By Saykpekpo Innis in Buchanan, Liberia
Grand Bassa: For over five years now, the Grand Bassa County Community College has been engulfed in intermittent conflict.
Apart from the period 2010-2013, the subsequent years have been marred by frequent disruptions in the academic and administrative programs of this state-owned institution.
Years after its establishment by the charter in 2008, the institution is still struggling with one leadership crisis after another.
Since the appointment of Dr. Nathaniel Gbassegee as president of the college by President George Manneh Weah on March 12, 2018, more problems continue to brew at the Community College.
The most recent incident is the arrest of an employee of the college and a man believed to be a prayer man by the police in Grand Bassa County for allegedly planting juju (medicine) in front of the campus.
Mr. Alexander Zeon Assistant Facility Manager of GBCC and Mr. Jacob Anderson of Montserrado County were arrested on Sunday night about 11:44PM by the security assigned by the college, according to police in the county.
The two gentlemen are presently in detention undergoing investigation at the police headquarters in Buchanan.
According to Mr. Sam Dekpah of the Event Security Services who was assigned that night at the college, he caught them planting the juju in the middle of the road near the college campus with small bible, oil bottle, four pieces of rocks, knife, needle, and among others.
Mr. Dekpah told Magic FM reporter on the campus that when the incident occurred, he received phone call from Dr. Nathaniel Gbassegee and his wife to release them but he refused to do so.
Also speaking, the prayer man Mr. Anderson said that he was taken from Monrovia by Mr. Alexander Zeon to pray for him based upon the vision he (Anderson) saw for him during their prayer service in the nation’s capital.
According to Mr. zeon, the vision the prayer man revealed to him was that some people were planning to make him blind or kill him because he is one of those who is in strong support of Dr. Gbessagee coming back as president to the college.
Based upon that, he told the prayer man to pray for him for his protection most especially at the campus of the Grand Bassa Community College.
But the situation has caused the faculty and staffs of the college to lay down chalks in fear of their lives that the campus is no longer save for them and the students.
According to the Acting President of the Faculty and Staff Association of the community college Mr. Octavious Ben, the intent of the ritual that was performed by Mr. Zeon and Mr. Anderson was to destroy their lives only because, they do not support the appointment of Dr. Gbassegee as president of the college.
“Those who were caught planting juju in front of the campus come from the proposed Concern Faculty Association of the college who are in support of the appointment of Dr. Nathaniel Gbassegee by President George Weah,” Mr. Ben stated.
“What I saw on Sunday is the first of its kind in the history of my college life,” the Acting President of the Faculty and Staff Association narrated.
He told Magic FM a local community radio station on Tuesday in Buchanan that if President Weah continues to insist that Dr. Gbassegee appointment stands as president of the college, they are willing to leave for the sake of their lives but the college should give them their benefits.
He added that since they began the laying down of chalks on Tuesday, they will not go on the campus until a lasting solution is found to the problem of the community college.