By Lincoln G. Peters
The campus-based Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) at the University of Liberia (UL) is demanding that the university authorities and all other public and private tertiary institutions across the country immediately publish the academic profile of all lecturers at various universities here.
SUP says it endorses the Campaign for Academic Crimes Court (CACC) headed by former student activist Martin K.N. Kollie.
The CACC through its chairman, Mr. Kollie, recently exposed over 30 different individuals in Liberia who serve and work in both private and public spaces who claim to have degrees.
The CACC claimed that those it has exposed have totally bogus and fake degrees, saying the universities that purportedly awarded them degrees do not exist.
According to SUP, it believes the publication of lecturers’ profiles at various universities across the country will enable it and the CACC and other citizens to conduct a comprehensive and qualitative verification of lecturers’ degrees and academic awards.
SUP added that it is demanding credential audit at the University of Liberia.
SUP chairman Mustapha N. Kanneh told a press conference Monday on Capitol Hill that when that process is done, it will uplift the image of the University of Liberia and other tertiary institutions.
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He contended that this will encourage transparency and further expose the many faculty members who have allegedly been hiding behind fake degrees as a window to continue to be employed at these institutions.
Student Kanneh said their quest is genuine advocacy that seeks to carry on a robust credential audit that is geared toward exposing academic malfeasance and systemic fraud in the best interest of the forward march of the country.
He urged that all patriotic Liberians overwhelmingly rally their support for the just cause.
However, SUP has disclosed that since the CACC exposed the alleged bogus degree of the Dean of the Liberia College, Dr. Josephus Gray and Dean of the Science College, Dr. James McCain at UL, the university authorities have done nothing to investigate the allegation.
Kanneh said the accused authorities continue to occupy their positions at the university.
Chairman Kanneh indicated that SUP sees this uncommon tight-lipped and untended silence of the university authorities as rag in the face of the students and public alike who look upon the University Academic Sanctity and honesty.
However, SUP has called for the immediate dismissal of those deans and declared them persona non grata on the campuses of UL, adding that UL can never be heaven to hire unmerited degrees and bogus papers.
