By Peter Kollie
In a strong push for access to higher education, youth of Zorzor and Salayea Districts in Lofa County have formally petitioned the Government of Liberia (GoL) through their lawmaker, Lofa’s District #5 Rep in the House of Representatives, Augustine B. Chiewolo, seeking the GoL’s intervention for higher education opportunities in that part of the country.
In the petition jointly endorsed by Thomas Gayflor, president of Zorzor District youth and Edwin Lavelah, Jr., Salayea District youth president, the young people of Lofa are requesting Rep Chiewolo to advocate for the Change Agent Network University (CAN-U), a private school in the county, to be taken over by the GoL and integrated into a tertiary public institution.
Youth of Lofa, according to the petition, want CAN-U, located in Fissebu Town, to be taken over by government and be transformed into the second annex of the Lofa County University.
The youth of Lofa are proposing in their petition that when taken over by the GoL, the institution be placed under the supervisory jurisdiction of the same Board of Trustees and management structure as the Lofa County University.
According to the petitioners, the initiative seeks to address the pressing challenges faced by more than 28,000 high school graduates across Zorzor and Salayea Districts.
Many of the youth residing in these districts are unable to pursue higher education due to financial hardship and the lack of local academic infrastructure in these areas, according to the petitioners, who acknowledged the even though, CAN-U currently offers courses at affordable tuition and fees, the economic realities still hinder many young people in these areas from enrolling.
The petition requests that the GoL establishes five academic colleges at the proposed annex including the College of Business and Public Administration, College of Health Sciences, College of Education, College of Agriculture, and the College of Engineering and Technology.
During a recent meeting with CAN-U’s administration, proprietor, and Board of Trustees, youth representatives were assured of the university’s willingness to turn over the institution to the GoL for public use. The commitment includes all existing CAN-U facilities to host the proposed colleges, according to our correspondent in Lofa County.
The youth are of the belief that when the proposed annex is created and these colleges established, it would significantly bridge the existing educational gap, boost human capital development, and promote youth empowerment in Lofa County’s electoral District #5 and surrounding areas.
The youth of Lofa through their leaders, are also appealing to Rep Chiewolo to lobby with relevant government entities including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Civil Service Agency, and particularly the Lofa County Legislative Caucus, for full government takeover of CAN-U and funding support for the proposed public university.
They emphasized the need for legislative and executive collaboration to ensure sufficient budgetary allocation for faculty salaries, infrastructure improvement, and scholarship opportunities for underprivileged students.
In response, Rep Chiewolo acknowledged receipt of the petition and commended the youth leaders for their initiative, promising to present the petition to the Plenary of the House of Representatives for legislative consideration, also vowing to do all within his power aimed at ensuring the petition receives the attention it deserves.
The petition has been copied to several stakeholders including the Lofa County Superintendent, J. Lavelah Massaquoi, local government authorities, traditional leaders, civil society groups, and the administration and Board of Trustees of CAN-U.
Youth leaders remain optimistic that timely and favorable action from the GoL would bring lasting change, enabling students to access quality higher education while remaining in their communities to contribute to agriculture and small business development.
