Monrovia – Students at Liberia’s main institution of higher learning, the University of Liberia, have gone on the rampage, calling for the removal of the university’s president, Dr. Ophelia Weeks.
Report by Mae Azango, [email protected]
Burning tires and holding up placards in protests Friday, January 2, the students charged that administrators were preventing them from registering even though they had already paid their fees through the bank as required by the institution.
“How can students deposit their registration fees into the UL account and you stop them from registering? student Mohammed Deybro lamented to a FrontPageAfrica reporter Friday.
Deybro further explained that the issue has been in the air for more than three months now, dating back to the previous administration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
“This problem has gone for over three months now that even former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and members of the 53rd Legislature tried to intervene but didn’t yield any positive result.”
“So we are left with no other option but to find another way that would grasp the attention of the larger society,” said student Mohammed Deybro, who spoke on behalf of his demonstrating colleagues, said.
Chanting slogans, “We don’t want Weeks; Weeks Must Go;” the students also displayed placards, demanding, “Mamie Water Weeks Must Go; Jezebel Weeks Must Go” and “8,000 Students Must Be Registered!”
They also hauled large stones on the road so that no vehicles coming or going could move freely.
Even passersby, who tried taking pictures of shooting videos on their mobile devices, suffered consequences. Some of them lost their phones as those angry protesters rushed on such person, seized their phones and damaged them.
The demonstrating students block the main access way, right in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill, toward central Monrovia. Just opposite the Foreign Ministry is the Capitol Hill campus of the university.
Deybro, who is the President of the Student Unification Party (SUP), said the students were making it clear that they do not want President Weeks as UL president any longer.
“We cannot allow that she stopped over 8,000 students from completing their registration processes and she wants to close the process.”
“Therefore, we do not want Madam Ophelia “Evil” Weeks, because she has closed the process immaturely. Up to present, I am yet to register.”
“Yes, during the mid-term, there was this scam that they were going to open the registration process, so the students should allow the mid-term to continue, but after the mid-term and the graduation, they have refused to allow students to register,” he protested.
House of Representatives Speaker Bhofal Chambers sought to calm students by asking them to allow him passage to the UL campus to meet with the Administration on the students’ behalf but the students failed to budge, blocking vehicles from passing while preventing the speaker’s convoy from passing through.
Police Director-designate Patrick Sudue also made frantic efforts to appeal with the students, but they refused, saying they will not leave until the “Country Giant;” (President Weah) came to address the matter.
Gebbah Melvin Kromah, Secretary General of the Student Unification Party, said the student body have had series of meetings with the university’s board of trustees, and the administration relating to the registration process of the UL, but nothing worthwhile has been achieved on behalf of the students.
Kromah dismissed calls for a dialogue, stating that the students have run out of patience with the administration.
“We are not calling for Madam Weeks to reopen the registration today, because the time of dialogue and diplomacy is over.”
“We are calling on President Weah to remove her. Any attempt to keep her there, the UL will not be a peaceful place.”
“There will be no exams and no offices on both campuses will open until the satanic and diabolical Weeks can leave the UL for good.”
“We will fight with our blood and we will continue this standstill action until President Weah removes Dr. Weeks.”