The election commission of the Alumni Association of the University of Liberia (AAUL) has lamented the very minimum participation of members in activities of the association, pleading with more UL graduates to take interest and become active members of the association ahead of a planned election due 31 August.
The AAUL Election Commission Chair Mr. Francis L.M. Horton told journalists Thursday, 8 August on Capitol Hill that in a lot of way, the UL Alumni is not achieving its objectives because it has not been able to attract the membership as large as it wants.
He says he wants to grab the attention of the estimated over 80,000 UL Alumni that he says are most of the time have not been active members.
The planned elections for positions of president, vice president, secretary and others, are coming at a time the university observes its centennial commencement this year.
The Election Commission Chair announces that they have a target of a thousand voters, but the Commission will make sure that as more registrants come in, it will prepare fully for whatever number that will be registered to vote.
Mr. Horton observes that alumni associations of universities all over the world are very strong, helping their institutions to the fullest.
While Mr. Horton thinks that the UL Alumni Association probably has not done much publicity to attract its members, he however argues that UL graduates are equally aware that they get inducted into the association on the day of graduation and therefore must not abandon the association’s activities.
He laments that strangely enough, the Association has not had that kind of participation from its members, expressing hope that people will come over and become active members.
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“If I [were] to be very blunt I will say it’s an apathetic behavior of our people … because you are inducted into office at your commencement when you all excited, and then you know there’s an office …, why you don’t reach out to it?” he says in response to a question.
The Election Commission says it wants to broaden the scope and enlarge the number of active members in the Alumni Association.
It announces that the UL Alumni Association election is scheduled for August 31, 2019, and polls will be open from 9:00 AM upto 5:00 PM.
According to the Commission, voters will register at FQ-9 where the Alumni Office is located.The Commission requires a minimum fee of LRD$300.00, while those contesting various positions including president, vice president, secretary and treasure, have separate fees charged.
The election commission chair says candidates have come out for all the positions that are to be contested.Also speaking, UL Alumni Association Vice President for Administration Fatu Ruth Tipoteh says the Association called the media to the conference to seek a help of spreading the Association’s message through broadcast and publication to get inactive alumni members to be part of the Association’s activities.
She narrates that the Association has been having difficulties for its members to attend meetings and programs, saying there’s often very minimum turn out for the UL Alumni Association’s activities.According to Madam Tipoteh, the Association has had flyers at various ministries and agencies, appeared on talk shows, yet it has been very difficult for it to attract members in the Association.
She concludes that it is the responsibility of the Alumni Association to undertake programs to assist the University of Liberia. Other officials at the conference included John B. Gbozee, and Precious T. George.By Winston W. Parley
