By Naneka A. Hoffman
The University of Liberia Faculty in Support of Boakai (ULFIBO) has launched a massive cleanup campaign on the university campus ahead of President-elect Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s inauguration due 22 January 2024.
The group launched the initiative on the UL Capitol Hill campus on Saturday, 16 December 2023.
Speaking during the cleanup exercise, ULFIBO Vice Chair for Operations Othello Opa Mason said its cleanup campaign by UL faculty was intended to support newly elected President Boakai.
He explained that it is an initiative that was undertaken by professors in support of President-elect Boakai to make sure that the University of Liberia is clean.
He explained that they know that the University of Liberia campus will be used for the inauguration of President-elect Boakai and there will be a lot of people coming in to park their cars on the campus.
He said they want to keep the campus clean and give it a facelift during the inauguration of the incoming president.
According to Mr. Mason, they wish to do the cleanup campaign every day, and they also want to extend the initiative on the four campuses of the University of Liberia – Capitol Hill, Fendall, the Medical College, and the David A. Stratz-Sinje campus in Grand Cape Mount County.
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Mr. Mason said the initiative is purely voluntary work.
Mr. Mason stated that the Faculty in Support of President-elect Boakai knows that the incoming President has a root at the University of Liberia and he is an alumnus of the University of Liberia.
According to him, the University of Liberia is a large society, noting that more Ministers hailed from the University of Liberia.
He said they are the ones that prepare citizens for the business market, adding that carrying on this initiative will attract Boakai’s attention to ensure that UL has what is needed to prepare Liberians for tomorrow.
Mason noted that exercise will be a continuous process until they can see that the University of Liberia comes to where they want it to be.
“Indeed the University of Liberia … is where I am from, do you expect me to go and take care of other people’s homes while my home is dirty?” said Mason.
“I will say no. I must first look at where I am coming from. I work here, I graduated from here, and this is my home. So I must give my home a beautiful look before looking out there,” he argued.
According to him, they have plans to extend the exercise outside, but they want to make sure that the University of Liberia is given a facelift.
“You prepare your home first before looking at other people’s homes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mason has called on the public to rally their support towards the University.
Also speaking, ULFIBO Chairman J. Omega L. Tokpa said they decided to start their voluntary cleanup exercise with their own house.
He said they were carrying out the initiative in line with District #8 Representative-elect Prince Toles and others, adding that they decided to start with their campus to give it a facelift before extending it outside.
Mr. Tokpa explained that sponsors behind the initiative are the University of Liberia Faculty in Support of Boakai, District #8 Representative-elect Prince Toles, and Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence.
According to Mr. Tokpa, the University of Liberia needs help, calling on international and local partners to help with maintenance, finance, education, and manpower.
He said his group will appreciate whatever partners can afford to keep the University of Liberia at the level it should be.
Also speaking, student Lawrenzo Traore, one of the volunteers, said they were cleaning the University of Liberia campus to give it a facelift.
