MONROVIA — The death of former student leader Varney A. Jarsey has triggered a political firestorm after a senior official of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) accused Liberian politicians of exploiting and then abandoning the young activists who champion their causes.
Alvin C. Wesseh, Vice Chair for Operations and Political Education of the CDC National Youth League, issued an emotional and scathing tribute on social media that has reverberated across Liberia's political landscape. His message condemned leaders in both the ruling and opposition blocs for what he described as a pattern of neglect toward student activists once their usefulness fades.
A Movement in Mourning
Jarsey, former president of the Liberia National Students' Union (LINSU) and sitting president of the All African Students Union (AASU), died in India in late October at age 40 after a two-month illness. His remains returned to Liberia on November 29, arriving at Roberts International Airport to tears, chants and a procession of student leaders, youth activists and national figures who hailed him as one of the most influential voices of his generation.
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His death has prompted reflections on his fierce advocacy for education, youth empowerment and social justice, but it also exposed deep frustration within the activist community.
Wesseh's Blistering Indictment of the Political Class
Wesseh -- himself a former student leader and ex-assistant minister in the CDC government -- said Jarsey's illness, public humiliation and death highlighted how vulnerable student activists become once political storms pass.
"Comrade Jarsey, as they were calling you 'rapist,' the same people were calling me 'college dropout,"' he wrote, recalling the backlash both men faced during student protests. "As you were dragged to South Beach on allegations of rape, it was that same period the system put us out of the University of Liberia for refusing to bow."
He said the same leaders who once condemned Jarsey later embraced his legacy only after his death.
"The very elements who labeled you and paraded your living body in disgrace are the ones now parading your lifeless body as a revolutionary," Wesseh wrote. "This is gross hypocrisy."
The Late Varney Jarsey
Wesseh also criticized political figures for failing to support Jarsey during his illness, saying the public fundraising drive to cover his medical costs was an indictment of Liberia's political culture.
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"The most embarrassing thing was seeing your sick images posted on social media in the name of raising funds," he said. "When their children are sick, social media will never know. But for us, they tell us to 'be strong,' that we are revolutionaries."
His post ignited strong reactions across political, civic and religious circles, with many calling it one of the most honest rebukes of Liberia's political establishment in years.
A Legacy That Transcends Politics
Another longtime CDC youth figure, Alpha G. Gray, described Jarsey as a pillar within Liberia's student movement whose clarity and conviction shaped campus politics and youth activism.
"What hurts most is not just that he is gone, but that he left when we needed him the most," Gray wrote. "His presence grounded the movement. His ideas were ripening. His silence leaves a wound not easily healed."
Gray said Jarsey's legacy remains "an immovable force," even in death.
"He may be voiceless, but the echoes of his principles continue to move through campuses, youth spaces and every room where justice is demanded," he wrote.
A Moment of National Reflection
Jarsey's death has become more than a moment of mourning. It has reopened long-standing questions about how Liberia's political system treats the young activists who risk arrest, expulsion and violence in defense of their parties' agendas.
For some, Wesseh's fiery tribute represents a broader indictment of political culture. For others, it is a wake-up call for leaders to reassess their moral obligations to those who carry their banners.
