Progressive Students Alliance (PROSA) at the State-run University of Liberia is demanding the National Legislature to immediately enact, legislate and pass into the law the free tuition policy and WASSCE fees or risk mass political assembly at the ground of the Capitol Building on National Flag Day August 24, 2022.
According to PROSA, it has declared August 24, Flag Day celebration as what it calls “pass the free tuition and WASSCE bill or leave the state house”.
The students group said that their protest threat action is dued to the refusal of the Legislature to pass the bill, mentioning that they have written series of communication, calling on the National Legislature to sign the bill into law.
“For August 24 has been declared as pass the free tuition and WASSCE bill or leave the state house!” It is either ways; you either comply with the people’s interest or you negate the Legislature. However, while the Lower House has passed the mandate, the Upper House has been on the contrary front”, they noted.
PROSA said for too long the issue has been raised profusely by the students populace and the avant-garde party can not and will not go to bed or incommunicado on the matter to compromise the cause of an egalitarian society.
Reading the press statement August 2, 2022 on the Capitol Hill Campus of the University of Liberia, PROSA Heylove Mark disclosed that the students are interested in the legislation of the free quality tertiary education and the payment of WASSCE fees and not about the normal signing of egotistical bills and bogus concessions by the Liberian Senate.
He noted that under the resilience gallentry and relentlessness of the Progressive Students Alliance, according them these egotists were petitioned but it has been to no avail, when lawmakers have ignored their plight simply because it is not one of their overinflated incentives policies.
Chairman Mark pointed that the free tuition policy at all public universities and colleges in Liberia has contributed to the human capacity building of the poverty-stricken poor masses children in recent years.
“For this reason, the indefatigable avant-garde militants of PROSA, are going to rally the vast majority of the Liberian Students to stampede themselves into history on August 24, National Flag Day for the purpose of redress” Chairman Mark stated.
Explaining the importance of the passage of the bill, he said that the bill when passed will enhance free education to improve the literacy rate of the country and thereby eliminates or reduces the illiteracy rate.
“By the fact that Liberia has not budgeted up to 30% to education despite global commitments is an issue of political will. Therefore, we urge the Legislature to summon the courage to play its role and prioritize the interest of the state. Money must be taken from their bloated salaries and incentives and other places in the budget to be redirected to education sector of the Republic.”
Mark further said that the national treasury can afford 30k for each of these lawmakers for their so-called legislative engagement or operation, the free tuition and WASSCE bills should not be an issue because the students’ body is acknowledgeable to the reality that the understandings and skills imparted in schools are crucial for people’s participation in society.
He said that their petition is in line with the constitution of Liberia and the universal declaration of human rights that Liberia signed onto, because there is a general consensus internationally that the right to education is a human right and it is meant that all people ought to have access to basic education and training.
Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has a right to education. Equally so, Liberia’s constitution guarantees equal access to educational opportunities.
