Students protest for Bong College President

Students at the Bong County Technical College or BCTC have staged a peaceful protest in demand for a college president, claiming that an Interim Management Team has overstayed at the institution.

The students are demanding new administration at the BCTC about two weeks after President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf reinstated suspended College President Dr. John Flomo to allow him get retired by the institution, which is reported to have already happened.

Ahead of a scheduled midterm due to be administered on Monday, 16 January, the NewDawn’s Bong County Correspondent says protesters held placards on campus and chanting: “no president, no midterm”.

The BCTC students further told the NewDawn that Dr. John Flomo who spent more than six months under suspension was too young for retirement and should be taken back to the institution.

In between their demands for new manament and the reinstatement of retired college president Dr. Flomo is another complain over the alleged lack of essential learning equipment including laboratory equipment at BCTC.

The students accused some members of the College’s Interim Management Team of allegedly refusing to address some essential issues on several occasions on grounds that they are not proper authorities but only acting.

When contacted, the head of the College Interim Management Team and member of the Board Dr. Roland Massaquoi told our correspondent that there was a search committee headed by former Methodist Bishop Arthur Kulah for the appointment of a new president.

Dr. Massaquoi added that the selection of a college President cannot be done in haste considering the need for qualified individual to be selected. According to him, between now to the first week in April a new President will be selected.

The Interim Management Team Leader has however expressed sadness over the failure of scholarship donors to pay their scholarship beneficiaries tuition. Dr. Massaquoi stated that the situation has brought serious economic hardship on the institution as it is currently faces difficulties to operate due to an unspecified amount owed by the donors.

By Papa Morris, Bong County Correspondent-Editing by Winston W. Parley