The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
August 23, 2019

Employees, including faculty members of the William V. S. Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County, have been on an indefinite strike over the past 72 hours – security personnel, as well as the staff of the university’s clinic, are urged to join the strike action. 

In a written statement read by one Francis Fukah and submitted to the administration of the university, the employees have outlined a number of grievances, including payment of salary arrears, reimbursement of money deducted (3.5%, 5.0%,7.5% and 10.0% respectively) from their salaries during the past fiscal year, among other grievances.  In a word, the striking employees of the university are demanding status quo ante.

A strike by employees of the institution is an unprecedented spectacle.  “We have been playing a cool cat over these several years”, says Francis Fukah, one of the spokesmen for the aggrieved employees, “but the realities dictate the action we are taking now”, he added. Neither the technical college nor the university has ever experienced any strike action by employees.

But there have been recurring strike actions by students demanding requisite resources such as science and technology laboratory equipment, qualified instructors, textbooks, a laboratory containing reference books, and an overall better learning environment.  These strike actions have over the years paid off.  They have spurred major improvements in the institution. 

For example, the student strike of 1979 led to the construction of the Science and Technology Laboratory by the European Union (EU),  the acquisition of more qualified instructors from the EU, Japanese Volunteer Organization, and the Arab League.

Tubman University is the leading institution of higher learning in Southeastern Liberia.  The institution was built in 1970 during the last birthday celebration of the late President William V.S. Tubman – partly with deductions from salaries of gainfully employed Marylanders.  It was opened in 1978 and initially named Tubman College of Technology during the administration of the late President William R. Tolbert. The institution drew hundreds of students from the length and breadth of the country and from neighboring West African countries.  It offered Associate Degrees in civil, architecture, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering technologies.

Following the 2005 general elections which ushered in the administration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, efforts were being made to re-open the technical college; but, on July 30, 2009, an act of the Legislature invariably established the William V. S. Tubman University. And Dr. Elizabeth Davis Russell was appointed its first president.  Dr. Russell was subsequently succeeded by Dr. Edward Wonkeryor. After the 2017 general elections which brought President Weah to power, his administration summarily replaced Dr. Wonkeryor with Dr. Elliott Wreh-Wilson in 2018. 

But, unfortunately, the university is currently in bad shape.  The science and engineering colleges are far less equipped as compared with the time the institution was offering associate degrees.  Not long ago, a member of the faculty complained about quid pro quo at the University.  Yet, one nagging complaint about the Wreh-Wilson administration is that it has rehired people who were fired for various reasons during previous administrations.  The unprecedented strike action of the employees may be the foretaste of what is yet to befall the university.  Observers and pundits alike opine that the university is now sitting on a time bomb that can explode at any moment.

In 2017,  there was a go-slow by students of the College of Engineering and Technology.  At that time, we at The Perspective, in an editorial, appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Maryland County Legislative Caucus to investigate the students’ go-slow action. We stated how essential effective engineering education is to sustainable development in Liberia.

Come to think of the current strike by the employees, we sense some missteps, if not indiscretions,  on the part of Wreh-Wilson administration.  The administration unilaterally deducted 3.5%, 5.5%, 7.5% and 10.0% respectively from its employees.  He diverted scholarship money donated by Maryland Oil Palm Plantations (MOPP) in the amount of $30,000, according to him, to pay teachers under the table.  He used $58,000 donated by MOPP and Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC) for scholarships to run the university and yet complains that the students whose scholarship money he has misappropriated are not paying "a penny" to register.  These are troubling signs!

The employees are right in the wake of these missteps and what seems to be the lack of financial prudence at the Tubman University.  However, it seems to be unfair to the institution when the employees are demanding that Tubman University’s budget be increased “effective immediately.” Increasing or decreasing the budget is beyond the authority of the administration.

According to documents in our possession, in the 2017-2018 budget, the actual amount for employee compensations at TU was 4.33 million dollars, and for the 2018-2019 budget, under Dr. Wreh-Wilson, TU budgeted 4.46 million dollars for compensations of employees, and the Outturn was 4.54 million dollars, which is more than the budgeted amount.  This means that the money paid to his administration during the 2018-2019 fiscal year is more than the money paid to the previous administrations during any fiscal year.  So, it is mind-boggling that the learned Professor would divert money from needy students to pay teachers under the table, run the university, and simultaneously deduct money from the employees.

To the aggrieved employees, keep the pressure alive on the administration with respect to restituting the money wrongly deducted from your salaries and the payment of your salary for the month of July 2019.  But understand that the administration cannot increase the budget of the university. Remember that the administration of George Forky Klon Weah has made pronouncements regarding the reduction of salary and free university education, and the government is trying to make that a reality during this 2019/2020 fiscal year.  So, this is out of reach for the administration.

On the other hand, the learned professor stands obliged to run the institution in accordance with its mission and the dream of Southeastern Liberians.  This calls for transparency and sound financial prudence.

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