Lawmaker claims conspiracy against BWI

Margibi County District Four Representative Ben A. Fofana has claimed here there is high-level conspiracy against the Booker Washington Institute or BWI, Liberia’s oldest vocational training institution in Kakata, Margibi County.

“Firstly, there is a high level conspiracy against BWI. Well, if you asked me where; maybe I will name several areas where those conspiracies are taking place”, he added. According to him, BWI has dreamt for long to be elevated, and should by now operate as an accredited university.

Representative Fofana recalled that authorities of BWI held an educational conference some time ago attended by various universities in the country and recommendation from that conference was for the institution to be elevated to a technical college, but it was yet to be realized.

The Margibi Lawmaker, who is also Chairman on Public Account at the House of Representatives noted that citizens of the county in 2008 requested for BWI to elevated to a college level, but up to 2016, their request has not been addressed, adding “Even the result from the educational conference that was held with major stakeholders represented is still lying down somewhere.”

Rep. Fofana: “You know why I said conspiracy? The Commission on Higher Education says BWI does not have the facilities; they don’t have the manpower but as I speak to you, there is a community college in Harbel, they don’t have one cornerstone anywhere in Harbel but they were accredited. I’m told that next academic year, they will be accrediting BSc.”

He also observed the Bong Technical College in Bong County is offering BSc. degree likewise the Nimba Community College, wondering why not BWI. He said in Klay District, Bomi County a skill training center that was created as TVET center has now been placed under the University of Liberia.

Rep. Fofana, who previously worked at the Booker Washington Institute before his election to the House of Representative, asked: “Which of the universities in Liberia has better campus than BWI”?

He urged the BWI Family and Liberians in general to fight the ongoing conspiracy against the institution, noting that even President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made policy pronouncement on BWI, indicating the institution moves to a higher level.

Meanwhile, Rep. Fofana who spoke during the 87th anniversary of BWI recently in Kakata, has recommended to the BWI Administration that while they are striving to make the institution a center of excellence, they should introduce medium-term programs that will elevate the institute to a technical college within the next two years.

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi-Editing by Jonathan Browne