State Apparatus Invades University of Liberia campus; Shot Live Bullets and Brutalizes Peaceful Students

Education has played a pivotal role in the developmental agenda of all countries around the world. It's no inaccuracy that education is a provision in Article 26, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 17 of the African Charters on Human & People's rights, Article six of the constitution of Liberia and all international convention and declarations. The full utilisation of these provisions is a fundamental reasonableness why countries around the world has flourish.

Of recent students at the University of Liberia had been complaining and planning protestation actions on the 100% imposed e-learning policy on grounds that their rights to qualitative education and passports to the future as posited by Malcolm X is being trampled upon by the UL administration. It can be reminiscence that, the UL administration headed by a dictatorial president in Rev. Julius J. Nelson announced on June 25, 2021, that all courses for both graduate and undergraduate levels will be administered online due to the resurgence of the third wave of Covid although primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions of learning are still open in country.

Students were saddened and fear being dropped out of school as a result of such hollistic decisions. However, those students begin raising legitimate concerns and recommendations to the administration, taking into accounts their previous experiences from the first e-learning process which was characterized by overwhelming challenges the students had no control of.

In solidarity with the students, the biggest student political groupings on campus "the Vanguard Student Unification Party- SUP" issued a statement on July 5, 2021. In the party press statement, a recommendation of 40% traditional learning and 60% online learning aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus were recommended to the UL administration. Frustratingly, all efforts and engagements with the administration by both the student populace and SUP fell on death ears which is believed to trigger the anger of the students. It will interest you to note that since the administration of UL officially announced July 19, 2021, as the final date of opening the University due to diverse challenges encountered with the system which force an extension in the opening date from July 12, students have been unable to access the Moodle site while others have been complaining of its slowness. Midterm is expected to start next week.

Fastly progressing, scores of students of the University of Liberia under the banner of "Concerned Students" took to the street on Friday, July 28, 2021 to protest against the flawed, reckless, bewildered, and biggest joke of modern technology in the 100% imposed E-learning instituted by the president of the University of Liberia in Rev. Julius J. Nelson. Saddenly, the constitutional rights of those students guarantee by Article 17 of the Liberian constitution were violated as the University campus was invaded by the state apparatus after the students assemble on the streets to protest against the imposed eLearning. Some students were severely beaten, wounded, tear gas and others illegally incarcerated which prompted the students to making a vowed of consistently and persistently assembling to protest against the draconian policy of the University authority.

On August 2, 2021 for the successive time running and acting on the acquaintance and instructions of President George Weah and Rev. Julius J. Nelson, the state apparatus with specification on the Police Small Units (PSU) invaded the Capital Hill campus of the University of Liberia thereby brutalising unarmed and peaceful students and also shooting live bullets at them. Such actions exhibited by the state apparatus reminds of the dark days of students activisms and advocacy at the University of Liberia when armed carrying thugs of Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor often invaded the campuses of UL. The shooting of live bullets on the University campus on yesterday has the propensity to plunge the nation into chaos and the Government of Liberia needs to quickly intervene in order to amicably handle this situation.

Requirements and standards set-up by the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) and Ministry of Education (MoE) of Liberia for instituting e-learning in higher institution in country recommended 40% online learning and 60% traditional learning in order to avoid universities issuing a bogus and scandalous degree. Other provisions in the document encouraged students opting to take online courses to have taken computer courses for two semesters- a carcteria most students especially freshman don't meet, amongst other a good internet system which the UL administration is lacking, etcetera. Mr. Nelson must avoid being recalcitrant and listen to the plights of the students caused the students are never wrong in history. The students have however maintained that they will continue to protest until their demands are met.

Conclusively concluding, as a conscious Liberian and student at the University of Liberia who believed in the rule of law, we expeditiously call for a full-scale investigation into what transpired on August 2, 2021. We also encouraged state apparatus to refrained from invading the University premises and avoid the usage of excessive force on peaceful citizens whenever they assemble to express their grievances.

About the Author: Augustine F. Taylor, Jr. is a Junior Student of the University of Liberia studying Public Administration. He's a member of the Vanguard Student Unification Party where he is serving as Assistant Secretary General on the Bureau of Information, Propaganda, Research and Guidance of the Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP). He can be reached at: Contact #(s): +231777410860 /+231880623348. Email:[email protected]

By: Augustine F. Taylor, Jr.