HARPER, Liberia- In recent times, the President George Weah’s CDC government has been struggling to pay salaries of public workers, despite boasting by his Finance Minister of budget surplus.
Public service workers in all sectors continue to cry for unpaid salary areas or disparity in salaries.
One of the institutions is the William V.S Tubman University in southeastern Maryland County, which was named after Liberia 19th and longest serving President William V.S. Tubman. TU is the only high institution of learning that offers BSc within several disciplines from its six colleges, which provides a suitable view of the government second sponsor and funded located few miles outside of the county’s capital.
Several protests and go slow actions by students and recently Faculty harm learning activities last semester which lasted for about three weeks plus and stimulated the resignation of the University’s former President, Dr. Elliott Wreh-Wilson on March 21 of this year while representing the University at conferences in the Liberian capital Monrovia.
Now and again, Tubman University Faculty Association (TUFA) on November 14, 2022 suspended classes from morning to noon, the first time since the beginning of this the current semester while attending their meeting.
The Association has urged Dr. Wreh’s administration to seek the welfare of the faculty at the University, and at the teachers have at the same time threatened protest action, if concerns raised by TUFA are given deaf ears.
According to TUFA’s President Mr. Francis Fukah, that members of the Tubman University Faculty Association decision to withhold their planned protest was based on the interest from majority of TUFA’s membership have shown for sympathy and love for the students at the University.
TU Faculty Association President Fukah indicated that the association decision has also taking into consideration the government interest.
“I hope and pray that the administration of William V.S Tubman University headed by its acting President Dr. Emmanuel Leon Wreh work with the national government speedily resolve concerns raised by the faculty association if not but majority all before academic activities commence for 2022-2023 second semester that is expected to begin of January 2023,” he said.
“Just imagine about 32 students to 7 computers, members of our association are making payments for residential permit but yet to benefit, the shorting down of the nursing department, 100 percent increment in staffers’ salaries while little or non-had been added to Faculty members, restrictions of loans to only Liberian faculty members among others,” Faculty President Fukah explained.
In an angry mood, Mr. Fukah indicated that Faculty members have agreed not to leave classrooms and protest, but they have given the university a grace period up to the beginning of 2022-2023 second semester to listen and work on the above concerned or grades of students will be seized by them.
The TU Faculty leader blasted the administration as saying, “Our undergraduate program isn’t doing well and we are here talking about graduate program, are we serious?
Meanwhile Tubman University administration is yet to response to comments made the Tubman University Faculty Association.
This Reporter has gathered that failure by the TU’s administration headed by Dr. Wreh to resolve the plight of the faculty, there is increasingly high chance of a faculty go-slow action kicking off here soon.