Bassa Community College may Not Open As scheduled
By Folo-glagba Korkollie in Bassa
Article culled from: The Informer
Lower Buchanan, Grand Bassa County: In an effort to provide college education for high graduates in Grand Bassa County, the county legislative caucus, in collaboration with the county authorities, has established a college named and styled “Bassa Community College.”
But unfortunately, the college may not open as scheduled (January 2010) if the numerous challenges it is faced with are not quickly addressed.
The president of the college, Dr. Levi Zangar, confirmed to The Informer that the numerous challenges may hinder the opening of the college.
Dr. Zangar named the challenges as the lack of office space, faculty, office staff, infrastructure, generators, and fuel, among others. Dr. Zangar pointed out that it was time for citizens of Bassa to declare ownership of the college by getting involved in addressing the challenges for the college to open its doors for their children and relatives, who have completed high schools and need college education, to enter.
In a related development, Grand Bassa County Junior Senator and Chairman of the Bassa Legislative Caucus has urged the county superintendent, Julius Duncan-Cassell, to evict the regional staff of ministries and agencies occupying at the administration building.
Senator John Innis said if the staffs are evicted, it will enable the president of the college to get an office space to begin his work in order to ensure the opening of the college as scheduled.
He mentioned that he sees no reason why the regional heads of line ministries and agencies should be housed at the administration building, and cannot rent or build their own offices with the huge budgetary allocations given them by government.
He explained that the board of trustee of the college has been constituted with Cllr. Carlos D. Z. Smith elected as chairman, Rev. David Zoegar as financial officer and Jacob Smith as board member for press and public affairs among others.
Funds for the establishment of the college came from the social development fund given to the county by Arcelor Mittal, the world number one steel company which has a US$1.5 billon investment in the country that covers Grand Bassa, Bong and Nimba counties.
At the same time, the chairman of the Liberian Youth Alliance for Peace and Democracy, Mr. Maxwell Vah, has frowned on the county leadership for allegedly violating the act that created the Bassa Community College, by placing media representation to a person who does not reside in Bassa, but rather in Monrovia.
He termed the decision as unfair and contrary to the act establishing the College. He suggested that the country leadership invites the radio stations in the county for the selection of a representation of the media on the board, instead of taking people from elsewhere
