Monrovia – Digitalization process is a good thing for the state-run University of Liberia but its implementation remains a concern as some students at the institution are still uncertain about the UL ability to manage US$300,000 WIFI project currently in swing at the institution.
Report by Willie N. Tokpa, [email protected]
The University has already launched the first phase of its technology program valued at US$150,000 and is expected to focus on a digital system aimed at easing what continues to be aged-old problems faced with enrolment, planning, payment and grades.
The digital program is part of a US$300,000 technology plan promised to the UL by the George Weah-led administration. The project is being implemented by a Liberian software company, Mwetana, following a vetting process conducted by the UL Administration.
But students are worried about the implementation of the project to its fullest, recounting the UL administration’s failure to implement the project in the past after fund was being allocated to do so.
The students alleged that the company currently certified by the UL to implement the project has failed on implementing similar project in the past, when Dr. Emmett Dennis was overseeing the affairs of the school’s administration.
But UL Vice President for Public Affairs, Atty. Norris Tweah, noted that the current administration is not aware of said project.
“If that is true, then it was not during our administration. But this project, the digital project, and ensuring that WIFI is all over the University of Liberia is our project. I can tell you that it will be successful.
We have already started the process of digitizing the state-run University and we have selected a qualified software company for this job,” Tweah noted.
In spite of these complaints from students, a modern computer laboratory to train teachers studying at the University of Liberia has already been dedicated by the People’s Republic of China and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The laboratory, which is housed on the UL Fendall campus, is the first phase of the China-UNESCO funded project intended to train teachers across the country.
The US$300,000 was promised by President Weah as his own way of ensuring that a perfect technology system is put in place at Liberia’s premium university.
But the students said an attempt for the university to once again play its game of not implementing the US$300,000 technology project would jeopardize modern system of learning there.
“The challenges the university would face are, if these services are not provided in this kind of technological academic world, things would become harder on our people,” said the Vice President of the University of Liberia Student Union Trokon Zahn
In a conversation with FrontPage Africa recently Zahn named the digitalization of the university as a good initiative but raised eyebrows about the entire technology system being successful.
Though he welcomes the project, Zahn complained that there are more challenges that need to be handled along with the digital system if the system will be effective.
“It is a good initiative; we welcome it but there are challenges not limited to registration only. We need basic services that matter to our classroom, including the Internet,” Zahn noted.
Another student, Darlington Bowyah, from the Mathematic Department at the University said he will be confident in the UL administration to implement the WIFI project once there are measures put in place to monitor the expenditure of said fund.
“We love the digitalization but we pray that series of procedures be put in place to ensure its successful implementation. At least there has been a little bit of improvement at the lab, since then the university is saying they are helping to optimize this process but up to now there has been no improvement,” student Bowyah averred.
He wants central government and educational stakeholders pressure the UL to make sure that its lab system is improved.
Meanwhile, a student leader at the University of Liberia, Martin Kollie, has condemned the awarding of contract to Mwetana. Mr. Kollie termed it as a conflict of interest and does not speak well for improved technology system at the UL.
He claimed that Mwetana is owned by the cousin of the Dr. Ophelia I. Weeks, the current President of UL and has failed to implement the projects successfully in the past.
According to him, Weeks had constantly used her positions at the institution over the time to influence the awarding of the digitalization contract to her cousin’s Microsoft ware Company Mwetana.