By Bill W. Cooper
Thousands of University of Liberia (UL) students yesterday stormed the Liberian Senate demanding the immediate passage of the National Equity Bill.
The students, under the banner “Progressive Students Alliance” (PROSA) accompanied by students from the Williams VS Tubman High School said its decision is in a show of fervent determination for social justice and equal opportunity.
The Bill, as passed by the House of Representatives and pending concurrence by the Senate, is intended to make all public undergraduate Universities and Colleges tuition free.
The Bill, when passed, will also ensure that the government will underwrite the cost of both public and private senior secondary school candidates for the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) across Liberia.
The Act, as submitted by Montserrado County District 5 Representative, Thomas Fallah, in fulfillment of one of his campaign promises, came after President George M. Weah, in October of 2018, declared all Public Universities and Colleges tuition free.
The Liberian leader, during the pronouncement, said, “We will never be successful, as a government, if we do not place more emphasis on the development of our human capital and, as such, we have to invest in quality education.”
“So, I, President George M. Weah, on behalf of the Liberian people and the government, therefore declare free tuition at the University of Liberia and other public universities for undergraduate programs,” he declared.
According to our legislative reporter, while the senators were making their way to Chambers, the students, carrying placards and chanting slogans, overcame the building security and forcefully made their way to the entrance of Senate Pro-temp, Albert Chie’s office.
Our reporter also said the passionate crowd, comprising of students from other institutions, also emphasized the urgency of creating a level playing field for all Liberians, including the student community across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the students, PROSA chairman, William B. Sando, highlighted the need for immediate action from the senators, saying, “We are tired of being marginalized and overlooked.”
“The National Equity Act is a crucial step towards rectifying the injustices that have hindered the progress of our nation and its youthful population. We demand that our senators prioritize the passage of this bill and concur with the House of Representatives now,” he said.
According to him, the instrument, if passed, will help students who are unable to pay their tuition and fees, noting, “If anything goes wrong, the Progressive Students Alliance will have no choice but to take a bold approach and ensure that this bill is passed.”
He maintained that PROSA believes in respecting the law, and that since the beginning of their struggle, they have shown the greatest amount of restraint.
Chairman Sando also urged the senators not to see their tolerance as a sign of weakness and take the Institution for granted, claiming that PROSA is fully capacitated enough with support from students to shut down activities at the Senate until the bill is passed into law.
The PROSA chairman added, “We want to give the senators the benefit of the doubt while we urge all the students and others who are supporting the attempt to remain unbeaten and in great spirits as we expect to receive favorable news from the Legislature soon.”
Meanwhile, in response to the students’ concern, Montserrado County Senator, Saah Joseph, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the students for exercising patience and acknowledged the importance of their concerns.
The Montserrado County Senator, among other things, further expressed his solidarity with the students and said, “Your voices have been heard, and we as senators also recognize the urgency of this matter and assure you that we will expedite the legislative process to ensure the bill’s passage.”
