LIBERIA-EDUCATION: Students Left High and Dry by ex-Warlords

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Attes Johnson

MONROVIA, Jun 5 1997 (IPS) - Some 1,100 students at Liberia’s university are in a bind. The ex-warlords and other benefactors who sponsored their education have failed to pay this year’s fees and now the students face expulsion from the institution.

The University of Liberia (UL) has given them up to Jun. 10 to pay up, but the students believe the university au cotton field to bring ourselves to the university. Rather, it was based upon agreements with the university authorities and not with us students.”

Andrew Jacobs (36) used to be a major in one of the rebel groups that fought one another and the state from told IPS. “I have been let down. I’m frustrated. Some of us joined the stove our conditions. Our leaders’ conditions have been improved but not ours, we the fighters.”

The executive of the university’s student orgaed to donor agencies, well-wishers and embassies here to help pay the fees of the 1,100 students. The appeasemester.

The UL administration has defended its ultimatu to run the institution. “The university is funded from tuition paid by the studL President Dr. Frederick Gbagbe. “The financial plight of the university has now become deplorable.

“So wha Some lecturers at the institution feel the UL authorities should have ensured that the scholarships were paid in full before allowing the students to attend classes. Others feel they should still take legal action against the warlords and iberia College, was destroyed by fire. It was severely affected by the war, which forced it to close its doors in April 1990.

It reopened in late 1991,D/IPS/AJ/KB/97)