Photo courtesy: Executive Mansion press
Background by Our Staff Writer
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai over the weekend put his mediation skills to work, with the holding a crisis talks bringing together the striking University of Liberia (UL) faculty and staff on the one hand and the UL administration of Dr. Lali Manparyan and the Board of Trustees on the other hand.
“President Boakai Brokers Agreement to Resolve University of Liberia Impasse, Calls for Dialogue, Institutional Cooperation, and Orderly Resumption of University Operations,” said an Executive Mansion press release issued today, August 17, 2026.
This is a far cry from the situation that obtained at the state-owned university just 48 hours ago, when a showdown was likely.
UL President Dr. Manparyan’s administration had told the faculty and staff that they “must return to work today, Monday, August 17. But the University Faculty Association (ULFA) and the UL Staff Association (UL) rejected the order, calling it “dictatorial slave mentality”, urging members to continue their disengagement.
Also, at the weekend, the UL Vice President for Fiscal Affairs, Dr. Lester Tennielaunched a blistering attack on the striking faculty and staff and their leadership, describing them as “headless chicken” in a Social Media podcast. UL Authorities Liken Faculty-Staff Leadership To “Headless Chicken” – News Public Trust
BELOW IS FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
President Boakai Brokers Agreement to Resolve University of Liberia Impasse, Calls for Dialogue, Institutional Cooperation, and Orderly Resumption of University Operations
Monday, August 17, 2026
PAYNESVILLE, LIBERIA:-President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., in his capacity as Visitor to the University of Liberia, has brokered an agreement among key stakeholders of the University aimed at resolving outstanding disagreements, restoring dialogue, and advancing the orderly resumption of normal academic and administrative activities.
The President devoted much of Saturday to separate and extensive consultations with the leadership of the University of Liberia Faculty and Staff Association, the University Administration, and the Board of Trustees. The engagements were held against the backdrop of disagreements over the conditions for the resumption of normal operations at the University.
He urged all parties to place the interests of students and the long-term stability of the University above their differences, stressing that confrontation, threats, and ultimatums must give way to constructive dialogue, mutual respect, and institutional cooperation.
Following the consultations, the parties reached consensus on a number of measures intended to address longstanding concerns, rebuild confidence, and facilitate the restoration of normal operations at the University.
As part of the agreement, both the Faculty and Staff Association and the University Administration agreed to withdraw from recent statements that contributed to heightened tensions and to recommit to respectful, constructive, and sustained engagement.
A key issue addressed during the discussions was the retirement benefits of eligible University employees. The Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, will remit US$2.4 million to the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) to facilitate the immediate enrollment of eligible employees.
The parties also agreed that 40 percent of outstanding salaries owed to eligible beneficiaries will be included in the 2027 National Budget for consideration.
President Boakai further directed renewed attention to the deteriorating infrastructure at the University. Under the agreement, priority will be given to the renovation and rehabilitation of existing facilities before consideration of the proposed construction of a new classroom building.
The Ministry of Public Works will lead the renovation program and develop clear timelines for implementation.
To ensure accountability and prevent further delays, a special monitoring mechanism comprising representatives of the University Administration, faculty, the Board of Trustees, and senior Government officials will be established to monitor implementation of the renovation works and provide weekly progress reports to the President.
The meeting was also informed that 6,000 classroom chairs have already been secured, with arrangements underway to procure an additional 14,000 chairs to improve learning conditions across the University.
President Boakai described the consultations as productive and emphasized that the agreement reached must now be followed by concrete action.
“The University of Liberia is bigger than any individual or disagreement. Our students must not become casualties of institutional differences. We must find solutions, restore confidence, and move this University forward,” President Boakai said.
The President called on the University Administration, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, and relevant Government institutions to work together in good faith and place the long-term interests of the University and the Republic of Liberia above individual or institutional differences.
He further stressed that dialogue must remain the preferred mechanism for resolving disagreements within the University, while all stakeholders must respect established institutional processes, the University’s leadership structure, and the authority and integrity of its Board of Trustees.
The President expressed appreciation to all parties for demonstrating flexibility and a willingness to find common ground, describing the outcome as an important step toward restoring stability and normalcy at Liberia’s premier public university and his alma mater.
With the agreement reached, the Government expects all stakeholders to focus their efforts on the remaining measures necessary to facilitate the orderly resumption of normal academic and administrative activities and provide Liberia’s students with the stable learning environment they deserve.
The deliberations were attended by a leadership delegation from the Faculty and Staff Association led by Assistant Professor Alahaji S. M. Dukuly; leaders of the University Administration headed by Dr. Layli Maparyan, accompanied by Vice President Dr. Lester Z. Tenny; and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Numene T. H. Bartekwa.
Also present were Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald N. Tweh; Minister of Local Government Francis Sakilah Nyumalin; Minister of Education Dr. Jarso Maley Jalleh; Senior Presidential Advisor Dr. Augustine Konneh; Presidential Legal Advisor Bushuben Keita; Director of the Cabinet Nathaniel T. Kwabo; and Deputy Minister of State for Public Affairs Anthony V. Kesselly.
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