MONROVIA – The Student Integration Movement (SIM) has demanded an immediate halt to salaries for inactive faculty and staff at the University of Liberia (UL) and called for the payment of part-time lecturers who remain unpaid despite fulfilling their duties earlier this year.
The student group in a press release lambasted the ongoing lack of academic activities, which they claimed denies over 25,000 students their right to education. “Why is the Liberian government paying full-time teaching faculty at UL when part-time faculty who taught from March to July 2024 remain unpaid? Enough is enough!” SIM declared.
SIM described the university’s current state as “callous, careless, and denigrating,” accusing the administration of neglecting its obligations to students while compensating non-performing staff. The administration’s announcement that academic activities will not resume until January 2025 has sparked further outrage, with SIM branding the decision an “indolent and uncaring political move” against students’ education.
The group also criticized the UL Interim Leadership Team for allegedly promoting individuals accused of mismanaging university funds. “It is appalling that those responsible for this educational paralysis are being rewarded with promotions,” SIM stated, denouncing the appointments as symptomatic of favoritism and greed.
SIM urged the Unity Party-led government to immediately address the outstanding payments owed to part-time faculty who fulfilled their teaching duties earlier this year. “If the national government has money, it must be used to clear the long-overdue debt owed to part-time faculty,” the group asserted.
The student movement also demanded that salaries for full-time faculty, staff, and administrators who did not work in November be withheld. “The culture of wasting taxpayers’ money on people who do no work must stop!” SIM emphasized.
In light of the prolonged shutdown, SIM proposed the adoption of online learning to ensure educational continuity for students. The group called on the UL administration to embrace digital platforms as a viable alternative to the standstill.
“If the UL administration cannot implement a digital learning platform, all full-time teaching faculty must forfeit their salaries, as the university remains closed for academic activities,” SIM argued.
The student group appealed to civil society, international partners, and the public to hold ULFA, ULSA, and the administration accountable for their failure to perform. “It is a breach of contract and an injustice to students and the University of Liberia itself to continue paying workers who have neglected their duties,” the statement concluded.
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