By: Varney Dukuly
MONROVIA: The President of the University of Liberia (UL), Dr. Julius S. Nelson, has set June 27, 2022, as the official reopening date for the University.
The new date for reopening of the University was announced by the UL Authority in the face of mounting calls by students and groups for its reopening.
The UL President indicated, among other things, the ongoing renovation and rehabilitation works on the campuses of the University as reasons for the postponement of classes.
Initially, the administration had set June 6 this year for the resumption of classes. However, it said later that given the extent of the work done, coupled with the advice from engineers and technicians who are conducting the renovation works, additional weeks have been added.
Dr. Nelson: “Based on consultations with engineers and technicians, especially given the extent of the work yet completed, an additional three weeks are needed to complete the first phase of the renovation.”
He added: “Therefore, I regret to announce that the June 6 date scheduled for the resumption of classes is not possible. A new date of Monday, June 27, 2022, is now set for the resumption of classes at the University of Liberia.”
Dr. Nelson stressed that the Fendall campus of the University will not be left out though the first phase of the work started on the Capitol Hill main campus of the UL.
At Fendall, he mentioned, the renovation will focus on the painting of classrooms, rehabilitation of restrooms and the connection of water lines from wells to buildings.
Recently, a team, representing the GSA, the Ministry of Public Works, and the University Plant Operations Department (POD), conducted a comprehensive assessment to ascertain the extent of the work required to be done and the associated costs.
Interestingly, following the assessment, the renovation was divided into phases, with the first phase covering Capitol Hill, specifically, the Firestone Quadrangle (FQ), the Tubman Hall (TH), the UL Auditorium, Robert Hall, Cassell Building, and the Samuel Greenleaf Hall.
“Renovation work has been completed on the FQ Building, which houses eleven classrooms, thirteen offices and three restrooms, including a restroom for male and female, as well as staff, and each restroom has four compartments,” UL President intimated.
The issues of ‘Water supply, drilling of boreholes, and erection of water towels which, in recent time, posed serious problems to the smooth running of the University are gradually being worked on, he pointed out.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, just like how we solved the perennial problem of our registration system, we have now another perennial problem—the lack of adequate water supply. When completed, this borehole well has a capacity to supply at least 7,000 gallons of water a day,” he indicated.
Aggrieved students of UL, including members of the campus based vanguard Students Unification Party (SUP), have been leading sporadic protestations on the Capitol Hill Campus of University of Liberia, calling for immediate reopening of classes.
On Monday, June 6, 2022, members of the UL based SUP visited the premises of the University graduate school which is currently in session, and reportedly obstructed normal learning activities.
The aggrieved students maintains that “it is an affront for the UL administration to deny them access to education and allow the graduate school to be in session in the face of ongoing renovation and rehabilitation on the University.”
“No school, means no school, SUP will not take it. We cannot be sitting while others are learning on the University campus. In fact, we are prepared to go all out including other colleges as well to disrupt their learning activities,” an aggrieved student of SUP mentioned.
For months, the University of Liberia has been closed due to ongoing renovation and rehabilitation work at the school.
