Students protest in Monrovia Tuesday leaves several school-going children hospitalized, as riot police officers accused of using force to disperse the students, but a Justice Ministry official says the action was necessary.
According to LPR reporter who covered the protest Tuesday, the angry students blocked the road opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that housed the office of the present, causing serious vehicular traffic. Movements of goods and services were stalled on Tuesday’s morning due to the protest.
Our reporter added that attempts by the protesters to disallow President Weah’s motorcade entry to the premises of the Foreign Affairs Ministry was met by stiff resistance from the police, as the police applied force to have the gathering of protesting students dispersed.
The students’ protest was triggered a failure of the government of Liberia to settle three month arrears of public school teachers who began go-slow action Monday October 14, 2019.
The situation led to the injury of some students and journalist, our reporter said.
The students speaking to the media accused riot police officers of using force to drive them away.
A student, yet to be properly identified was seen carried by her colleagues on shoulders from the main campus of the University of Liberia after being affected by teargas fired by the police.
The number of persons said to be injured are still unknown but according to some local media in Liberia, up to sixteen students sustained injuries.
They are responding to treatment at the SDA Hospital and other health facilities in Monrovia.
Finance Ministry clarifies teachers’ arrears payment
In less than 24 hours after the protest by the students the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning issued a press release informing the public that salaries for teachers of the Monrovia Consolidated Schools System (MCSS) have been disbursed for September, 2019.
The Ministry states that out of the 1,223 MCSS’s teachers, nine hundred and ninety five (995) teachers with only Liberian Dollars Accounts have been paid their total salaries or 100% for the month of September in Liberian Dollars.
The Finance ministry further states that the balance of two hundred and twenty eight teachers (228) with both Liberian Dollars and United States Dollars Accounts, constituting 80% and 20% percent respectively, have already been disbursed to the GN Bank.
The Ministry adds that the Liberian Dollars component of 20% for the 228 employees has already been credited by the Bank while the USD component already disbursed by the Ministry is being processed for crediting to teachers’ accounts by the Bank.
