Unlimited strike at UGB: the rector promises to ensure the safety of lessons

Pr Thiaré intervened during a press briefing following the unlimited slogan launched by the Saint-Louis Student Commission (CESL) to demand the settlement of certain points of social and educational demands.

“Students have the right to go on strike but not the right to prevent those who want to from coming to take their courses,” insisted the rector.

He promised that the university would take steps to ensure the safety of students who would like to take their courses.

The University Assembly had declared the CESL non-statutory since 2019. This structure has since no longer had a legal basis, he pointed out, adding that he did not understand the slogan launched by this structure.

“Any author of course disturbances will be prosecuted by the University Assembly,” warned Mr. Thiaré who said he was concerned regarding the urgency of harmonizing the exam schedule at the UGB level.

Regarding the points raised in the protest platform, he pointed out that the governor had brought together the students and the university authorities around four points: sanitation, security, wifi points, internal roads, water supply.

On sanitation, he said that the work had started since February for a deadline set for November.

For the extension of wifi points, he said, the market was launched on March 25 and a monitoring committee was set up at the UGB computing center.

Regarding the internal road system, the work started in February with AGEROUTE, which shared a timetable whose end is scheduled for June, explained the rector.

Regarding the improvement of water supply, the problem is structural in the department of Saint-Louis and will only be resolved with the end of the works of the Khor production plant, added Mr. Thiaré.

The rector of the UGB stressed that the scholarships are paid at more than 95% and sees no reason to call for a halt to the courses.

The availability of water is a fact but there remains a problem of pressure in certain villages, for his part explained Pape Ibrahima Faye, the director of the Regional Center for University Works of Saint-Louis (CROUS).

Regarding security, Mr. Faye promised to close all the wild entrances to the campus, however inviting students to be more responsible.

According to him, previous efforts in this direction were destroyed by residents of the UGB.

He regretted the losses suffered by the CROUS with the days without tickets decreed by the students which, he said, weighed down its finances.

AMD/ASB/AKS