By Precious D Freeman
The University of Liberia Faculty in Support of Boakai (ULFIBO) has launched a massive cleanup campaign on the university’s Capitol Hill campus, to give the university a facelift ahead of the President-elect Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s inauguration.
The group launched the initiative on the UL Capitol Hill campus on Saturday, December 16, 2023.
Speaking during the cleanup exercise, ULFIBO Vice Chair for Operations, Othello Opa Mason, said the cleanup campaign by the faculty was intended to support newly elected President Boakai.
Undertaken by professors in support of President-elect Amb. Boakai’s presidential bid, the initiative is intended to keep the campus of the University of Liberia clean throughout the inaugural period.
According to Mason, the professors are aware that the UL Capitol Hill campus will be used by others to park their cars.
Mason said they wish to do the cleanup campaign every day, and they also want to extend the initiative on the four campuses of the University of Liberia – Capitol Hill, Fendall, the Medical College, and the David A. Stratz-Sinje campus in Grand Cape Mount County.
Mason said the initiative is purely a voluntary work, adding that the Faculty in Support of President-elect Boakai knows that the incoming President has a root at the University of Liberia and he is an alumnus of the University of Liberia.
According to him, the University of Liberia is a large society, noting that more Ministers have gone through the University of Liberia.
He said they hope that this initiative will attract Amb. Boakai’s attention to ensure that UL has what is needed to prepare Liberians for tomorrow.
Mason noted that the exercise will be a continuous process until they can see that the University of Liberia comes to where they want it to be.
“I work here, I graduated from here, and this is my home. So, I must give my home a beautiful look before looking out there,” he said.
According to him, they have plans to extend the exercise outside, but they want to make sure that the University of Liberia is given a facelift.
“You prepare your home first before looking at other people’s homes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mason has called on the public to rally their support towards the university.
Also speaking, ULFIBO Chairman, J. Omega L. Tokpa, said they decided to start their voluntary cleanup exercise with their own house.
He said they were carrying out the initiative in line with the initiative of District 8 Representative-elect, Prince Toles, and other stakeholders. He added that they decided to start with their campus, to give it a facelift, before extending it outside.
Tokpa explained that sponsors behind the initiative are the University of Liberia Faculty in Support of Boakai; District 8 Representative-elect, Prince Toles, and Grand Bassa County Senator, Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence.
According to Tokpa, the University of Liberia needs help, calling on international and local partners to help with maintenance, finance, education, and manpower.
He said his group will appreciate whatever partners can afford to keep the University of Liberia at the level it should be.
