15th September, 2025.
The Honourable Minister
Ministry of Technical and higher Education (MTHE) New England
Freetown.
LETTER OF PETITION ON INTIMIDATION OF STAFF MEMBERS AND ABUSE OF OFFICE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION (TEC)
We, the undersigned staff of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), respectfully write to bring to your urgent attention some burning issues we have endured under the leadership of the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. A. M. Alghali. For several years, staff members have silently borne the pain, agony, humiliation, and intimidation resulting from the Chairman’s leadership style. However, we have now reached a breaking point where we can no longer continue to work under such oppressive, discouraging, and demeaning conditions.
Madam Honourable Minister, it has therefore become necessary to formally draw your attention to these persistent concerns, which have created an unhealthy, toxic, and unproductive working environment within the Commission. Instead of fostering professionalism, mutual respect, and motivation, the prevailing situation has bred fear, dissatisfaction, and low morale among staff.
As loyal servants of the Commission committed to the advancement of tertiary education in Sierra Leone, we find it disheartening that our dedication and professional contributions are being stifled under an environment marked by intimidation, poor conditions of service, maladministration and disregard for staff welfare. In the interest of restoring sanity, dignity, and effectiveness in the operations of the Commission, we consider it our duty to escalate these issues to your esteemed office for urgent intervention.
Regrettably, under the leadership of the current Chairman, Professor Alghali, members of staff have encountered significant obstacles in performing their essential functions. His autocratic and micromanaging leadership style has hindered staff ability to fulfil the Commission’s mandate for the past seven years. This encompasses crucial roles such as monitoring, evaluation and learning, academic and institutional audits, public education and sensitization regarding the Commission’s mandate and operations, the identification of illegal institutions, and data collection among others.
Below is a summary of some of the key issues:
Non-Provision of Resources and Facilities
Madam Honourable Minister, it is important to highlight that staff members are operating under challenging conditions. Most senior management personnel, with the exception of the Finance Officer, do not possess laptops, befitting office furniture including tables and chairs necessary for executing the Commission’s operations. This lack of essential resources severely impedes various processes including accreditation, institutional audits, and data collection etc.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the matter of the procurement of laptops were discussed with Commissioners (Presidential Appointees) in a meeting, leading to an agreement to provide laptops for all managers. The Procurement Committee submitted quotations for laptops; however, the Chairman only authorized the purchase of one desktop at a much higher cost compared to that of a laptop, and directed that it be stationed in the office of the Executive Secretary for shared usage by managers.
Additionally, when requests for stationery and other office supplies essential for the daily operations of the Secretariat were submitted to the Chairman, he merely approved a proportion of the total estimated cost making it almost impossible for members of staff to perform their duties effectively. We have now reached a point at the Commission that members of staff had to sign for sheets of papers to do their work. Consequently, staff members are left with no alternative but to finance their own stationery purchases, which has substantially hindered the operations of the Commission
Partial Implementation of Staff Conditions of Service
Madam Honourable Minister, we wish to draw your attention to the fact that the Conditions of Service provided by the TEC akin to the universities condition of service are only partially implemented. This is particularly evident in instances of staff victimization, as demonstrated in the cases of former Executive Secretaries and other colleagues, who have faced actions such as termination, suspension, resignation and non-renewal of contracts. Conversely, beneficial provisions for staff welfare, such as acting allowances, leave provisions, study leave, and the payment of a 30% leave allowance, have been unilaterally suspended by the Chairman. Notably, despite his status as a retired Vice Chancellor and Principal, he has been receiving leave allowances from the Ministry of Finance, amounting to millions of Leones, until the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Team identified the issue on the payroll, prompting their recommendation for the removal of his name.
Abuse of Office
The institutional vehicle policy explicitly states that staff utilizing official vehicles are not entitled to monthly fuel allowance. The Chairman has pegged the monetized fuel allowance rate at NLe 18 per litre, even when the pump price rose to Le 30 per litre and more recently to NLe 25. As a non-executive chair, he has usurped the authority of the Executive Secretary by designating an office space for himself, running the day to day activities of the Commission, assigned an official vehicle for his personal use, collecting monetized fuel allowances, receiving monthly top-up cards, conducting regular management meetings, and initiating and approving all directives at the Commission.
Selective Justice
It is noteworthy that the TEC has established criteria for the accreditation of programmes and institutions across all categories. Nevertheless, the Chairman has taken upon himself to determine the accreditation of institutions and programmes based on his personal affiliations with the promoters failing to follow due processes.
Deterioration of the Secretariat
We wish to draw your attention to the state of the Secretariat, which has deteriorated to such an extent that we were compelled to rely on the former Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Technical and Higher Education for the donation of ten chairs for use in the Conference Room, as well as fifty gallons of palm oil. The proceeds from the sale of the palm oil was used for the purchase of an air conditioning unit for the TEC Conference Room, based on assertions made by the Chairman that there are insufficient funds available for such an acquisition. (though the bank statements of the Commission proved otherwise for the period the purchase was made).
Additionally, the Secretariat is experiencing significant infestations of rats and cockroaches, attributable to the Chairman’s decision to reduce the cleaning budget of previous allocations and also drastically reduced the duration of the purchase.
Savings from Recurrent Expenditure for Capital Projects (Building)
Madam Honourable Minister, we must also inform you that the Chairman of the Commission has reallocated recurrent funds designated for routine operations toward a building project classified as a development initiative. This mismanagement has resulted in the Directorates lacking essential resources, such as computers, stationery and other accessories thereby stifling productivity and compromising the overall quality of work. Staff members are currently without basic office equipment, furniture, and fittings. Consequently, staff morale has decreased significantly, to the point where many do not wish to continue working under the current leadership.
Staff Morale and Mental Health Status
The Chairman has demonstrated a consistent pattern of publicly reprimanding and embarrassing staff members during meetings and in various public settings. This behaviour has adversely affected staff morale, mental well-being, and the overall capacity to perform effectively.
Hindrance to Staff Development
Madam Honorable Minister. It is sad to report that the Chairman influenced the previous Commissioners to remove the name from the payment voucher of a colleague who was already on study leave for eight months thereby creating a very difficult situation for the staff to complete his studies.
Madam Honorable Minister, we kindly request that these concerns be prioritized to preserve the mental health of staff members, improve productivity of staff at optimal levels among others. The Chairman’s actions have led to a significant decline in staff morale, rendering it increasingly difficult for us to continue working under his leadership.
In light of these observations, we hereby resolve to the following resolutions, that:
- The staff have reached a unanimous decision that they can no longer work with the Chairman.
- The Chairman should be requested to step aside with immediate effect.
- An independent investigation should be initiated to validate the claims made by the staff. 4. The Executive Secretary be given the free hand to manage the day to day affairs of the Commission as prescribed in the TEC Act of 2025.
- Staff members will no longer comply with any instruction emanating from the Chairman henceforth.
- Staff members are requesting the unconditional implementation of the TEC conditions of Service.
Copy:
Hon. Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament
Hon. Deputy Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament
Hon, Chief Minister
Chairman, Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Technical & Higher Education
Deputy Minister, MTHE
Permanent Secretary, MTHE
Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer, MTHE
Director of Higher Education, MTHE
Chairman, Conference of Vice Chancellors and Principals
Commissioners, TEC
Chairman, TEC
File
Editors Note:
The above letter has been published in its verbatim form
