PHOTO: Madam Nyumah (Left) during NTAL executives meeting in Monrovia
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The national executive committee of the National Teachers Association of Liberia has passed a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Mary Nyumah as President of the NTAL.
The spokeswoman of the committee, Mrs. Alberta Fagans-Coker, disclosed that Madam Nyumah violated several provisions of the constitution of the association by unilaterally withdrawing 625,000 Liberian Dollars from the organization’s account as her year-end bonus, without the approval of the leadership.
Madam Coker made the disclosure at a press conference on a five-count resolution adopted at the end of an emergency meeting organized by the national executive committee of the National Teachers Association of Liberia in Monrovia Thursday, April 14, 2022.
According to her, Madam Nyumah has failed to submit to audit over the last four years and has also unilaterally suspended a member of the national executive committee representing the private teachers.
The NTAL national executive committee condemned the unconstitutional dismissal of one of their colleagues and immediately restored and reaffirmed his membership with the leadership
The resolution also alleged that Madam Nyumah and the National Treasurer, Nathaniel Tobah also withdrew unspecified amount of money from the NTAL account for county tour of eleven counties and the celebration of the 2021 World Teachers Day in Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County.
The press statement alleged that Mrs. Nyumah also withdrew another amount of money under the pretext of visiting four remaining counties but she never travelled up to date.
The NTAL leadership informed the government, Educational International and all civil society organizations in Liberia and outside the country not do any business with Mrs. Nyumah in the name of the organization.
Any such transition will constitute an attack on the suffering teachers and education workers whose dues and contributions are being grossly misapplied with any accountability, according to the Teachers Association’s leadership.
The NTAL national executive committee affirmed its confidence and trust in Mr. Samuel Johnson as Secretary General, the administrator and head of secretariat
“In order to protest the dues and contributions of struggling teachers,” the resolution went on, “we, the NTAL national executive committee will take immediate actions to protect the welfare and interests since Mrs. Nyumah is not capable of protecting the interest especially when she continues to resist all attempts to conduct financial audit,”
But, when contacted by the media, Madam Nyumah refused to comment on the many allegations brought against her by the NTAL national executive committee.
The NTAL was enacted into law in 1958 by an Act of a national legislature and Madam Nyumah was elected acting President following the impeachment of her predecessor on April 12, 2016.