By Lewis S Teh
The campus-based Students Unification Party (SUP) at the state-run University of Liberia threatens to stage another protest against what it terms Administration’s failure to renovate the University’s two campuses, as earlier promised.
SUP in a news conference held on Monday, April 4, 2022, on the University of Liberia’s main campus on Capitol Hill, reiterated call to have the two campuses renovated, adding that its call is an uncompromising demand to the administration of UL President, Dr. Julius S. Nelson.
The group’s chairman Mustapha N. Kanneh, recalls that last academic semester, given the deplorable and wretched nature of the university campuses, SUP launched a ‘fix the university campaign’ an endeavor it says is geared toward pressuring the university authority and government to ensure the nation’s premier institution of education is renovated to an appreciable standard.
Student Kanneh recalls that on October 1, 2021, Administration signed an MoU with both the students and the faculty association, saying “Additionally, on March 24, 2022, we listened to Rev. Nelson, President of the University of Liberia, at the Ministry of Information Regular Press Briefings publicly announcing the receipt of US$4.7 million from the Government of Liberia to carry on renovations at the university.”
He says it is nearly two weeks now since Dr. Nelson made the public pronouncement, but there is no sign of renovation taking place at both campuses, something, the SUP leader describes as not only unfortunate but also disconcertingly embarrassing and deceitful on the part of government and the University Authority for not fulfilling their promises as was contained in the October 1, 2021, MoU.
“Notwithstanding, SUP promises unspecified actions against the Rev. Nelson-led administration at the University of Liberia and commits to resist any attempt to reopen the school without carrying out renovation to improve the learning environment. SUP maintains that the university would not afford to resume schooling in an environment that lacks needed facilities and equipment to complement education”, Kanneh says.
He insists that students will not return to a university that is ragged and ruined in its material conditions and lacks electricity and pipe-borne water facilities, among others.
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“Students will not return to a university that lacks modem science laboratories, that lacks modem libraries stoked with good and contemporary books for research”, he vows.
However, responding to criticism about unpainted buildings on the UL two campuses recently, Dr. Nelson blamed the situation on previous administrations of the institution, which he said has existed for decades.
At the same time Chairman Kanneh condemns what he calls constant brutalization of peaceful university students by the CDC-led Government, categorically condemning alleged brutal and violent aggression continuously meted out against peaceful university students, especially militants of SUP that he claims are masterminded by Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee.
“We want to call on the Independent Commission on Human Rights, ECOWAS, European Union, U.S. Embassy, Swedish Embassy, AU, and other human rights institutions to fully be informed of the heinous human rights violations being carried out against peaceful students by Jefferson T. Koiſée and other adherents of the CDC regime.”
According to SUP, the unfortunate incident that took place last week Thursday, March 31. 2022, on the UL Main campus at the “Homegoing and Honoring Program” of fallen Professor and statesman Dr. Amos Sawyer, where members of the Student Unification Party and other well-meaning citizens were brutalized and offices vandalized in a well-coordinated barbaric attack was masterminded and orchestrated by Mayor Koijee.
Kanneh continues that the incident that occurred at Dr. Sawyer’s memorial service was just another ugly episode in the Student Unification Party, that was meant to deny the party from giving a powerful revolutionary tribute to the fallen stateman that would have been unfavorable for the Mayor and the CDC government.
According to SUP, on March 26, 2022, at a special program held in honor of the late Dr. Sawyer by the ‘Progressive Community’, they made it clear that the CDC regime has failed on its promises.
“SUP wants to assure Mayor Koijee and the CDC that SUP as a progressive institution has sufficient evidence in our possession to push charges for criminal actions and human rights violations and will pursue this matter to a logical and judicial conclusion”, Kanneh says and adds that when that time comes, they will take the witness stand to make sure that the CDC youth league chair along with his accomplices are brought to justice in line with legality. Editing by Jonathan Browne
