Sawyer conducts lecture series

Former President Prof. Amos C. Sawyer will this Friday provide a Kaleidoscope of the academic papers of over 35 years experience in the political theatre when he serves as a historic guest lecturer in a mock session of the social science 201 at the university of Liberia auditorium on capita by pass.

Friday’s Lecture being held jointly with the Administration of the University of Liberia and is part of the birthday activities that the Well Wishers of Amos Claudius Sawyer (WACS@70)) have organized as a fitting tribute to easily and arguable one of Liberia’s foremast Political Scientist.

The Mock Session of the Social Science 201 will witness and audience comprising Presidents of all institutions of higher learning, government officials from all three branches, as well as student from these universities who are currently in the social and political science disciplines. The Lecture will see Prof. Sawyer reminisce on what where those sterling qualities he compiled to mould the minds of majority of those who passed through the walls of the University of Liberia where he once served from the early Seventies to the outbreak of the civil war.

The director of the office of UL relations in their release issued in connection with this program observed that it was during Professor Sawyer’s, Deanship that the course Social Science 201 was introduced to students as an inter disciplinary educational approach that promotes an understanding of Liberian society through the social sciences particularly through demography, economics, geography, history, political science and sociology.

Prof. Sawyer theme for the lecture revolves around the state of Democratic governance and its challenges in Africa. Associate Justice Kabineh J’anneh, One of the members of the organizing Committee of WAC@70 is expected to serve as Convener and provide personal insightful reflection on Social Science 201 as taught by Dr. Amos Sawyer.

According to reports, during the celebrations on June 15 itself when friends and well wishers, from the international community and Liberians walked into Governance Commission, the discussion centered around the planned Social Science lecture, where for example former chief Justice and now chair of the Constitution Review Committee informed Prof Sawyer of the impact this course had on her university life. Atty Medina Wesseh of WACS said he was particular impressed to hear Cllr. Scott say, it was the “way Doc came into the lecture room with his bare hands , no paper and rapped or spoke and his thoughts and ideas just flowed…I never missed a 201 Social Science Class”.

Another erudite student and a member of WACS Associate Justice Janneh also reflected heartily of just how historically and politically enriched the social science 201 class was for young and active minds in search of scholarship and mentorship at the then University of Liberia Atty Wesseh intoned on the value of this special mock session.

Prof Sawyer, now head of the governance commission was also heard during the June 15th birthday celebration at the GC offices on 9th street as saying that it was the background materials for his lectures, which he painstakingly prepared at night in preparation for this now extra large class, that provided the basis for his most important and most highly acclaimed work The Emergence of Autocracy in Liberia..Tragedy and Challenge published in the United States in 1992.

According to another member of WACS @ 70 Musa Hassan Bility, he will share this lecture as part of his gift to have The program carried Live on the Renascence commission Truth FM 96.1 and recording to be shown on RTV later as long as it last with all the questions and answers from the audience, so that people can appreciate the brilliance in the man and what makes people like him appreciate Dr. Amos Sawyer as a gifted Liberian intellectual.”