ULSU threatens to disrupt Ellen’s Annual Message
The University of Liberia Student Union (ULSU) says it will resist the President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf’s Annual message due next Monday, 23 January through mass protest if the Legislature does not make available a $1.4 million US dollars agreed upon by the Plenary.
A press release issued in Monrovia says ULSU Acting President Jerome D. Barnard has argued that that the National Legislature in one of its plenary sittings made a commitment to provide the US$1.4m to subsidize the tuition increment at the University of Liberia following a petition in April 2016 to the Legislature.
He expressed fears that thousands of Liberian students at the State-run University of Liberia will drop out of School this semester to return to their villages and towns in Lofa, Bassa, Maryland, Nimba, Sinoe, Grand Kru, and other Counties because they cannot afford their tuitions.
Mr. Barnard claims that the Legislature’s commitment came after ULSU presented many challenges that students were facing, ranging from the lack of basic IT infrastructure facilities, computer Lab, modern laboratory apparatus, equipped libraries, standard campus based medical response unit and improved sanitary environment.
He also cited major transportation constraints and the lack of student internship program at UL, among others. But Mr. Barnard complains that since April 2016 when the Legislature was petitioned, it has allegedly refused to make available its commitment to the student populace of the University of Liberia.
He said ULSU as an institution believes that the Legislature should be an assemblage of the representatives of the people elected under a legal framework to make laws in providing adequate funding for health, infrastructure, education and security for the people.
“We cannot talk about democracy in any meaningful form and manner without the Legislature’’, he said, though he claims that the Legislature here is one of the dwelling places of … self-interest seeking leaders.
ULSU has however called on all students that are currently enlisted on the scholarship to not panic as they envisage a constructive and productive engagement with the University authority and the national government. — Press release
