Monrovia – The Movement Against Violence and Impunity in Africa (MAVIA) has called on the immediate resignation of Liberia’s Minister of Education George Werner.
MAVIA says George Werner refusal to grant a young and prominent Liberian citizen educational opportunity is in violation of articles 6 of Liberia’s 1986 Constitution.
Article 6 says – “The Republic shall, because of the vital role assigned to the individual citizen under this Constitution for the social, economic and political well-being of Liberia, provide equal access to educational opportunities and facilities for all citizens to the extent of available resources. Emphasis shall be placed on the mass education of the Liberian people and the elimination of illiteracy.
Moses Owen Browne, Jr. was awarded scholarship to study at the prestigious New York University in America by Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia.
However, the Education Minister George Werner is denying Moses such once-in-a-lifetime opportunity contrary to the constitution.
MAVIA says Minister Werner’s justification that Moses does not work for the government therefore he does not meet the scholarship criteria is condescending and a total violation of his right to quality education.
“It is important to remind the Education Minister, George Werner of the well worded mission statement of the Ministry of Education which states “the mission of the Ministry of Education is to provide quality education for all and prepare future leaders who are capable of handling the task of nation building, protecting our national heritage and enhancing the socio-economic growth and development for the sustenance of the Liberian state” – website
To deny a young man such opportunity is totally unacceptable and against the very mission of the Education Ministry.
MAVIA is seeking the immediate interventions of the President to request Minister Werner to grant Moses the scholarship to study abroad especially funding for such scholarship was made available and approved since September 2016 in the 2016/2017 national budget.
“Madam President, we seek your interventions to take decisive action on the issue regarding Moses’ scholarship as time is fasting moving.
It can be recalled that the President of the Republic of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf offered Moses a scholarship upon his returned from New York where he has gone to represent not only the young people of Liberia, but the world at large at the historic 70th United Nations General Assembly.
MAVIA believes Minister Werner is using his portfolio to exploit young Liberians of opportunities benefiting to the country’s growth and development.
Moses Owen Browne, Jr., is a young Liberian diplomat and youth advocate for women and girls in Africa and his home Country Liberia.
He currently serves as Global Youth Ambassador for Education, – A World at School; United Nations Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative.
Moses is an advocate for global education for all. He has over ten years of professional experience in international development, ranging from, development communications and advocacy on child rights and gender equality.
Moses Brown is only 30 years old. His passion and conviction for change in society are strong and dream should not be shattered for the selfish interest of Minister of Education.
As an honored graduate from a local University, Moses now holds a post-graduate degree in International Relations, Diplomacy and Diplomatic Practices from the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Republic of Liberia.
Moses is convinced he can help change the world around him by further studies and the dedication to pursue his dreams. But Moses’s dreams are in the balance.
He has been struggling to get a scholarship that sees his dreams come reality. Moses’s parents are poor farmers. His income cannot allow him to pursue a graduate degree at a school of his choice.
MAVIA says Moses worked with the City Government of Monrovia or the Monrovia City Corporation when Mary Broh was City Mayor.
“We saw Moses several times at street corners with Mary Broh and team at midnight hours cleaning drainages, garages and ghettoes of filth across Monrovia” says MAVIA.
Following his return to Liberia in the fall of 2015, after attending the United Nations General Assembly, he wrote President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf seeking a scholarship to enable him pursue graduate studies at New York University (NYU) in the United States of America.
After few months of waiting, the Youth Advocate did not get desire results from his initial communication to the office of the President, he wrote another letter.
The young Liberian Diplomat narrated that his academic credentials were reviewed and accepted and subsequently sent to the Ministry of Education for onward processing and approval.
After the documents were received, the Minister of Education, George Werner informed him that he would need to wait until the national budget for 2016/2017 was passed, and that was August of 2016.
He further said that Liberia’s Education Minister even encouraged him to write New York University seeking deferment of my admission since the national budget was not passed in time to secure his tuition and other fees.
The budget was subsequently passed and his tuition and other fees were captured totaling US$68,169.00 for the first academic year.
With only a few weeks until the commencement of my studies at NYU, Minister Werner in a Facebook chat wrote Moses that he cannot honor President Sirleaf’s letter granting him a Government of Liberia scholarship opportunity.
He claims the Education Minister also refused to transfer my tuition and other fees to New York University on grounds that all the communications from the President’s Office including the letter written by the Honorable Minister of State Mr. Sylvester M. Grigsby did not meet the President’s acquiescence and approvals.
Ironically, Moses’s documents were already considered, and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning approved the budget and transferred his school fees to the Ministry of Education account, Minister Werner maintained that Moses cannot benefit from the scholarship on grounds that he doesn’t work for the Government, thus, an ‘ordinary young man like him does not need to attend an ivy league school like the New York University.’