the reopening of the hostels and revive the beauty contest and freshers dance, among others.
