Harbel College calls for county support

Authorities at the Harbel College are calling on their county authority and the government for more support to the college, which is based in Margibi County.

The Harbel College is one of the newest, higher public institutions of learning in the country. Created as a means of decentralizing higher education in the country, HARCO offers an academically rigorous, comprehensive and applied relevance-based degree programs in such areas as occupational safety and Health, Mechanical/Renewable Energy Engineering, Climate Change Studies, Disaster and Emergency Management, Applied Agricultural and Economics, Information Technology, and Liberian Studies to support economic and national development.

The college is accredited by the National Commission on Higher Education of Liberia.  Speaking to this paper on Friday, July 7, 2017 at HARCO office in Lower Margibi County the President of the college, Dr. Syrulwa Somah said the college is one of the least in terms of budgetary funding here. He says the college was allotted five-hundred and forty –five thousand Liberian dollars (545,000.00) about US4, 909.00 at the rate of LRD111 to 1USD.

According to Dr. Somah, he has informed the Margibi County Legislative caucus about the matter, something he said up to present has not been addressed by the county officias. The HARCO president said the plight of the college was also made known to County Superintendent John Z. Buway, who is also yet to move on the matter.

He said since he took over the county authorities have failed to support the college, saying “this is not good for the county.” Dr. Somah, however, said the only donations so far are classrooms materials from the Roberts International Airport, which is located in Margibi County.

Meanwhile Dr. Somah is therefore calling on Margibians to take ownership of the college. He said citizens should be glad that they now have a full college in the county, something he said would now provide alternative for students who cannot afford college education outside of the county.

He also called on the Superintendent of the county and the Legislative caucus to come to the aid of the college by putting some of the county development fund aside for higher education in the county.