Monrovia – A Liberian educator has cautioned the President of the Association of Liberia University (ALU) to respect the decision of President George Manneh Weah as he continues with the appointment of public officials.
Established in August of 2006, ALU is a conglomeration of over 34 higher learning institutions including full-fledged universities, junior colleges and community colleges across the country. The association was among other things, established to maintain high academic standards in all Liberian universities and colleges to promote collaboration, cooperation, consultation and exchange of ideas and personnel, among students, faculty, and administration of member Universities.
In a letter dated March 27, 2018 addressed to the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel McGee, a copy which is in the possession of this paper, ALU President Dr. Joseph T. Isaac, said the Liberian leader’s appointments of president for universities and community colleges are in contravention of the existing law.
“The Association of Liberian Universities has observed with profound apprehension, and believes that recent appointment of the Presidents for three public higher education institutions may have been made outside of the Law (Charter) that established each institution: Bong Technical College, Grand Bassa Community College and Tubman University,” said the ALU President’s letter.
“Therefore, I respectfully ask that you please revisit all recent appointments of College/University Presidents made by the Executive Mansion, to ensure compliance with the Law of each Institution,” Dr. Isaac, who is also the President of the faith-based African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU), added in his letter.
However, Dr. Emmanuel Bravy Daykeay said President Weah’s appointments of those officials at the named higher learning institutions violate no law as claimed by the ALU’s President.
Dr. Daykeay, who is the founder and President of Vision College in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, pointed out that the letter is a total gross disrespect to the Liberian leader, because ALU does not in the first place have the statutory mandate to do so.
He furthered that the act of ALU President to challenge the Liberian leader’s appointments is against the scope or mandate for which the institution was established.
He stated that the organization is a non-political entity, and as such, its deeds must be void of politics and political inference. The ALU should be spending more time on designing programs and activities for Colleges and Universities in the Country than mangling into national politics.
“I think Dr. Isaac is going beyond the bond of this organization. He needs to retract his statement, because ALU was not established for that purpose. This is a non-for-profit and a non-political institution, and so whatever he wishes to express must be done in his own name and not in the name of the organization,” the Liberian educator indicated.