By Patrick Stephen Tokpah/Bong County Correspondent
The Board of Trustees of Cuttington University has reaffirmed its commitment to staff and students in paying salary arrears owed staffers of the University in Bong County.
Aggrieved Workers of Cuttington University under the banner ‘Concerned Workers Union of Cuttington University’ have been staging a protest on the Campus of the University in demand of salary arrears owed them by the institution and threatened to continue, if the administration refuses to adhere to the request.
Cuttington University, a private University located in Suacoco, Bong County, was founded in 1889 as Cuttington College by Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA) and it is the oldest private, co-educational, four-year, degree-granting institution in sub-saharan Africa.
According to the aggrieved workers, the University Administration has not paid them a dime for nine (9) months.
“If Cuttington University administration can’t pay our salaries there will be no lesson and we will continue the protest until our salaries are given,” they maintained.
Speaking in an interview via mobile phone in the County, the President of the Concerned Workers Union, Samuel K. Mulbah said several attempts have been made to draw administration’s attention to the payment of salaries, but it has fallen on death ears.
“We have written the administration of Cuttington University requesting our salaries, but there have been no effort applied to our quest,” Mr. Mulbah said.
Earlier, the workers decided to go on a go slow action, but realized that it would not mean much to the institution rather protest.
He said with the intervention of the Board they’ll abandon their plan protest on campus to listen to the Board for their salaries payment in the County.
The concern of the aggrieved workers of the University, the acting chairman of the University Board and All Liberians Party political leader, Benoni Urey and a member of the Board, Bong County Superintendent Esther Walker assured the employees of the University the board commitment in their salaries.
Moreover, speaking in an interview with journalists after the meeting with staff and administration of Cuttington University on January 20, 2021 on the main campus of the University, Superintendent Walker said the meeting was intended to reaffirm their commitment in paying arrears owed staffers of the University.
According to the Bong County Superintendent last week, there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between employees and administration of the University; when it comes to payment of salary and arrears owed in the University to employees.
The Bong County Superintendent and member of the University’s Board used the medium to call on those who are indebted to the University to pay, adding that owing debts isn’t a riches.
The Cuttington University Board member revealed that they are taking the last two weeks in January and the whole of February to pay salary and arrears owed employees of the University in other to allow students to have access to a quality education at the award winning University in Liberia.
“Academic activity have been distracted on the campus here by employees, because the University administration owed them, so we will do all we can to pay employees; so that our students can have a conducive learning environment in the County and the Country at large,” Supt. Walker added.
The Bong County Superintendent further vowed that she will make sure that the aggrieved employees of the University get their job benefits in the County.
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