By Charles Gbayor, maorethason1997@gmail.com
HARPER, Liberia- Following a month-long protest and go-slow actions by members of the Tubman University Faculty Association and students, classes have finally resumed at the state-owned Tubman University (TU), 250 miles southeast of Monrovia.
On February 26, University’s Faculty Association begun their go-slow action, calling on the Librarian government to meet their pay and conditions demands and remove its President, Dr. Elliott Wreh-Wilson, if classes were to resume.
After a period of standoff, Dr. Wreh-Wilson resigned and President Weah accepted it and appointed a new acting President to run the affairs of the institution.
FLASHBACK: TU protest
President Weah appointed Dr. Emmanuel Leon Sie-Wreh, as Acting President of Tubman University, pending vetting of candidates by the Board of Trustees for subsequent appointment of a new President.
Students protest
As part of the students protest aim at calling government attention, several schools including private and private, government agencies ,cooperation and ministries were closed down by the students.
The students dressed in black assembly at the Harper administration building under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and asked that all office within the facility be closed.
Acting president appointment and former President’s resignation
Dr. Wilson explained that he was constrained to resign because he does not view violence as a means of order, following adversity after adversity on the campus of Tubman University.
On March 8 and 19, 2022, aggrieved students besieged learning activities in Harper City and erected barricades at various school entrances in demand of government’s attention to an indefinite go-slow by the Faculty Association since February. Normal classes and other schools and work of various private and public institutions were also disrupted at the time for few days.
Senate public hearing on the situation
The situation at Tubman University was brought to the attention of the Liberian Senate by Maryland County Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown.
After weeks being out of classroom the Liberian senate standing committee on Education and Public Administration held talks with the officials of the Tubman University Faculty Association relative to their disengagement previously by the association.
The Liberian senate standing committee on Education and Public Administration appealed to the Faculty association to returned to classrooms to begin academic activities as their concerns will be adequately taken before the plenary of the Liberian senate for speedy redress.
Following the singing of a memorandum of understanding by the University’s Administration and the Tubman University Faculty Association, TUFA President Mr. Francis Fukah, Jr. called on all members of the Faculty Association to disengage and return to classes.