On Wednesday, December 1, 2021, the campuses of the University of Liberia (UL) came to academic shutdown when members of the university’s faculty demanded that the Government of Liberia (GOL) meets up with all of the demands stipulated in their October 1, 2021 memorandum of understanding (MOU). However, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel Tweah, Jr., on behalf of the government, went on the UL campus and reminded the UL faculty that the signed MOU was still on course.
Key elements of the signed MOU include reforming pay scale to end disparity between higher paid UL administrators and PHD professors and other instructors—in short, harmonization. According to information, this aspect of the MOU has already been met, saving US$800,000 from administration to apply to instructors.
The Hot Pepper was informed that, to completely tackle this problem will require US$3.5 million, and that the government has agreed to find additional US$2 million beginning January 1, 2022. When this is done, a typical master’s degree 5-year instructor is expected to earn US$470 or more.
Sealed also was payment of back pay from the administration of former UL President, Dr. Ophelia I. Weeks. According to members of the UL Faculty, Week’s administration owes them US$$850,000, but Minister Tweah appealed to them and agreed to settle them with US$700,000.
Minister Teah disclosed to them that government has already processed the initial US$500,000 of the amount, and is processing the other US$200,000, to pay by Friday.
The minister also called for the transparent assessment of UL revenue and expenditure by next Wednesday, in order for all revenue streams to be compared with expenditures. At the same time, the minister also agreed to take over the UL payroll to avoid future occurrences, which is one of the UL Faculty’s main demands.
He stated that, going forward, a certain fraction of free tuition payment will be assigned to solve issues affecting faculty.
However, with all the efforts applied by Minister Tweah on behalf of the government, which the Hot Pepper was hinted that the UL Faculty members were informed about, they still insisted on laying down their chalk, a decision that observers believe to be more political at this point.
According to the observers, the ULFA President, Edna G. Johnny, has worked hard, but it seems like she is up against people who have other aims.
Minutes after the Finance Minister left the campus of the University of Liberia, the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) came up with another resolution, insisting on laying down their chalk.
According to the ULFA December 1, 2021 resolution, “Wherefore, the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) held a Special General Assembly Wednesday, December 1, 2021, presided over by its President, Edna G. Johnny (Ph.D.), in line with its Constitution and By-Laws as enshrined in Article 8 Section 1 and 2.
“Whereas, the Special General Assembly which was held on the Capitol Hill Campus of the University of Liberia had in attendance over 150 faculty members of ULFA.
“Wherefore, the President of ULFA briefed the Special General Assembly on the status of the MoU signed between the Government of Liberia, UL Administration, and ULFA on October 1, 2021.
“Whereas, faculty members present at the Special General Assembly lamented the willful delay on the part of the other two parties to adhere to the MoU implementation for the first two months (October and November 2021) deliverables in accordance with the timelines indicated in the MoU.
“Whereas, these two months deliverables include but not limited to: Salaries and Allowances disparity among faculty members as well as disparities between faculty and Administrative staff; Salary increment for faculty members; Part-time faculty back pay; Part-time faculty current semester salaries; Unpaid data package for some faculty members; Backlog in Social Security Remittance; Addressing the deplorable sanitary condition on the campuses of the University of Liberia; And the commitment to fully implement the MoU.
“Wherefore, after extensive deliberations around the above issues by faculty members at the Special General Assembly, the body overwhelmingly resolved to disengage from all academic activities as of the date of this resolution until all its demands are met as stipulated in the October 1, 2021, MoU.”