Dr. Sawyer lectures at UL

The Chairman of the Governance Commission, Dr. Amos C. Sawyer gas told universitarians and other Liberians that the idea of introducing Social Science at the university was to fulfill the dream of some students desirous of considering the discipline as a profession, as well as to create the environment wherein students would know better of their own country.

Dr. Sawyer said the struggle of good democratic governance in Liberia was the struggle for participation in every sector of the government, emphasizing that the struggle for participation of citizen in decision-making was the main challenge faced in any democracy governance.

He described citizens’ participation as an important element in governance because it helps to bring about building Accountability, as well as institutions, indicating that in democracy, citizen are not only to be recipients from the government, but collaborate with the government in crafting ideas or work along with the government to co-produce – the essence of good democracy he said.

Dr. Sawyer – former President of the Interim Government of National Unity or IGNU of Liberia presented the lectures at a special forum in the auditorium of the University of Liberia in Capitol Hill as part of celebrations marking his 70th birthday organized by friends and well wishers last Friday, June 26, 2015.

Speaking at the start of the forum, the Dean of Liberia College at the University, Professor Steve Jubwe, informed the audience that Social Science 201 of ‘yesterday’ was not the same ‘today’ because there were major things absent from the department. Prof. Jubwe said it was Dr. Sawyer who introduced the course at the university, bringing great dynasty to the course from which students were now benefitting.

According to the Dean of the Liberia, since the departure of Dr. Sawyer the Social Science 201 course was suspended to be revise for the betterment of students desirous of reading it as their major.

He told participants that without teaching the discipline, students wouldn’t understand what the Liberian society entails, from its cultural perspective.

According to him, because of the great idea Dr. Sawyer brought to the university as a professor, he was referred to as a symbol for the struggle of justice on the African continent; stressing that Dr. Sawyer dedicated his entire life to impacting knowledge in the minds of prominent Liberians citizens in the country.

The intellectual discourse brought together various universities students, members of the diplomatic corp., officials of government and ordinary Liberian citizens. It was a commemorative Lecture of a Mock Session 201 in celebration and service of Dr. Amos C. Sawyer held under the theme: the State of Democratic Governance in Africa and its Challenges. By Lewis S. Teh – Editing by George Barpeen