Liberia’s Education Minister Professor D. Ansu Sonii has with immediate suspended recent policy issued by the National Commission of Higher Education policy compelling all Presidents and Vice Academic Affairs of Tertiary institutions to be Doctorate Degree holder.
National Commission on High Education which is under the Ministry of Education responsible for evaluating, accrediting, and establishing institutions of higher learning in the country.
NCHE Director General Professor, Edward Wonkeryor recently announced that only people with doctorate degree should serve as Presidents and Vice President for Academic Affairs at any tertiary institutions operating in Liberia.
“This is to inform all heads of higher education institutions in Liberia that one of the overarching policy expectations of the NCHE is that all Presidents and Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs (VPAA’s) of Universities and Colleges operating in Liberia must possess a doctorate degree from an accredited university and /or college,” NCHE said in a statement issued in Monrovia.
The NCHE decision followed the discoveries of alleged fake academic credentials held by individuals in Liberia, by the Campaigners for Academic Crimes Court in Liberia (CACC) led by exiled former student Activist Martin K.N. Kollie
But speaking on State Radio ELBC super Morning Show February 20, 2023 Education Minister D. Ansu Sonii said the decision taken by Professor Wonkeryor, was unilateral and wrong.
Minister Sonii indicated that following the drafting of the policy, the NCHE boss was requested to suspend its issuance to ensure that it was discussed with the Board at the ministry.
Professor Sonii revealed that the policy will remain adjourned until Professor Wonkeryor and the Board of Commissioners meet to discuss and justify why the policy should be issued at this time.
He said while the ministry remains dedicated to improving the higher education sector, the execution of any policy must be done properly.
Minister Sonii said the NCHE boss was asked to suspend the issuance of the policy and return to status quo, something Professor Wonkeryor refused to do.
I called him several times and he went to Nimba and he never did it. Because he has refused to do that, I said I will go through the platform and suspend his action. What’s wrong with that” Minister Sonii said.
He noted that the move to put the policy on hold is a smart one intended to dodge any confusion between him and the professor Wonkeryor.
CACC discoveries sparks debate
There has been serious argument in Libera since the Campaigner for Academic Crimes Court started releasing names of people whom they say are parading with fake doctorate and master’s degrees in the country.
Some people think that the move is significant to give the education sector some level of sanity, while others think that is meant to tarnish the reputation of decent people.
So far, the only person to fall victim of the campaign by the CACC is the former Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) CEO Deo Delany who resigned following publication that lied on his credentials.
On February 21, 2023 The African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) through its board of trustees was forced to denied report that its President Dr. Alvin Edward Attah and Dr. Benjamin Lartey have resigned the position after the CACC reported that his Doctorate degree was fake which was airlifted the Analyst Newspaper.
The Board pointed out that, it has not received any letter of resignation from its President.
“The Board has not acted on any such alleged non-exiting letter of resignation by the President of AMEU. Even more disturbing is the further allegation made by the newspaper in the referenced news story that the AMEU has already commenced seeking applications for a new President to conduct the affairs of the university,” Rev. Paul J.M. Kawimbe AMEU Board Chairman is quoted as saying in the release.
The AMEU Board noted that it would have met and discussed not only what they term as “public service announcement for immediate release”, emanating from authorities of the NCHE, but it would have examine its legality or illegality, both in respect to understanding if the acting Public Relations Officer who signed the release, was acting in line with the Director General or the release was his own to initiate to issue such a “far reaching policy with severe implications and consequences for the nation’s higher education.
They indicated that The Board would have also questioned and raised concerns on why the NCHE took such action with endless national consequences without a policy statement, action or resolution from the Board of Commission.
The statement pointed out that the AMEU Board of Trustees, which is the policy making body of the university, would have also met to discuss any acceptance of the alleged and speculative resignation letter of the President of the university, as well as to make decisions on any further course of action needed to be taken for the protection and continued smooth operations of the university.
The AMEU said that it expected that the Analyst newspaper to have conducted an investigation into the matter of such speculation, since there was no evidence to support the assertions made in the news story, and make contact with the appropriate authorities of the university to ascertain the fact.
