CASABLANCA – Problems associated with a capacity building policy started by former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf aimed at boosting enterprising Liberian youths appears to have been inherited by the current administration of President George Manneh Weah.
The plight of students studying in Morocco has been well documented since 2012 when Kingdom of Morocco began offering scholarships to the Government of Liberia (GOL) for Liberian students.
The program allows qualified students an opportunity to pursue professional undergraduate degree courses in various disciplines in a number of institutions of higher learning in Morocco. Over the years, however, complaints of neglect have been endless as students continue to express concerns over the lack of attention being paid to their plight.
There are currently some 36 students who are receiving government allowances but for the past eight months, the students say they have been neglected by the Weah led government.
“We have been told by MOE (Department of Scholarship) that our allotment document was sent long-time ago, but each time those who are responsible to submit our allotment documents go to the Ministry of Finance and Development, they are told that there is no money.” Says Jonah Coleman Jr., one of the affected students. “MOFD keeps tell them that no money for scholarship students. In fact, they even said that the pro-poor government didn’t send students on scholarship. 8 months we haven’t received our allowances,” the student says.
Coleman says the students expressed their plight when President Weah visited Casablanca recently but their conditions remain the same. “We are subjected to war malnourish food; We are suffering a lot and we hope that the government will come to our aid so that we can get our allowances.”
In 2015, a Liberian student died in Morocco because of similar allowances issue and currently, FrontPageAfrica has learned that one of the 36 students is ailing. The scholarship, according to the students only cover academic welfare but when it comes to accommodation, health insurance and food, the students have to fend for themselves. “We only depend on the allowances to undertake them,” Coleman says.
The government of Liberia is not paying tuition fees but is only responsible to send the students’ allowances.
Coleman lamented: “We Have a contacted everyone involved in remitting our allowances, but no one wants to adhere to our plight.”
In July 30, 2018 letter to President Weah, the students called on President Weah to investigate and intervene in their plights.
“Students are having a hard time to keep up their with their duties – to name a few rent, bills, feeding, transportation to school, etc. The situation is worsening by the day and for scholarship students who do not have the right to do vacation work for sustenance, allowance delay should be abhorred.
“Finally Mr. President, we always count on your ability to seek the well-being of your people, and we are hoping your quick investigation and intervention will help the students, our future move past this situation.”
Liberia and Morocco enjoy cordial ties. In January, President Weah lauded Morocco’s return to the African Union and hailed what he described as a reinforcement of African unity.
More recently, a high-level technical working meeting between Liberia and the Kingdom of Morocco was held in Monrovia with a consensus to sign a framework that both countries will observe in their bilateral relation. However, critics say follow-ups to many of these bilateral arrangements between Liberia and foreign countries often end up in problems like what the students are experiencing due to the government’s ability or perhaps willingness to live up to its end of the bargain.