MONROVIA-Students of the University of Liberia, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 booed Youth and Sport Minister D. Zeogar Wilson haven’t allegedly provided fake information to the student populace of the university.
Minister Wilson had gone to honor an invitation of the Liberia National Students Union (LINSU) on the university of Liberia Fendell campus at which time he was Booed and termed him as rogue by disenchanted students of the institution.
They claimed that the minister failed to provide factual information to them regarding the ministry he serve and that his answers were based on defending the Weah led government against allegation of corruption.
“Everything the minister said is all lies and falsehood, that was why we booed him. He came to defend President Weah and his surrogates,” Ambrose Fahnbulleh, student said.
Fahnbulleh further that minister Zoegar could not answer any of the students’ questions relative to the ministry impact on youth and the different activities, but failed to properly respond to that something that led to the action of disenchanted students.
Prior to the Wednesday’s tension, students have asked the minister on several issues regarding the banding of the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium, the resigning of the Beaches and Waterway Project, and the Youth Empowerment Program.
In response, the minister said, SKD was banned because of new regulations set up by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as of 2015 and these requirements need the reengineering of the stadium to meet the guidelines.
However, CAF wrote the government informing the ministry that it could send a delegation to Liberia to meet with the Liberia Football Association to begin to discuss these requirements and steps to be taken.
“In May of this year we were taken aback when CAF did not send a delegation as promised in their letter but they went ahead to ban SKD,” he said.
“The minister was in error to say CAF is coming to inspect the stadium without sending you an invitation. CAF representatives will be coming to Liberia without informing us that the minister was lying to us. The minister lied to us,” another student, Victor Teah said.
For the Beaches and Waterways resigning project, Minister Wilson admitted that two million dollar and six months periods were put in the budget for the project but it was not to restart the program it was to pay the arrears of employees.
“We terminated the project in February of this year. We have a series of meetings with the project coordinators. Our first challenge was there were over two thousand people on the project unauthorized and we said those that were put on it unauthorized will not get paid only those that were authorized,” he added.
However, minister Wilson added that the government has appropriated one million United States Dollars to restart the project under a different name.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.