Published: September 21, 2026
TUBMANBURG, Bomi County — A group of students at Bomi Community College is demanding a comprehensive audit of the institution’s finances and operations over the past four years, warning that unresolved accountability concerns could follow the college as it transitions into Western Region University.
By Blamo N. Toe
The group, calling itself “Concerned Students,” urged the General Auditing Commission to examine the institution’s administrative, financial, scholarship, financial-aid, and revenue-management activities.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the students said the transition provides an opportunity to address longstanding concerns and establish stronger systems of transparency and accountability before the institution fully assumes university status.
They said students and the public deserve clarity on government budgetary support, internally generated revenue, expenditures, financial-aid administration and the status of any restitution or financial liabilities inherited from previous administrations.
The students also demanded an independent review of the college’s scholarship and financial-aid systems, alleging that some beneficiaries may have been allowed to avoid financial obligations outside established procedures.
Specifically, the group named college President Dr. Zobong Norman and Controller Gaye Tyler, alleging that the two are managing a particular scholarship arrangement without the involvement of Chief Accountant Lincoln Joboe, whose responsibilities, according to the students, include reviewing, processing and accounting for students’ financial obligations to the institution.
The allegations have not been independently verified. Norman, Tyler and the other individuals named in the students’ statement had not publicly responded to the claims as of press time.
The Concerned Students also raised questions about the tenure of immediate past President Dr. Abimelech P. Gbatu, alleging that funds were mismanaged under his administration and that he was required to make restitution without prosecution.
They are demanding public disclosure of the status of the alleged restitution, including whether the amount has been fully repaid or whether arrangements remain in place for repayment.
“It is our belief, however, that as the College transitions, we must discourage what happened in the past,” the statement said. “Obviously, it is even more concerning that what happened under the Gbatu Administration is silently happening under the Norman Administration. If there is no comprehensive audit, such practices may continue into the Western Region University.”
The students also called on Norman to depoliticize the institution, citing provisions of Liberia’s National Code of Conduct restricting certain political activities by presidential appointees.
Against that backdrop, the group accused Norman of engaging in political expression on social media and alleged that the college is being used to advance Richard Devine’s political interests.
The students claimed Devine represents the Bomi County Legislative Caucus on the institution’s board despite allegedly not being a caucus member. They also alleged that his private residence has been used to vet prospective administrators.
“If accurate, such practices raise serious questions about transparency, impartiality, and whether administrative appointments are being influenced by political considerations rather than established institutional procedures and merit,” the students said.
They added: “Is the college being used to serve the educational interests of Bomi County, or is it being turned into a vehicle for advancing Mr. Devine’s political ambitions? These concerns deserve answers, not silence.”
The group stressed that Bomi Community College is a public educational institution and should remain insulated from partisan political interests as it transitions.
“Bomi Community College is a public institution, not a political headquarters or a campaign platform,” the students said.
They argued that the transition to Western Region University should be grounded in accountability, professionalism, merit, transparency and institutional independence.
The Concerned Students are therefore calling for a full-scale GAC audit, public disclosure of the college’s financial position, an independent review of its scholarship and financial-aid administration, and clarification of the processes governing representation and appointments to the institution’s board.
The group urged authorities to give the demands “the utmost consideration they deserve in keeping with the promotion of accountability, transparency, and good governance.”
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