PHOTO: PROSA leaders addressing students and Journalists
By Kelvin Gonlah gonlahkelvin88@gmail.com
To uphold Liberia’s fragile peace, unity, transparency, accountability, security, free and fair elections, equal opportunity, and justice, ahead of the much-publicized Presidential and Representative elections in 2023, the Progressive Students Alliance (PROSA) has warned the government of Liberia (GOL) and major opposition leaders.
PROSA officials made the assertion when they presented their annual message to the government of Liberia and its people on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, on Carey Street in central Monrovia.
The Chairman of the Avant-garde party (PROSA), William B. Sando Jr. called on President Weah to swiftly intervene in “the horrific statements” made by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Mayor Prince C. Johnson, lll who alleged that he received phone calls from people abroad and in Liberia to overthrow president Weah while in exile having bilateral meetings with his foreign counterparts.
Chairman Sando said it’s bringing such revelation as a concern to the other branches of government especially the 54th house of the legislature; the EU, US Embassy, ECOWAS, United Nations, and other organizations attention about the derogatory statements made by the Army Chief of Staff, Mayor Prince C. Johnson, Ill to bring people to book and help protect Liberia’s fragile peace.
“Fellow Students and of our motherland, it has reached our attention as an institution that since the beginning of 2021, there have been military seizures of power right around us as a country, like Guinea, Chad, Mali, Sudan, and in early 2022, Burkina Faso and again in March of 2021, a coup attempt was reportedly foiled in Niger, days before the inauguration of the President. The cases of Guinea and Mali, are illustrative of the broader trend and PROSA takes serious clues from this and precautions from Gen. Prince’s assertions made”, said Chairman Sando.
PROSA Chairman further stated that the Chief of Staff in recent times has made some startling revelations and remarks that are unfavorable and counterproductive to the fragile peace and fledgling democracy of their country. He then called on the government of Liberia (GOL) to launch an investigation into the allegations made by the AFL Chief of Staff a few weeks ago to call names of those who were involved; to protect the fragile peace which Liberians have enjoyed over a decade.
“Therefore, PROSA wants to remind the CDC-Government and Opposition that our people have seen so much and have experienced a lot of political upheavals from the 80s that have plunged this country backward; at this time, our people are not willing to revert to those dark periods in our country’s history that broke down the social, economic and political paradigm of our society; and thereby leaving our society in ruins and acute underdevelopment. The Avant-garde party wants to inform the public, especially the young people that nobody will threaten the peace and democracy of our society to create panic amongst our people”, the Avant-garde party Chairman asserted.
PROSA Chairman also used the occasion to call on Mayor Prince C. Johnson, Ill to refrain from too many press conferences and making dangerous political statements that will threaten the peace and democracy of Liberia in the upcoming Presidential and Representative elections in 2023.
“We want to emphatically register that no politician whether the Ruling party or political parties should not attempt to hamper the peace and security of this country as our side has always been the side of the people. Hence, anything that goes contrary to the peace and happiness of our people, the Avant-garde party will not hesitate to stand firm with the masses of our people because they are the real protectors of their peace and destiny,” he added.
In another development, the PROSA chairman asserted that their party has stood in the gap for the student populace after several engagements with the house of the legislature, to be specific, the House of Senate, according to him, which he said that the legislature seems to be adamant about the quest of the Liberian students.
He added that 2021, they had a major assembly at the Capitol building in November 2021 and on September 8th, 2022 of this year to call on their lawmakers, the Senate to pass into law the ‘National Equity Act’, a bill that is intended to legitimize the Free Tuition policy and the Free WASSCE payment.
“Any society that has a group of leaders who do not value education, that society is destined to be in a state of perpetual darkness and backwardness. Our endeavor is clearly defined and we have unequivocally expressed that the issue of Free Education should go beyond just Free Education as a proclamation made by President Weah but Free Education that is accompanied by legislation by the government toward its sustainability for generations and generations.” he declared.
In furtherance of his annual message, Chairman Sando averred that the government of Liberia continues to pay less attention to education; stating that it seems to be politicized by both the Executive and the Legislature for political glorification by certain individuals in the CDC government and by selfish, sycophants and self-centered seeking individuals in the opposition at the level of the Senate.
However, the PROSA Chairman applauded the government of Liberia (GOL) for its sustainability over the past 4 years but he said it’s saddening with some major challenges when it comes to enrollment at these public universities and colleges, especially the University of Liberia (UL) where there are in flocks of students waiting to enroll due to its low fees charged and inadequate infrastructures leading to minimum classroom, to absorb those who-be students; insufficiently qualified lectures to fill in those classrooms.
He urged the government of Liberia to effectuate its free tuition policy by improving the infrastructural development of the University of Liberia and decentralizing the University toward these community colleges that are granting university degrees, like the Bassa Community College, Bong, Lofa, and Nimba Community College to be similar to Senje Community College in Grand Cape Mount County.