-Demands Bartekwa, Quioh’s Removal
Grand Kru County Senator, Numene Bartekwa and Representative Romeo Quioh of Grand Gedeh County, have seemingly fallen out of favor with the University of Liberia Faculty and Staff Association, ULFASA that is demanding that they both be removed from the University’s Board of Trustees.
ULFASA has in a statement announced an indefinite disengagement with the Board until the two lawmakers are recalled by the leadership of the National Legislature.
ULFASA said it will not take part in any further discussion with the UL Board of Trustees until Bartekwa and Quioh are ejected from the Board.
ULFASA has, in its statement, accused the two lawmakers of alignment with the University’s embattled President, Dr. Layli Maparyan in actions the Association claims undermine the interests of faculty and staff of the State-run University, actions it claims are contributing factors to alleged poor governance and lack of accountability Country’s premier public university.
In a July 24, 2026 press statement, ULFASA declared that it will no longer participate in meetings or negotiations with the Board of Trustees until the National Legislature recalls Senator Bartekwa and Representative Quioh from their positions on the Board.
ULFASA said its leadership has also resolved not to honor any invitation from the Board of Trustees, while the two legislators remain on the Board.
It has also accused the two lawmakers of failing to support lasting solutions to challenges confronting the University, arguing that their continued presence on the University’s Board of Trustees has eroded the credibility and reputation of the Board.
As part of its protest, ULFASA instructed all faculty and staff members to remain disengaged from academic and administrative activities of the State-owned University until the resolutions adopted by its General Assembly are fully implemented.
The directive means that university offices and academic units are expected to remain closed as the impasse continues.
ULFASA has additionally ordered that no Faculty Senate meetings be held on any of the University’s campuses. It warned deans, department chairpersons, and other administrators against organizing or participating in such meetings, stating that all university facilities designated for those activities should remain closed.
ULFASA cautioned that any attempt to disregard the directive could trigger additional actions by the association.
The latest decision signals a further escalation in the ongoing governance dispute at the University of Liberia, where tensions between faculty, staff, the administration, and the Board of Trustees have intensified over concerns about institutional leadership, accountability, and the management of the university’s affairs.
