The Student Unification Party (SUP) has formally declared all senior government officials persona non grata on the University of Liberia (UL) campus, escalating tensions with the administration of President Joseph N. Boakai over what the student movement describes as the government’s continued neglect of the country’s premier public university.
The declaration was announced by SUP’s Propaganda Chairman, Emmanuel N. Polay, who said the decision follows a mandate from the chairman of the party’s Central Committee. Under the directive, government officials including legislators, cabinet ministers, and other senior authorities who preside over national resources are barred from the UL campus unless they demonstrate a clear commitment to prioritizing the needs of the university.
Polay disclosed that SUP will in the coming days launch its first “painting exercise,” a symbolic action marking the beginning of renewed resistance on campus. He warned that any government official seen at the university would be booed, publicly named, and shamed, accusing the Boakai administration of denying students basic comfort and a conducive learning environment.
According to Polay, SUP is prepared to revert to civil disobedience “in a more combative way” to send a strong message to the government. “If students are not given comfort, no minister or official of this government will be given comfort on the University of Liberia campus,” he declared.
The student movement went further to warn that the university has effectively become a “no-go zone” for government officials. Polay claimed that any official who attempts to challenge the mandate risks being arrested and detained by SUP militants a statement that has already sparked concerns about public order and the rule of law.
SUP maintains that the action is a last resort after a series of engagements with national leaders failed to yield results. Polay said the party held several meetings with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Boakai, primarily focused on the urgent need to renovate and improve facilities at the University of Liberia.
The group also criticized the ruling Unity Party, alleging that while UL remains in a state of disrepair, the party has proceeded with plans to renovate its headquarters using approximately US$9 million in state resources. The government and the Unity Party have not issued an official response to the claim.
