The First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Madam Fatima Bio has played host to the President and Cabinet Members of the Fourah Bay College (FBC) Students Union Government.
At the meeting that was held at the Office of the First Lady in Goderich yesterday, the students’ leaders commended the First Lady for inspiring the country with her leadership qualities, passion and actions towards the development of Sierra Leone.
President of the FBC Students Union Government, Adama Sillah expressed elation to meet Her Excellency and expressed how much they admire and appreciate her efforts towards women’s empowerment and children’s welfare.
She expressed her desire to work closely with the First Lady in achieving her various manifesto promises which are in line with President Bio’s free quality education agenda.
“As the first female President of FBC in over 194 years, I believe we can surmount the challenges affecting students on campus with the support of the First Lady,” she noted.
Prime among the students’ challenges highlighted by the President include transportation, electricity, internet cafe, water and e-library.
“With quality education at the heart of His Excellency’s agenda and with the blessing of having a First Lady with such local and global influence, we believe the students of FBC will be happy one day soon,” she pointed out, while calling on Her Excellency to provide mentorship sessions for students who look forward to her for career guidance and more.
She used the forum as an opportunity to make an advance request for the First Lady to consider visiting and touring the campus to have a first-hand experience of the college’s rich history.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the mostly female dominated cabinet members of the studentsโ body. They congratulated the First Lady for bringing so much global recognition to Sierra Leone as evident in her international awards and appointments including the latest as Advisory Board Member of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
In her response, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio congratulated the studentsโ union President for her courage to aspire and lead the studentsโ body.
“I am so proud that a woman is President of the FBC studentsโ body with a female dominated cabinet, thus giving credence to the fact that Sierra Leone is blessed with quality women,” she noted.
According to her, President Bio’s investment in education has nothing to do with politics as a huge percentage benefiting from the State’s 22% budgetary investment on education are not even of voting age.
She assured the students that their concerns and requests for transport facilities, internet connectivity, pipe borne water and internet cafe would be relayed to the President and other stakeholders for appropriate action.
She has directed her Chief of Staff to ensure a feasibility study is done immediately to ascertain the readiness of the campus for the establishment of an internet cafe.
She also accepted the invitation to visit the FBC campus whenever the studentsโ desire as accordingย to her, FBC has a special place in her heart. “It would be my pleasure to take my women’s empowerment campaign to the iconic FBC campus,” she ended.
The meeting was officially chaired by the Chief of Staff in the Office of the First Lady, Mr. Salim Feika.
Strategic Communications Division
Office of The First Lady
+232 303 68273
