Chairperson of the Maryland Legislative Caucus Isaac Roland Blalu says, the caucus has resolved to intervene in the crisis at the Tubman University in Harper City, Maryland County, southeast Liberia.
The intervention is necessitated by the need for the University can resume normal academic activities. Blalu said, members of the caucus are not pleased with the current situation riddling the second state-run University in the southeast.
“I want to be clear here, what is happening at the University, as a caucus, we are not pleased. So, we will continue to pursue this in order to have a definite action or resolution because we need not have an institution in the county where every time there is noise or protest”, the lawmaker expressed.
He said the disturbance doesn’t create a suitable learning environment for students, saying “Always break, break because of protest at this higher learning environment, it’s not advisable nor conducive for the students.”
“So, we the caucus will intervene strongly if it’s for Wreh-Wilson to leave or be retained, we will be left with no option but rather to do the right thing for the academic activities on the University campus to continue.”
When questioned how soon, he responded, “It’s some of the reasons why I am in the county.”
“My colleague Brown and I had a meeting to know the nature of the issues and we have noticed that the issues are greater, so we need to step in as Legislators of the county”, Representatives Blalu added.
Commenting on the University President Dr. Elliott Wreh-Wilson’s alleged ranting of insults on faculty members and students, Representative Blalu said, a university president should know how to encourage his people, stressing that if what the faculty are saying is true then he (Dr. Wreh-Wilson) needs to work on his attitude.
But Dr. Wilson has denied the faculty’s claim of insulting them.
“Let me say, we had series of meetings with the University administration during the previous protests by students and during that time, we informed the administration about other issues but like what we are seeing now, it seems like this other situation has gone beyond control and it doesn’t send out a good sign for our county”, Representative Blalu said and noted that constant go-slow presents a negative signal at the University.
He said Tubman University is not only for Marylanders or Liberians but is universal and open to people from diverse backgrounds to pursue academic studies, saying “So wherein you will have these kinds of problems at the university, it doesn’t look good to the outside world.”
Members of the faculty association of the William V.S. Tubman University in Harper City, Maryland County staged an indefinite strike recently over alleged administrative mismanagement and other excesses, calling for the replacement of the University’s President, Dr. D. Elloitt Wreh-Wilson.
Scholars have been away from school since February 28, 2022, as normal activities at the government’s second University has grounded to a halt.
