-As UL faculty begin strike for pay and SUP gives Gov’t 12-hour ultimatum
-Also, long list of new Presidential appointments announced
As the state-run University of Liberia faces industrial action with the faculty striking of salary payment, President George Manneh Weah on Thursday dismissed the UL President Dr. Ophelia Weeks.
Dr. Weeks is being replaced by a junior official at the institution and former Dean of Students Affairs, Methodist cleric, Dr. J. Sawolo Nelson, Jr. in a long list of other presidential appointments.
An Executive Mansion press release did not give reason for her dismissal. But President Weah’s move coincided with the start of a strike by the UL Faculty Association on Thursday.
At the same time, the Students Unification Party (SUP) at the UL has given a 12-hour ultimatum to the University of Liberia Administration and the government to meet the demand of aggrieved UL faculty members to clear their salary arrears.
As Garmah Never Lomo reports, SUP has also condemned Tuesday’s “brutal attack on elementary and secondary students and stands solidarity with faculty members of the University of Liberia and the Monrovia Consolidated School System.”
Speaking at a news conference in Monrovia on Thursday, SUP’s Chairman Carlos Tingban Edison said it is with utmost displeasure they unapologetically condemn the continuous delay and unjusticable cut in the salaries and allowances of faculty members of the University of Liberia and MCSS.
Mr. Edison in his statement disclosed that and believed that those demand are not only realistic, but reasonable.
Therefore, the UL-based students political party are calling on GOL and UL administration to responsibly address those legitimate concerns with urgency adding that failure to adhere to their 12-hour ultimatum, SUP will rally thousands of university and the MCSS students to carry out series of protest action leading up to a mass civil disorder.
The SUP Chairman further said that let it be known the financial burden of President Weah as promised in his failed tuition free policy cannot and must never be transferred to faculty members and economically challenged students.
The head SUP stated that they will vehemently resist any such attempted instead of lavishing over US 1m just to celebrate July 26 and distributing L$5000 each to Zogos adding that it was prudence enough to satisfy or settle financial obligations of legitimate constituents such as public school teachers professor, health workers, security personnel and civil servants.
The vanguard Student Unification Party narrated that all these hullabaloos, the students are mostly affected and deprived and moving forward, they will not accept any further delay in their academic activities.
SUP said it will do all they can to protect the ultimate interest of all students indicating that they will take the most appropriate course of action to defend the rights of the masses children.
However, it is the right to have unhindered access to educate as enshrined in Article 6 of the 1986 constitution of Liberia and Article 26 of the 1948 Universal declaration of human rights not even the government.
SUP expressed that they are re-sounding a caveat to both UL administration and the Government to refrain from instigating uproar and discord in the country.
They are decisively standing with the faculty members of the University of Liberia and MCSS and henceforth the government and the UL administration serves as a few hours ultimatum to unconditionally meet the four demands from the faculty members which includes that September and October salaries and allowances be paid without any further delay.
SUP has demanded that all deductions from salaries and allowances of lecturers or teachers and employees be paid in full.
The UL students also want all teachers in every public institution to be exempt from any form of Pro-poor salary cut harmonization; and that salaries and benefits of adjunct professors or lecturers are paid in full and in time as specified in the contract with UL and the MCSS.
BELOW: FULL TEXT OF THE LATEST PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS
Monrovia, Liberia: The President of Liberia, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah has made additional appointments in government. The appointments affecting ministries, agencies and commissions as well as the University of Liberia (UL) take immediate effect though subject to confirmation by the Liberian Senate where applicable.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Edwin Juah Assistant Minister /European Affairs
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Esiaka Sheriff Assistant Minister for Research, Planning & Development
Ministry of Mines & Energy
George Gontor Deputy Minister/Energy
William T. Thompson II Assistant Minister for Energy
Ministry of Agriculture
Dr. George T. Forpoh Jr. Deputy Minister/Regional Development, Research & Extension
Ministry of National Defense
Tarplah Davies Deputy Minister for Operations
Ministry of Post & Telecommunication
Varney Okai Deputy Minister for Operations
Ministry of Public Works
Macarthur Hilton Assistant Minister for Rural Development
Civil Law Court
Cllr. J Kennedy Peabody Resident judge Sixth judicial circuit
Replacing Associate justice Yusif Kaba
Liberian Embassy in Washington DC
Al Jerome Chede Minister Counselor for Press & Public
Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission
Cllr. Nbuduis Nwabudike Chairman
Kanio Bai Gbala Vice Chairperson
Charles Gibson Commissioner
LIBTELCO/Board
George Howe Member
Chicago Bright Member
Cllr. Alexandra Zoe Member
Civil Service Agency
Teetee Pailey Deputy Director General for Administration
Rural Renewable Energy
Joseph T. Williams Executive Director
Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment
Mariama M. Koon Deputy Executive Director
Liberia Medicine & Health Products Regulatory Authority
Keturah Chupee Smith Executive Director
Center for National Documents and Record Agency ( CNDRA)
Mr. Emmanuel Lomax Director General
National Food Assistance Agency
C. Neileh Daitauoh Director
National Housing Authority
Henry Clarke Deputy Managing Director/Operations
Mittal Operating Company Board Representative to the Board
Dr. Gonsahn Matardy Member
Liberia Electrical Corporation (LEC) Board
Cllr. Charles Gibson Chairman
National Oil Company of Liberia Board(NOCAL)
Richard B. Devine Chairman
Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC):
Randolph Cooper Chairman
University of Liberia
Dr. Julius Sawolo Nelson President