By Alieu Ceesay
Staff at the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET) have declared a state of institutional emergency and issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government, university council, and management, warning that failure to address their grievances will trigger a total, indefinite withdrawal of services at all centers.
In a position paper dated 16 October 2026, the Staff Welfare Association said years of repeated salary delays and welfare challenges have exhausted staff patience. Presenting the document at a press conference, Secretary-General Demba Bah stated that the association had exhausted engagement channels with the governing council, management and the Ministry of Higher Education without securing a satisfactory outcome.
“The patience of the staff is entirely exhausted,” the paper declared. “We will no longer remain silent while the livelihoods of our members and the future of technical education are threatened.”
The association blamed the crisis on stagnant government subvention, the university’s expansion into multiple regional centers, and inadequate investment in staff capacity. It noted that the former Gambia Technical Training Institute’s elevation to university status brought greater financial and operational responsibilities without a matching increase in funding. According to staff representatives, the monthly government subvention has fallen to about D2 million, which they described as insufficient to meet the institution’s obligations.
“Spreading our fixed single-campus subvention across several centers has diluted our operational capacity to zero,” the position paper stated. Centers cited include Mansakonko, Ndemban, Kanilai, Julangel and the Skill Center in Wasu. The expansion, staff argued, has stretched resources and impaired the delivery of technical education.
The association also highlighted underutilized technical machines and equipment that could generate revenue, saying a shortage of trained personnel prevents their effective operation and maintenance. They contended that investing in relevant staff skills would strengthen training programs and create additional income streams.
Further grievances include changes to staff further-education arrangements. The association’s president said tuition support that was previously free is now shared on a 50-50 basis. He called for the restoration of full fee waivers for USET staff enrolled at the university or other Gambian institutions, asking why the University of The Gambia could not match similar support.
Salary delays have also disrupted remittances of statutory payments and monthly contributions to the Gambia Teachers Credit Union, which the association described as a breach of contractual obligations that undermines members’ financial security.
The association’s demands include an emergency financial bailout within one week to clear outstanding benefits, statutory payments and welfare dues, plus a firm guarantee of timely salaries thereafter. It seeks a suspension of planned recruitment to curb expenditure, a comprehensive financial audit of contracts and projects over recent years, the establishment of a contracts committee headed by a Gambian, and the restoration of allowances under the association’s policy document.
Staff also want collaboration with the Ministry of Education to train personnel to operate production equipment, legislation requiring dedicated budgetary allocations before new campuses open, and public-private partnerships with industrial, manufacturing, automotive, and technology firms to commercialize workshops.
Staff representatives said previous meetings with the Ministry of Education, including one attended by the minister, yielded no resolution. They reported that the minister indicated the government lacked resources and suggested the university generate its own revenue. The association maintained that expanded responsibilities make government intervention essential, particularly for salaries, and proposed that the government assume direct responsibility for paying staff.
“If all demands stated here are not fully adhered to and put into action within 14 days, the Staff Association will initiate a total indefinite withdrawal of service across all centers,” the paper warned.
The association said its action aims to compel authorities to resolve the funding shortfalls, protect employee welfare and safeguard technical and applied science education in The Gambia. The ultimatum now puts immediate pressure on the government and university leadership to prevent an escalating labor dispute.
