Africa-Press – Liberia. The Government of Liberia has confirmed that it is taking firm steps to overhaul the University of Liberia’s (UL) financial structure, starting with a significant reduction in personnel-related spending.
Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, made the confirmation on state broadcaster ELBC, during a live appearance on Monday, September 8. Minister Ngafuan revealed that the Ministry recently met with UL’s leadership to express concern over what it views as unsustainable salary expenditures. Of the US$34 million in government subsidy allocated for 2025 to the University of Liberia, US$32 million, or approximately 94%, goes toward salaries alone.
“It is one thing to ask for more, and another to use what you have well,” Ngafuan stated.
The Ministry has instructed the University to reduce personnel costs from 90% to 55% of its overall budget. This would free up funding for operational expenses, which currently sit at just 10%, allowing them to rise to 45%. According to the MFDP, this shift is necessary to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
To support the restructuring, the General Auditing Commission (GAC) conducted an official headcount as of July 31, triggering a payroll cleanup process. The audit aimed to identify and eliminate ghost names, duplicate entries, job abandoners, and employees who may be past retirement age.
However, the UL clarified that retirement eligibility varies between faculty and administrative staff, as they fall under different legal frameworks. Any retirement-related decisions, the Administration noted, will be handled confidentially and in compliance with national laws.
The financial shakeup coincides with a request from UL President, Dr. Layli Maparyan, for an off-budget allocation of US$550,000, submitted to the Senate Committee on Education. The requested funds are intended to pay US$251,000 in salary arrears for adjunct faculty (Semester 1, 2024/2025), cover US$199,000 in unpaid dues from the 2024 vacation semester, and provide US$100,000 for urgent bathroom renovations.
However, Minister Ngafuan criticized the approach, asserting that the Senate Education Committee is not the appropriate body for such requests, stating that funding will be made available without specifying a specific date. He also reiterated that UL had received almost 100% of its 2024 budget, approximately US$33.7 million.
“The University of Liberia is one institution that we make sure gets their payment, and gets it on time,” he emphasized.
Tensions escalated recently when the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) voted unanimously to withdraw from all academic activities, demanding the immediate signing of a long-delayed Collective Bargaining Agreement. Their demands include salary parity, sanitation improvements, faculty promotions, social security enrollment, and resolution of long-standing grievances.
The decision was reached during an emergency general assembly held on the University’s Capitol Hill campus, just days before the scheduled resumption of classes on September 8, 2025. The strike threatened to derail the academic calendar for thousands of students, as the institution is yet to reopen.
Adding to the turmoil, the Student Unification Party (SUP), a longstanding political group at UL, staged protests in early September. SUP demanded improved campus conditions, coupled with call for the resignation of the University president, Maparyan, which sparked public debate and occasionally led to clashes with law enforcement.
A recent video circulating online shows SUP members mobilizing for protests, highlighting growing student frustration with the status quo.
Notwithstanding, the University of Liberia acknowledged ULFA’s concerns but urged all faculty and staff to return to work as dialogue continues. The UL Board of Trustees, in a statement issued on Monday, September 1, reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the issues raised while emphasizing the importance of academic continuity.
President Maparyan reiterated her vision to make the university more effective, efficient, and excellent, both operationally and academically. She also pledged that ongoing reforms will be implemented transparently and ethically, with the well-being of employees and students in mind.
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