By Danesius Marteh,
The University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) has ruled out the reopening of the university for academic 2025/2026 in September.
UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan issued an August 10 circular in which she declared that classes would have resumed on August 25.
But ULFA says UL may not even reopen in 2026 if conditions aimed at facilitating a smooth and conducive learning environment on the four campuses aren’t met.
Appearing on the Prime Morning Drive on Prime FM 105.5 on 4 September, ULFA assistant secretary-general Smith Peters said UL is still at a standstill since ULFA and ULSA (University of Liberia Staff Association) began a joint-strike action on 17 July.
“Nothing has happened. The administration is putting the students under the pretense that school will reopen.
“They have opened the portal. The portal process that is opened, most of the courses aren’t on the platform. You have not started the renovation [of the campuses].
“So if even students registered; where are you going to conduct the classes?” wondered Peters.
ULFASA (union of teachers and students) have been demanding the resignations of Maparyan, acting Vice President for finance and fiscal affairs Lester Tenny and Associate Vice President for human resources Reginald Gaye.
They have also demanded their National Social Security and Welfare Corporations (NASSCORP) benefits, 40-percent increment in salaries, disparities and salary adjustments and operational funds for various units among others.
Dr. Tenny resigned on 23 August, which was confirmed in a statement by Dr. Maparyan on LUX FM (UL radio station) on 24 August.
Peters says one of their demands for Dr. Maparyan to be dismissed has been shelved following an appeal from President Joseph Boakai at a meeting of the minds but ULFA insists that Gaye must go.
He said ULFA also wants the unconditional reinstatement of all lecturers and or instructors, who were wrongfully dismissed.
“We are telling you also that the renovation is a must. If you don’t renovate the campuses, we won’t come back.
“You [UL] have a legal department and you set-up an investigative team [but] the investigative team doesn’t include people from the legal department.
“The committee males a report to you and the same very day the report is submitted is when you take a decision. Where have you seen that before? You dismissed the vice president for finance and fiscal affairs you dismissed eight of our colleagues on mere allegations of tempering with the Montana system simply because you want to get at certain people.
“Now the guys went to court and your [UL] lawyer appeared on two occasions and knows they won’t win the case. So they want to negotiate from the backdoor,” said Peters.
He revealed that the UL owes ULFA more than US$11 million in social security benefits from 2012 to 2026.
According to Peters, President Boakai has instructed Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan to make available US$2.4 million to cover the immediate expenses and benefits of 179 lecturers, who will be legally retired in December.
“The balance US$7 million will be appropriated in the 2027 fiscal budget.
“[It will interest you to know that] The board of trustee have not called ULFASA since its emergency general assembly held on August 26.
“You can’t have the university in this form and manner and the president [of Liberia] mean it. The president really has a good heart for the institution.
“The president has instructed the finance minister to place the remaining US$7 million in the 2027 budget to complete the US$13 million in order to fully renovate the four campuses of the University of Liberia,” Peters added.
This writer has been making frantic efforts to interview Dr. Maparyan and or an official from the administration but to no avail.
A special assistant to Dr. Maparyan was contacted but he referred this writer to Cllr. Norris Tweah, Vice President for university relations, who was contacted via WhatsApp, calls and texts for an interview since 10 August but to no avail.
