Monrovia – President George Manneh Weah has instructed Finance Minister Samuel Tweah to make available more than US$200,000 as payment of stipend for students attending the A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine at the University of Liberia.
Report by Henry Karmo, [email protected]
The students’ stipends have been delayed for the past eight months.
The President’s action was in response to a sit-in action Wednesday, March 21, carried out by students of the college.
The medical school students, all dressed in their white robe, demanded the President’s attention in addressing issues affecting them including delayed stipend, lack of transportation and unconducive dormitories.
In an interview with FrontPageAfrica Mr. Nathaniel McGill, the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs said the President is concerned about the students and has plans to address their concerns.
“They expressed concerns and some shortcomings at the school that happened six months ago even before this government but he promised to take care of this issue. He has instructed the Minister of Finance to take care of their stipend they haven’t received in the last six months.”
According to McGill in response to the President’s mandate, the Minister of Finance will on Thursday March, 22, 2018 make the money available for the students’ stipend.
“As it relates to the provision of buses, it’s a budgetary issue.”
“He promised to address that in the future. The dormitory issue cannot happen overnight, we will meet with the leadership of the school to discuss it.
“The President is determined to address the issue as you know Dogliotti is part of the University of Liberia and he just allocated US$300,000 in the recast budget. The President is taking the issue of the university very seriously,” McGill stressed.
The students on Wednesday, March 21, displayed placards when they stormed the grounds of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which houses the Offices of the President.
Some of the inscriptions on the placard read: “We are future live savers pay our stipend; we want attention; we are the emerging doctors and pharmacists listen to us. Treat us like professionals; we have no hope please restore our lost hope Mr. president.”
Speaking to FrontPage Africa, Mr. Roosevelt Matthews, head of the student leadership commended the President for his intervention and slammed the Finance Minister. Earlier before the President’s intervention, the Finance Minister had asked them vacate the executive ground.
According to Matthews, Minister Tweah accused them of being politicians, who were creating awareness and not seeking professional redress.
“I am disappointed in people whom we should be channeling our grievances. The Finance minister today instructed the security to kick us out in his style of intervention.”