ULFA Declares Dr. Lester Tenny “Persona-Non-Grata”; Unanimously Voted To Re-engage With Academic Activities With Immediate Effect
The leadership of the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA), has unanimously voted in its emergency General Assembly to re-engage with all academic activities with immediate effect while continuing other discussions.
The ULFA leadership has informed all members of the UL faculty and heads of academic units of the decision.
On June 23, 2023, ULFA General Assembly made a decision to disengage from all activities until several demands catalogued in their resolution were met. As a consequence of the decision, all ULFA members withdrew from all academic activities.
After several discussions with state actors and Executive Committee Deliberations, ULFA members were briefed of significant achievements in the negotiations.
The discussions focused on the full implementation and enrollment of all faculty and pensioned former workers of the university with the NASSCORP, payments of arrears for part-time faculty, payment of arrears for pensioned employees, among others.
The GA has also mandated all faculty members to submit to an ULFA specialized committee through their respective chairpersons, all academic credentials for verification and onward submission to the UL Authorities as a means of ensuring the full actualization of the credentials audit process at the University of Liberia.
Meanwhile, the University of Liberia Faculty Association, in its General Assembly held on Friday, July 21, 2023, declared the Dean of the A. Romeo Horton College of Business and Public Administration, Dr. Lester Tenny as a “Persona-non-Grata” to the Association.
ULFA stressed that the decision against Dr. Tenny is due to his alleged continuous insults, bullying, intimidation and molestation of members of the Association, including the President of ULFA and other Executive Members.
According to our reporter who covered the ULFA General Assembly, a total of 65 votes was taken for Dr. Tenny to be declared not wanted, while five against the decision and seven abstained.
Making a statement in support of the decision, ULFA Vice President for International Affairs, Alhaji Sekou M. Dukuly stressed that the action is to set a precedent that a group is better and more powerful than an individual.
He noted that the leadership of the Association will not sit supinely and watch an individual like Dr. Tenny intimidate peaceful citizens and educators who are their members for political reasons.
At the same time, the Secretary General of ULFA, Eric T. S. Patten intimated that the decision will be attached with the cover letter forwarded to the UL Administration and inform the body that the faculty will feel uncomfortable to see Dr. Tenny presiding over academic activities.
He said if the UL Administration does, the Executive Committee of ULFA will take a position in line with the General Assembly.
Mr. Patten said the UL cannot have a politician involved with academic activities, something he said that undermines the profession.
At the adjournment of the GA, the ULFA Secretary General lauded the membership for their continued support to the leadership.
He added that the leadership has over the time been able to take key decisions due to the commitment, dedication and support of the membership.
Patten also promised that the leadership of ULFA will continue to serve the interest of the membership.
ULFA also recognizes the leading efforts of the Minister of State and his team to resolve the impasse on the implementation of issues raised in her June 23, 2023 resolution.
But in a sharp response to the decision taken against the Dean of the A. Romeo Horton College of Business and Public Administration, Dr. Lester Tenny termed it as a trash and misguided action taken by a group of angry people.
Dr. Tenny said if the ULFA members believe that his statement that he will kick out any academic fraudster from his college is an intimidation, then he has no regret and maintains his position.
He termed it unfortunate for a group that has over 400 members but failed to reach a quorum to take a decision, to accidentally classify an individual like him whom they did not employ a “Persona-non-Grata”.
Dr. Tenny emphasized that the leadership of ULFA lacks the authority and any legal backing to declare him not wanted when he was neither employed by them nor is he a member of their association.
The UL Dean of the A. Romeo Horton College of Business and Public Administration also questioned the education level of these members of ULFA who are taking a decision against a person they have no jurisdiction over, terming the decision as very comical and lacks weight.
He recounted that it was the same ULFA that passed a vote of no confidence against the President of the University of Liberia, Dr. Julius Sarwolo Nelson but such decision was never given credence due to its illegality.