University of Liberia-based student body, Progressive Students Alliance (PROSA), growled at the Liberia National Police (LNP) for its harsh handling of peaceful students who, it says, were exercising their constitutional rights of a peaceful protest.
The body called the invading of the premises of the UL by the Police a gross violation of several international statutes, laying the issue at the feet of the current administration which it said has proven to be intolerant, especially when it comes to responding to peaceful assembly.
"A few days ago, the party took a definitive position by giving the Administration of the University of Liberia 48 hours ultimatum to address the current situation at the University of Liberia, but the administration failed to resolve the situation within the time frame of 48 hours," PROSA said in a statement issued at the weekend.
"On that note, the party had to appear on the main campus to send a clear message to the Administration of the University of Liberia and the Government of Liberia that so far the University of Liberia is closed there will be no program organized by the Administration as it was publicized that the Administration on today should have launched the PhD program and the president was supposed to be the chief launcher of the program," the statement further stated.
Amid the current torrent of confusion, PROSA said it has resolved to resist any attempt for the administration to go ahead with such a program, and blamed the problem on President Boakai who was "annoyed by the action of the students to resist his visit to the University of Liberia."
They claimed it is the President that ordered the police to invade the campus and brutalize peaceful students, but this paper could not independently verify the claims.
"As a revolutionary movement, we have no regret for resisting the visitation of the president to the University and if the situation persists, we can guarantee the president that the University of Liberia is hereby declared as a no-go zone for the President until the situation at the University can be addressed, the statement quoted PROSA officials as saying.
It is demanding the release of few party stalwarts who they claimed were arrested by the police.
They also took swipe at Minister of Public Works Roland Giddings for not providing detailed information on the 22million dollars that was intended for the construction of roads across the country.
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"The Public Works Minister knowing fully well that the party was determined to expose his corrupt attitude invited to police to brutalize and arrest ideologues of our party. We want to be very clear that the party will stop at nothing when it comes to the fight against corruption," PROSA indicated.
According to the student group, Liberians are dying from starvation while the Minister allegedly squandered over 22.4 million of the people's money.
They insisted that no amount of intimidation will weaken "the revolutionary vibrancy of our party."
It said it will remain steadfast in its quest to ensure accountability across the governance space of the Republic.
PROSA states: "The party therefore demands the immediate release of all comrades who were arrested, or the police should be prepared to make more arrests because the party will not hesitate to move into action in demand of the release of our comrades who were arrested."
It also called on the Government to intervene in the current rigmarole unfolding at the UL, saying that the action of faculty members to disengage from all academic activities is hindering the academic sojourn of over 20,000 students, few days away from taking final exams.
