–Former Education Minister George Werner urges CDC Gov’t not to politicize Education
By Never G. Lomo,garmahlomo@gmail.com
For several weeks now, there has been complaints from students on scholarship in Morocco that the government of Liberia has abandoned their monthly allowance payment to them.
The prolonged delay in
remitting their allowances even prompted the students to stage a protest at the
Liberian Embassy in that country.
But the Minister of Education D. Ansu Sonii has broken silence
on the issue by saying that some of the students have failed in their courses
and overstayed, something that a Spokesman for the students has denied in an
interview with Joy FM radio in Monrovia on Friday morning.
The Minister said the allowance issue been solved but did not say how was the controversy over the nonpayment of the scholarship students’ allowance. He told the MICAT regular Thursday press briefing that rent for 54 students who left for Morocco last November was paid for one year, And the Education Minister said eleven students in Morocco who are said to have failed will be recalled shortly.
But the spokesman of the Liberian students said many of those who have extended their stay in Morocco had completed their first degrees and are doing their Masters with one of them even completing his Phd.
According to Minister Sonii, Liberian students studying Morocco are in several categories and one of such categories are students that have over stayed from the past regime, adding that notwithstanding the recent government to the initiative of sponsoring all of them.
Education Minister Sonii’s reaction comes amid criticism of the CDC government by former Education Minister George Werner for trying to politicize education.
Minister Sonii disclosed there are 86 students, of the 86 students 32 have over stayed something that is causing government huge expenditures.
The Education Ministry boss the newly students that joined their colleagues in Morocco are 54 including the seven students who did well in the WASSCE last years.
Minister Sonii also commented on reports that the students were threwn out of their respective rental places but Education minister boss denied the allegation said it is unfortunate that the government of Liberia pay for one year rental fees for those students from 2018 November to 2019 November and bought mattresses and placed them in those apartments but wondered why will students was students lying all in the street?
The head of book matter in the country expressed that the one year rental fees was meant for the students to be there after which they will be dispatched to their respective high institution of learning.
Furthermore, the government was committed in giving 75 United States dollar but has increased it one hundred USD while the Morocco government is committed of giving 150 after every two months as their contribution to the bilateral friendship between Liberia and Morocco.
At the same time, Minister has stated eleven who have failed to prove their reason of being on scholarship will be sent back to Liberia to continue their studies at the University of Liberia as tickets are all prepared awaiting them.
Explaining further, Education Minister added that when the allowance started, the Ambassador of Liberia to Morocco called the students leadership to have some discussion with them but they refused to entered in the embassy but rather demanded that the Ambassador to come down to them.
But because the Minister did not adhered their demand they barricaded the embassy and started disturbing and evening blocked the embassy entrance that Ambassador should not come outside which prompted the Ambassador to call on the Morocan police to take them off from the embassy.
Minister further stated that the Liberian students in China, Botswana and other parts of the world, everything is okay with the exception of Morocco but indicated that Minister Tweah is preparing one allowance for the students while the rest of their allowance will be settled.
But Minister said even the Liberian government is committed giving allowances to student likewise the Moroccan government is doing the same by providing 150 USD after two months adding that when you the student fail to score the grade point need that money provided by the Moroccan government cannot be given to you something he said maybe factor leading to their protest.
Meanwhile, Gbenzongar Findley of Foreign Ministry disclosed that the scholarship is a bilateral scholarship between Liberia and Morocco but described the action by the students as unfortunate.
Morocco government has been giving scholarship to BSc, Master and Doctor Degrees to Liberian students.
Minister Findley narrated those eleven students who did not do well are on their way back to Liberia to attend the state run University.