Gov’t closes Bong technical college

President Ellen Johnson -Sirleaf has announced a government decision closing down the Bong County Technical College (BCTC) that has been rocked by students protest since June against the running of the college by the interim management team.

“We decided the college remains closed for now”, Mrs. Sirleaf said Thursday, 22 June outside the college in Gbarnga amidst loud hands of applause and cheers from the protesting students.  But she has asked the students there to refrain from violence and any action that will put the college in a worse situation.

She says everything decided at the meeting in Gbarnga with Bong Legislative Caucus, the college’s board members, interim management team and government officials will be put before the full legislative caucus in Monrovia.By bringing the matter to Monrovia, President Sirleaf intends to have other relevant government institutions come around the table with the legislative caucus to fix the problem by the time the school opens in September this year.

Members of the college’s advisory board including Dr. Wiles, Bishop Kula and the interim management team including Dr. Massaquoi and three other assistants were present at the meeting. But she clarifies that it is not the students that closed the college, noting that it is a decision of government while investigation is being conducted.

She says before government opens the school in September, a new management would have been put in place. However she was quick to add that by putting in place a new management team does not imply that all those current serving will be fired.Rather, she says the new management will be guided by new rules, new qualifications,, while promising that the money problem that the college faces will be looked at because the construction of the building should have been finished a long time ago.While the college remains close, she says security will be placed there to protect the facility.

By Winston W. Parley-Edited by Othello B. Garblah