Student leaders meet with Sen. ConmanyWesseh
The visiting Secretary General of the All – Africa Students Union (AASU), Mr. Awaah Fred has held two separate meetings with River Gee County Senator, Conmany B. Wesseh in Monrovia.
The meetings were held at the senator’s office in the Capitol Building on Monday and Tuesday, with the second involving the leadership of the Liberia National Students Union (LiNSU) and some former student leaders.
A press release issued in Monrovia says the talks were centered on key issues, including the situation of the President of LINSU Mr. Varney Jersy, who is in detention on rape charges; the leadership challenges in LINSU bordering on finance; and the AASU Congress scheduled for Khartoum, Sudan in the next two weeks.
During the discussion, Mr. Fred and the student leaders pleaded for fair and speedy trial of the LINSU President and the need to revisit the rape law, which forbids bail for suspects charged.
Responding to the concerns, Senator Wesseh, himself a former continental student leader, thanked the AASU executive for the visit and assured the student leaders that everything will be done for justice to prevail in the rape case, while strongly condemning gender based violence and all forms of sexual exploitation wherever it is practiced.
On the issue of government financing youth and student organizations, he concurred with the AASU Secretary General for the restoration of voluntarism in youth and students work in Liberia and Africa, and the stopping of young bureaucrats whose primary goal is to seek personal gains and comfort.
Meanwhile, Secretary General Fred in acknowledging the positive role of Senator Wesseh at the previous Congress of AASU held in Accra, Ghana in 2012, extended an invitation to the former student leader to attend the AASU Congress scheduled in Khartoum, Sudan as a special guest to help advise proceedings. In the same vein, LINSU has announced its interest to put up a candidate to contest for Secretary General post at the pending Congress to succeed Mr. Awaah Fred, a Ghanaian national whose term ends this year.
Liberia, a founding member of AASU is currently represented in the Secretariat by former LiNSU President Richmond Nuefville as one of the two Deputy Secretaries-General.
Senator Wesseh distinguished himself as an extraordinary student leader, while serving as President of the University of Liberia Students Union, founding President of LINSU, Deputy Secretary General and Acting Secretary General, respectively of the All-Africa Students Union and an executive of the International Union of Students during which his sterling record of service earned him the Outstanding Leadership and Educational Excellence Award and AASU Alumni of the Year 2013.
Following the meeting, Senator Wesseh led the AASU Secretary General, LINSU leaders and former student leaders to the Monrovia Central Prison to visit Mr. Jersy. In the delegation were former student leader, (now Deputy Director General, Center for National Documents and Records Agency) Martin SayeKollah, the Acting President of LiNSU, Mathias Yeanay, Vice President Emmanuel Flomo and General Secretary Abraham Johnson among others. Press release
