By Tokpa Tarnue- tarnue82@gmail.com
VOINJAMA, Liberia- Academic staff at the Lofa County Community College in Voinjama City have begun an indefinite go- slow action, 394 miles northwest of Monrovia..
Varney Addy , the head of the academic staff told reporters that their action is based on the failure of the administration of the institution to address some long outstanding issues they’re raised over the years.
He named the issue of salary variance as one major issue currently at the college with specific reference to a mere high school student who was an ordinary generator man at LCCC and making about US$575; while graduates of well recognized universities, who struggled so hard to earn their degrees, and have been employed as academic staff are making roughly US$350 as their gross salary.
Speaking further, Mr. Addy said some of the major departments like Nursing, Agriculture, Education and Engineering are said to be understaffed, but the college is busy doing new employments that have less benefit to the growth and development of the institution.
“The number of administrative staff with less credentials but fat salaries are about to exceed the number of academic staff with better credentials that are building the students’ mind and helping to move the institution forward,” Mr. Addy indicated.
The go-slow action comes at the time that students are to be writing their finals which has become impossible for them.
“We will continue this go-slow action until political hands behind the destructions of this college are exposed,” said one of the aggrieved academic staff (name witheld for job security).
The president of the College, Dr. Samuel Nguyma has described the action by the academic staff as untimely owning to the fact that students are to by now be writing their exams.
Dr. Nguyma however, said that the concerns raised by the academic staff are guewine but indicated that they are about him as president of the institution.
He said the issues are being forwarded to the board for redress.
When contacted, the Chairman for the Board of Trustees, Professor Sumo Kupee attributed to action by the academic staff to the continued refusal of the college president to handle the situation.
Prof. Kupee said the board has on several occasions made some interventions by instructing the administration to deal with the concerns of the academic staff but to no avail.
According to Professer Sumo Kupee, there have been several go slow actions over the years by the academic staff at the college which he thinks is also delaying the growth of the college thou it happens to be one of the oldest community colleges established in rural Liberia.
Students attending the college have expressed dissatisfaction over the action by the academic staff describing it as a setback for them.
Some of the already struggling students said the situation could also discourage some of those from outside Voinjama from continuing their schooling and therefore want the administration of the college the quickly resolved the ongoing situation.