Monrovia – An auxiliary of the Liberia National Student Union has alleged that the current leadership headed by Varney Jarsey has embezzled half of an amount of US$100,000 outsourced to the student union by the Ministry of Education.
In a press statement, Montserrado Student Union (MONSU) President Mohammed Donzo said the money is intended for the 15 counties student unions which each union was to receive a total of US$2,500 for preparation to host the county – wide tournament.
According to him, inappropriately Jarsey’s and his cohort mismanaged the money alleging that they are corrupt officials who only released US$1,000 to eleven counties and US$800 to another three counties and US$2,000 to Montserrado County.
He furthered that the LINSU’s leadership has shared the money among themselves and have also organized the quizzing in only few schools as opposed to majority of the schools in the name of having the games to justify the inadequate money given to them.
Donzo said that Jarsey’s and his cohort connived and strike a partnership with Coca Cola bottling company to sponsor the same tournament which an undisclosed amount was given for items already paid for by the Ministry of Education.
“Furthermore, they also have partnership deals with media institutions such as Prime FM, Capitol FM and ELBC when in fact they were given US$5,000 just for Television and radio station coverage, another US$1,250 was also given for Newspaper, also they have also written both counties officials and national leaders for further sponsorship for this same program”, he alleged.
He disclosed that they have written the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to carryout investigation to validate the claims they are raising.
When questioned if the union was the one who received the money from the leadership of the Union, he said “we did not receive a dime but Jarsey’s handpicked someone. He did it in Montserrado County and he also handpicked his own people for the quizzing tournament.”
Displaying a check from Guaranty Trust Bank, Donzo added that he had to remove the name and the county on grounds that the source of the check should be protected for safety of their job.
“He threatened people to the extent that others were. All of the 15 counties have their disenchantments and instead of giving 500, he is giving 100. Many counts have been violated in the constitution of LINSU but they are afraid of being removed in the same manner Grand Bassa was removed and that is what he is trying to do here, Monsu added.
He added that the past three years LINSU has not had a single ANC meeting which violates LINSU constitution; “we should receive a financial report, there is no part of the constitution that has not been violated, but then the association is not run by the constitution but its dictatorial”, he said.
“Next year March we are to go to elections but up till date he has failed to set up a CPC (Congress Preparatory committee) during an ANC, his plan is to mortgage the institution to his colleague”, Donzo alleged.
When contacted the President of Student Union Varney Jarsey responding to the allegations said that there is no allegation made by the Montserrado county student union because the union is intact and they are currently at his office.
“Mohammed Donzo is not the President and I don’t know him he has been suspended more than one year ago, there has been no allegation that LINSU engaged in corruption, and there is no complaint from any of our members of LINSU all leaders are intact and we are moving on with our quizzing activities, for Montserrado we know George Kesselly,” Jarsey said.
He continued: “The various schools were vetted by the various student unions, so we have no complaint and Montserrado has the highest and no additional funding so the union vetted the schools in Montserrado and not us.”