The University of Liberia UL Faculty Association (ULFA) says it will hold accountable, Liberian President and Visitor of the University of Liberia (UL), George Manneh Weah, for the success of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last Friday, 1 October 2021 by ULFA, Government and UL Administration to end ULFA’s two weeks strike.
At an emergency ULFA General Assembly Wednesday, 6 October on UL Capitol Hill campus, Dr. Edna Johnny, president of ULFA said the association has raised the profile of issues at the university and President Weah is involved, noting that ULFA is “holding him accountable [for] the success of this MoU through the Ministry of Finance.”
Among ULFA’s issues presented to the Government and UL Administration for solutions were disparity in salaries and allowance among faculty members, as well as disparity in salaries among faculty members and UL administrative staff.
ULFA also complained about the failure of UL to pay social security deductions and arrears since 2012; failure of UL to remit medical insurance deducted since January 2021, failure to pay wages for some UL part-timers, provide a refund for laptops deductions, lack of instructional materials, lack of conducive working environment and sanitary condition.
ULFA also demanded office space for teachers, reconditioning of dilapidated buildings, internet facility, equipment, electricity, among others.
At the general assembly Wednesday, Dr. Johnny explained that ULFA holds President Weah accountable for the implementation of the MoU because the government representatives including Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, have affixed their signatures on the MoU on behalf of the President of Liberia as he made interventions to end the strike at UL.
“Because you know he’s the Visitor, he said through the Minister of Finance that everything that is done here is based on my directive … so we take his word for it, but we are holding him accountable for everything that is in this MoU,” Dr. Johnny added.
During the emergency general assembly, ULFA members voted unanimously to return to class this Friday, 8 October which brings to an end their two weeks of strikes at the University of Liberia (UL) that led to students’ protests in September.
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Meanwhile, Dr. Johnny urged ULFA members on Wednesday at the emergency general assembly to return to class this Friday because the leadership had seen the government’s commitment during consultations that it would execute its side of the MoU.
She however cautioned that failure on the part of the government and UL Administration to implement the MoU, UL knows how to make the MoU work.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/university-of-liberia-faculty-returns-to-class-this-week/
