Buchanan – The President of the Grand Bassa Community College Dr. Samuel Monwell has dissolved the student council government of the College and suspended all political activities.
Dr. Monwell’s decision comes following a recent protest by students who were demanding the rehabilitation of the main bridge linking the campus with the rest of Buchanan.
Dr. Monwell termed the students’ protest as “unruly behavior toward him as president of the college”.
The students on Tuesday, June 25, held Dr. Monwell hostage for over three hours for allegedly denying them the use of the school bus.
They had earlier requested the bus to travel Monrovia in order to petition President George Weah about the condition of the bridge.
Regular classes and administrative works were disrupted for the day due to the action of the students.
Dr. Monwell told FrontPageAfrica that his action was predicated upon “the unruly behavior” carried out by officials of the student government and other students.
“The students, during their protest, threatened to take away lives if anyone tempers with their education,” he said.
“The protester’s action impeded normal classes thereby denying other students the right to education. A special committee has been constituted to investigate the June 25, 2019 riot and be assured that recommendations from the committee will be fully implemented by the Administration of the college “.
Three armed police officers were seen on the school campus early Monday, July 1, with the aimed of preventing further protest by the student.
Dr. Monwell said “Those police officers with guns will be on the campus every day until this semester comes to an end. We are hearing that those same groups of students have planned to disrupt classes and administration works at the college”.
Meanwhile, Lawrence James, President of student government, in a phone conversation with FPA condemned the college president’s action, terming it as “political”.
“Nobody assaulted or insulted anyone on June 25, 2019. We have been pressuring Dr. Monwell and the county authorities about the damaged bridge which is a death trap for us but Dr. Monwell feels that his job is more important than our lives,” James said.
He said that the student leaders met with the college’s Administration a week before their protest asking them to use the school bus to take their petition to President Weah but the Dr. Monwell refused to make the bus available.
“The students planned to make their trip Tuesday, June 25, 2019, at early morning hours but they were denied by Dr. Monwell the same day they planned to have commuted to Monrovia, so we got angry and held him hostage for three hours.
“The Student a day after made their way to Monrovia with their petition something that got the President angry because we were talking about the bridge.”
The student leader mentioned that they won’t relent to engage their leaders about the damaged bridge.
“Today GBCC president took gunmen on the campus but we are not afraid of them. We will inform the public about our next action because the College President has decided to silence all the critical students that are speaking about the bridge,” James said.
Madam Annie Johnson, a mother of three students of the college, said: “The action taken by Dr. Monwell is only meant to protect his job”.
“I am sure that he does not care for our children across that water. He dissolved the student leadership because the children were behind them for the one dollar campaign money that they cannot give a good report of. For me I will stop my children from going to that college before I lose them,” Madam Johnson said.
Roland Paye, another parent, said he and other parents are also planning to protest about the damaged bridge, adding that the lives of their children are at risk.
“Dr. Monwell wants to be across that bad bridge taking pay but we are coming for him. Today I saw gunmen on the campus. I want to assure you that they will kill all of us because the president is protecting his job,” Paye said.
The bridge which is the major route leading from Buchanan to Paynesberry where the college is located got damaged in July last year due to flood.