-New GBCC President appointed by President Weah meets stiff Resistance
By Christopher Yarwoe in Buchanan, Liberia
Crisis has again engulfed the Grand Bassa County Community College (GBCC), after the newly appointed President of the college Dr. Nathaniel Gbessagee, who was sacked by the previous government, announced that he has taken over the college.
A similar situation like the one at the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) with the presidential appointment of former lawmaker Gabriel Nyankan, as the GBCC Board says it is the Board that has appointing powers, not the President of Liberia.
Dr. Gbessagee told Magic FM, a local community radio station in Buchanan, on Tueday, that he is now the President of the college based on his appointment by Liberia’s new President George Manneh Weah.
“As far as I know, the President made his appointment. I (Dr. Gbessagee) I am the President of the college and I have taken over,” the new GBCC President said.
On March 12, Dr. Nathaniel Gbessagee was part of a list of political appointees of Grand Bassa County when President Weah made additional appointments in government.
But this Monday when Dr. Gbessagee went on the GBCC campus to officially take over the college two weeks after his appointment was announced, he was resisted by the Board Chairman, Dr. Joseph Isaac and most of the faculty and staff.
They said they were resisted his take over on grounds that they do not want him to serve as president of the community college.
The staff and faculty association accused Dr. Gbessage of nepotism, discrimination, favoritism, over paying himself, instructors should use their salary to buy chalks and other instructional materials among others.
Dr. Isaac immediately convened a meeting that was attended by the Chairman of the Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus Representative Thomas Alexander Gohsua of Electoral District Five, Co – Chairman Representative Matthew Joe of Electoral District Three, Dr. Nathaniel Gbessagee, Interim President Dr. Samuel Reeves and some Administrative Staff of the college to find an amicable solution to the problem.
Addressing the students, faculty and staff of the community college before the meeting, the GBCC Board Chairmanc said the charter establishing the college states that the President shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees of the college.
“We have to respect that document,” Dr. Isaac said.
Article 5 section one states that the president of the Grand Bassa Community college shall be appointed by the Board of Trustee of the college.
“There will be some people who will tell you that the President has authority over everything in the country but the president is a human being,” Dr. Isaac said.
Dr. Isaac said that on March 12, in a listing of political appointees for the county, Dr. Nathaniel G. Gbessagee name was push in that is called Higher Education.
“In this business,” the GBCC’s Board Chairman said, “when a President is appointed, the Board of Trustee must be consulted but that did not happen.
He said the Board governs the affairs of the college through the president and is run different from a political affair.
Despite President Weah’s appointment, Dr. Isaac said that the Board still stands by its decision for the Interim President Dr. Samuel Reeves to lead the college for six months while Dr. Nathaniel G. Gbessagee continues to serve his suspension.
Dr. Gbasaygee was suspended on Friday, November 17, 2017 following a pronouncement by the Board of the college in a press conference held at the Administrative Building in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County; for what the Board said, for the continuous leadership and financial crisis at the college.
According to Dr. Isaac, the Board has written the Minister of State asking for a meeting with the president. Also in the letter, he said that they are asking that Dr. Gbessagee appointment be resented or withdrawn.
“The Board suspended Dr. Nathaniel Gbessagee and it has not recalled him, period!”
He called on the faculty to go back in class and according to him, they have committed to do.
But Dr. Gbessagee has challenged the position of the Board, saying that from what he understood about his appointment, the office of the President said that they were not going back into what happened in the past.
According to him, they were not going to reinstate or reappoint. What they decided to do is to do a fresh appointment that will not be subject to anything, Dr. Gbessagee stated.
Dr. Gbessagee added that his appointment was not subject to anything, so if the Board has a problem they should go back to the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.
According to Dr. Gbessagee, as a peace loving citizen, he will listen to the Legislative Caucus what they have to say in this crisis.
“But, I will go on campus if they don’t move; I will use the law enforcement mechanism to start work because they cannot defy the President of Liberia appointment,” the embattled GBCC President said.
“The faculty were hired to teach. The area they are going into get nothing to do with teaching. They have no business with administration. They can only petition administration if their pay is delayed and instructional materials are lacking but they have no business to decide who is president and not president,” Dr. Gbessagee added.
According to him, the students were mobilized to go against him when he arrived on campus.
Speaking on his suspension, Dr. Gbessagee said that he was illegally suspended by the Board of Trustee of the Community College.
He claimed that he was not investigated and found guilty before his suspension.
It can be recalled that the Former Public Relations Officer of the college, Mr. James Smith said the Board gave Dr. Nathaniel Gbessagee two weeks to address himself to the claims of the faculty and staff of the college.
According to him, while the process was on, the Board wrote the Former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf asking for his suspension as president of the college.
Smith told Magic FM that Madam Sirleaf approved his suspension letter on November 13 and was officially announced on Friday, November 17, 2017 in Buchanan by the Board of Trustee while the two weeks ultimatum has not elapsed.
The suspension of Dr. Nathaniel Gbasaygee was premeditated, the Former Public Relations Officer told the local Magic FM radio.
Dr. Gbessagee said during that time, he challenged the suspension and met with the Former Chairperson of the Caucus, Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, Representative Hans Barchue of Electoral District One and some officials of government including the office of the Former President but was unable to get to her.
On the same Monday, Dr. Gbessagee came to take the college, the Interim President of the Grand Bassa Community College Dr. Samuel Reeves announced the sacking of the Comptroller, Mr. Alexander Gandyu.
Dr. Reeves announced the Comptroller’s dismissal in a meeting that brought together students, faculty and staff of the college including District Three
Representative Matthew Joe and the Chairman of the Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus, Hon. Thomas Alexander Gohusa.
According to Dr. Reeves, they took the decision of terminating the service of the Comptroller Mr. Gandyu for his incompetence and gross insubordination to the Interim Management Team.
He said they appointed the Senior Accountant of the college Mr. Peter Glay to serve as Acting Comptroller.
But, Dr. Gbessagee said that the Interim President and the Board do not have the authority to dismiss the Comptroller.
According to Dr. Gbessagee, as far as he is concerned, Dr. Reeves is no longer Acting President of the college because his appointment came with immediate effect.
He said based on the discussion he had with the Legislative Caucus, he wrote Mr. Gandyu to serve as Officer – in – Charge which began March 13, pending his return to campus.
“So, if you will dismiss my Officer – in – Charge then it means you still questioning the appointment of the President.”
Based on the meeting on Monday, the Legislative Caucus came in and said that the dismissed Comptroller should go back to work and prepare the payroll so that the workers can be paid, Dr. Gbesaagee stated.
So far, of the 33 Local County officials appointed by the President of Liberia, Dr. Nathaniel Gbessagee is the only person who has met stiff resistance since his appointment by the President of Liberia, George Manneh Weah.